Transcription
The Bible says something that's interesting in Psalm 119:71. The word of God reads, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I may learn your decrees." And at a different point in my life, I would often scratch my head at this verse and ask myself, "How can it be good for you to be afflicted? How is there any good for you to go through pain, tribulation, and hard times?"
But you see, one day the Lord opened my eyes through his word, and I read Acts 14:21-22. The Bible reads, "And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lististra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exorting them to continue in the faith and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.'"
Now I believe that affliction, although unpleasant, although uncomfortable, afflictions are necessary for the Christian man or woman. Because if it were not for the struggle you're going through, how would you have come to know that God is faithful to his children? If it were not for the struggle you went through, how else would you have known that what the devil meant for evil, God would in fact use it for your good?
The Bible says we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. It says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God delivers him out of them all." And here's the beauty of God. It's in your weakness that he reveals his strength. It's through pain in your body that God can reveal himself to be an almighty healer. It's in your lack that the Lord presents himself as a wonderful provider.
I believe that as we go through life and face different trials, should we remain in the Lord, should we continue trusting in the mighty name of Jesus Christ? Should we stand firm and believe God's promises to be true, then we will experience what the Bible talks about in James 1:2-4. "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow. For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
Afflictions bring about a result in you. It leads to spiritual maturity. It produces endurance. Afflictions will result in you praying with a purpose. Afflictions will leave you with a desire to really connect with God because you know that you cannot go through this battle with your own strength.
Today, Jesus may not be present physically in the flesh, but he is just as near to us. And even when we struggle, when we struggle with our emotions, with anxiety or depression, instead of turning to God, how many times have we tried to fix it on our own? The simple truth is that on our own, we are weak. We can't save ourselves, but only God can save us. And in order for him to help us, we have to first ask for his help. We have to take that step of faith. So in your moment of desperation, don't just sit there and let God pass you by. Call upon the name of Jesus. Don't continue to be trapped by that spirit of depression. Call upon the name of Jesus. Believe that he is able to rescue you. Believe that he wants to rescue you.
We are not like those without hope. In every situation, we have a choice. We can choose to either take matters into our own hands or to relinquish control and bring our requests to the Lord. Sometimes we're afraid to approach him. We might even be afraid that he will reject us or condemn us. But that is not his character. Hebrews says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." God is merciful. He is kind. He is willing to help those who seek him.
All too often, we wallow in shame and guilt. We prolong our suffering. But yet our healer is right in front of us. Don't let him pass you by. What we need to do instead is to swallow our pride, cast aside our doubt, and cry out to God. "Don't pass me by. Don't leave me here. Don't turn your face from me." He will have compassion on you because that's the kind of God he is. Believe that he is willing and able to cure whatever problem you're facing. We need to trust that Jesus Christ has the power and the authority to make straight whatever is crooked. No matter what it is, he is capable of healing your marriage. He is capable of healing your addiction. He is capable of healing whatever is broken in your life. He will not pass you by if you call on the name of Jesus. And he will meet you right where you are.
Now let us pray. Father, you are a good God. Your mercies are new every morning. Your love is everlasting. Your grace is all sufficient. And we declare that our trust is in you, King Jesus. Even though we may face afflictions, our trust is in you, King Jesus. Even though we may be in the middle of fiery trials, our trust is in you, King Jesus. Lord, we trust that you know our beginning and our end. And we trust that when you allow us to go through tough times, when you allow us to face certain obstacles, we trust that you are performing a good work within us for your glory. We have to trust and believe that when you allow us to face afflictions and troubles, you are refining, molding, and shaping us in your divine plan. God, we trust that whatever you allow into our lives, although it may test us, it will ultimately build our character and build our faith. And even so, Lord, we would like to thank you for the many, many times you have delivered us from troubles. You have been there as my source of divine strength whenever I am weak. Lord, I thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. When I'm in need of intercession, I thank you that the Holy Ghost is there to plead my case and intercede on my behalf. Even when I need counseling, the Holy Spirit is always ready with wise counsel and instruction.
Your word in Galatians 5:16-17 says, "I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Lord, I pray that you lead me to walk in the spirit and not to try and reason with my human intellect. Lord, work on me from the inside out. Fill me with more of your spirit so that the works of the flesh may not be evident in my life. I pray that you remove from within me the works of the flesh. Things such as uncleanliness, hatred, and jealousy. Let that be removed from my character. Let outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, and envy be cleansed from my character, from my personality, and from my mind. Lord, I pray that you remove these things. I ask that you would empty me so that I may be filled by the fruits of the spirit as described in your word.
