Still the same

(Heb 13:8 KJV)  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

 We live in a constantly changing world.  Change brings uncertainty; change is one of our biggest sources of stress.  In a world where everything changes, one thing remains the same:  God is the same.  God never changes.  He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Created things have a beginning and ending, but not God, the Creator. He cannot change for the better, because He is perfect;  He cannot change for the worse,  He does not get stronger, or weaker, as time goes by.  He does not grow wiser, because He has always known all things. He isn’t getting older, He isn’t getting tired.  In a world that is always changing, God remains the same.  We know Him.  We can trust Him.  We can trust His Word. We can trust His Promises. He is where we turn to find stability and security in an ever changing world.

Keep sowing

(Eccl 11:4 KJV)  He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. (Eccl 11:5 KJV)  As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. (Eccl 11:6 KJV)  In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

 This passage reminds us to continue in our calling, to continue to work to build up the Kingdom of God, no matter how we think the future looks. The truth is, we don’t know what the future holds, so don’t let it cause us to become discouraged.  It takes confidence in God to continue to sow when we don’t see favorable conditions, when it looks like we are wasting our time and effort.  Verse 5 reminds us there are many things which God does that we don’t understand. There will always be some reason to wait, to not sow.   If we spend our time trying to figure these things out, we will always be waiting for a more opportune time, trying to calculate the wind, trying to predict the rain. The world desperately needs a move of God.  Let’s do our part by continuing to sow the seed, to spread the Word.  Continue to invest of ourselves in the work of God;  our time, our energy, our hopes, our dreams, our resources, our very lives. The harvest may be many days, but the harvest will come.  Keep sowing.

Engraved on the palms of His hands

(Isa 49:13 KJV)  Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. (Isa 49:14 KJV)  But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. (Isa 49:15 KJV)  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.  (Isa 49:16 KJV)  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

 God will never leave us or forsake us.  God compares His love and faithfulness to the love and faithfulness of a mother of a young child.  God is more faithful.  God is ever mindful of us.  God said He has graven us in His palms.  Sometimes we write things we want to remember on our hands, where we will be constantly reminded of them.  We are graven on His palms; not just our name, but us; all about us, our situation, our worries, our concerns. This verse is to give us assurance that God is always mindful of us.  He has not forgotten; He will not forget.  Keep your faith.

Forget not all His benefits

(Psa 103:1 KJV)  Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. (Psa 103:2 KJV)  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: (Psa 103:3 KJV)  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; (Psa 103:4 KJV)  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; (Psa 103:5 KJV)  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

 In difficult times, it is often easy to become distressed and become disillusioned.  This passage encourages us not to forget all the Lord’s benefits. It is good to rehearse the many benefits of salvation and God’s goodness.  His love is never ending; His compassions and mercies are new every day.  Let your mind dwell on His goodness and let His praise well up in your heart.  Allow His many benefits to turn your heaviness into praise.  Bless the Lord, don’t forget His many benefits.          

Call, He will answer

(Jer 33:2 KJV)  Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name;  (Jer 33:3 KJV)  Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

 Are you in the midst of a trial, in the fire? Call on Him who is able to deliver. He has promised He will answer.  Expect great things; look forward with anticipation of God’s working.  Show your faith and trust in a faithful, loving God.  His way is best.  Call on Him and He will answer.

Don't give up

Luke 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; ………Luke 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? Luke 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

 Our God answers prayer. Pray. Continue to pray. Don’t give up.  God is faithful.  God will not delay any longer than is absolutely right.  He will answer as soon as it is right to answer.  He will never delay unnecessarily; to do so would make Him less than holy. God is altogether holy, just and good.  He loves us.  Continue to trust; continue to call out to Him.  He will answer speedily, though He bear long.  Never give up.  Our God is a prayer hearing and answering God. 

