Today, I want to start with a verse that many misquote and often miss the point of the verse.
I Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
It says that he will not allow us to be tempted about our threshold. God holds us in his hands, nothing comes as a surprise to him. He knows what we are capable of even when we don’t grasp our strength. God knows our threshold limits of tolerance is for every type situation. God has placed boundaries around us that the enemy cannot go through.
We, too, can pray a hedge of protection about us, our family, and all that God has given to us. We can draw a bloodline the enemy cannot cross. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist the enemy.
Exodus 12:13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
Unlike the Israelites, we do not have to physically put blood over our doors and on the side beams for protection. When Jesus died for us his blood was sufficient for our salvation and our protection. We have a blood covenant with God. The enemy has to flee when we remind him that we are covered by the blood.
As Jesus’ children, his blood has been applied to our lives and death cannot touch us until Jesus is ready to take us home. The enemy may try to get us to give up. He may try to get us to speak negative words that will harm us. But he can only touch us if God allows him. Look at Job; the enemy had to petition God to do anything to Job.
Job didn’t know how strong he was, but God did. God knew he would not curse him, no matter what the enemy did to him. God knows how much we can handle. Use that fact to give you strength to keep pressing on.
Any time the enemy comes and tells you that you can’t handle whatever you are facing. Tell him to get behind you, because he is a liar. You will not believe his lies or give in to his nonsense.
I ask the question again: Can you handle it? Now I am sure, you can confidently say Yes, I can, because God says I can.
The title of today’s episode: WHEN SLEEP ELUDES US
God often will wake us in the middle of the night to pray for someone or something. Many nights I have been awakened with a prayer on my lips and someone on my heart. After intercession for a little while, I feel released to return to sleep.
God often awakens me with an idea or a scripture verse for a blog. I get up and make notes. Then I feel like I can return to sleep.
Many down through Bible times were awakened by God for a purpose and plan.
Esther 6:1-3 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. 3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
I love how God turns things around in a single night many times. Because the king couldn’t sleep, he found out that Mordecai had saved his life. This is how evil Haman had to swallow his pride and parade the man he hated most, through the streets saying, This man is one the king desires to honor.
How awesome is God that he not only turns things around, but he humiliates the enemy at the same time. Just when the enemy seems to have the advantage God flips the entire thing around in just 24 hours.
Paul and Silas were in prison; they were not sleeping. They sang praises to God and he rocked the jail. He made a way of escape and in the process saved a jailor and his family. What would have happened if they had fallen asleep?
There is nothing wrong with sleep if we have prepared for what God is going to do in our lives. Look at the parable of the ten virgins. All of them slept. Five had prepared ahead of time and were now resting. But for whatever reason the five foolish were just caught unprepared and asleep. There is a season for everything. A time to work and a time to rest.
Psalms 4:8 – I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Just as God comes and interrupts our sleep so we can pray for someone. The enemy will try to interrupt our rest, so that we will not be as effective the next day. It is hard to be a good light when we are physically tired. But God will give us peace and rest.
He watches over us in the night and keeps us safe from harm and danger. It is a good idea to pray before going to sleep that the enemy will not invade our dreams and that only God will give us dreams. He is the lifter of our soul.
Prov 3:24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
When the whole world is quiet, the enemy loves to come at us with fear and stressful worry. He will some times try to cause us to be awake and not get rest. But God is the God of peace and he will give us peaceful rest if we ask him.
God has promised to supply what we need and that includes rest for our weary minds and bodies.
The title of today’s episode: THEN GOD SENT A PLAGUE
The Hebrews that were in bondage in Egypt had been there for generations. They knew as much about the gods of Egypt as they did their own God. I used to wonder why God sent so many plagues and how he chose each one. I recently came across an article of history that explained a little about the beliefs of the Egyptian people at that time.
God was trying to show His people as well as the Egyptians that he was the only God. All the gods of Egypt had no power and he proved it with each plague. Every plague was custom designed by God to defy one of the gods of Egypt.
God knew that Pharaoh would never believe he was the only God. They were too deep in their traditions and religion. Every time a plague would happen, Pharoah would temporarily seem to soften and make promises to let them go in different stages. But he would not allow them to completely leave until the last plague.
The first plague, the Nile River was turned to blood. Hapi (pronounce happy) was the god of the Nile, it was the god that the Egyptians believed gave them life and fertility. When the plague came the fish died and the river had a stench from death, not life and fertility. They believed the river was life and God turned it to death.
