Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27 (KJV)

The context from which we view circumstances will dictate how we respond to various situations in life.  Is there a lesson to be learned or is this an unfortunate affliction?  When the disciples found themselves alone in rough seas, Jesus came to them walking on the water. They had to endure being buffeted by waves and wind while they waited. He knew where they were and what they were going through. He showed Himself at the appropriate time to deliver them.

When we suffer, is God any less powerful, or are we being strengthened through the things we endure?  The scripture declares, ” Yes, you will suffer for a short time. But after that, God will make everything right. He will make you strong. He will support you and keep you from falling. He is the God who gives all grace. He chose you to share in his glory in Christ. That glory will continue forever.”  1 Peter 5:10(ERV)

Let’s adjust our perspectives and worship and all-wise all-knowing God who knows our end from our beginning and is carefully watching over us.

He is everywhere all the time.  He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning, the end, the first and the last.  He is in every birthing chamber as babies are born, and He is even there when babies die. He is in hospital rooms and behind prison walls. Yes, it is He who is on the other side of our earthly exit. He is with us in heartbreak and when we are in the valley of the shadow of death.  He hears our cries and sees our tears and is concerned about us when we are suffering. 

He is with us on our mountain tops when we experience great successes and triumphant victories.  He is there watching over us as we grow through our challenges.  He is near to them with broken hearts and the author and finisher of our faith.  He is patient when we fail,  and merciful when we don’t deserve it.  He gives grace that is sufficient for us and His word to guide and assure us. He is a lamp to our feet and a light to out pathway.  He gave His only begotten son to die for the remission of our sins.  He is our peace during every storm. 

Where is God?…He is as close as the air that we breathe.

Matthew 28:20 (NIV) ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As Jesus announces the things that would come upon the earth, he gave us instructions, “See that ye be not troubled.”  During this tumultuous time in our world, we who believe in the living God must stand with firm confidence that our God still reigns.  He gave us the scripture that delivers insight into the future and a historical perspective from the past showing how he intervened at the appropriate time. 

Our job as believers is to trust in His word to us, that he can deliver us from evil.  We must trust that we are never alone and that He is with us.  Jesus said it this way in Matthew 28:20, “And remember I am always with you until the end of time.”  Trouble is not an indicator that God is not with us.  In fact, he draws close to those with broken hearts. (Psalm 34) 

It is easy to worship and praise God when times are good, our storehouses are overflowing, and our families are well.  We can sing songs of praise when our careers are going well, and we have most of what we want.  But when the chips are down, when bodies fail, and our hopes are dashed, it is in those moments that we are tested to see what we really believe. 

As the world struggles with the happenings of today, let’s stand on the Lord’s side.  “See that ye be not troubled.”

The questions that come to mind when we are going through trials or when God has us in those close, uncomfortable places are:  How do I overcome this? How do I conquer this mountain? Where do I go from here, or for some novices, neophytes or beginners: Why is this happening to me?

Actually, it’s all about perspective.  A friend once told me, “Anytime you find yourself in a harsh, uncomfortable place in life, your question to God should be, “What has this come to teach me?”  Any trials that I have had to endure have developed my stamina and muscles in that area. It has caused my senses to be keener and my endurance level to increase.  My faith in God has been, yet again, tested and my insight and discernment senses have increased.

God takes us out of our comfort zone to show us new things, to stretch us, and help us grow.  He uses life’s situations to teach us.  It is akin to living a parable.  He won’t leave us alone during those trials, and as bad as it sometimes feels, He has everything under control.  Our lives and our times are in His hands. (Psalm 31:15)  You cannot raise a child on sugar and think that they will be healthy and strong.  You cannot keep them from falling and believe they will learn to walk.

God wants us to produce the fruit of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control, gentleness and faithfulness. (Galatians 5:22) He wants us to produce more of what he has invested into us when He sent Jesus to save us.  A natural seed appears to be a dead thing; it is dry and if it is left alone it will not produce anything.  But if you place the seed in the right environment, so it can germinate, it will open, and fulfill its purpose revealing what is embedded inside.  The seed will produce first a plant, next a flower, then more seed to reproduce what has been invested in it.  We are the same, left alone we can become dormant. When God who is wise, puts us in the right environment, then we learn the lesson, and the strength that we gain presents itself as the fruit of the Spirit.

What does trouble come to teach us?  When problems come it first exposes what is embedded in us, our responses reveal our maturity level in that area.  Then as we draw closer to God, and put His word into practice, the fruit that is dormant in us will come alive to produce more of the goodness of God. 

