For those of you that think following Jesus is always easy I want to share what the Apostle Paul, perhaps the greatest preacher and missionary ever said about his journey in the service of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NIV [23] Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. [24] Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, [26] I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. [27] I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. [28] Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
This doesn't sound like smooth sailing to me. The longer we know the Lord, the more we will realize that He doesn’t always stop the storms and problems from coming, but He is there in the midst of it.
Isaiah 43:2 NIV When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Only He can give us peace in uncertainty. He does this by lifting our eyes to Him, the maker of heaven and earth and the creator of all things. If He spoke the world into existence, He can speak into our issues. When He is quiet we must trust His character.
God has never and will never fail.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Numbers 23:19 NIV God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Things may be incredibly uncomfortable, but He is trustworthy in handling our problems. He knew we would face them before we were even born. He can handle any situation we face without strain. Simply saying God is able can help shift our perspective from the problem to the Lord. I don’t know what you are facing, but God does, and He sees You. He also sees the whole picture. Lean into Him. Cling to the promises of His Word. He will not fail. And regardless of whatever we are facing, He has ultimately won the greatest battle we will ever face — death and atonement for our sins. God is worthy of our trust and knows what He is doing.
When things get really tough here is a prayer to trust God no matter what the situation, written by Christine Perry that was posted recently on GodTube.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You that You are our Father. Thank You that You care about every situation, every person, and every hardship we face. Thank You that we can ask for wisdom when we don’t know what to do.Thank You that we are never out of Your hands and never out of sight. Thank You that You hear us. Thank You that You’re trustworthy. Thank You for Your Word that says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” I
Lord, we confess that it’s not Your trustworthiness that causes us to doubt. It’s our own self-reliance, independence, and pride that makes us think we have to handle all our problems on our own. Please soften our hearts. Make us moldable and create a deeper trust in us for You. Father, we are aware that apart from You, we are and can do nothing, but with You, we can endure all things. And as Charles Spurgeon said, please help us to learn to kiss the waves that throw us against the Rock of Ages. Amen!
2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NIV [23] Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. [24] Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, [26] I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. [27] I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. [28] Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
This doesn't sound like smooth sailing to me. The longer we know the Lord, the more we will realize that He doesn’t always stop the storms and problems from coming, but He is there in the midst of it.
Isaiah 43:2 NIV When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Only He can give us peace in uncertainty. He does this by lifting our eyes to Him, the maker of heaven and earth and the creator of all things. If He spoke the world into existence, He can speak into our issues. When He is quiet we must trust His character.
God has never and will never fail.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Numbers 23:19 NIV God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Things may be incredibly uncomfortable, but He is trustworthy in handling our problems. He knew we would face them before we were even born. He can handle any situation we face without strain. Simply saying God is able can help shift our perspective from the problem to the Lord. I don’t know what you are facing, but God does, and He sees You. He also sees the whole picture. Lean into Him. Cling to the promises of His Word. He will not fail. And regardless of whatever we are facing, He has ultimately won the greatest battle we will ever face — death and atonement for our sins. God is worthy of our trust and knows what He is doing.
When things get really tough here is a prayer to trust God no matter what the situation, written by Christine Perry that was posted recently on GodTube.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You that You are our Father. Thank You that You care about every situation, every person, and every hardship we face. Thank You that we can ask for wisdom when we don’t know what to do.Thank You that we are never out of Your hands and never out of sight. Thank You that You hear us. Thank You that You’re trustworthy. Thank You for Your Word that says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” I
Lord, we confess that it’s not Your trustworthiness that causes us to doubt. It’s our own self-reliance, independence, and pride that makes us think we have to handle all our problems on our own. Please soften our hearts. Make us moldable and create a deeper trust in us for You. Father, we are aware that apart from You, we are and can do nothing, but with You, we can endure all things. And as Charles Spurgeon said, please help us to learn to kiss the waves that throw us against the Rock of Ages. Amen!
RSS Feed