The second plague, Frogs—the Egyptian god Heqet-( Haget ) was a frog-headed goddess of fruitfulness. God sent the frogs upon the land. They covered everything. The Egyptians Heget was said to have the key of life beyond death, according to their beliefs. Egypt’s magician could reproduce this with their enchantments. When God stopped the plague, all the frogs died and they gathered them together in heaps and they stank. There was nothing fruitful about it.
The 3rd plague, Lice – The Egyptian god, Geb, was the god of the desert and foreigners. With this plague the Egyptians magicians could not duplicate this plague. They had to recognize that it was the work of God. Geb was the God of the earth. When God took the dust of the earth and turned it into lice to torment the Egyptians and their animals it proved that God’s power was greater than the belief of Geb.
The 4th plague Flies—Khepri (kepri) He was known as a scarab-faced God in ancient Egypt. He represented the rising and moving of the sun. His name means to come into existence.
This plague defied Kepri, because he was know as the god of order. The disorderly swarms of flies demonstrated that God was the only one who was truly the God of order.
The 5th plague—cattle—Hathor- cow-headed goddess of motherhood and childbirth. All the cattle died, as a defiance to Hathor. This undermined what the Egyptians believed about the goddess that she was the life giving nurturer of the Egyptians. When the cattle died it not only took away their food source but also their ability to worship. The god Hathor had no power to sustain them.
The 6th plague—Boils—Sekhmet—(sockomet) goddess of healing or medicine –
When all the Egyptians started breaking out in painful boils they realized that their goddess of healing was no match for the one true God. The Israelites did not have even one boil among them.
The 7th plague—Hail and Fire—Nut—goddess of the sky. The Egyptians believer that she swallowed the sun each evening and gave birth to it every morning. She controlled the weather. The 7th plague proved that Nut could not control weather when the hail started to fall from the sky and destroy things on the ground.
The 8th plague—Locust—Shu—god of the wind. They believed that their god Shu was the god of the air, atmosphere and light. His role was to separate the god Nut from the god Geb. This gave a space between the two for life to exist. So when God sent Locust into the air, it proved the Shu could not control the wind.
The 9th plague—Darkness—Ra—sun god, the king of the gods. Our God showed darkness to prove the sun god Ra was not the light. The darkness was so thick they could feel it. They didn’t leave their houses.
The 10th plague—death of first born of all of Egypt-Bes—father of mankind; protector of households. But Bes could not save Pharaoh’s son or any of the Egyptian first born.
Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.
God proved to everyone that the idols of Egypt were no match for the one true and sovereign God. He proved that he was the one who broke chains and crushed lies of the enemy. This was for the benefit of the Israelites as well as the Egyptians.
The old testament is types and shadows of things to come. There are many, many lessons we can learn from the children of Israel. But the thing I want you to take away from today’s lesson is this: when we are in sin, we are in bondage. We are a slave to the enemy satan. God will fight to set us free. He will go before us to guide us.
I do not think it is a coincidence that the sea was known as the Red Sea. That can be a representation of the bloodline. Once we pass through the blood of Jesus. We are no longer slaves but are free. The enemy cannot come past the bloodline. He no longer has a hold on us. He has no authority.
God has given you a life. He has set you free from bondage. What will you do with it?
The body of Christ has been slowly waking up. It is time to pray for God to awaken what he has placed within us. As we go forward to a time of enlightenment. Far too long the church sat quietly in the background. Allowing evil to be loud and in the spotlight. We have kept quiet while evil has all but extinguished the light of the church. But God is tired of his bride being pushed aside and ignored. It is time for her to shine. Once again it is time for God to be recognized in the earth.
Our enthusiasm and passion for following Jesus needs to be rekindled. If we are excited about following Jesus we will win more souls. If we get complacent and have an attitude like we are sleepwalking, no one will want to follow Jesus.
Romans 13:10-11 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Part of being awake is to be able to hear the leading of His Spirit. It is time we got plugged into our source and allowed ourselves to be led by the Holy Ghost. Ask God what he has place inside you that has been dormant. It is time that the gifts and talents he has given us are awakened.
It is time to rekindle the fire of God. It is time for the church to be on fire again. The only way we are going to draw the lost in is for us shine our light. They will never find Jesus, unless we are the on fire. We are supposed to be a light in this world.
Darkness of evil has covered the earth long enough. People usually sleep when it is dark. In order to awaken those who the enemy has lulled to sleep we need to let our light shine. It is the dawning of a new day.
