God is on Our Side!

1If the Lord had not been on our side—let Israel say—2if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us…  Psalm 124:1-2    (NIV)

What a joy to know that God is on your side!  Knowing that God is on your side brings comfort to a fearful soul.  When the enemy attacks, God is on our side fighting the battle for us.  As God’s children we deal with spiritual enemies but we can take courage because the Sovereign Lord is on our side.  The Lord declared to Israel through the prophet Isaiah, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me (54:17).”  This was not to say they would not have any trouble or face enemy attacks but it was to assure them that God was on their side to give them the victory.  This promise is for you today.  As you face trials and it seems like you are being defeated, remember God will not allow the weapons that are formed against you to succeed.  God delivers us from those who seek to destroy us.  So, remain faithful to God and obey His commands and you can declare as David; If the Lord had not been on my side.

God is Our Helper!

My help comes from the Lord. . .      Psalm 121:2

Every Christian can be assured that the Lord will provide whatever help they may need.  God is a Spirit and yet we are to trust He will provide our every need.  How does God provide for all of our needs?  God is the creator of everything.  God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient.  Putting our trust in God calls us to believe and know that God cares enough to send help for His sons and daughters.  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:2).  When the children of Israel needed food while in the wilderness, God provided manna for them to eat. When Jonah was thrown overboard, he needed help. He needed someone to rescue him from drowning.  God provided a fish for Jonah’s survival.  Naaman was covered with leprosy and in need of healing.  God provided a young girl to give instruction of where he could go for help. When David, as a young boy needed help against an attack by a bear, God provided David with strength to overcome the bear. While Peter was in jail, God provided an angel to deliver him without harm. No matter what we may encounter, we can depend on God for help.  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).  God is aware of our needs.  I challenge you today to not stress over your problems or situations but look to God for help.  All our help is from God.

Let God Cover You!

Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.   Psalm 16:1  (KJV)

How safe is it in this world today?  The increased violence and senseless murders in our communities renders cause for alarm.  Many people are living in fear of leaving their homes.  Some may ask why are Christians afraid?  The truth is, life’s circumstances can sometimes cause the faithful to lose confidence and heighten their concern for safety.  David, a man after God’s own heart came to understand that in the midst of trouble God would be his shelter.  David prayed to God for covering.  Asking God to preserve him expresses David’s desire for God to keep him safe.  Just like David, we too must put our trust in God who is able to keep us.  When I think of preserving, I am reminded of how my grandmother would preserve fruit and can fresh vegetables.  She would use the old fashion mason jars.  After filling the jars with fruit or vegetables, she would tightly seal the jars to keep its contents fresh.  These jars remained covered.  As long as the jars remained covered and tightly sealed, its content was preserved in order to be used later.  Once the time came to open a jar, we thoroughly enjoyed the great taste of the fruit and/or vegetables.  Likewise, ask God to preserve you so you can celebrate and enjoy life even in the midst of trouble.  God can preserve you from the enemy’s attack, sin, self and from dangers.  Let God cover you!

 

Constant Prayer!

Acts 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer. . .

We are constantly in spiritual warfare.  We live in a culture where gun sales are steadily increasing.  This is, of course, a result of the ongoing civil unrest in this country.  It has been reported that U.S. gun sales in the first four months of 2021 surged 31% to 15,966,389.  People are very much concerned about the safety of their families.  As they should be.  However, as believers in Christ Jesus we must be mindful that we are to cast all our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7).  Prayer should be our first priority.  Our weapon against any and every situation we encounter in life is prayer.  It has been given to us; it is a gift.  Prayer is simply communicating with God.  The disciples continued in constant prayer while gathered together awaiting the promise of the Father.  At the appointed time, God answered.  They received the Holy Spirit.  We read in Luke 18:1 man ought to always pray and not faint.  Make prayer a priority each day.  Prayer can change you, your family, your situation and your enemy.  We do not have to be defeated when we have prayer as our spiritual weapon.  Continue in constant prayer!  And watch God work it out!

Follow in His Steps!

1 Peter 2:21 NIV To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

As a child, did you ever put your feet into your father’s or mother’s shoes?  I’ll assume that each of us have done this.  No matter how big those shoes were, you tried to take as many steps as possible just to see what it was like to walk in their shoes.  What joy to feel as though you were walking in your parent’s shoes.  As a child this experience was a lot of fun and self-gratifying.  Can you remember the joy shared as your father or mother watched you attempt to walk in their shoes?  Perhaps you fell as you tried to make steps in those “too big” shoes.  As I read 1 Peter 2:21 I was reminded of those times.  Peter says . . .leaving you an example, you should follow in his steps.  Christ is our ultimate example.  “This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind. . .Christ lived.  He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and. . .how to do it, step-by-step.  He never did one thing wrong, not once said anything amiss.  They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back.  He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right” (vv.21-23 MSG).  We can in no way fill the shoes of Christ but we can follow in His Steps.  Even if we fall, Christ understands and is willing to pick us up to allow us to begin again.  So I challenge you today to take it one step at a time, step-by-step to follow in His steps!