Your word says in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christs have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Fill us with all these wonderful things. Fill us with a spirit of love, a spirit of joy, a spirit of longsuffering and kindness. Mold our character to be one that is gentle and more like you, Lord Jesus. May your name be praised. Thank you for your kindness. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen."
If you know what's coming, you can prepare. That's why the Bible says, "Take up the whole armor of God." That way you'll be able to withstand in the evil day. We have to be ready. We have to know what's coming. We need a strategy in place. And above all, we have to trust in the Lord. David said that some trust in chariots and some trust in horses. But that's not where we as children of God place our trust. We trust in Jesus.
Some will run to underground bunkers, some will trust in science, and some trust in doctors. But when you find yourself in a place where your well-being is attacked, your health is being attacked, and the doctors can't do anything for you, your future is being attacked, your stability is under attack, and your resources are being attacked. You will quickly realize that you need to be able to call on a higher power. And all of a sudden, the Bible matters because you have to now find what the full armor mentioned in Ephesians 6 is. You've got to know God's word so that you can stand in faith and declare his promises. You've got to know how to pray. You've got to have some substance about you, some conviction behind your faith.
So, what does the evil day look like for you? Maybe it's a day when you are tempted to fall back into addiction. Maybe it's a day when the devil preys on your biggest insecurities and makes you feel worthless. Maybe it's a day when someone close to you, someone you trust, does you wrong and you have the urge for revenge. These are the days when our faith is put to the test and we have to make a conscious decision to keep following Jesus no matter the cost.
You are not without help. God is on your side. He is actually rooting for you and giving you the ability to overcome. He has filled you with his Holy Spirit which is able to conquer every force of darkness. Have you ever said these four words, "Stand by me, God." Or have you ever quietly prayed and said, "Be with me, Jesus." Or perhaps, "Give me strength, Lord." It's amazing how four simple words could speak volumes.
You see, I've realized something. As I've grown both in age and spiritual maturity, my need for the Lord has increased. My need for him to be with me has increased. My need for the Lord to stand by me has increased. And here's why I have such a need for Jesus. I need Jesus Christ because I have tried to do things my own way. But I've been met with the harsh reality that on my own, it is impossible to win. It's impossible to gain a breakthrough. It's impossible to have peace of mind if the Lord is not with me. I need Jesus Christ because there are strongholds in my family that I can't break with my own power. And so I need the strength and might that's in the blood of Jesus Christ. I need God because life is complicated. I have problems. Problems that I care not to discuss with anyone because people will often judge before they reveal their own struggles. So, I desperately need Jesus Christ. He's the only one who has given me an open invitation in Psalms 55:22 where the Bible reads, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved."
So you see, I need Jesus because I can't save myself. I can't redeem myself. I can't deliver myself. And there sure isn't any other human being on this planet who can offer me redemption or salvation or eternal life like Jesus Christ can. So I have to be honest. At times when things are tough, I find myself just saying and praying four simple words over and over again. "Be with me, Jesus." "Be with me, Lord." At times when I'm tempted, I find myself quietly praying, "Give me strength, Lord." "Give me strength, Jesus." And if you can relate to what I'm saying, then I encourage you to stand, child of God. Stand firm in the word of the Lord. Take those things that weigh you down. Take those burdens that slump your shoulders and hand them over to Jesus Christ.
Psalms 121:1-2 says, "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth." This is true for you and I today. Our help comes from the Lord. I want to encourage you to take notes on David's method. He cried out to the Lord. So before you look anywhere else, before you look to anyone else, before you start drawing to conclusions about why this might be happening and why that might not be happening, cry out to the Lord for yourself. Reach out to the name that is above every other name, the name of Jesus Christ. Call on the lion of the tribe of Judah. Call on the one who walks on water. The one who can speak to the wind and it obeys. Because if you don't, how else are you going to break through that barrier you face? How else will you get through this fight if you're not crying out to the Prince of Peace? I encourage you to call on God Almighty, the one who is, who was, and who is to be. When it's a fight to simply read the word, when it's a fight to pray, then simply cry out to Jesus, the one who commands millions of angels, the one who has the keys of life and death in his hands. Whatever situation you face today, whatever circumstance or situation, God wants you to call on him. Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you don't know." Psalm 50:15, the Bible says, "Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you will honor me."
And so I want to encourage you when you look at God's word, when you look at his promises, he says, "Trust me in your times of trouble and I will rescue you." He says, "Abide in me and I will restore you." He says, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." So let your hope be found in God. He has the perfect solution each and every time. He has the right amount of strength to reinforce you through the good and the tough days.
