God's Unfailing Love

From the pit of depression, we call on the Lord to hear our prayers. We trust Him and know that without Him, we would surely die. We ask Him to reveal His lovingkindness with each new morning and to show us what to do and how to live through this latest trial that we are experiencing.

The key to survival in this world is to give our self completely to the Lord. We run to Him and hide our self in Him. When we do, He rescues us from our enemies. We trust Him with each moment of our life.

We know that we are not guaranteed a future. We only have this one moment of time in which to live. Do we really want to waste it in remorse over the past or fear of the future?

Do we really want to spend this one moment of time in any mindset other than singing the high praises of God? We may not live one more moment. We may be in heaven with our very next breath. O glorious day!

God teaches us to do His will and His gracious Spirit leads us on solid ground as we trust in Him. He preserves our life for His glory and for His name's sake.

Through His faithfulness, He brings us through the darkest trial into His glorious light. He silences all of our enemies and destroys everyone who comes against us because we love Him with our whole heart and soul (Psalm 143:7-12).

We serve God with our life and make Him our only priority. We work in the vocation to which He calls us and serve Him in the church to which He leads us. God's unfailing love delivers, encourages and nurtures us.

  

As we totally surrender to His will for our life, He empowers us to overcome our depression, addictions and shortcomings and to accomplish all that He planned for us to do before we were even born (Ephesians 2:10).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for Your restoration and healing, which allows us to break down the walls we erect in our life. We forge better relationships with people and enter a more intimate union with You than we ever thought possible. 

Life's trials are not challenges; they are great adventures with You at the helm of our life. Even if we experience future wounds, loneliness and dark valleys, we are assured that You are traversing them with us and working them all our for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). 

Thought for the Day:
When we choose to give God the obedience, preference, attention, love and praise to which He is due, He makes victories possible for us and triumphs and successes the normal order for our life.

My Soul Yearns - A Prayer

Father God, I wait for You. All of my thoughts, words and deeds are aligned with Your Biblical precepts because Your good name and Your memory of me are the desire of my soul. My soul hungers for You all day long, but especially in the night watches when I attentively seek only You (Isaiah 26:8-9).

My heart trusts in Your loyal love for me, which pours over me like a waterfall all day long. You are always there to help me in any time of trouble. My heart rejoices in Your salvation, with which You so lavishly wrap me. I will sings praises to You, Lord, because of the bountiful blessings You continually bestow on me (Psalm 13:4-5).

On my bed, I remember all You did for me today and I think of You throughout the night watches (Psalm 63:6). My heart rejoices in Your goodness to me, and I sing songs of gratitude to You in my heart (Psalm 28:7). I gaze upon the beauty of Your countenance within me, and I hide in the refuge of Your wings, because You will never leave my soul impoverished (Psalm 141:8).

As I lift up my soul to You, I hear Your unfailing love come to me in new ways every morning. As I depend on You for my day, You give me direction for each moment (Psalm 143:8). My soul glorifies You, Lord, and my soul is at rest because of the abundance of good blessings You shower on me each new day (Luke 1:46; Psalm 116:7).

I awaken and my soul cries out to You all through the night watches. I pour my heart out in Your presence and You hear me. I lift up my hands to You as I pray for the unreached people groups, the persecuted church, impoverished children around the world, my loved ones living in service to You, my unsaved family members and the churches that are carrying Your name and furthering Your Kingdom (Lamentations 2:19).

At times, my soul yearns and even despairs of ever reaching Your courts. My heart and my aging body cry out to be with You, our living God (Psalm 84:2). God, You are my God. I will earnestly seek You, because my soul thirsts for You and my body yearns for Your courts as I trust in Your love and kindness in this dry and weary land, parched of the living water of life (Psalm 63:1).

In Jesus' name and for Your glory. Amen

God's Unfailing Love

God hears our prayers and answers them (Psalm 40:1; Micah 7:7). When our soul faints from trials and stress, we can put our hope in the Word of the Lord (Psalm 119:81). 

Our soul finds its rest in the Lord of our salvation, because our hope comes from Him (Psalm 62:1,5). When we trust in His Word, others who also fear the Lord will rejoice because they see our testimony of His provision (Psalm 119:74).

At times, we may feel disheartened or discouraged without any reason. God is putting a burden on our heart and we have no idea who to pray for or what is going on (Romans 8:26). 

However, God's Holy Spirit knows and wants us to pray for God to work in these lives, for Him to send His ministering angels to protect them and for Him to provide for them in every area of their need. Prayer changes lives.