Switch perspectives today and instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?”  Start asking, “What has this come to teach me?”

Galatians 5:22-23 (ERV) ²² But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control…

There should be daily progress in my Christian walk.  I should be striving every day to be more Christlike and less like the world in which I live.  I should be in the world and not of the world.  There must be a measurable difference in my behavior as I walk with Him daily. I should be more compassionate, have more empathy, and love more deeply.  My conversation should be more seasoned with wisdom and my light should shine brighter each day. 

My actions should be tempered with a grace-filled approach.  I should love my enemies, pray more for those who despitefully use me, and love my fellowman with renewed understanding.  I should not struggle with doing good or giving more.  Doing good and giving more should be easy. I should be willing to give of myself expecting nothing in return.  Sacrifice should be my everyday mantra.

I should be easy to deal with and less prone to angry outbursts.  I should be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.  I should have on the whole armor of God so I can withstand the fiery darts of the enemy.  The world should see less of me and more of Him as He increases, and I decrease.  I should be abiding in Him, and His word should be abiding in me.

My conclusion to this matter.  I grow daily in faith with the grace that is apportioned to me.  I will live my best life today, always striving to be what He called me to be.  The truth is you, and I have grown and are growing by receiving enabling grace from God to assist us. 

His grace is sufficient for me, and His strength is made perfect in weakness.  As I grow, adding principle to principle and walking in the light of God’s word, I reflect more and more the Son who died for me. 

Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.”                                                       Lamentations 3:22-24 (NIV)

The mercies of God flow like a river.  He loves us so much that he does not engage us according to our sins and flaws.  He engages us in the light of His great love for us, and the sacrifice of His son Jesus.  He is always in the position of urging us to come to Him.  God wants us to come into the enlightenment of His love that brings with it a refreshing newness in our souls and brightness to our troubles.  His compassion and understanding of our plight in this world are only rivaled by His ability to forgive us and not charge us with the penalties we really deserve.

Yesterday is dead.  It cannot be re-engaged or re-lived.  It only has life when we ponder and think of it.  The key to overcoming yesterday is to use the lessons in it and discard the unprofitable portions of it.  Our minds are precious commodities.  We can fill it with despairing, discouraging thoughts, or we can fill it with life lessons, love, and knowledge gained from positive sources.  We can take the negative experiences we encounter and glean from them the life message of hope that it has come to teach us.  How do troubles teach us hope? Difficulty points us to our faithful God who can provide us with light in the darkness, and clear paths for our feet.  It teaches us that days without trouble are to be cherished and enjoyed.  That, instead of lamenting over yesterday, we should rejoice in today.  Today comes packed with new opportunities.

When we are cast down, we are not forsaken.  When trouble abounds, we must learn from it and embrace the hope God gives us in scripture that joy will come in the morning. A new year, new month, a new day, and even a new hour all arrives with the hope of His word.  They arrive with new mercies and more grace.  They arrive with the refreshing knowledge that Christ has come so we can live.  This hope brings with it a certainty that no weapon will prosper when it presents itself.  This hope offers eternal life and rest.  Every new minute that passes is packed with the promise of never being alone because Christ is with us and never leaves or forsakes us.

So, rest today, from the time you started reading this devotional until this very word, new mercies and more grace have been placed in your path. “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him.”

Have you ever had the feeling that your life does not count?  Maybe you felt as though nobody cares about you or that you are not important to anyone.  The truth is that you may be in a place of inactivity, experiencing boredom, or are not doing as much as you would like.  If you are feeling that way, then perhaps you should consider this.

Matthew  25:14   “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.  To one, he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.

The scripture implies that our Father gives us gifts.  Look around you and answer this question.  Is there a child that needs a hug,  an elderly person, or a sick friend that could benefit from a phone call?  Are there unused items in your home that you can donate to a charity or family in need? You see, the gifts and empowerment to do good may just be lying dormant around you waiting for you to spring into action.  The gesture may seem small to you, but it would be significant to the person who needs it.  Do not minimize your gift.  In the parable of the talents, the person who received one talent buried it in the ground.  It was not of service to them or anyone else. But more importantly, it was not of any use to God. 

The thought may creep in that what you can do is too small.  No gift is too small, do what you can.  (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)  ^“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin”…  Whatever is in your power to do is not too small.  It is God that gives us more when we use what we have, He makes your effort grow, and it is He that gives the increase as illustrated in the parable.  When the man in the parable returned, he increased the resources of the workers who made use of their resources.