So I encourage you today to shift your own perspective. Pray that God would give you a perspective that is fixed on him. May you see your problems through the lens of faith and focus once again on Romans 8:28 which says, "And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose." Can you trust God with the details of your life? So many people would say yes when answering this question. However, when placed in a situation where they actually have to trust God, a lot of us would struggle in different ways. Some of us would struggle because we don't have the patience to wait for God to act. We're so used to next-day deliveries and convenient services that we struggle to wait patiently and prayerfully for God to act in our lives.
The doctrine of God's providence teaches us several important truths. First, God cares about the tiniest details of your life. Nothing escapes his watchful eyes. Absolutely nothing escapes his notice. For he is concerned about the small as well as the big. After all, we have to remember that God knows when a sparrow falls and he numbers the hairs on your head. With this knowledge, how then could you and I think that God doesn't care about the things that weigh on our hearts? And he does it always for his own glory. Think of providence as the invisible hand of God moving through the circumstances of life. I say all of this to simply encourage you to trust and wait on the Lord.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 the Bible reads, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose hope is the Lord for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters which spreads out its roots by the river and will not fear when heat comes but its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought nor will cease from yielding root." To fully trust in God, we have to relinquish full control. To put it another way, it's to abandon trust in yourself or in another human. You stop trying to fix it yourself and you allow God. You yield to God. You surrender all control to him. And to do that in this day and age is to go against everything we're taught and trained to do. We're expected to stay on top of those emails at work. We have to take control of our career, our business. We need to take control of our kids' futures and education. So much of our lives today require control. But the Lord operates differently when it comes to the aspect of control.
Now, I'm not saying you should neglect your responsibilities. What I am saying is that you do your part. You show up to work with the right attitude and you work hard. But don't start fighting over a promotion or position. Don't be jealous when you think you deserve something more. Those are the situations that you are to relinquish control and stop trying to fix it yourself, but hand it over to the Lord. I'm telling you that in all aspects of your life, you need to accept that in the grand scheme of things, your control is limited. What you can control is your effort on a daily basis, your attitude on a daily basis. That's what you can control. The rest you leave it up to God. Pray that God intervenes in that situation with your boss or supervisor. Pray that God steps in when it comes to who your kids are influenced by at school. Pray that the Lord will see your hard work and reward you. Remember that the Bible says you are blessed when you place your trust in God. You are blessed when you place your hope in Jesus.
And here's what I've learned. When you fully trust God, he becomes your strength. When the situation ahead looks dim and bleak, when the mountain ahead looks to be too great for you, I want to encourage you to place your trust in Jesus. Put your hope in the Lord. We have a God who can make a way where there seems to be no way. We should be placing our hope and faith not in the promises of man, not in the resources or abilities of man, but in the promises of an everlasting God. So, child of God, sing if you have to, but put your trust in God. Raise your hands and worship if you need to, but make sure that you're trusting in the Lord. Lock yourself in a closet to pray. Do whatever you need to when things get tough. Just make sure you're trusting in Jesus. God can hear your cry even in the midst of adversity. Hold on to his unchanging word.
Isaiah 40:31 says, "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." There is strength in waiting on the Lord. And if you're asking the question, "How do I find my strength?" The answer is right here. Wait on God. You can wait in worship. You can wait in prayer. You can wait by meditating on God's word. But the one thing we must never do is give up. Never stop waiting on God. Never give up on waiting on God. He will give you that blessing in his perfect timing. He will bring you that opportunity in his perfect timing. Isaiah 40:31 is a promise that tells us we will be stronger when we wait on God. We will renew our strength only if we wait. We will run and not be weary only if we wait. We will walk and not faint only through waiting. So press on. Press on through your struggle. Press on in waiting for God. And the Lord will be sure to meet you at your point of need.
To the person who thinks they can never recover from the pain and guilt of their sin. To the one who is filled with feelings of worthlessness and shame. The first thing I want you to know is that Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on the cross so that your sin, your mistake should never define you. The second thing I want you to know is that the devil loves to condemn. He loves to point the finger. He absolutely loves to make you feel ashamed and to try to drown you in guilt. So you need to be aware of this. You need to be sensitive about the difference between feeling guilty because you are convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit and feeling guilty because you are being condemned by Satan. The Holy Spirit convicts and this leads you to repent. The devil, on the other hand, he condemns in order to make you feel hopeless and worthless. So please be aware of that.
Listen, you have to do something. You have to do something. Don't let this enemy creep in unnoticed. You can't keep letting the devil walk all over you. You can't allow him to just have his way like you ain't a child of God. Stand for it no more. Put up with it no more. We need deliverance in our homes. And this is why I need you to get to a level where you're desperate for God. You're desperate in your pursuit for God. You're desperate in seeking deliverance from God. Chase after God. And don't stop at nothing until you get him. And it takes a spirit of desperate faith, a desperate hunger for God in order for you to affect your family, in order for you to affect your children and finances. Do you have a spirit of desperation? Just ask the woman with the issue of blood, desperately seeking after her healing in any and every way until she touched the hem of his garment. You see, it's that kind of spirit that gets God's attention.