Availeth much

(James 5:16 KJV)  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

God hears the prayer of the righteous - those who are sincere, those who love Him.  Fervent prayer accomplishes much.  Elijah prayed and it didn’t rain for 3 ½ years;  he prayed again and the drought ended. Fire came down from heaven in answer to his prayer.  In the past, prayer has caused the sun to stand still; God has moved to defeat armies, change rulers in answer to prayer. God has stopped the mouths of lions, kept from the harm of the furnace, healed the sick, raised the dead in answer to prayer.  God has caused the meal and oil to not run out; God has multiplied the oil to pay debts and provide a living in answer to prayer. Whatever our need, God is able; not only is He able, He has probably promised it in His Word.  He has probably already done the same for someone else in answer to prayer.  Your prayer can be powerful and effective and accomplish much.  Our prayer, your prayer, can avail much, can accomplish much. Pray; pray fervently, earnestly, seek God for what you need. 

In this together

(Gal 6:2 KJV)  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

 We are to help each other make it to heaven.  We are to help bear each other’s burdens.  In bearing each other’s burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ to love one another.  One of the ways we bear our brother or sister’s burden is to pray for them.  Love prompts us to pray for one another and praying for one another in turn deepens our love for each other.  Prayer binds your heart to the one you are praying for.  I know there is much to pray for, but let’s not fail to bear each other’s burdens to the throne of grace.  We are in this together.

Enough

(Deu 29:29 KJV)  The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

God’s Word is sufficient…..that means that God’s Word is enough.  God in His Wisdom has said what He intended to say.  God has not revealed everything; there are some mysteries that are not given to us to know.  But God has revealed what we need to know to please Him.  We ought to avoid speculating on what has not been revealed, and instead, focus on what God has revealed and applying His revealed word to our life.  

No good thing will He withhold

Psa 84:11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psa 84:12  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

God is our light, showing us the way, giving direction to our life.   He is our protection in everything we encounter in life.  God gives grace and glory, which means He gives us favor and honor.  What a blessing to live in God’s favor and all its benefits!!  We are promised that no good thing would be withheld from those who live uprightly, those who do what is right.  How blessed is the person who trusts in God!!  What more could we ask for?

An open door

Rev 3:7KJV  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; Rev 3:8  I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

This passage is the opening line of the message to the church at Philadelphia.  God had set an open door before them. This was a message to a church in a time of difficulty and opposition. This was a faithful church, but it was not an easy situation.  Yet, in the middle of this opposition, God said He had set an open door before them.  What do we think of when we hear “an open door”?   Open door means opportunity.  God had set opportunity before them, even in a difficult time.  The opportunity they had did not depend on their situation. We can have hope.  It is God who opens the door.  It wasn’t just favorable circumstances.  It wasn’t their own strength “ I know you have but little strength”.   It is God who opens, and no one can shut.   Our God reigns omnipotent.  Our God is sovereign in power.  Our God is an awesome God. This open door implies an opportunity to work in the kingdom of God, an opportunity to do good, to further the spread of the gospel.  Keep your faith.  Keep your hope.  Stay faithful.  Revival has always come at a dark hour.

Who is on the Lord's side?

Exo 32:26  Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

 The setting for this verse is a critical time in the history of Israel.  The people had fallen into sin.  Aaron and the priests had accommodated them, and God’s anger was stirred. This was a critical time.  Moses issues a challenge to the people to show who was on the Lord’s side.  He called them to step out and publicly show their allegiance. We also live in a critical time.  It is time to make a definitive choice, to step out and be fully counted on the Lord’s side.  To be on the Lord’s side means that we are fully committed to Him.  Unless Jesus is truly the number one priority, He has not been given His rightful place.  Who is on the Lord’s side?

Be kind

(Eph 4:32 KJV)  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 As Christians, we are to be kind; kindness is treating others with consideration, it is being good to others, treating them courteously.  In our text, kindness is closely related to being tenderhearted, which means being compassionate.  Kindness is also related to forgiving others.  To consistently be kind to others, we need to have the right attitudes and motives.  We should want to be kind and want to help others.  We should give effort to be compassionate, to look at the needs of others and want to help them.  Simply obeying this commandment to be kind goes a long way toward showing the reality of salvation in our life.