Even if we are the ones living through a time of illness, unemployment or estrangement from a child, spouse or parent. These negative circumstances give us an occasion to spend time alone with God. 

This is often one of the most precious periods of our life. As we linger in God’s presence, our soul is filled with strength, peace, love and courage. Protect against limiting God's glory by doubts and insecurities. Trust in His faithfulness to see us through every trial life throws in our path. 

He promises to work out even the most horrendous circumstances for our good (Romans 8:28). God’s love is unfailing and His deliverance is abundant (Psalm 27:14, 130:5,7; Isaiah 8:17). He is our help and our protection (Psalm 33:20).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us to spend time in worship and adoration all throughout the day. We thank You for all of the special "hugs" You give us in both the simple and complex ways You order our life. 

As we bask in Your presence, cover us with Your love and glory and fill us to the brink with Your Holy Spirit, so that we can accomplish Your will for our day.

Thought for the Day:

As we immerse our self in fellowship with God, His Holy Spirit fills our soul with inexpressible joy and transforms us into the divine nature of Christ. - 1 Peter 1:7-9; 2 Peter 1:3-4

Why Don't I Feel Joy?

 

God did not intend for us to live life on this earth in depression and fear. He delights in us and wants His righteous children to be glad, and to rejoice before Him with contentment and joy (Psalm 68:3). There are several roadblocks in this modern world, which prevent our soul from experiencing the joy that is our heritage in Christ, and several keys for living a joy-filled life.

There is no scenario on earth that can entirely eliminate stress. We are going to experience the complexities of providing for our self and our family. There is only one solution to this problem, and that is to simplify our belongings and expenses. The more we have, the more we have to work to pay for it, and the more we want. Everything we own in this life actually owns us and holds us in bondage. 

Allowing our soul to grieve our losses is another key to joy (John 16:22). If we hold grief inside, it discolors the joyful circumstances in our life. By suppressing sadness, we also suppress joy. Consider your own needs. Otherwise irritability, depression and even anger or bitterness develop. Commune with your self and meet your needs, so you feel more satisfied and joyful. Show compassion to other people too.

Let go of every toxic, negative emotion plaguing your soul. Change any of your concerns you can. Let go of the issues, which you cannot change, and rely on God to free you from their bondage (Romans 8:28). Put all of your hope in the Lord, instead of in circumstances. Set goals, which are meaningful to you. Surround yourself with positive people. Praise the Lord all day long, so your soul shouts out with joy (Psalm 71:23).

Schedule more free time into your day. Do not overly schedule each moment with chores and responsibilities. Plan outings or events, which you can look forward to enjoying. Make some playtime into every day. Take a few moments at the end of each day to journal and relieve your mind of clutter. Every night, list five different things that you are grateful for and praise God for them as you fall asleep.

Prayer:

Father God, trials work patience into our life, which leads to contentment and fulfillment. Thank You that we can joyfully traverse trials, because we dwell in Your presence (James 1:2-8; Psalm 16:11; Isaiah 12:6). We find joy in the shadow of Your wings, because in your unfailing love we shall never be shaken (Psalm 21:5-7). Remind us to take time to list the blessings You bestow on us each day and to allow Your joy in us to demolish Satan and all negative emotions.

Thought for the Day:

As we trust every area of our life to Him, our God of Hope fills us with all joy and peace, so that we abound with hope by the power of His Spirit. – Romans 15:13

Manifestations of God

Most of humanity does not know Jesus as the Christ, nor do they care about Godly principles at all. If unbelievers see no distinction in our daily walk when compared to theirs, we have a problem with our connection to the Vine (John 15:5). We may even have a false hope of Heaven, because we never truly repented or made Jesus the Lord of our life. If, however, we are grafted into the Vine, their reason for rejecting His truth may be that we are hiding His light within us and they cannot see it (Matthew 5:15-16).

Once we surrender our identity over to the Ruler of the universe, however, God makes a huge difference in our character and existence. When we fully submit to God for Him to use as He pleases (Isaiah 29:16), our life takes on the character of Christ. This is when people see us as authentic Christians. We have God’s peace in trouble, His perseverance in trials, His love for our persecutors and His joy during periods of grief.

They see us exhibiting patience in trying times, using self-control when others give in to debauchery, displaying meekness rather than having a haughty attitude, relating to others with kindness and basing our life and decisions on faith in our faithful God. We lay down our life and prefer the needs of others over our own agenda. This is when other people want for themselves what we have within us. They see truth and reality in our lives. We are capable of this behavior, not because we are exemplary human beings, but because of the Holy Spirit within us (Galatians 5:16:25).