Our hunger for God must exceed our hunger for everything else. Stop giving your attention to all these different things. And you may be pursuing things that are not wrong. They may not be sinful. You may simply want to better your life or career. But I'm asking you to have a desperation, an intense hunger for God that exceeds everything else. So chase that dream job, but make sure you're chasing God first. Chase that business, but make sure you're desperately chasing God first. Chase that career and make it as an athlete, but make sure you're putting in the work, the time, and effort to chase God first. What are you pursuing? Because pursuing God is the key that unlocks everything else. The Bible says, "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." So, what part of the day are you offering God? What are you sacrificing in order to spend quality time with God? What are you prioritizing? Because when you chase God, you put yourself in a place where you can meet the Lord. You put yourself in a position to meet the healer instead of just chasing the healing. You put yourself in a position to meet the redeemer instead of just chasing redemption. Yeah, we've got things to do and life happens, but God is calling you from the heavens. Where are you? Draw near to me and I'll draw near to you. Have a desperate spirit, a desire and obsession to have a pure and holy passion.
Dear friends, my message for you today is to stand strong in the Lord. Very unpredictable. You never know what this life will throw your way. You never know what tomorrow holds for you. I've spoken to people who've told me that their life changed in an instant because of one bad decision. I've spoken to people who've cried as they told me their life will never be the same again through no fault of their own. I don't know if you've ever experienced the reality of life where one moment you're enjoying peace and safety and then the next moment all hell breaks loose. So what do you do? Where do you run to when life puts you through the fire? Well, let me remind you that the Bible says, "The Lord is good. A stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knows those who trust in him." A day of trouble will come to all of us. But the Bible has told us that there is a refuge. There is a place to hide when the day of trouble comes. And that place is in God. And when I say in God, I'm talking about in fellowship with God.
Look at everyone who's ever been delivered from trouble in the Bible. They were delivered because they had a relationship with the Lord. And when the day of trouble came, they had somewhere to run to. They had someone to call on. Daniel already had a relationship with God before he was thrown in the lion's den. David had a long-established relationship with the Lord before he stepped on the battlefield with Goliath. The same can be said about Moses before he faced Pharaoh. You see, when all of these people came face to face with their day of trouble, they stood strong in the Lord. They were in a relationship with God already. They were in fellowship with God already. And that's the secret. Trouble will find us all one day. But there's a difference when trouble finds you in God.
So, you may have been fighting the battles of life season after season. And I'm not just talking about warfare in a single area of your life. No, I'm talking about multiple areas where trouble has visited you. Areas like your family life, your physical health, or your mental and emotional health, too. All of these different areas may have been under attack at one point or another, but let me tell you that you can withstand the storm. You can outlast trouble. You can endure the fire if you stand in Jesus Christ. The joy of the Lord will be your strength. Aren't you grateful for the fact that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever more? Because when life happens, you can stand strong in a God who has withstood the test of time. So do not allow life's challenges to shake your faith. Stand strong in the Lord so that he can fight your battles.
I want to encourage you and I want to rally you up. Yes, you are in a war. If you are a true disciple of Christ, you will be at war. You're at war against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Now, in these few moments, I want to remind you that the word is central to your defensive stance as well as your offensive stance as a Christian. So, when you face the evil day, remember 2 Thessalonians 3:3. "But the Lord is faithful who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." Remember Deuteronomy 31:6. "Be strong and of good courage. Do not fear nor be afraid of them. For the Lord your God, he is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." When you face the evil day, Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." The Lord is with you and the promises of God should give you the confidence to be bold in the face of evil.
Now let us pray. Dear Lord, in this present day, an age where we face so many temptations, an age where there is so much evil around us. We pray, Master, that you would help us to stand strong and not to fall into sin or be swept away by evil. Romans 13:13 says, "Let us walk properly as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy." Father, help us to walk in righteousness. Help us to walk in the truth of your word. May we be led by the Holy Spirit. When the trials of life come our way, give us the grace to stand strong. Dear Master, when the devil attacks us and attempts to discourage us, help us to stand strong in faith. Help us to remain encouraged by your word.