His ambassadors

(2 Cor 5:20 KJV)  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

 We are Christ’s ambassadors. An ambassador is a personal representative, an agent, or a messenger.  We have been entrusted by God to be His ambassadors to this lost world.  We have been sent as God’s own representatives, His agents, His messengers.  Jesus gave His life to save the world, and He has entrusted this mission to us. Think about that:  the message and mission for which He gave His very life, He has commissioned us to carry out.  Let’s not fail to rightly represent Jesus and this great salvation by both our life and our words.

A good ending

Ecc 7:8  Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Ending well is more important than beginning well.  It is often good to begin right, but in life it is more important how we end.  We need to keep the end in view so that we not become sidetracked or discouraged.  Many begin this Christian life that do not finish. It is vital that we finish the race.  The second part of this verse reminds us to live life patiently. We need patience to wait and see what the end is going to be. Patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.  The words translated here come from root words meaning “long” and “high”. The idea is of longsuffering, patient as opposed to high, impatient, arrogant, proud.  Be careful of becoming quickly angered in life, angry about our circumstances, angry and frustrated by what is going on in life.  I believe this passage is teaching us also to not judge many things that God has allowed in our life too hastily. What may seem like a very bad thing is often leading us to a very good end.  Continue to trust God and follow Him.

God's delight

(Zep 3:17 KJV)  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

 God delights in His children as a father. God is pictured in this verse as rejoicing over you with singing.  God is filled with joy at the presence of His trusting children.  Can you even picture God bursting into singing with joy???  This verse also tells us that He will quiet us with His love.  His love and care for us brings us peace and rest.  Let the love of God cause your soul to rebound with joy and confidence.  Let the smile of God brighten your day.  May our faith and confidence in our mighty, loving heavenly Father be strengthened.

Exceedingly great and precious promises

2 Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

 God has given us incredible promises! He has promised to forgive us, to keep us, to heal us, to provide our necessities of life.  He has promised to comfort us, protect us, to be a true friend in time of need.  All these promises are given to us in order that we might experience a real relationship with Him, a relationship based in love and holiness.  Rely on His promises for the strength and courage to live a victorious life.

The lifter of my head

(Psa 3:3 KJV)  But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

 Difficult times can bring fear and sadness into our lives.  This is normal, but we don’t have to stay there.  We have a God who is able for every situation.  He is our shield, our protection from every danger we face.  We have one who is able to lift our head, to cause us to once again have hope and courage.  It is in His protection, in His loving care that we find renewed hope and courage.  Allow God to lift your head, to cause you to live in hope again, to cause the joy of God and the joy of living to return to you.  Our God is the lifter of our head…..look to Him for protection and hope.  

God will complete the work

(Psa 138:8 KJV)  The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

 God will perfect, or bring to completion, what He has begun.  God will fulfill His purpose for me.  What an encouragement!  God is faithful. He will complete what He has begun.  He will not begin to intervene in my behalf, and then abandon me.  He will not promise, and then fail to fulfill his promise.  He will not encourage me, and then cast me off.  God will always do His part.  Let’s do our part and maintain our faith in Him and continue to follow Him.  Our God is faithful until the end.

Strive

(Luke 13:24 KJV)  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

We are challenged in this passage to STRIVE to enter in…or to make every effort to enter in.  Maintaining our salvation requires attention and effort.  There are times it is difficult to stay faithful.  There are times that our Christian duties are a struggle to fulfill.  Be diligent, make every effort, don’t give up.  This struggle, many times, is a struggle to maintain our faith. Satan wars against us to break our relationship of faith in God.  There are times in our Christian life when we are filled with doubts and discouragement.  Satan will try to discourage us, to get us to simply give up and quit.  Strive, continue to put forth the effort.  This is a fight worth winning: our very souls are at stake.  Never give up.  Continue to strive.