Do All In Love!

I Corinthians 16:14 Let all that you do be done in love. 

You may ask how can everything be done in love?  We leave in a world where corruption is widespread.  Racism is very prevalent in our society.  We hear of senseless murders committed every day in our country.  Many American adults have resolved to carrying concealed weapons to protect themselves and their family.  Divorce rates are just as high among Christian couples as it is among non-believers.  Families living at poverty levels causing a struggle to feed and clothe their households.  Many of us live in neighborhoods and don’t know our neighbors’ names. Yet, we are to do everything in love, you say!  How can this be done?  How are we expected to do everything in love?  Paul directs the Corinthian believers how they were to act.  They were to “Be on guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong (v. 13).”  We are to abide by these same guidelines.  In order to do so, we must have a change of heart.  That change of heart requires self-denial while allowing our thoughts, actions, inactions, to be governed by Godly love towards God and others.  We are responsible for our own actions regardless to how others and this world treats us.  Let all that you do be done in love.  Ultimately, God sees all you do and He will reward you for your faithfulness and willingness to uphold His word.

God, Our Refuge

Psalm 62:8(NIV) Trust in Him at all times, O people, pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. 

Have you ever felt as though you had no one you can talk to and share your secrets? Maybe life has presented you with so many challenges and you feel you are in it all by yourself. Perhaps your dreams have been crushed. Well, let me remind you that God is always there for you. It is God’s desire that we cast all our problems on him. You can tell God your deepest hurts and sorrows. You can tell God all about your biggest mistakes. You can truthfully share with God your innermost pain. God wants us to always trust in Him. Regardless of how or what things may appear to be, God is in control. We are to trust Him at all times. Trusting God means giving up your control and yielding to God. Pour out your heart to God just as David did. David faced many dangers but he trusted God as his refuge. Pouring out your heart to God means emptying oneself and surrendering all to God. David knew God would be his security in times of trouble.
Therefore, I challenge you today to allow David’s words of exhortation to encourage you to trust in God at all times. For David declares “for God is our refuge” not his refuge alone. Begin to pour out your heart to God today.

God’s Discipline

Psalm 94:12 Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord, the man you teach from your law;

“This hurts me more than it hurts you.”  These words I can remember my mother saying while she whipped me for something I had done wrong.  Those words did not make my pain any less.  As a matter of fact, I did not understand it then at all. However, as I grew older, I come to understand just what Mama was trying to convey.  Her discipline was a sign of her love for me even though I had to endure the hurt.  The punishment was her way of bringing correction; to steer me from the wrong and into the right direction.  The psalmist wrote Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord. . .  How can discipline make one happy?  Is it ever pleasant to be disciplined by God?  Discipline is defined as “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.”  Hebrews 12:11 records No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  A father who loves his children will discipline them to correct the error of their ways.  God disciplines his children because he loves them and his desire is to teach them to obey his law (Word).  Perhaps you feel like everything is falling apart in your life, nothing seems to go right, or you may feel dejected.  I challenge you today, if you feel you are being punished by God check your behavior and realize this is an expression of God’s love for you.  Open up to God and ask what are you trying to teach me.  Learn from His discipline and you will find peace.

Be Aware of His Presence!

As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.   Luke 24:15-16  (NIV)

During this pandemic it has become necessary for all of us to wear masks.  Wearing masks is to help protect each other and minimize the spread of the virus. It is very difficult at times to recognize people whom you know and have known for quite some time because of these masks. Our wearing masks is not intended to conceal our identity. Yet there are occasions when being out among others, we fail to recognize just who has been in our presence. Just as the two men walking along the road to Emmaus encountered Jesus but did not recognize who he was.  Luke says but they were kept from recognizing him.  During this pandemic, is it possible you are being kept from recognizing who Jesus is among all the chaos?  Could it be our faces have been masked by so much hurt, we cannot recognize Jesus in our presence?  Perhaps the death of a love one, the loss of employment, or the threat of losing your home has caused you to lose sight of the presence of God.  But regardless of the struggles we face in this life, remember God is an omnipresent God.  He is always with us. Amidst the troubles of this world; hatred, racism, senseless murders, social injustices, broken relationships, divorce and raging storms, God is still present.  I challenge you today to look to God and for God in every situation you encounter.  God is faithful and has promised “. . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matt. 28:20 NIV  Be encouraged for God is in your presence.