Lord Jesus, you are my great defender. You are my mighty protector. Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." I am blessed because I'm covered by your blood, Lord, the precious blood of the Lamb of God. Your word tells me that I can overcome the devil by the blood of the lamb and the word of my testimony. And so I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over my life. I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over my family. The word of my testimony is that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The word of my testimony is that Jesus Christ is victorious. Jesus Christ is triumphant. And greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. Lord Jesus, you have never lost a battle. There is no one who can challenge you. And so I firmly place my confidence in you. You are the reason why I am more than a conqueror. You are the reason why my heart is filled with boldness and with courage.
Father, your word in Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." I pray Lord Jesus that you would empower us to stand when the spirit of fear wants us to fall. Give us strength and courage when the spirit of fear wants us to be weak and afraid. We are blessed and we rejoice at the knowledge that you, Lord God, are with us wherever we go. Lord, we humble ourselves. We submit and surrender to you, a mighty God. I pray that you would help us to set aside self-righteous pride. Help us to set aside any thoughts that tell us that we are strong in our own strength. Instead, we cast all of our cares, all of our anxieties, all of our worries, and all our concerns. We cast them all to you, Lord Jesus. We cast them to you because you are a God who cares about us with the deepest affection. And you continually watch over us. May your word be established in our lives. May your word be the anchor of our lives. We will not fear in Jesus' name because you Lord will never leave us or forsake us. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
We can make plans. We can write down our goals and our targets. However, here's what the Bible says. Proverbs chapter 19:21. "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." You see, God's purpose for your life is what will prevail. God's plan for your life is what will prevail. Now, it's not easy for us to accept that at times because God's plan requires us to trust him. It requires us to walk blindly, so to speak, in this natural world, but walk with 20/20 vision with the eyes of faith. Jonah ran away from God's plan, and he ended up in the belly of a fish. Noah followed God's plan and he was saved. Lot's wife deviated from God's plan and she was turned into a pillar of salt. Joseph trusted in God and in his plans and he became the ruler of Egypt. Samson decided not to follow God's instruction and he lost his supernatural strength. Joshua stuck to God's plan and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. Do you see where I'm going with this?
God's plan will always work out for good. But when you deviate from his plan, when you reject his plan, then you leave yourself open. You leave yourself open to the attacks of the enemy. You leave yourself open to the judgment of God. Trusting in God's plan isn't easy to do, but it's necessary. It's essential for all of us as believers. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding."
And on this topic of trust, when you think about it, we've been conditioned to trust our natural senses. We've been conditioned to trust in science. We're taught to trust things that have come from credible sources that can be verified and fact-checked. But trusting in God requires us to go against everything we've been conditioned to do. Trusting in the Lord requires you to ignore what you can see or understand. Trusting in him means that at times you take the doctor's advice, but accept that he doesn't have the final say. I would even go as far as saying trusting in God means ignoring what the news anchor is saying or what the economy is doing. That's trusting in the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul.
So, here's what I encourage you to do. Don't put your trust in your abilities. Don't place your trust in money. Don't lean upon your own strengths, but rather trust in Jesus. I want to encourage you to take notes on David's method. He cried out to the Lord. So before you look anywhere else, before you look to anyone else, before you start drawing to conclusions about why this might be happening and why that might not be happening, cry out to the Lord for yourself. Reach out to the name that is above every other name, the name of Jesus Christ. Call on the lion of the tribe of Judah. Call on the one who walks on water. The one who can speak to the wind and it obeys. Because if you don't, how else are you going to break through that barrier you face? How else will you get through this fight if you're not crying out to the Prince of Peace? I encourage you to call on God Almighty, the one who is, who was, and who is to be. When it's a fight to simply read the word, when it's a fight to pray, then simply cry out to Jesus, the one who commands millions of angels, the one who has the keys of life and death in his hands. Whatever situation you face today, whatever circumstance or situation, God wants you to call on him. Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you don't know." Psalm 50:15, the Bible says, "Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you will honor me."
And so I want to encourage you when you look at God's word, when you look at his promises, he says, "Trust me in your times of trouble and I will rescue you." He says, "Abide in me and I will restore you." He says, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." So let your hope be found in God. He has the perfect solution each and every time. He has the right amount of strength to reinforce you through the good and the tough days.
So I encourage you today to shift your own perspective. Pray that God would give you a perspective that is fixed on him. May you see your problems through the lens of faith and focus once again on Romans 8:28 which says, "And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose."
I'm sure that each of us when we've gone through certain things in life, when we face difficulties or challenges, if you're anything like me, then you will go through that situation trying to figure out how will this work for my good. When we are in trouble, how many of us want details from God? How many of us ask God, "Why am I going through this?" How many of us ask God questions like, "God, if you're going to make a way out for me, how exactly are you going to do it? At precisely what time will you come to my rescue? How long will I have to go through this before things actually start turning around for my good?" But God doesn't always give us answers while we are in the fire. All we can do is have faith in his promises.
