God in the Details

 

God does not often show Himself strong for us during a trial. Initially, this hurts our feelings and causes us to doubt His love for us. However, God's love is exactly what prevents Him from rescuing us from life's hurts and challenges.

God is teaching us that this life is inconsequential in His larger scheme of the ages. His goal in our life is to transform our body, soul and spirit from this humble, earthly state into conformity with His glorious eternal plan for us.

He also shows us that all things, even our health, finances, comfort, suffering, family and life are subject to Him (Philippians 3:20-21). As His Spirit sanctifies us, we learn to submit to His will and to surrender our entire life to His wisdom and direction.

This gives us hope in God, rather than despair from overwhelming circumstances, thoughts and feelings. He is constantly at work in our life, planting seeds for a miracle in all of our trials.

We just have to patiently wait for Him to reveal them to us. He longs for us to trust in Him alone, and to desire His will instead of our own goals and plans.

We eventually learn that our suffering in this world cannot be compared to the glory of living in God's presence both now and throughout eternity (Romans 8:18).

Hardships are merely temporary and fleeting, especially as we keep our eyes on Christ and the prize of our inheritance of the Kingdom of God (Acts 17:11; 1 Peter 4:12-13; James 1:1-13).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to meditate on the truth that You are in complete control of everything in this world. Allow this fact to penetrate deep within our soul - our thoughts, choices and feelings - so that we learn to trust You and not our human reasoning throughout every moment of our day. We do not need to understand Your thoughts, because they are so much more profound than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

You simply ask us to remain open and willing to submit to and accept Your will and ways - even in the trials. You renew our human spirit by making Your truths known to us. We are created in Your image (Colossians 3:10), we have Your mind (1 Corinthians 2:16), and by Your Spirit we learn to walk as You would walk in our shoes (1 John 2:20).

Thought for the Day:

As the reality of the fact that our life is hidden with Christ in God becomes more of a reality every day, we draw away from the world, the flesh and the devil and find our true joy only in service to our King Jesus. - Romans 12:2

Encouragement from God

To be encouraged is to be filled with courage. We do not buckle under the weight of circumstances when we have courage, especially when that courage comes to us through God's Spirit within us.

As we continually set the Lord in the forefront of our thoughts, we will not be shaken, because He is near us and in us (Psalm 16:8). Even if fear or anxiety trouble us for some reason, we can keep our faith in His faithfulness (Psalm 56:3).

We trust Him and His Word, which gives us serenity in this sin-cursed world. There is nothing anyone can do to us that He is not capable of turning around for our ultimate good (Psalm 56:4; Romans 8:28).

God's Word is full of assurances, which give us peace, even in the direst of circumstances. We can be encouraged because Jesus already overcame the world, and He abides within us (John 16:33).

There is no need to feel anxiety about anything, because in every circumstance we can pray, cast our cares on God, and live in gratitude for all He already did for us (Philippians 4:6).

His peace, which overcomes every anxious thought, guards our heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). He floods our soul with His peace, which goes far beyond human reasoning (Philippians 4:8).

It is not fleeting, circumstantial peace or peace we derive from things of this world, but peace that abides in us and eliminates all fear and discouragement regardless of our life issues (John 14:27).

God is our eternal hiding place and He protects us in times of trouble as He walks through it in us and with us. He floods our mind with worship songs to praise Him, so that we remain victorious each step of the way (Psalm 32:7-8).

Prayer:

Father God, hardships, turmoil, sleeplessness, deprivation, abuse, financial ruin, etc. touch everyone at some point in time. These external pressures add to our other worries about our family and the world around us (2 Corinthians 11:27-28).  Yet, when we cry to You for help, You hear us and rescue us from all of our troubles (Psalm 34:17).

Remind us that if we allow our sinful nature to control our thoughts and emotions and physical desires, we will destroy our self; but if we allow Your Spirit to control us, You will lead us into life and peace now and throughout eternity (Romans 8:6).

Thought for the Day:

We have no need to be overwhelmed by life, because the Lord goes before us and leads us, and He will never fail or forsake us.- Deuteronomy 31:8

God is in Control - Daily Stress and the Terrors of Life

 

 

Fear comes from imagined or real stress and trials. In God's perfect love, there is no room for fear. His love drives out our fear, because He makes us perfect in His love (1 John 4:18).

God gives us His power, His love and a stable thought life (2 Timothy 1:7). When anxiety threatens to overcome us, His comfort brings joy to our soul (Psalm 94:19).

God calls us by name and redeems us, because we are His children (Isaiah 43:1). He sends His children to cheer our anxious heart with a kind word, so that we do not get too discouraged or weighed down (Proverbs 12:25).

We can even walk through the valley of the shadow of death without fear, because He is with us and comforts us with His guidance and protection (Psalm 23:4).

There is no need for us to succumb to the terror of this life or to allow it to discourage us, because God is with us no matter where we go, and He is coming to our rescue (Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 35:4).

He has our tomorrows in His hand so there is no need to worry about the future. In fact, today has enough trouble without borrowing concerns over the future to add to them (Matthew 6:34).

As we live humbly before God, His mighty hand lifts us up in His own good time. We can leave all of our concerns with Him, because He absolutely cares about every aspect of our life (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Prayer:

Father God, Jesus gave us Your guarantee by promising that we do not have to worry about our life or any aspects of our needs. Remind us that we cannot add one single blessing to our life by worrying, but worry will shorten our life and impede our health if we succumb to it (Luke 12:22-26). You promised to care for us as You do the birds and the flowers.

You are the light of our salvation and our glory and the lifter of our head. We have nothing to fear in life (Psalm 27:1). Every trial is an adventure, and You plant a seed for a miracle in each one of them. We give all of our cares to You, because You sustain us through the good times of life as well as the bad, and there is nothing to fear; You will never allow us to fall (Psalm 55:22; Mark 6:50).

Thought for the Day:

God is our Lord and Redeemer, and He takes hold of our right hand to lift us up, help us, guide us and protect us through the issues of life. - Isaiah 41:13-14