 

Matthew 25:19 – 25: Now, after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.^[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 

Look at your life today and inspect your opportunities to do good.  It does not have to be a large gesture; just do what is in your power to do today.  When the Lord of your life returns, He will increase the resources that are available for you to use.  It is our promise from Him and His desire for us.

 

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep,

if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Simple words my mother taught me.  A child’s prayer means more to me today than ever in my life.  Although simple, the prayer is significant in its meaning.  When I lay down and sleep, I am in an inactive state, and I become vulnerable.  My defenses are down, and I lay in a state of regeneration that God himself designed me to do. I am not conscious of the world as it continues to move, of time as it continues to pass, or of danger that may lurk near.  The prayer reminds me that in this state, my Heavenly Father watches over what is essential about me; that is the safety of my soul.   The scripture says it this way in Psalm 35:15, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their cry.”

He watches as I sleep, and I am confident that if I do not wake up to this world, I will wake up in His eternity.  The security of knowing that He is the keeper of my soul, and the Omega of my life is both comforting, and it removes fear from my heart.

It is reassuring to know that even in a defenseless state, should my body not respond to the stimulus to wake, He is there to guard over my soul.  He exists beyond this world and has a prepared place of rest for us. He is the sustainer of our souls and the master of our fates.

Psalm 3 says, “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.”  My heavenly Father watches over me.

Remember what you once wanted and how you planned and dreamed about it? What made you give up? Did roadblocks and discouraging words turn you around? Perhaps life and an overload of responsibility blocked you. Sometimes it is the fear of failure and rejection that plagues and torments us. I encourage you today to dream again. It is amazing how God the restorer moves in our lives.

Through a series of untimely decisions in my youth, many of my early opportunities were bungled, lost, or vanished. I would later find out that no matter how lost my dreams seemed to be, they were not lost but awaiting me, hidden in my future.

I have learned through experience that God has the ability to restore dreams that appear to be lost. He can reach into your future and strategically place, and replace, experiences and ideas that seem to have vanished. He has revived and fulfilled dead dreams in my life. He has renewed hope and dreams that I buried long ago, and He brought them to fruition. He is faithful in all he does, and His word is true. He can restore health and cause our strength to be sustained. He can lengthen years and preserve life.

After burying my husband, raising children, and having four bouts with cancer, He has restored me and fulfilled many of my buried dreams. God can revive, or replace, opportunities in your life. You can trust God even in distressing times, understanding that He can, and will, restore dreams that seem to be lost. God has been faithful to his word in my life, and He will do the same for you. We can rejoice in trouble, knowing He has our lives and times in his hands. Psalm 31:15

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— Joel:2:25

Do you ever wonder what you should do next?  If you moved now, how different could life be for you? Good decisions are the portal to a wonderful life and inaction is your enemy.  The question is, “How do I know when my decisions are good?”  A good start is the book of Proverbs and the book of Psalms.  Studying God’s word and arming ourselves with His directives is the first step to making good decisions and having the courage to move forward.

The power of good decisions can change your life. They can take you to new places and new experiences. Basing your decisions on principles in the word have the power to move you from the status quo to meaningful relationships, financial acuity, and a closer walk with God.

In 2 Kings we find four men with leprosy who need to decide what to do next.  They are sick, isolated, hopeless of anyone finding a cure, and dependent on the kindness of others for survival.  They knew they would die without a change.  They asked themselves a critical question, “Why sit here and die.”  Faced with their desperate situation, they understood that their worse enemy was to do nothing.  They evaluated their situation, considered their options, and they moved in the direction of their challenge.  The lepers had to subdue their fears and expose themselves to possible rejection.  They had to trust God with their futures, and so do you.

God had already removed the threat from the enemy for the lepers, but they needed to take the first step toward a change.  Is that you today?  Do you need a change, but you are not taking steps to transform your situation to a new paradigm?  Without a move toward change, the answer for the lepers would not have been discovered. They needed to decide to pursue a change to receive it.

Evaluate your situation and consider your options. Most of the directions we need to guide us are found in the scripture. They help guard our emotions so that once we arm ourselves with the technical knowledge we need, we can move into our blessings. Our feelings and emotions can betray us and cause us to act impulsively, but the word of God is a sound and stable guide.

“Trust in the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. Don’t trust in your own wisdom, but fear and respect the Lord and stay away from evil.”     Proverbs 3:5-7 ERV

Walking with God gives us clarity and wisdom.  The lepers in 2 Kings chose a direction and moved on their decision.  You should too.  Challenge yourself to do what seems impossible.  You may find the door already open like the lepers did, if it is not already open, seek to open it yourself. God is faithful.