Prosper and Success

 Gen 39:23
The keeper of the prison looked not at anything that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

To prosper or have good success is a subjective word in our language and culture. We would say that a person who has obtained a good paying job, saved money for his/her retirement and was able to provide for their family has had prosperity and success for life. One would not think that ending up in prison for something they did not do would be prosperous. Joseph was such a man. He was mistreated by his brothers, falsely accused, and thrown into prison for what appeared to be for a very long time. Yet, the Bible says that the Lord made him prosper. 
This is where the world view and the Christian view are viewed from different perspectives. Joseph lived a life of surrender to his God. He no doubt had his time of discouragements, and questioned his circumstances, but his life was not his own, it belonged to God. Even in the dark times of our lives, we can trust God that all things will work together toward a prosperous and successful journey. Knowing that we are in the will of God on our pilgrim journey, we can be confident that He is in control and will use our circumstances for the good. 
In the case of Joseph’s journey, God turned evil into good, and Joseph’s attitude and spirit demonstrated the fruit of righteousness and holiness. He did not become bitter or resentful, he trusted God to make him prosper and have the success that was planned for his life. 
It is good to have goals and aspirations, but all is for nothing and of no success if we are not following the will of God for our lives.

Cast Down in Our Soul

 Psalm 42:5&11
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
There are days when it seems that everything has gone wrong. Discouragement settles in, and we may even have a pity party. It does appear that the Psalmist is feeling sorry for himself and wonders why God appears to be far away. Human emotions are subject to feelings of abandonment and loss. We all, no doubt, have been where David has been. His life was being threatened, and he was on the run. Saul was in pursuit, his best friend Jonathan was doing what he could, but he was also at the mercy of his father. During this time in David’s life, he was seeking the presence of God. His desire was to dwell in His temple and feel His presence. On purpose, David chose to praise and worship God even when he did not feel like it. His hope was grounded in knowing that God was in control. Praising God is the best way to lift yourself out of discouragement or when depression starts to settle in. When our prayers hit the ceiling and seem to go nowhere, we can praise our way through to God. He delights in the praise of his people. Our hope in God is found when we look to Him, even when we are cast down and everything looks hopeless. Tears of sorrow can be turned into smiles of delight when we choose to praise Him, regardless of our circumstances.

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.

Hope in God

 Psalm 43:5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
The soul that is cast down can be caused by many reasons. It appears here that the psalmist is in a state of discouragement or depression. His enemy is constantly oppressing him. The circumstances in his life are not in his favor. Life is happening and it is not good. It appears that God is far from him and is silent. Where does one go when life is not going well? The answer is still in trusting God. Look to Him and lift up your heart in praise. Praise Him in spite of the circumstances. Praise Him in the face of adversity. Praise Him even when your emotions are in a state of despair. He is a great Physician and will send the Holy Spirit to heal your broken and discouraging heart. “O my soul, trust in God, believe that He will see you through, put your hope in God”.

Open Our Eyes

2 Kings 6:16 Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them…And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man.

The odds don’t appear to look good. It appears that the enemy of our soul is getting the best of us. We take one step forward and two steps back. At every turn in the road, we face another set back. We find ourselves surrounded by unfortunate events. The enemy surrounds us with discouragement, disappointment, and desires to destroy our faith and trust in God. What appears is not always what it seems. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Behind the scene of this temporal world, God is working on our behalf. We but need to open our eyes and see what God is doing. He is the God of impossibilities and has us surrounded by “horses and chariots of fire”. We need not fear for tomorrow or our current blight. The Lord of host is with us. He will fight the battle for us. At the right time, He will show himself in our behalf. May God open our eyes and see that God is for us. Seize the day, for God is in control.

Hold on to God

Heb. 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.

Hold on to the Hand of God. Don’t let go! When doubts and fear surround us, and hope begins to dim, hang on. God has promise not to let go of us if we waver not in our faith. Believe that He is able to take us through our trails and tribulations. During times of testing and discouragement, He wants us to hold on in faith, that which we have seen and heard, that which changed our lives from darkness to light. He who gave His life, shed His blood that we may have newness of life. We need not travel alone, Let us unite together as one, hold each other up in prayer, and encourage one another in the most holy faith.

The Battle Is Not Ours

2 Chronicles 20:17  Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

The battle we fight is not flesh and blood. The enemy that Jehoshaphat faced was an army that sought out to destroy the people of God. Today, there may be enemies that carry weapons of destruction and seek to destroy the very fiber of our freedom, but the real battle is a spiritual warfare. The principality and powers in high places, the world not seen by human eyes. Satan seeks to destroy the spiritual fiber of our soul. The battle is against the forces unseen that desire to pull us down and forsake the ways of God. We face the battle of fatigue and discouragement. Becoming weary in well doing as we seek to live out our lives to please Him. We our constantly up against the philosophies that govern this world. A philosophy that leaves God out, or relegates Him to a position of convenience. The battle to maintain a standard of living that requires a careful Godly walk. To live circumspectly, to trust and obey His Word. Without the Spirit of the Lord, the battle is lost. We need Him every moment, everyday if we are going to win this battle. 