2 Tim 1-6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
Paul told Timothy to stir up the gift of God that was within him. It is easy to get complacent and stagnated. Our lives are like rivers with ebbs and flow. Sometimes we allow life to creep in and slow down our connection of living water. When we find ourselves in this place, we have to stir up our gift which is the Holy Ghost. Spend more time in prayer and worship to draw closer to God once again.
God sent Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones. As the wind of God blew across the bones, they came together, and God raised up a great army. Those dry bones became something new. It doesn’t matter how dry we get, God can turn around the situation. He can breathe new life into each of us. We are his body and it is time for us to come together, just as the dry bones did. It is time for us to awaken and arise.
The enemy is preparing for battle, it is time we put on our armor and ran into battle. With God on our side, we cannot lose.
I Thes 5:4-8 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
I have been feeling God press me to return to the basics. To encourage others to check the firmness of their foundation. This week I will be covering a few things to encourage you to check your foundation.
A shaking is coming, we have to be on a solid foundation. As we return to the basics of our foundation I want to discuss walking in love. As followers of Christ, we are to walk in love and not hate. God is love, the more of his spirit we have within us the easier it is to love and have compassion for others.
Hate leads to a bitter end. To hate means we lack the proper amount of God’s will in our lives. Yes people hurt us, yes they may talk about us, but we cannot allow the actions of others to cause us to not walk in the Love of God. As I discussed yesterday, we have to forgive and not allow hate to take root in our lives.
When we give our lives over to God, we are saying we don’t have all the answers. We yield our lives to a higher authority that does have all the answers. God is love and he only wants what is best for us.
Prov 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”
We are to hate evil, but not the people that do evil. They are caught in a trap of the enemy. They need to be set free by the power of God. But it takes them yielding to the power of God, when he sends us to witness to them.
Ps 97:10 Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
God preserves the souls of his saint that love him and hates evil. We cannot allow the enemy to infiltrate our lives with his evil. One verse says I will set no evil before my eyes. We should not spend time dwelling on the evil in this world or participating in it. We are called to be set apart from the world. We are in the world but are not of the world or we are not partakers of the evil around us.
Learning to walk in God’s ways and to walk in his love is a lifelong journey. The more we yield to God’s Spirit the more love he gives us to share. As we grow the fruit of the spirit, we gain compassion for the lost and the broken. We want to see everyone saved, even those who have treated us unfairly. If we are going to reach the final harvest, we must learn to walk in love and compassion.
Eph 5: 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
We need to reach the point where no sacrifice is too great to demonstrate God’s love to the world. We can be that beacon of hope if we allow the Spirit of God to lead us and guide us.
The title of today’s episode: TIME FOR A DECLARATION
Our forefathers were oppressed by England. The king was forcing them to pay large taxes for delivering goods from England. That is why the Boston Tea Party happened. They were tired of oppression and came together to make a declaration that they were binding together and that they were not going to take it any longer. They were setting themselves free from their enemy. Our country was established by this powerful declaration. This declaration said we are no longer under your control.
The body of Christ now faces oppression by an enemy; satan. He will continue to oppress the church until we collectively take a strong stand and make a declaration of freedom from his oppression. Our words have power, God gave Adam dominion over all the earth. He had dominion over the animals. The word dominion means- rule, control or authority.
When Adam and Eve sinned and were thrown out of the garden, they lost their control and authority. They gave it over to satan. It took Jesus to take back the authority. Now that authority has been given to the church. We have power over the powers of the enemy.
Over the years through sin and unbelief we have allowed the enemy to chip away at our dominion and control over the earth. Sin has allowed the evil that is going on today to get a strong hold. It is time we open our mouths and declare that we are binding the enemy. He will no longer rule over our friends, families, our country and all the countries of the world. We have the power to bind the power of the enemy.
Matt. 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
We as the body of Christ need to bind together and declare to the enemy we are taking back our territory. You will no longer steal from our friends and families. You will let go of the places that you have strongholds. We take back the territory that we have given up over the years. We declare freedom to the people of the world from your oppression. Satan you will not win, we declare your power null and void over the people of this world. Jesus gave the church dominion, and we will walk in our authority and be the body of Christ in the earth.
Job 22:26-29 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. 29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
There are many examples in the bible about declaring the works of the Lord. Our words have power. The fact that America is still standing is testament to the resolve and power of the declaration of that group of people that wanted our country to stand for God.
Abraham was made the father of many nations, because of his declarations.
Romans 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Making declarations, is a statement of faith. We have asked God for this thing, now we are going to speak as though it already has happened.