We were formerly dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1), but now we are dead to sin, and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Romans 6:11; Colossians 3:3). The Holy Spirit fills us with His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). We have an eternal view of life. We know that our eternal weight of glory far outweighs the momentary, comparatively light affliction we experience in this world. We view the visible issues of life as transient and passing, because we know that the spiritual aspects of life are everlasting (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

We live in this world as manifestations of God through Christ. We have the same abilities and expression of the Spirit that Christ did, because He lives within us (1 John 4:17). We obey God’s Spirit with an awareness, which exceeds human understanding. We cannot prove this relationship intellectually or physically, but the Spirit of God bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). People see the fruit on our branch, and realize it is actually the Vine, which is the source of our productive lives (John 15:5).

As we allow God’s light within us to shine brightly, many in the world will see Him through us and want to give their life to Christ as well (Matthew 5:16). As Born Again Believers, our life on earth has Jesus’ supernatural capabilities. Not only does the Spirit of God lead us (Romans 8:14), but He also fills us to overflowing (Acts 4:31). We are children of God, with Christ living in us by God’s Spirit (Romans 8:11). The more we decrease, the more He increases within us (John 3:30).

Prayer:

Father God, Jesus prayed that no one would snatch us out of Your hand. You are greater than all, and we are perfectly safe in Your everlasting arms (John 10:28-29). Fill us completely full of Your Spirit and keep us as the apple of Your eye (Psalm 17:8). Draw us close to You and never let us go. Your unfailing love is our priceless treasure and we run to the refuge of the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 36:7).

Thought for the Day:

The Holy Spirit is our source of power. Ask Him to manifest Himself in and through you.

 

 

Cure for Discouragement - Part 2

 

(Please first read yesterday's post: "Cure for Discouragement – Part 1")

King David expressed his heart-felt thoughts and emotions in his Psalms. We see in many of them that he begins by describing his feelings of utter fear, defeat and hopelessness. As he works through the issues that are plaguing him, putting on paper the deepest griefs and attitudes in his heart, the Holy Spirit ministers to his spirit. David usually ends all of his psalms with words of encouragement and solace that he finds both through God’s Spirit and in the encouragement of God’s Word (1 Samuel 30:6). 

We can follow David’s example in our life. Get a big, fat notebook from the department store, and a pen in your favorite color of ink and size for your hand. Open the clean white pages of the notebook that are poised and waiting for you to fill them with the thoughts and emotions, which are weighing down your soul – your mind, will and emotions. Describe in detail all of the issues in your life that depress, annoy, frustrate and anger you. Use uncensored words and allow your soul to unburden itself on the pristine pages of your notebook. Let the words flow from your heart freely and exactly as you feel them. Fill the pages of your notebook with everything that burdens your mind and emotions.

Once you finish writing, you can reread what you wrote. You may be surprised to see exactly what it is that is bothering you. Pray about each issue and ask God for courage to take care of the issues you are able to fix, and the wisdom to leave the rest of them in His capable hands. Then, you can remove the pages from the notebook, and put them in an empty can. Take the can outside and drop a lit match on the pages. Then imagine the smoke rising from the can as your spirit’s prayer to God to work all these troubles and trials out for your good (Romans 8:28).

God does not turn a deaf ear when we feel depressed or discouraged. Many people have deep pits of prolonged depression. I know one Pastor that used to pray something to the effect of, “Lord, I am going to be the best depressed person You have ever created. Then, when You are ready for me to stop being depressed, You will lift me up and encourage me.”

God is in us and walks with us through all of the hard and dark places in our life. He will show us, as He did King David, the way through each dark valley and over every steep mountain we encounter. We only need to ask Him to show us the way, to bring us His Word of encouragement and to fill us through all of our being with His fullness and unfailing love (Ephesians 3:19, Amplified).

Prayer:

Father God, King David did not waver through unbelief regarding Your promises, but was strengthened in his faith. He always gave all the glory to You (Romans 4:20). You are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer in whom I take refuge. You are my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold (Psalm 18:2). Deliver me from the oppression of life, and from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel. You are my hope, Sovereign LORD. I put my confidence in You, ever since my youth (Psalm 71:4-5).