Rejoice in the Lord

Habakkuk 3:17,18  Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Life is not always a bowl of cherries. Things often don’t turn out the way we want them to. The efforts we make sometimes seems to be useless and without anything to show. We try to make a difference and the fruit of our labors seem to be all in vain. Discouragement settles in and the temptation to quit trying knocks at the door. just as it seems that we are making progress, the bottom falls out and we are back to square one. Weather it be circumstances at work, home, or the church we can find ourselves alone looking at our circumstance and asking why. In times like this, there is but only one thing to do. Turn our hearts toward the God our salvation. Lift up our hearts in praise. Rejoice in the goodness of God and His love for each one of us. Everything in the world may be turned upside down, but God mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. He sees our uprising and downsitting. He knows the struggle we face from day to day, and He understands our frustrations. Life happens and it often will be discouraging, but God is the same and He changes not. “Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice”

My Heart is Fixed

Psalm 57:7  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

As a tree's roots are planted deep by the waters, so is my heart fixed on you Lord. As David was in the cave of despair, he knew that the God that he served watched over him with love and mercy. David gave up on those around him, but he would not give up on serving and praising God. His heart was fixed on the eternal God who was exalted above the heavens. We all have moments where we just want to quit trying and walk away. The load of responsibility and the weight of doing without seeing any gain is discouraging. It is easy to get your eyes fixed on the circumstances that are happening around you and forget that we live to serve and worship the Creator. We serve others because we know it is right, and by doing so, we serve God. Yes, there will be times, that we will feel we are doing it all alone, and the pain of loneliness is real, but if we keep our heart fixed on God, He will meet our needs. 

Power to the Faint

Isaiah 40:29 “ He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.”-

God will not forsake those who put their trust in Him. We become weary and tired at times. It may seems that God is far away and has left us to our own demised. Our strength has been zapped and we grow weary in well doing. We struggle day to day carrying the load. The task of living and providing for our human needs faces all who walk this earthly journey, but to walk the path that leads to eternal life are to those who have picked up the cross, and made their choice to follow Christ. The spiritual battle to stay in the faith to see others find Christ, to stand up for what is right, and to believe God for spiritual victory is one that causes us to become weary and discouraged.  We become weary in our prayer life when we don’t see results, we become tired of carrying the load to keep the doors open of a small church. Just when we begin to see some results, the seed is sweep away. “Lord, am weak and my spiritual strength is depleting away. Give me your power to see God’s work fulfilled , give me strength to carry on” 

A Good Soldier

2 Tim 2:3 “ Endure thou therefore hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”-

Most of us have never served in the military, I greatly appreciate those who have chosen to serve our country in this manner. They have fought and preserved our freedoms. I understand that to be a good soldier, it requires endurance and perseverance to overcome the hardship of the battle. Soldiers are trained to withstand difficult times when things are against you and life is in the balance. They are trained not to give up, but to press on forward in spite of the situation or circumstance. The character found in a good soldier is one that God desires His followers also to have. As a Christian, we may encounter difficult circumstances, conflicts in relationship, financial burdens, or lose of a loved one. These are not easy to bare and like a soldier, we put on the armor of God, place our trust in Him to help us persevere. We have a choice to just throw up our hands and surrender, or to fight on even when it seems that all is lost. It is inevitable that we will face hardships in life. As much as we would like to think that everything will always be good, there will be days that the enemy will fight hard and bring discouragement. But, we serve a might God, who is our shield and defender, and He will give us the strength to stand and endure all things for the sake of Christ

Trouble Times

Psalm 77:2 “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord”- 

Things don’t always turn out the way we want. We set goals and have dreams for the future, but there is always something that gets in the way. It is the rare occasion that everything goes as plan and there are no problems. Troubles and problems along our journey will bring disappointments. We are tempted to get discouraged and become desponded. There is so much in life that we don’t understand why things happen. In time like these, we need a Savior, one who knows our every need and understands what we are going through. Heartache in this world is certain, but so is the grace of God to all who will trust in Him. To those who will seek the Lord in the day of trouble and disappointments He will be found.

He Will Bring You Out

Ex. 6:7 “And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”- 

Life is not meant to be a “bed of Roses” Even for the Christian, life has it’s ups and downs. The burden to do more with less is often laid upon us as we see many who have drifted from God. The demands of life often weigh heavy on our hearts. It is easy to wonder where God is when pressure becomes so great. The temptation is look at our situation and give up on God as the Israelites did under the cruel bondage of Pharaoh. It can be become discouraging, but it is in those times that the Lord reminds us of His promises. He is God and He will not leave us or forsake us. “O’ for a faith that will rise above trouble waters and touch the fingertip of God.” Help me Lord to grab hold of your outstretched hand of love and mercy.