Consider This Monthly Devotional

God wants us to completely have our confidence in Him. He wants us to understand that He is the source of everything. When we cannot fathom His purposes and life feels chaotic and out of order, it is the time when our trust in God reveals itself. It does not take any effort to believe that “God is good all the time” when good things are happening all around us. But when we trust His integrity and believe that He is vigilant and watching over us when life feels chaotic, that our faith and trust are proven. It is when you pray and feel like your prayers are unanswered, and you can still say “God is good” that your faith in God is proven.

Do you trust that He is always in control and no situation is actually chaotic to Him? Do you believe that your redeemer lives and that He orders your steps? We serve an unseen God who operates in an unseen world. “Things that are seen were not made from things which do appear.” Hebrews 11:3. It is because we cannot see that we must become as little children and trust God to work in the unseen world on our behalf.

A baby cannot see that it is for their good that we hold them down and allow a doctor to give them a shot. They do not understand why we would not give them as much candy as their hearts desire, but it is for their good. We also have a limited vision of where we are and where we are going. Let’s become like little children and trust the living God to work out circumstances and conditions in our lives and the lives of our families. Pray and trust that what we see as chaos today is only a piece of a much larger mosaic that God is working on. He is always in control, and “He is always GOOD.”

Micah’s account is given as Israel is attempting to reconcile with God. However, bargaining with God is not what he accepts. He requires us to walk with Him in submission and humility. Our covenant with God is one of surrendered compliance to His will and His way. Our minds should be transformed, our behaviors conformed, and our lives governed by His truth. This does not represent a negotiation but the relationship of a submitted life.

God loves us unconditionally, so much so that He gave us His Son as compensation for our sins. He opened a door to His throne for us, providing His all-sufficient grace, and His everlasting mercy to help us with our walk with Him. As we realize our position with God, where we are loved even when broken, we can always trust and submit to His ways of truth.

Time and chance happen to everyone, according to King Solomon, so bad things do happen to good people. But God is faithful, and He will oversee us in the challenges of life that come to make us stronger,

What does the Lord require of us? He requires us to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God. Micah 6:8

Micah 6:18 He has shown thee, Oh man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and “to love mercy,” and to walk humbly with thy God.  Micah 6:8

When it is possible to punish or damage someone, mercy is compassion and forgiveness for that person. Another Bible translation of the verse is, “Love kindness and loyalty.”  We must take pleasure in this opportunity to “not” give someone what they are due and be grateful for it. Though we were still sinners, Christ died for us, so God did not punish us as we deserved. When we show mercy, we are acting in a way that is like Christ. He redeems, not condemns.

It’s not always simple to forgive. We’ve all heard the adage “forgive and forget.”  You cannot simply forget the offense, barring a neurological disorder. This is one reason it’s challenging to forgive. I “do” remember what was said or done, and I still make an intentional decision to release the offender and let go of the anger and resentment that the offense caused.

Does this mean that I should allow myself to be actively abused and forgive?  Absolutely not! This means that after I have removed myself from an abuser’s reach, I let God and/or the law deal with them. Our charge is to love mercy, kindness, and loyalty. When we show those attributes toward God, He will show us how to handle others.

Micah 6:18 He has shown thee, oh man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.  Micah 6:8

Doing justly sounds simple and very eloquent, but it requires a life of submission to God.

To do justly is to be fair and impartial when dealing with people. It requires that our interactions with people be without favoritism. This is more challenging than it sounds when choosing between a stranger and someone we know or love. The struggle is to act without nepotism, intolerance, or bias, but caring for a stranger with the same compassion as we would our own family and friends instead.  Fairness is easy for us when we make judgments concerning strangers and have no binding ties to the situation. We must do what is morally right even when the cost is high for us.

The good news is that God, who sees and hears all, will reward our fair behavior. He will extend grace to us for making the right decision when our flesh wants to claim the advantage for ourselves or our own. Always strive to achieve the “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.” Trust the God who sees in secret and rewards openly. Do justly.

Grit is that character element that causes us to push forward no matter the problem. It is essential when God is silent, and we cannot sense His presence. Grit allows God’s grace to dominate in the face of fear, grief, or any other hurdle you may encounter.  It is the enabling power to move with only our faith in His word as our guide. Grit takes character, perseverance,  and the ability to withstand pressure. It’s the absolute determination that “No matter what it costs me, I am going to do the right thing.”  We need grit when standing in the stillness of our misgivings. It takes courage and fortitude to move forward when despair grips our hearts. How do we get this grit? It is God’s grace, and it is a gift. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

We have God’s all-sufficient grace to empower us. Ecclesiastes says, “Time and chance happen to everyone.” Our part in the process is to be willing to face the challenge and fight forward. With that thought in mind, we now face our futures with “Grit,” the courage, resolve, character, and ability to stand in the myriad of circumstances that life brings our way. No matter how silent God is, He controls every moment, and all of His decisions are right.

