BE THANKFUL ALWAYS

1 Thessalonians 5:18 New Living Translation

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

       The believers in Thessalonica were experiencing persecution for their faith.  They were a relatively new church, only being formed 2-3 years prior to this letter from Paul.  The persecution was coming from a variety of sources; Jews, Greeks, Romans and was coming in the form of stonings, beatings, crucifixions, torture and death. There is nothing pleasant about any of that, yet scripture clearly states “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”⁽¹⁾

       We enjoy many liberties living in the United States and while things could always be better, they could be a whole heck of a lot worse.  Just look at what the early church had to go thru. We need to remind ourselves of that when we hit a speed bump in our lives.  We tend to think what happens to us is potentially the worst thing that could ever happen, but that isn’t true.  I believe that if I wake up in the morning and am still above ground and breathing then it’s already going to be a good day.  I am thankful for the life God has given me and though there have been many times that I have tried to mess it up by making poor decisions, the Lord has seen me thru all the mistakes in judgment I have made. I think that is a very healthy, positive, productive way to look at things. 

       We may be persecuted now or sometime in the future, however, God is in ultimate control of all things so nothing can harm us unless God allows it for some greater purpose. We need to trust in God at all times regardless of our circumstances, for the Lord will work everything for our good according to His will for our lives (Romans 8:28).  It may not look that way at the moment, but thank Him anyway and seek the lessons He wishes you to learn from your current situation.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE: Persecution - The act or practice of persecuting on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs that differ from those of the persecutor. (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company; Fifth Edition; 2011.)

⁽¹⁾ 1 Timothy 3:12 also, 1 John 3:13 New Living Translation “So don’t be surprised, dear (Greek) brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”

Romans 8:28 New Living Translation

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

GOD NEVER SLEEPS

PSALM 121:3-4 New Living Translation

“He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.”

       This Psalm is yet another example of God’s protection over His people.  He never takes a nap or lies down to sleep at any time because He is a supernatural spirit being who doesn’t become tired. This tells us He is available to watch over us at any time of the day or night. He is constantly aware of our comings and goings and will direct us by His Holy Spirit if we let Him. Although our God doesn’t sleep, this cannot be said of anyone else. That’s why it’s somewhat amusing when the Prophet Elijah ridicules the prophets of Baal by suggesting that perhaps their god was asleep and that’s why he doesn’t hear them when they cry out to him.⁽¹⁾

       The first portion of this verse speaks of how God will keep His children from stumbling.  The apparent reason for the author’s mentioning this is because of the Israeli terrain, which is known for being rocky and slippery.  Trials can be like slippery slopes if we are not careful and tribulations can be like rocky hills that are difficult to maneuver thru.  If we tap into the Holy Spirit during these times we will navigate thru any terrain with confidence. 

       It’s very clear throughout scripture that God can be trusted to care for us and protect us.  It’s when we try to negotiate these events on our own that we run into difficulties.  Lean as heavily on the Lord as you feel you need to.  He’s there for you and wishes to bless you beyond measure. Trust Him and follow His lead. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; Tyndale House Publishing.  The Reformation Study Bible; published and distributed by Ligonier Ministries.

NOTE:  This Psalm is a Song of Ascent; it was sung by Jewish pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem.  The author of this Psalm is unknown, although some scholars suggest it may be Hezekiah.

⁽¹⁾ 1 Kings 18:27 (NLT)

“About noontime Elijah began mocking them. ‘You’ll have to shout louder,’ he scoffed, ‘for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!’”

REST IN GOD

Psalm 91:2 New Living Translation

“This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.”

       The author of this Psalm is unknown, but the message is a familiar one.  God’s protection is available to anyone who calls him or herself a child of God.  A child of God is someone who has placed his faith in Jesus Christ. “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). You must be born again. “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again”. (John 3:3)

       The Lord is a shelter of refuge against anything that might come against us. He is our protector who is with us thru every trial and tribulation we face in this life.  We can trust Him to fulfill His word regarding protection because I am not aware of any failure on His part to not do what He has said He would do.  That makes Him trustworthy.  The author of this Psalm has placed His complete and total trust and reliance on God.  Notice the author makes a point of saying that only God is his refuge and place of safety.  There isn’t anywhere else to turn.  The creator of the universe is more than capable of protecting His creation.