Promises like those found in Nahum 1:7, which says, "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knows those who trust in him." We ought to hold on to promises like those found in Psalm 55:22 which says, "Cast your burden on the Lord and he shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." You see, in times of difficulty, we have to remember God's nature. And his nature can be found in his word. In the Bible, God is described as a refuge and a deliverer. He is described as faithful. He is described as Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end. He is patient, caring, and loving. And so I encourage you to put your trust in the Lord regardless of what you are facing. Whether you are in a valley or on top of the mountain, we should be seeking the Lord always. We need him to lead and guide us. We need his grace. We need his mercy. We need his protection to keep us safe as we go about our business. And above all, we need God's presence.
You see, God's presence is extraordinary. When his presence surrounds you, you're surrounded by pure love. When his presence surrounds you, you're covered in safety. And there is nothing from the enemy that can touch you. In his presence, there is power. So much power that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. So much power that there is nothing impossible. It's only in the arms of the Lord that you can find divine strength. It's only in God that you will find strength in your weakness. It's only in him that you can do all things because he strengthens you.
The Bible in Hebrews 12:15 says, "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." The Bible here is clearly telling us that when bitterness takes root in a person, that root of bitterness grows and it bears fruit. Now, perhaps you've been hurt by someone who's close to you and maybe it was deliberate. Maybe there was malicious intent behind that person's actions. And to top it off, you've never received an apology. But here's the thing. We need to be on guard not to let that hurt take root in our hearts and become bitterness. Whatever it is that may have happened to you or against you, you better be quick to let it go. Be quick to forgive. You must be quick to move on. As much as it depends on you, be quick to seek peace. Don't even give an opportunity for bitterness to grow in your heart. Don't give opportunity for the devil to work in your life. You must realize that the reason bitterness is so destructive is because it does not just affect the person who's bitter. It affects everyone they come into contact with. A bitter person hurts people because they feel as though the world deserves to be hurt because of what they went through.
Now, on the opposite side, when you see someone who has the genuine love of God in their heart, you see someone who welcomes anyone regardless of what they've done, what they look like, or who they are. The love of God is what causes you to lead others to Christ. The love of God that's in your heart leads you to have a burden for unbelievers. So, let me tell you this. As born-again believers, we are to love others because Jesus Christ first loved us. And he did it even while we were still sinners. We are to forgive because we are forgiven. People of God, do away with bitterness. Jesus Christ has loved us even as we are. He has forgiven us despite the many, many times that we've fallen into sin. Jesus Christ has and still does show us kindness. He shows us mercy. He shows us compassion. And in his word, he has given us the commandment to love your neighbor as you love yourself. And let me tell you, it's in your best interest to forgive and move on. Just forgive and let it go. Because Matthew 6:15 says, "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Bitterness and unforgiveness, those are inseparable emotions. You can't be bitter about something you've forgiven and let go of. So I encourage each and everyone listening right now, learn to forgive quickly. And strive to imitate Jesus Christ. Let's be people who are full of the love of God in our hearts. Let's do away with arguments and divisions and let's be kind. Let's be helpful to one another. Let's encourage each other in the faith. Be tenderhearted, compassionate, and willing to advance the kingdom of God over our own self-interest.
It's only in the arms of the Lord that you can find divine strength. It's only in God that you will find strength in your weakness. It's only in him that you can do all things because he strengthens you.
I would like to begin by saying that praying and fasting are both a private affair between you and God. Prayer and fasting are both an important part of your walk with Christ. Now, sometimes we will come across needs, situations, or circumstances that are especially great. We'll come face to face with obstacles or giants that have a whole different dimension to them. I'm not talking about demons or foot soldiers. I'm talking about dark forces and principalities. And the thing about this type of opposition is that they require a specific kind of approach in order to get a breakthrough. For those who don't know, yes, some problems, some tests and challenges will not go away after one single prayer. There are spiritual problems that need to be discerned and that require a higher godly power to break them. Mark 9:29 says, "He said to them, 'This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.'" This is Jesus giving us the battle plan for those stubborn spirits that come to oppose us. And the battle plan is prayer and fasting.
A prayerless Christian is powerless. Show me a Christian who prays and I'll show you a Christian who's strong. In this life, we cannot get away from prayer. And a few points that you should be mindful of when it comes to prayer are: through prayer, the impossible becomes possible. Prayer isn't optional for us as believers. It's a necessity. We need to pray. We need to commune with God. We need to seek the Lord through fervent and honest prayer. Prayer is you not only obeying God's word, which tells us to pray always and to pray without ceasing, but it's us going into alignment with the life of Christ when he was walking on this earth. Jesus prayed. He prayed often. He went to quiet places, isolated places so that he could pray. As people who believe in the gospel, we need to learn from this because there must be some importance to prayer if Jesus did it. There must be some effectiveness to prayer if Jesus did it.
