COMFORT AS WE ARE COMFORTED

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

 

          Are you in a difficult set of circumstances that have you deeply troubled? Oh yes, Christians have difficulties just like anyone else in this world. Did you know that God sees you in your situation and has either caused or allowed it for His own purposes? Did you also know that nothing can befall you that God cannot see you through? To think that once we become a Christian our lives will be pristine and perfect is foolhardy. We must still live in this decaying world and are subject to the same trials and tribulations as the rest of creation. We, however, have an advocate that the world knows nothing of. We have the Holy Spirit to comfort us and lead us through our darkest hour. Our Heavenly Father is at the end of that which has us vexed. He will see us through to the other side of it. For what reason do we encounter such troubles you may ask? Paul states it clearly in his second letter to the Corinthian church; we are brought through and comforted by our Lord so that we may provide that same comfort to others at a time when they are in need.

          We do not serve a God who is hard of hearing or unable to see, for scripture is clear; God is all-seeing and all-knowing. To think that we are in our circumstances alone is contrary to God’s Word. Hebrews 13:5 echoes that which God had said in Deuteronomy 31:6 - “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” The word ‘never’ simply means “at no time in the past or future; on no occasion; not ever”. Therefore we can rely on God to keep His word because we have no doubt ever encountered a time when He could not be trusted. I dare say God has been the most reliable of anyone we have ever known.

          So when we find ourselves on the other side of the turbulence that has knocked us about, comforted by God and at peace, we must be ever mindful of those who are in the midst of some difficulties that we might be ready to bring them comfort just as God has done for us. By this we show both our brothers and sisters in Christ and the world the mercy, grace and love of God in a way they can see and embrace.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

WE ARE KNOWN

"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 17:10)

 

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

 

          There is no place we can hide our true thoughts or intentions. That needn’t frighten us as Christians unless we are involved in things that we ought not to be involved in. The fact that God judges a man according to his heart’s motivation, rather than external things should be pleasing to Christians. This way the righteous shall be rewarded on the last day. However, it is not a reward we are to seek, but rather the shear knowledge of living in obedience to the proclamation of God which should bring us pleasure. The blessings will come, make no mistake about that, but if getting blessed is the driving force behind serving God, then our thinking is amiss. We serve God because we feel compelled to first and foremost because of all that He is. Secondly, we ought to serve Him because of all He has done for us.

          A good adage to follow is ‘would you say or do what you are about to if Jesus were standing right there with you?’ God desires that we live peaceful lives as we live for Him. He wants to raise us up to be beacons of light in a dark world. He wants to use us to proclaim His mercy and grace. God knows all about what you are going through right now, so cast your fears, concerns and anxiety fully upon Him. If there is any offensive way in you, give it over to God. He already knows about it and will forgive you if you ask. There is nothing God cannot and will not do for you if you put the full weight of your trust upon Him. I have often said in my writings that God knows us intimately. This is why; because He truly does know all our thoughts and the motivations of our hearts. You truly cannot know anyone any better than that. He desires to bless us and has chosen to use us. Allow God to have His way in your life, for in doing so you will over time be at peace and have a sense of true fulfillment, regardless of your circumstances.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

OUR FAITHFUL GOD

“Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” (Isaiah 25:1)

 

“ … if we are faithless, he will remain faithful(*), for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

 

Faithful - loyal, constant, and steadfast ... resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.

 

          Is God faithful? If so, just how faithful is He? We can know by our own walk with Him just how faithful He is. Let me ask you a question: In all the years you have walked with Him has God ever once failed or disappointed you? I have had a personal relationship with God for nearly 34 years and I have never, ever known Him to fail to do that which He has promised. Any pain that I have experienced, either emotional or physical, I have brought on myself; it had nothing to do with God. In spite of my being obstinate through the years, He has never left me which is evidence of His incredible patience. God is constant in all His ways; we are woefully inconsistent. Although our faith wanes at times, His faithfulness remains true as testimony to God’s unchanging character. God has wonderful things in store for those who trust in and rely on Him to see them through this life into the next.

          God’s faithfulness is such that we are given no reason to doubt that our forgiveness is real and everlasting. It shall not ever be taken away from us. Our confidence should stem from the fact that God has never given us a reason to not trust Him. Armed with this knowledge we should faithfully serve God in whatever capacity He leads us.

          We must be able to differentiate between God’s denial and our own stubbornness to do as we please. To believe in God is to know Him and to know Him requires time, patience and determination. The closer we become to God the more things will begin to make sense. Eventually we come to the place where make sense or not, we will trust Him. Why; because God has been and always shall be loyal, constant, resolute and unwavering in His faithfulness to His children. That is a truth that we can rely on throughout our life. For that we are to lift up and praise His name.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

(*) This is a wonderful affirmation of assurance that although we are called to endure and be faithful, salvation does not rest ultimately on our faithfulness, but upon that of Christ. [Reformation Study Bible]

FORGET NOT

“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)

 

          These are the words of God to the people of Israel just after the Ten Commandments had been presented to them by Moses. While there may not be a direct correlation between this time in history and us today, I believe it would be very appropriate to exercise poetic license by saying the following: 'When you have trusted the Lord to provide for and sustain you in every way and you have eaten your fill and are comfortable, do not forget your God.' It is easy to focus on the here and now and let God slide to the deep recesses of your conscientiousness. We serve a jealous God. He will share credit with no one for He is the One who has provided for and sustained us and not we ourselves. On our best and most productive day our efforts would pale in comparison to what God has done for us. If God decided to completely turn His back and disown us, we would cease to exist. There would be no light, no air to breathe … just massive nothingness. But we serve a God who is loving, kind and merciful. He knows we are but dust and to dust we shall someday return. Enjoy the blessings He has given you; however, never forget Him.