Thought for the Day:

Wait for the LORD. Be strong, be encouraged and wait for the LORD.
- Psalm 27:14

My Soul's Portion

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never end; they are fresh every morning. His faithfulness is great and never ending. My soul received the Lord as my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him. The Lord provides every good and perfect gift for those who wait on Him, to the soul that seeks Him. Salvation is not something we must grasp at or steal away. It is a free gift that comes to those who patiently wait on the Lord (Lamentations 3:22-26).

My soul waits for the Lord more eagerly than a night watchman waits for the morning light to dawn (Psalm 130:6). I plant my hope in His Word, because He is my help and my shield (Psalm 28:7). He brings joy to my soul because He showers me with His unfailing love. Both riches and honor come from Him, and in His hand is all the power and might we need to live fulfilling and spiritually vibrant lives (2 Chronicles 20:6).

The Lord longs to be gracious and rises to show compassion on the whole earth. I will never finish singing His praises. I will never stop testifying to anyone who will listen about what He does for me, and what He longs to do for them. I will always give thanks to the Lord, and never fail to call upon His name in any time of distress. I will constantly sing praises to Him, and tell of all His wonderful acts (1 Chronicles 16:8-9).

He does not treat us as our sins warrant, nor does He repay us according to the punishment our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10). He restrains His anger over our sin, time and time again. He is so merciful, because He repeatedly forgives our sins (Psalm 78:38). He who promises salvation to us is faithful; therefore we can cling to our hope in Him (Hebrews 10:23). His eyes are always on those who honor and respect Him, and who hope in His unfailing love (Psalm 33:18).

Even the heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they are a testimony to His goodness, and night after night they prove His existence (Psalm 19:1-2; Romans 1:20). I trust in God’s loyal love. My heart rejoices in His salvation. He blesses me bountifully, which makes my soul break forth into singing and rejoicing (Psalm 13:5-6).

During times of deprivation and abandonment, we can cling to the fact that God has big plans for His children. He brings us prosperous blessings and protects us even in times of trouble and trial. He is our future and our hope (Jeremiah 29:11). We can take courage from Him and from His Word. We have no need to be afraid, no matter what life throws at us. The Lord Jesus is with us - no matter who we are, where we live or what we do for a living on this earth.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, let Your unfailing love rain down upon us, even as we put our hope in You. Bring us to a place of surrendering everything to You, so that we may live according to Your will. You have only our best at heart; so help us to trust in Your mercy and grace forevermore. We praise You for Your great love and compassion, which never fail us.

Thought for the Day:

God is love; and His love demands justice for the wages of our sins. Yet, in His love, He gave His only Son to die to pay for us the penalty of our sin.

May God Turn His Face Toward You

Our sins separate us from God and cause Him to hide His face from us. This puts up a wall of separation between Him and us that will not allow Him to hear our prayers (Isaiah 59:2). When the Lord turns His face away from someone, He cannot bless them. When we are unwilling to abandon our sinful ways, this causes Him to withhold His mercy and compassion on us and He cannot pardon us when we indulge in activities that grieve His heart (Isaiah 1:15). Due to our choices, He allows us to waste away in our sin (Isaiah 64:7).

God will not listen to the sinner; but He always listens to the righteous who live a Godly lifestyle (John 9:31; Job 35:13). God is eager to wash away the stain caused by sin in our life (Isaiah 4:4). The prospect of being outside of God’s grace is horrifying to a Believer, but to those lost in sin it is just another day in the world. They have nothing to compare it with. They are accustomed to their sin separating them from God (Ezekiel 7:22).

The hope of humanity is to turn to God so that He can turn His face towards us. When the Lord turns His face toward us, He gives us peace and unfailing love (Psalm 31:16, 29:11; Numbers 6:26). He is gracious to us, blesses us and teaches us His decrees (Psalm 67:1; Psalm 119:135). He restores us when we fall (Psalm 80:3,7). All we need to do is to repent and He will have mercy on us and grant us His strength (Psalm 86:16).

He calls us to humble ourselves and to pray, to seek His face and to turn from our wicked ways. He hears us from heaven, forgives us for our sins and restores our heavenly inheritance to us (1 Chronicles 7:14). He never turns from us in our distress. The God of the universe actually condescends to bend down and listen to us and to answer us swiftly when we call to Him for help (Psalm 102:2). He turns His ear to us and quickly comes to our rescue. He is a strong fortress for us and He saves us (Psalm 31:2).

God is with the godly, watching over us wherever we go. He brings us back into the realm of His provision. He will never leave us and He will always do what He promises (Genesis 28:15). He blesses us no matter where we live or what we do in life (Deuteronomy 28:3). He guards our steps, because we know that it is not by our own strength that we prevail (1 Samuel 2:9). Through faith, we are shielded by God’s power until the coming of eternal salvation, which is ready to be revealed in the last days (1 Peter 1:5).