       In light of all the tragic events that have been taking place throughout the world and even in our own backyard, so to speak, rest in the knowledge that God is aware of your every circumstance and will be with you at all times.  Our senses betray us far too often.  You have placed your faith in God, now trust Him and rest in that trust.  Only that which God ordains shall take place in your life if you stay close to Him.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; Tyndale House Publishing.

BEING SELFLESS

Philippians 2:3-4  New Living Translation

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

       In Philippians, Paul instructs us to do nothing selfishly or out of vanity. We are to be humble in all things. Just as we are told to treat others as we would like to be treated*, here we are told to value others above ourselves.

     Striving to be selfless can be extremely difficult, especially when our natural tendency is to do just the opposite.  It’s only natural to want to take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way as a means of bettering our position in life; however, this is not how God would like us to be.  We need to cultivate a habit of thinking of others before we think of ourselves. Life isn’t only about you. It’s about others. If you are married, try starting with your spouse. 

     Humility is a characteristic that we must take the time to hone in our Christian walk. The nature of humility is essentially to know one’s own importance in the grand scheme of things and not think too highly of yourself.  In reality we are no better and no worse than anyone else. We are, however, unique; we were created that way. Like snowflakes, there are no two individuals exactly alike. Even twins have something different about them, though it may not be apparent to those outside the immediate family. So when you are seeking God, ask Him to enable you to develop the behavioral characteristics that exist in Christ. That’s what will make us stand out from nonbelievers. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; Tyndale House Publishing.

*Luke 6:31, Matthew 7:12.

SEEING THRU GOD’S EYES

MARK 8:33c New Living Translation

“You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

     This statement to Peter by Jesus can be applied to many different areas of our lives today.  The setting was one of sadness in that Jesus was sharing with His disciples what must take place in His life to complete the will of God.  His purpose for coming to earth was to die in our place.  It will be only after Christ’s death and resurrection that the disciples will grasp the significance of that death and why He had to die in the first place. 

       In our current setting we find ourselves as followers of Christ threatened on many fronts.  Radical Islamic terrorists are out to obliterate all infidels from the face of the earth.  They do it in the name of Allah (God) as a means of purging the earth of evil.  Essentially, they have the mindset of a psychopath, “repeatedly engaging in criminal and antisocial behavior without remorse or empathy for those victimized.”⁽¹⁾ They have targeted anyone who will not bow to their will, especially Christians.  Their acts of torture, death and destruction are done in grandiose style as to draw specific attention to those actions. Yet they do it behind facial coverings, the sign of a coward, really not much different then doing these acts under cloak of night. It is all designed to create fear in the hearts of men.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we have nothing to fear, though it is quite human to do so.  We are seeing all these events take place from a human point of view and not from God’s.  As much as we may not want to accept this, God created these terror merchants as well.  They are deluded into thinking they are serving the God who created them by creating wanton death and destruction. We believe them to be misguided and misinformed for their guidebook is the Koran, which is not the Word of God.

       There have been rumors and threatening statements regarding future targets and actions of these bringers of evil, however, we must always remember that nothing takes place without God’s foreknowledge and it will only be something that He either causes or allows for His own purposes.  Not one of Christ’s disciples understood why Jesus had to die and be taken from them and so it is today.  Multitudes of people don’t understand why people are being martyred for their faith.  Do not fret for God is in complete control of everything that has and will occur in this life He has given us. We must ask the Lord to enable us to see things as they truly are from His point of view.  No matter what may take place going forward, we will receive the greatest benefit from its outcome because God has declared it to be so. Jeremiah 29:11 NLT “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; Tyndale House Publishing.

⁽¹⁾ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language; publisher: Houghton Mifflin; 1^st edition -1969.