Undeniable Truth

Receiving God's Word as undeniable Truth is the first requisite for a life infused with love, joy, peace and power. When we doubt, we are in sin (Romans 14:22-23).

Yet, God lets us off the hook with one particular story. It is a man requiring a miracle and he humbly requests. "Lord, I do believe, but help my unbelief" (Mark 9:23-25).

How can he have faith and doubt at the same time? Didn't you ever feel this way? In your spirit you knew without a doubt that God could, but in your soul - your mind, choices and emotions - you wondered if He would.

Faith can move mountains and it often does. Faith can change lives, if the person humbly submits to God. Faith can give us hope in a hopeless situation.

Regardless of the amount of faith we have, God is not an Aladdin's lamp at our disposal to grant all of our wishes. He has a perfect plan for our life and some of that plan includes struggle and strain.

Not because God is mean of an ogre or vindictive, but He knows that our struggle makes us stronger. Look at a butterfly emerging from its cocoon or a chick coming out of its shell.

The struggle increases their ability to live in this world. If we help them and make it easier for them, they will most likely die. God planned for every struggle to bring us the strength to survive.

God connects us to the Vine of Christ. We draw every nutrient we need for an abundant life from the very blood of Christ. We bear fruit not by our own effort, but by the life of the Vine flowing through us.

Then, what does God do? He prunes us so we can bear more fruit - a temporary trial which makes us stronger. Yet, He does not stop there. He prunes us again so that we will bear much more fruit.

Prayer:

Father God, in the productive stages of our life, when we have learned the lessons brought to us through our pruning, we have an abundance of Your Spirit running through us from the Vine and we love who we are in Christ.

We do not need to be a separate plant in order to feel pride in our accomplishments. We are thrilled to have the privilege of abiding in our union with the Vine of Christ. Thank You for caring so much about the whole world that You chose to become Emmanuel and pay our sin debt for eternity (John 3:16-17).

Thought for the Day:

We love who we are in Christ and we rejoice when a new branch is connected to the Vine along with us. The Body, the Bride of Christ all intimately united with the amazing Son of God.

Struggles in Life

 

Why do we struggle so hard in life as a Christian? Isn’t God supposed to make a difference in our life? Where is He when we need him? Why does He let bad things happen to me and my family? Do you ever feel this way? You are not alone; many people do. In fact, even the Israelites, God’s chosen people, had a bone to pick with God now and then.

There are only two answers to these questions. It is really very simple. Are you seeking God so that He can bless your life while you live out your plans and goals? Are you entertaining sin in your life? Then God simply cannot bless you. The other answer is that you are experiencing a trial and God’s miracle is just around the corner.

The only way to experience the intimate love, the serene peace or the unlimited joy promised to us in the Bible is to live life God’s way. When we realize that we are living for our self, we repent of every sin and we wake up each morning entirely at God’s disposal. We apply for the job He directs us to take. We eat the foods He prompts us to eat.

We avoid the sin that He warns us is trying to tempt us. We humbly and sincerely ask, “Lord, lead me to do Your will each moment of this day.” Then we wait patiently, listening with our inner ear to His promptings in our spirit. This opens the windows of heaven’s blessings on our life. When we live in absolute surrender to God’s will, even trials and tragedies work out for our good (Romans 8:28).

We enjoy a constant flow of provision in body, soul and spirit; the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and an intimate relationship with Christ in us. We do not always have what we want, because God knows that it will not be good for us. However, we do have many more blessings in every area of our life than we deserve and shows us deeper levels of holiness and intimacy with Him.

Prayer:

Father God, reveal to us the areas of our life, which are not in one accord with Your will for our life. Lead us to deeper, higher and wider intimacy with You than we ever experienced before. Help us to realize that Your anointed Son lives in us and provides us with love, joy and peace in the midst of overwhelming circumstances. Thank You for giving Yourself so completely to us; and help us to totally surrender every area of our life to You.

Thought for the Day:

The only true need in our life is to depend upon God’s Spirit to keep us in the presence of God each moment of every day.

Freedom from Fear

Read: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

“It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in men. It is better to take refuge in Him than in the mightiest king!” PS 118:8-9  (TLB)

One day I realized that I continually lose my peace and joy when I worry. Therefore, I started to write each concern on a small piece of paper and tuck it away in a heart-shaped box. Then, when I started to fret about that matter again, I reminded myself, “Do not fear, the matter is already put into the ‘heart of God.’” That box is now full of answered prayers. It builds my faith every time I reread those little slips of paper.

God promises to see us through times of distress in His perfect timing. He is not regulated by our time frame. In fact, God does not dwell in time, but in eternity. Nothing this world throws our way will harm us irrevocably. Even if it takes our life, we will take our next breath in the glories of Heaven! It is better to trust the Lord than to put our confidence in ourselves or anyone else.

When we courageously survive a history of overcoming our struggles one day at a time, we have so much to share with others who are experiencing similar trails. We also gain faith to face the next adversity, which life throws our way. This allows us to lose our fear of the future and to face tomorrow with confidence in His ability to work all things, even the bad things, out for our good (Romans 8:28).

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I pray for Your wisdom and strength to accomplish all that You give me to do, because relying on You is better than depending on the most powerful person in the world. Help me to trust You rather than to live in fear of the future.

Thought for the Day

The Lord promises that He is on our side and that His help is just a prayer away.

The Least of These

Read: Judges 6&7

“And the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are...” – 1 Corinthians 1:28

The Bible constantly chronicles God’s method of choosing the weak to prove His strength. During the Midianite oppression of Israel, God chose to use Gideon to deliver His people. Scholars tell us that Gideon came from the weakest clan in Manasseh and was the least in his family.

Gideon struggled with God’s call and wavered in his faith. He used an animal’s fleece as a sign, which God miraculously kept wet or dry according to Gideon’s prayer. God did not want Gideon to take credit for the victory against the Midianites. Therefore, before the fighting even began, God used a series of tests and dwindled Gideon’s army down to just three hundred men.

Then, God’s Spirit came upon Gideon and gave him a plan to deliver God’s people. In the midst of all of the bright lights and trumpet blasts, God confused the Midianite army. They ended up warring against one another. Even though the Israelites were outnumbered and had no weapons of war, they won the battle anyway.

When I remember the oppressive circumstances, which make up my past, I recall frequently feeling that they were impossible to overcome. I lost courage so often. I begged God for signs to pump up my faith, just like Gideon did with his fleece. From my years as a new Believer to those now as a veteran child of the King, I can testify with certainty that God always works all things out for my good (Romans 8:28). He will undoubtedly do the same for you, if you will courageously surrender the control of your life to Him, and dare to trust Him with the outcome.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, never let us put our confidence in the multitude of our chariots and in the greatness of our horsemen, but let us always look to You to deliver us (Isaiah 31:1). Remind us that You are faithful to Your children and that You use even the worst of circumstances for our good.

Thought for the Day

When I am my weakest, He is the strongest (2 Corinthians 12:10); and He uses me the most.