The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebrews 13:5-6

Focusing your thoughts on true, honest, and righteous things is essential. Good thoughts lead to good choices. Forbidden choices always promise incredible gratification, at least in the beginning. They promise to make you feel great and titillate your intellect with images of wonderful endings. They trick you into thinking that you are smarter than God. They are appealing to the eye, possess promising allure, and have a captivating quality, all of which are deceptive.  

Things that are not good for us often appeal to us first through our eyes. We see them, and they somehow intrigue us. The trap that Eve ran into in the Garden of Eden was that some beautiful things could be bad for you. They look good and feel good, but in the end, like manna, they rotten, the worm appears, the hidden degradation reveals itself, and alas, you are trapped and wonder how you could have thought so foolishly.

First, Eve saw the fruit; then, she allowed herself to think about it too much. Be careful how you allow your thoughts to wander as you look at things. Thoughts are like leaven (yeast), permeating your spirit and transforming you. Practice thinking good thoughts; they will lead you to good endings.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  Gen 3:6

Emotions ebb and flow, but love never fails.

Emotions can conjure up excitement, a sense of well-being,

and cause you to feel good for a while.

Love requires character and integrity.

Love is patient, it can remain calm and endure in adversity.

Love is not envious of position, possessions, friendships, or your time.

Love is not self-centered; it is not concerned with itself before others.

Love always protects, trusts, hopes, and persists.

Affection will fade, attention will diminish, and lust once satisfied will go away,

but love, it never fails.

February is the love month. True love in its fullest and most expansive meaning has more to do with our actions than what we feel and speak. When we serve God with deep reverence, respect, and honor as the one true and living God, when we live, move, and have our being by His word, it shows our love for Him more than what we say about Him. When we take a charitable, empathetic, compassionate position with our fellow man, are kind, benevolent, and give of ourselves to others then we show real love.

The most skillful handling of God’s word and the singing of the most beautiful hymn all pale if not coupled with the charitable, compassionate love for God and our fellow man.  Preferable to the gift of speaking with the tongues of angels is to love, that’s what is acceptable to God.  

1 Cor 13:1 If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. We say it, and we mean it. The question is, what is your definition of good? In our imaginations, God caters to our desires, destroys our perceived enemies, and does not allow us to feel any pain. This God removes all penalties for our wrong actions, sowing and reaping apply only monetarily. He passes out money like an ATM, and according to our desires, we receive from Him that for which we ask. We can decide what is right or wrong and, of course, He approves. Our imaginary God never says no to our prayers and never allows any trouble to come our way.

However, the true and living God is the embodiment of goodness, holiness, and righteousness. He sets the standard, and we must conform to His requirements. While we cannot manipulate Him, God does come to our rescue but not always in the way we expect. He answers our prayers with each soul, future, and eternity in mind. We are not the ones to decide how much we can bear. The living God who sees our brokenness finetunes our lives. He watches our growth and progress, then supplies sufficient grace to endure the challenges needed to transform us into what he wants us to be and do.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

In a world of mass shootings in public places and people driving cars into events where many gather the question rings, “Whom shall I fear?” Should we be suspicious of our coworkers, or apprehensive about going to public gatherings? Is the freedom to speak freely threatened by the violent response of those who disagree.

It is in times of uncertainty that the scripture becomes relevant. “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1) Light brings about perception, it aids us to see clearly. In light, we can discern what is before us. We can depend on God for clear vision when we are in danger because he is light. “The Lord is where my life is safe.” (ERV) We do not have to be afraid because our souls are in His hands. He is our salvation, the savior of our soul, the redeemer of our life, the one who can keep our eyes from tears, our soul from death, and our feet from falling. (Psalm 116:8) “You can trust the Lord to protect you. He will not let you fall into harm.” (Psalm 3:26 ERV) Does that mean that nothing bad will happen to us? No, time and chance happen to everyone. (Ecclesiastes 9:11) However we can trust that amid trouble He is present with us.

Walk today in the confidence that God has provided for us. He will show us the way and hold our souls in His safekeeping.