Now, I believe prayer is a pillar of strength because when you are going through hard times, the Bible especially tells us to pray. James 5:13 says, "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone unhappy? Let them sing songs of praise." Did you get that? Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Other translations say, "If anyone is suffering, if anyone is in great hardship and distress, let them pray." Why? Why prayer? Why not find a pastor and get them to pray for you? Why not send a prayer request online? Because prayer is when you as an individual go before God and humble yourself. You lower yourself in recognition of God's power. You go to the foot of God's throne and pray that he may have mercy on you, that he may give you grace. And it's here, it's in your weakness that God's strength is made perfect.
Prayer and fasting help to silence our minds, silence our appetites, and open us up to be able to hear the still small voice of God. The problem is not that God is no longer speaking. God is always speaking. The problem is that many times we are not listening. Prayer and fasting position us to hear the voice of God and see his hand moving in our lives. There is power in prayer. So to the believer who finds themself in a difficult situation, pray. To the believer who finds themself in the middle of an attack from the devil, start praying. To the believer who finds themself feeling disappointed and frustrated, pray. God will come through in your darkest hour. So let this verse be etched in your heart. James 5:13, "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray."
You see, the thing about prayer is that it doesn't have to be formal or scripted. You don't need to be the most eloquent speaker or articulate person in the world. Prayer doesn't have to be in front of an audience or the entire church. It's simply about daily engagement and communication with God. And as a believer grows in their relationship with the Lord, prayer becomes more than just a quiet time of communion. It becomes an intimate connection to the one who supplies your every need. It becomes a sacred time to speak to the one who provides wisdom and guidance, the one who moves mountains and brings
Comfort in times of need. Even though God knows our every need before we make it known, he has still commanded us to pray, to pray without ceasing. In fact, he wants us to have that open communication with him and to rely on him no matter our circumstances.
Prayer and fasting is a combination found frequently all throughout the Bible. It is a powerful combo of spiritual practices that many righteous men, women, and saints throughout the ages have found to hold great significance. I have heard many Christians complain over the years that they have not been able to hear from God. I wonder, however, if the problem is not God's lack of speaking, but our lack of ability to listen. We are surrounded by more noise, screens, and distractions today than ever before. Consequently, many of us are uncomfortable with silence. But what if silence is God's primary mode of communication?
I believe one of the reasons we are told to pray without ceasing or to pray always is because we really ought to always be in communication with God. And you can do this in your everyday life. Everything can be an act of thanks, appreciation, and prayer. Every action can be an act of devotion to God. Saints of God, when I say pray to win, I need you to understand that prayer doesn't just change things. Prayer reveals things. Prayer saves marriages. Prayer gives you that breakthrough. Prayer is communion with the most high. It builds a relationship between you and Jesus. It guides you. It illuminates hidden supernatural things. and it strengthens your inner man.
In prayer, you declare that which is in the spirit realm to manifest in this world. Prayer releases the power of God for the pulling down of strongholds. It releases the power of God for the breaking of chains, for destroying generational curses, for the restoration of dry bones in dry places. Prayer is power. Prayer wins battles. Those things you struggle with, those things which you wrestle with, those things that oppose you, those battles fought in private, the victory is in prayer.
I know that one way or another, you will need help. But here's the thing. Getting help from people, it often comes with strings attached. When someone helps you out, it's not always for free. It comes with the expectation of either you remember what I did for you or one day I might need your help so just remember this favor. However, I have good news. There is a God who offers you help with no strings attached. There is a God in heaven who will offer you aid. He will give you support without any pressure or any expectation that you could ever pay him back. In fact, David spoke about the help offered by God by saying in Psalm 121, "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth."
The life of a Christian isn't easy. Jesus himself said that in this life we will have trouble. But he commands us to take heart for he has overcome the world. Do you have an issue with anger? Look at your heart. Do you have an issue with self-control? An issue with gambling? Do you keep cycling in and out of the same sin? Well, it's a hard issue. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. The Bible says the issues of life are hard issues. Don't be intimidated by the magnitude of the temptation around you. Don't be frightened by the size of the enemy. Instead, take up your weapons. Take up prayer. Take up the word of God. take up joy and peace in the midst of adversity. These are the things that the devil can't stand.