          We are never to forget Him not for the ‘things’ He has done and is still doing. We are to never forget Him because He is worth remembering. We are to remember Him always because of who He is: the Almighty Creator God who made us from nothing for His own pleasure. It is a matter of our will to determine to serve God and worship Him. There is nothing He can’t do for us if asked, yet God is not a genie in a bottle granting wishes indiscriminately. He is who He is and He does what He does because He loves us with a never-ending, unconditional love. How can we not want to share Him with those around us who have not yet found Him? May God be praised both now and forever simply for who He is.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

LIVING FOR GOD

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7-9)

 

          Moses was dead. God installed Joshua as the new leader of the people of Israel. It was he who would be responsible for leading the people across the River Jordan into the land promised to them by God. The above verses are part of what God had said to Joshua when He was commissioning him to be Israel’s leader.

          As New Testament believers, we are not required to adhere to the Book of the Law. Christ’s death on the cross bridged the gap between God and man when He paid for all our sins with His own blood. In the course of our walk with God have you ever considered that as you live your life for God you actually are obeying the original commandments sent down from Mount Sinai by Almighty God through Moses?

          We are to obey the decrees of Christ. We are to begin new behavior by virtue of our conversion. Once redeemed the Holy Spirit of God resides within us. If we allow Him to, changes begin to manifest themselves. As we read His word we begin to realize that His charge for us is to love and obey God, love our brothers and sisters as we love ourselves and be ready to share with others the hope that is within us. We need to understand that God is always with us. There is nowhere that He is not for He is ever-present or all places at the same time. We have nothing to fear or be discouraged about for our Lord will be with us wherever we go in this life. These are promises we can count on.

          To take full advantage of the promises of God we must know what they are and the only way we can know that is to read His word. Ask God to expand your mind to better understand what He wants to say to you. He will you know. He wants you to know Him better so that you can be not only blessed in this life, but a blessing to others. As we seek to serve God with our lives on a daily basis we end up living the Ten Commandments even though it is no longer required. Obey God and as a result be strong and courageous in your faith.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 67

          Sometimes, just when you think things are at their darkest a light appears. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, try to do the right thing and want to live lives that are pleasing to God, but fall into the continual trap of fretting and worrying. It is normal behavior, yet so unnecessary. I concern myself far less than I used to about the future, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get concerned. The future can appear very daunting at times. There is a certain blackness about it; void of any color. It’s exactly like entering into a pitch dark room. Even after your eyes adjust to the darkness you still cannot see. If we are a Christian, we have a built in light; He is the Holy Spirit. Although we still cannot see where we are going, if we rely on God’s Spirit to guide us, we will end up where we are supposed to be. We cannot make it in this life all by ourselves. There is no prize at the end for doing so. Only death awaits us, for it comes to us all. Even the conclusiveness of death cannot put a damper on the hope that should be within the genuine believer, for God is in us and will take us into His eternal rest when our life is over. For the Christian, the unknown is nothing to fear. We should embrace the unknown for in it lies the plans God has for us. He has never, nor will he ever fail us or leave us behind. It is His solemn promise in His word. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6) “Them” represents all the unknowns that awaited the Jews after they crossed Jordan into the Promised Land of Canaan. It also can represent all that is unknown to you. Don’t lose your focus.

 

        “Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

          Look full in His wonderful face,

          And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

          In the light of His glory and grace.”

          [Words & music by Helen H. Lemmel; 1863-1961]

WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:10-14)

 

          Jesus was God’s grandest revelation of Himself to the world. He created the world and everything in it and then came into the world in the flesh to reveal Himself to His chosen ones, the Jews. However, they rejected Him so gentiles were then offered the gift of new life (Romans 11:19-21). It is more than just receiving Christ that must be done. The Holy Spirit of God reveals Christ to us and we know just as the hand-picked men who were to become disciples knew; Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, the Christ; the Savior of the world. Through our acceptance of Christ’s redemptive work by willingly dying on a cross reserved for criminals, we have been given a new lease on life. Each and every sin we have ever committed has been forgiven, never to be held against us again. We have become children of God. It is not just believing in His name, for even the demons believe in the name of Jesus and shudder at the mention of it (James 2:19). We are new creatures in Christ. We are to behave differently. As we allow the Holy Spirit to move within us we will begin to change. It is imperative that we nourish our spirits by feasting on His word. How else can we truly know God more intimately and understand how we are to live our lives? I believe God wants to use us all to minister His mercy and grace to those who do not yet know Him. We are born of God, not by any mere man and therefore we should emulate our Heavenly Father and not the latest fad or trend that comes down the pike. We are to be different, because we are different. Not weird different, lovingly different. If we are truly attempting to live for God we will be at peace with our life choices because we have sought His guidance and waited for it. God desires that we know Him and love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We will never be perfect this side of heaven, but that is no reason why we shouldn’t reach for it as a runner extends his reach for the finish line.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!