Evil Turned to Good

 Gen. 50:20
“..You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..”

Turning something bad into good. That is what God is able to do. We look at circumstances in our lives and will often ask, why? What good will come from this? A life surrendered to God does not have to ever say, “If only.” The things that happen in our lives are for a purpose, and we just have to wait to see what God is going to do. Even if we miss the mark, and fail to do what is right, God can take our failures and do something good. This is not a reason not to walk and live carefully before God, but a reminder that God will not leave us hanging. The laws of sowing and reaping are not discarded, sin has its consequences, but we serve a merciful God who will show Himself to be full of grace. But, we can live like Joseph, and believe that God has a reason for the things that happen in our lives. At the moment, we probably will not see it. Joseph, sitting in the prison cell, no doubt, had his days when he wondered why his life was going to waste. His life was a sample of righteous living. He was a victim of other people's bad decisions. We don’t see God’s main plan. God is in control of the endgame. He makes the last move and knows how the story will end. We are clay in the master’s hand. He is shaping and molding us into the vessel that can be used for His glory. God used Joseph to save his family and the nation. God took the evil deeds of his brothers and turned them into a blessing for good. When bad things happen to God’s people, let us trust God to use them for good. 

The Rock Higher Than I

 Psalm 61:2
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

A popular church hymn, “The Rock That is Higher than I.” was written in 1871 by Erastus Johnson during a time of financial loss. Many have found financial security in the assets they have accumulated over the years, The want of food, shelter, and comfort is always available, and never denied. Their trust is no longer placed in God to supply their needs, they have put their trust in human strength and determination to achieve wealth and prosperity. There is no doubt that such virtues contribute to worldly success and gain, but history has taught us that God is in control, and He is sovereign, and is ultimately the One who is threading the fabric of life. Erastus Johnson realized this when all was lost, and He turned to the Rock who He knew would not sink. The Rock that was higher than the circumstance and struggles of the day. The world around us can change in a moment's notice, but God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. We can put our trust in Him, and stand on the solid rock. We can flee to the Rock that will not be shaken and will not move. When life is overwhelming, we serve a God who knows and understands our hurts and struggles. “To the Rock let me fly, to the Rock that is higher than I!”

Trust God for Peace of Mind

 Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind stays on you because he trusts in you.

I often wake up in the middle of the night and my mind starts to think of things that are happening in life. I start to become anxious about things I really don’t have any control over. Or, maybe something I said or did that I now have second thoughts about. I tell myself that I can’t change what has happened and need to leave it in God's hands.  Easy to say, but not always easy to do. Having “peace of mind”does not always happen in a moment of time, at least for me it doesn’t. I know that God desires that I give it to Him, and trust Him to work things out. Like forgiveness, trust is a choice that I must make. Life is not perfect and accepting that not everything is going to go like I want it, life happens, but God also happens when I choose to put my trust in Him. I know that I am not alone, we all have our moments of apprehension and worries. For some, it may be the health of a loved one, or a conflict at work, or in the home. There is no end to what may be the problem, but peace is always possible when we focus our minds and hearts on God and trust Him to take control and let God do what is best. 

Be Still and Know

 Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,  I will be exalted in the earth!”

God is in control! We often find ourselves fretting over many things, and truth be told, many of the things we fret over are created in our imagination. That is not to say that there can be some pretty big things in our lives that can cause us to be concerned about. Human nature is to seek solutions, so we run about looking for ways to solve what unsettles us. The old saying, “The Lord helps them, that helps themselves.” has some merit to it, but there are times and situations where God is the only one that can make it happen, He desires that we stop trying to work it out through human manipulation, and trust Him to do the work. Let God be God, He is the mighty God, the first and the last, and things often happen to give God the opportunity to step in and take control that His name will be glorified and be exalted.  God says, “Be still, and watch me work.” He is able, praise Him, and exalt His Name!      

In The Cave

 1 Kings 19:12
And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Elijah demonstrates the humanity in each one of us. Even the most spiritual person deals with discouragements, and even a level of depression. We often speak of living at the top of the mountain, and it is wonderful to live in such a state of mind both spiritual and emotionally, but the reality is life is a roller coaster of events that influence how we feel. We sometimes flee to a “cave” and isolate ourselves from the real world.  We have done all we know what to do and believe that we have obeyed God, yet we still question if God cares and sees where we are. Elijah could only see the moment, he was not able to see the big picture of what God had planned. He was hoping that God would send judgment from heaven to destroy the enemies of God, but God does it His way. We may think our efforts are all in vain, and the work we do is fruitless. But God whispers to us that He is in control and all things are going as planned. We are not alone in this battle, there are others who God is using to accomplish His will. He desires that we just trust and continue to obey His voice. Even in the “cave” God wants to speak to our hearts. Take courage, God is in control and He does all things well.