I believe that the reason we should not let our hearts be troubled can be found in John 14:6 which reads, "Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." And if you move on further to read John 14:16, the Bible says, "And I will ask the father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever." And so from these two verses we know that if you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart then you have accepted the one who is the way, the truth and the life. There is nothing that he does not regulate. There is nothing that he is unaware of. He is the answer. He is the solution for all things. and the fact that he has given us a helper, the wonderful Holy Spirit. This means that we have help in times of trouble. We have strength in times of weakness and we have guidance in times of uncertainty. So do not let your heart be troubled because if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and if we submit to his ruling authority in our hearts then you and I become like sheep to the good shepherd.
So no matter what your hardship might be, be strong in faith. Don't allow yourself to be moved because as soon as you let go of God's sure promises, you are bound to get swept up into the madness of this world. You see, Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation in this fickle and everchanging world. He is our steadfast anchor. Circumstances change, people change, social norms and public perceptions change, but the word of God remains true forever. In the book of Matthew, Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." That's why we can stand confidently in him. That's why we can cling to him when we feel like we're slipping away into the chaos of life and he will rescue us and he'll place our feet back on solid ground.
What's the worst storm you've ever been through? What's the most troubling set of circumstances you've ever encountered? Did you have faith through those times? Did you believe that God would come through? Did you believe that you would experience one of those biblical and suddenly moments? You see, the word of God teaches us that faith is the key to everything for the believer in Christ. When Jesus and his disciples encountered a storm on the Sea of Galilee, a storm that rocked them to their core, a storm that shook them and threatened to drown them. When they faced such a storm, how did the disciples respond? How did they react? They became fearful even though Jesus was right there in the storm with them. Imagine that. You have the son of God on a boat with you and a storm makes you fearful. The son of God himself, the Messiah, the one who was sent from above is literally within touch and distance. And nature is what makes a disciple fearful.
Now, as ridiculous as that may sound, I wonder how many of us have accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts and then a storm comes along and instead of trusting that greater is he who is in me than he was in the world, we have been fearful instead. instead of saying the one who I've accepted in my heart, the one whose name is above all other names is bigger than this financial storm. Jesus is bigger than this health storm. Jesus is bigger than this storm at work. Instead of confessing that and boldly declaring that, how many times have we said Jesus, where are you? or like the disciples. How many times have we said, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" The disciples were in the storm, but didn't have enough faith or enough trust that the very presence of God would keep them safe. That's why they were scared to drown.
On the opposite scale, there is someone who demonstrated strong faith. Isaiah 38:1 says, "In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death." And then the Bible reads from verse 2 to 5, "Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. Remember Lord how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah. "Go and tell Hezekiah. This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says. I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add 15 years to your life." At a time when he was in his sick bed, when he was at the point of death, Hezekiah demonstrated great faith, bold faith. He wasn't seeking any new remedies, any medical experts. He turned to the Lord. He didn't give up and just die. Instead, he called the Lord in faith that his cries would be heard. And sure enough, God answered him and extended his life.
So with those two examples, the disciples in a storm, Hezekiah in a hell storm, how would you react? Or rather, how will you react the next time you are tempted by fear? Friends, let me tell you that Jesus Christ is the good shepherd who leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. So we need not fear no evil because the good shepherd is with us. Jesus is with us.
First John 4:8 says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." What does this verse mean? In a simplified sense, where there is fear, there is no love. And where there is love, real pure love, there can be no fear. One commentary from a theologian named Albert Barnes says, "There is no fear in love. Love is not an affection which produces fear. In the love which we have for a parent, a child, a friend, there is no fear. If a man had perfect love to God, he would have no fear of anything. For what would he have to dread? He would have no fear of death, for he would have nothing to dread beyond the grave. It is guilt that makes people fear what is to come. But he whose sins are pardoned and whose heart is filled with the love of God has nothing to dread in this world or the world to come."
God is love by his very nature. And so love cannot be associated with fear. This is why the Bible repeatedly encourages us not to be afraid. That's why the phrase fear not appears over and over again in scripture. We do not have to fear because God's love offers protection. It offers protection over every threat from the enemy. We do not have to fear because God's love offers provision. He will provide for you. He will meet your emotional needs, your physical needs, and financial needs because he loves you. We do not have to fear illness or disease because God's love offers healing. For everything that threatens us, God's love is the answer. There is no problem or situation that should make us fearful when we understand this.
So, we've established that there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Now, if we read 1 John 4:8, the Bible says, "Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love." The Amplified Translation says, "The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God does not and never did know him. For God is love. He is the originator of love and it is an enduring attribute of his nature." So as long as you are in the Lord, fear cannot affect you. Fear cannot paralyze you or debilitate you because when you are in the Lord, you are in perfect love.