God places His angels around us to protect us in everything we do. They lift us up and guard us from any harm (Psalm 91:11-12). He never sleeps and He watches over us day and night. (Psalm 121:3). He is our confidence (Proverbs 3:26). He delights in us and gives us a firm foundation (Psalm 37:23). He is a righteous God who searches minds and hearts. He brings the violence of the wicked to an end and He makes the righteous eternally secure (Psalm 7:9).    Prayer: Lord God, bless us abundantly, keep us in the palm of Your hand, be gracious to us in our trials and shortcomings and make Your face shine on us (Numbers 6:24-25). Keep us as the apple of Your eye; hide us in the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 17:8). Save us and bless us with Your inheritance. Be our shepherd and carry us forever in Your everlasting arms (Psalm 28:9). Thought for the Day: May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.  - Numbers 6:25

 

The God of Hope

Read: Proverbs 3: 5-6

“We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” – Psalm 33:20

There is so much suffering in the world. From birth to death, life inflicts some of us with atrocities that are hard to fathom. This terrifying devastation is often more than we can bear. In spite of what we suffer, the God of Hope has a purpose for our life.

 

 

When our heart is sad, we can look to God for deliverance. We can praise Him again and again, because He is our God and Savior (Psalm 42:11). God collects every single tear that we ever shed in His bottle and records them all in His book (Psalm 56:8). Just imagine the size of that bottle and scroll! He cares about us so much that He sent His son to die in our place and to pay the penalty of our sins.

Life on this earth is merely temporal. After our last breath on earth, our next breath will be in eternity. Whether we go to Heaven or hell, we will spend eternity there. Remembering that Heaven is our eternal home gives Believers a new perspective on the heart-break, stress, confusion, loneliness, irritations and desolation we experience in this secular world. We face the consequences of discrimination, environmental disasters, false accusations, violence, lies, hatred, war, unfaithfulness and every immoral decision. However, God lives within us through every negative experience, and will help us to endure to the end with a song in our heart and victory in our walk (Matthew 24:12-13; Psalm 108:1; 1 Corinthians 15:57).

God also cares about every negative emotion, which infects our soul. He desires to replace it with the fruit of His Spirit. At times we are so wounded that we cannot hold up our head or take one step. Our lips have not smiled in years. However, the goodness of God is just waiting to fill our hearts and sustain us with His love. There is no need to turn away from God, entertain bitterness in our soul or plan a strategy of revenge against a sinful world that often overwhelms us (Proverbs 13:12). Through each trial, God gives us hope that provides a trustworthy anchor for our soul (Hebrews 6:18-20).

We come out of the circumstance stronger and more secure in God’s love. The Lord is our Helper, and there is no need for fear (Hebrews 13:6). He is the God of hope and He fills us with joy and peace, as we trust in Him (Romans 15:13). Paul and James both believed that it is actually possible to rejoice in our suffering (Romans 5:3; James 1:2). They knew the secret of growing through our tribulation. Through suffering, we have more empathy and grace for others, as well as humility in spirit and gratitude for everything that God does for us each day. Jesus Himself taught us that we learn obedience through the things that we suffer (Hebrews 5:8).

Even if the circumstances do not turn out as we hoped they would, we have the example of Biblical Saints who clung to their trust in the faithfulness of God (Hebrews 11:13). God prepared a home in Heaven for Believers, and we will live with Him there for eternity (Hebrews 11:15-16). When life attempts to pull us from God’s everlasting arms, we only need to snuggle deeper. He will never allow anyone or anything to rip us from His embrace. As we walk by faith, God uses us as a lift boat for others who suffer persecution or difficulties. We impart to them the hope that God gave us in similar circumstances. Their faith increases when we share our testimony with them.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, our hearts rejoice in You, because we trust in Your holy name. Your unfailing love rests upon us and we put our hope in You (Psalm 33:21-22). Our soul waits silently for You, because You are our hope. You are our Rock and Salvation, our Stronghold. Therefore, we will never be shaken (Psalm 62:5-6). We may have dreams and goals for our life, but You direct our steps (Proverbs 16:9). You maneuver us through the treacherous waters of life to put us in the right place at the right time to accomplish Your will. 

Thought for the Day:

God is with the broken-hearted and carries us through our troubles. – Psalm 147:3