The Lord Willing

 James 4:15

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

 

Planning and making goals is good and is a responsible practice, but life has a way of sometimes breaking up those plans. We don’t control our destiny as much as we like to think we do. The best plan is not to lean on our own understanding, but to acknowledge Him in all that we do. In all our planning for the future, we must be willing to accept change that is bound to happen. I believe that God is pleased when we set goals and aspirations, seeking His will for our lives, but life is so fragile, there is no guarantee that there will be a tomorrow. It is an attitude of submission when we give each day to Him. “If the Lord is willing this day, I plan on doing this or that”.  Accepting change has part of the providence of God. Trust your life to Him for He never changes.

Don't Worry, Trust God

 Philip 4:6
Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
 
It is within human nature to be anxious and be worried. It is a natural response when things in life turn against you. Paul’s admonition to us is not to worry about the unfortunate events that happen in our life. How is this possible? When we sense danger, our response is to flee, run, our body naturally responds to danger when we encounter it. Yet, Jesus says, “fear not”. Overcoming fear or worry is not done by human efforts, it is done by prayer and supplication to God. He provides grace, He is the one that will take care of us. It is supernatural. The power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the human reactions of anxiety. Letting go of our circumstance and situation and allowing God to take control. Knowing that He is the one in control will bring peace to whatever we are facing. Don't worry, trust God!

The God Who Sees

 Gen 16:13 (AMP)

Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are God Who Sees”; for she said, “Have I not even here [in the wilderness] remained alive after seeing Him [who sees me with understanding and compassion]?”

The “God Who Sees”. The implications of this verse can be convicting and comforting. He who is Omnipresent sees all that we do. He sees us when we think no one is looking. Nothing escapes the eye of God. He sees how we treat others, the motives of our heart. He sees if our intentions are for good or evil. God sees and knows our heart. Others may see through a human perspective, and judge incorrectly, but God truly sees us for who we are. God sees when we are going through a storm, He sees our situation and circumstances. We may think that we are all alone facing unfortunate events in our life, but God sees us and will deliver us. Deliverance may not take on the form we hope, but He sees what is ahead of us and will do what is best. Like Haggar, we may understand all that is happening, but He sees us and is in control.

The Arm of Flesh

 Isaiah 41:13

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand, Who says to you, “do not fear, I will help you.”

Ten percent of the world is known to be left handed, therefore the left hand is the weaker hand for most of the world. In our need of help, God removes our dependence on our human strength to show us our need for Him. Too often we depend on the arm of the flesh to carry us through. Human endurance is great and is capable of many feats, but in the end, we need Him to make it through the hard times in life. He wants to help us when we are going through difficult times and we are struggling with the human cares of life. There are many things in this world that the devil wants us to fear. The fear of Covid has the world in a pandemic of fear. Covid is real and many have succumbed to this deadly virus, but God is greater than any virus, and we can trust Him that He has this virus under His control. We need not fear if we know the Savior. Our lives are in hand. “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. Phil 1:21

Be Not Afraid

 Luke 2:10
 …“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people…”
Being afraid is a natural instinct of humanity. Fear is an emotion that kicks in when we sense danger. We are not safe and there is a possibility that we are in harm's way. I have seen inscriptions on hats and T-shirts with the words “Fearless”. The message implies that they are not afraid of anything. The reality is that we have an element of fear that God puts in us. The shepherds in the field were not chastised for their fear. Who would not be afraid if angels all of a sudden appeared all around you and a supernatural light glowed all around them. The comfort comes when we are assured that God is in control and putting our trust in Him means that we do not have to fear. When God says, “do not fear”, we can believe that He knows where we are and what we are going through. We no longer have to hold on to our insecurities and fear the unknown. We can let go and rest in the knowledge that God is good and has our back. 

He Will Deliver

 Daniel 6: 16, 20, 23
Thy God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you...My God sent his angel, and has shut the lions' mouths...and no manner of hurt was found upon him (Daniel), because he believed in his God.
Daniel believes in God regardless of the outcome. The 3 Hebrew children who were thrown into the fiery pit did likewise. God does not always shut the mouths of lions. We believe that He can, but He may choose not too. God did not keep John the Baptist from being beheaded. Many heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 were not delivered from physical harm, yet they believed. They all looked for a better world, a world not made by the hands of man, but one that is built by God Himself. Like Job, we don’t know the mind of God and His eternal plan, but we know who God is, and we stand still and see God work through His creation. Let the lions roar, the fires burn, and the trials and tribulations come, we serve a God who is able to deliver us however He chooses.

Understanding Why?

Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

There is so much about life that we don’t understand. Scientist have been trying for years to determine how this world was created.  Yet, we have just scratched the surface of knowledge. Our knowledge is trapped into the life span of man over thousands of years. A collection of data left through markings on the walls of this earth and books written across the centuries. We our here for 70 plus years making old and new discoveries about this world. Man has come a long way in discovering the unknown, but yet they have fail to come to a better understanding of who God is and their real purpose in life. Job struggled to find answers to his fate and sought to find meaning behind the unfortunate events in His life. We all like to know why things happen and will surmise their purpose, but we are finite in our understanding and must come to trust God to do what is best. He sees the beginning and the end. He is the Alpha and Omega who hold the world in His hand. He shaped it, he created it and made us in His image. Let us find rest in knowing that He is in control and will do all things good and for His Purpose.

Tomorrow

James 4: 14,15 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away… For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Life happens, but it does not happen without God allowing it. We do our best to control our environment and the circumstances and situations that surround it. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we need to be careful how we care for it. We have a responsibility to use our talents for the good of humanity and for eternity. We must do all we can to provide for our families and care for those that God has charged us with. But, things happens and most often we have no control. We look to God for answers because He holds all things in His hands. We are not are own, we belong to God and our lives are His. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we know who holds our tomorrows. Live for the moment to please Him, plan for tomorrow with eternity in mind.

From Crisis to Crisis

1 King 17:18- And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

When things go from bad to worse, we wonder why the test when we are trying to do our best. We are quick to question God and find ourselves wanting to have answers. Many times we don’t get the answer and must rely on trusting God that He knows what is best for us. What is best for us is not always pleasant, and we are left to making a choice to complain or seek God and rest in Him knowing that He has all things in His control. The widow women just came through a crisis and God delivered her, but it was not too long that she faced with another one. We all have experience times in our lives when we live from one crisis to another. It is in time like this that we hold on to God and believe that He will see us through. God may not always answer our prayers the way we want Him to, but He will provide the grace to help us through the crisis and come through with peace knowing that God will do what is best.

In His Time

Ecc. 3:1, 11  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…

Solomon essentially is saying that life happens and there will be good things and bad things that will happen in life. Understanding that it all happens for a purpose. We may never see the reason for the times that we walk in the shadow of darkness and everything around us seems to be going wrong. The rain falls on the just and unjust, and we may wonder why it seems to always rain where we are. Will the sun ever come out behind the cloud and shine again? To every thing in life there is a season and purpose. God, who holds the world in His hand has allowed for seasons of blessings, but also times of testing. We wake each morning not knowing what the day may bring. We eat, we work, and we hope to share time with those we love. But in this life there will be sorrow, and sorrow knows no stranger. We must live each day trusting that Jesus will walk with us and be with us with each step we take. Times are uncertain, but He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. He will not change. His mercy and love is timeless. 

The Cup to Drink

John 17:11b, 18:37b “The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?”…To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.”

What is in the cup? We all have a cup filled with life and purpose. God has given us each a cup to drink and to this end were we born. What is life about and why am I here in this world? This question is asked from people from all parts of the world and from every station in life. We only live once on this earth, and God has allowed us to be apart of this world. The providence of God has filled each one of our cups to fulfill His will and to glorify Him. It is up to us weather we will be willing to drink of the cup He has given us. Life happens and it is no accident for God is in full control. “I care not today what the morrow may bring, if shadow or sunshine or rain, The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything…” Not everyone’s cup is the same, but knowing it is God who fills it, makes it easier to drink and knowing that our lives can be used for the cause of God to see His Kingdom come to pass. 

Restraining our Lips

Prov. 10:19 “In the multitude of words there lacketh not sin, but he that restraineth his lips is wise”- 

The tongue and lips are just two of the many parts of the body that helps us function and survive. They are small members that perform great task. There are many things we do with them that bring pleasure and blessings, but they also can bring destruction. What we do with these small members is one of choice. We can choose to taste the good things of God, or we can choose to taste of the sinful pleasures of sin. We have the choice to speak truth, or speak lies. James also speaks of the tongue, and how dangerous it can be. “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire from hell.” The things we say can be cutting or they can be kind. As Christian, who live in the Vine, the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. We are to manifest the fruits of the Spirit and use our body to glorify God. “In whatsoever we do, do to the glory of God” The words we speak with our tongue and through are lips are a manifestation of what is in our heart. “for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”. So, it is not the tongue or lips that sin, but the heart the proceeds it. We must trust the Holy Spirit to help us control what we say and how we say it. The spirit in which we speak the truth is as important as the truth we speak. It may be true, but speaking it may not be the right things to do. Let us guard our heart that we always speak words of kindness and truth in the Spirit of love and understanding that people need grace, not condemnation. 

Sweet Rest

Psalm 4:8 “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for Thou Lord only, makest me dwell in safety.”- 

There are many things in life that disturb our peace. Sleep often avoids us in the night as we rest our head at the end of a long restless day. The cares of life and fear of what will happen “if” this or that takes place. Anxiety and concern about our children’s choices in life and their relationship with God sometimes weighs heavy on our hearts. Conflict and strained relationships with those we once called our friends find their way into our thinking and cause us to become discouraged. Resting in the arms of Christ is our only refuge from the despondency of our circumstance. Sleep can come when our trust is put in Him that He cares and understands wanting to give us peace in the mist of the storms. Sweet rest knowing that He is in control of our life.