Each one of us that have accepted the work of the Cross and God’s plan to redeem us from sin have made a declaration. We will walk in the ways of the Lord, we have denounced a life of sin. We will no longer live by the lies of satan. We accept that God’s grace will stand in the gap when we fall short, but it is not a license to live any way we choose. We have to strive to live the best life we can live. God will take care of the rest. Looking unto Jesus who is the one that authored and carried out this plan of faith.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Confessions and declarations are both made with the mouth. Confession is to admit wrong doing and ask for forgiveness. Declaration is speaking about a subject and making a stance.
First we confess our sins, then we declare that we will live for the Lord. So do not feel like I have been covering new territory when speaking about declaring something. We have to stand on our faith and declare things that we pray for as if they are already tangible circumstances.
July 4th we celebrate our country and the religious freedoms we have in America. We need to be thankful for our country. Living in American cannot be taken for granted, we have a responsibility to future generations to carry on the freedom to serve God. We celebrate the freedom from England today, but let us not forget to celebrate the freedom from our enemy, satan.
Thank God for the day we gained our Independence, so we could give it to God. We give up living like we choose to become dependent on the one true God, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have a safe and happy July 4th. God bless you and God Bless America.
The title of today’s episode: KNIT TOGETHER IN LOVE
There is an old form of needle work that many generations of people have used to create clothing, blankets and many items that are useful. Knitting takes a single thread and weaves it into intertwining loops that hold on to one another. All the loops keeps the garment from unravelling. But if one loop gets broken the whole garment could unravel. The broken thread needs to be restored to save the garment.
When a person gets a bad cut, they require stitches. Someone will clean out the wound to prevent infection, then stitches bring the two halves together. This helps the skin to repair itself and grow together.
In life we often have misunderstandings and differences of opinion. Each side holds back and doesn’t truly listen to one another. If they do it is to respond with a counter argument. Instead of listening to understand. This attitude comes from pride. We know what the word says about pride, it goes before a fall. When things become about who is right and not what is right, everyone loses.
Col 2:2-4 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
The body of Christ is supposed to be one body. This says we are knit together with love. Other scriptures say that if one member hurts we all hurt. It is time we cleanse the wounds and come together with love. Let God’s love be the stitches that pulls us together.
The thing our enemy satan fears more than anything is unity in the body of Christ. Because if we would spend the time we invest in fighting one another and start rebuking him instead, he would not stand a chance.
For us to be effective in the last days, we are going to have to come together. We will never win souls until people feel there is a safe place for them to run.
Prov 18:19-21 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. 20 A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
How many people out there have suffered church hurt. They have been hurt by someone in the body of Christ. Then when they left the local congregation no one even checked on them to see where they were, to let them know that they care.
By our words we are justified and by our words we are condemned. Our words have power. We can restore or kill with our words. It is time we restore and bind up the wounds of those who are hurt. In restoring those who are hurt, we strengthen the body of Christ.
To be effective in the last days we are going to have to come together. The prodigals will not come home, if they do not have a safe place in which to run. In bible times when someone was injured they would use wine and oil for healing. The oil had healing herbs and the wine would kill germs. If we spiritually pour in the oil and the wine, they are representations of the Holy Ghost. When we allow the anointing of God’s Spirit to flow, it will heal our wounds.
We must remember that it is not all about us. We are all members of the same body. Unity will go a long way in us seeing the final harvest come in before Jesus returns.
There is a story in the gospels that show how important not only the power of touch can be, but how faith changes things.
Luke 8:43-45 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
It wasn’t just that some one made contact with him. As Peter said, many people has pressed into you and you question who touched you. Peter didn’t understand how that woman’s faith could draw something out of Jesus. Her faith drawled anointing from him that healed her of the affliction she had suffered for twelve years.
Luke 8:46-48 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
She could have touched any other garment, but nothing would have happened. She was afraid when she heard Jesus ask who touched me. But she once again found boldness and admitted that she needed healing. Because of her boldness, Jesus was able to tell her that she was made whole. When our faith can reach out and touch Jesus we will see miracles.
People can lay hands on you and pray until they turn blue, but without the anointing of the Holy Ghost and faith there will never be a transfer of God’s power. The enemy loves to use examples of when someone doesn’t receive healing to try to tear down our faith. There are too many examples of when God does heal.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Our enemy comes to destroy, but Jesus came to give us an abundant life. That includes walking by faith. Every choice we make in life needs to be led by Jesus. We can always reach out and touch Jesus. He will supply our needs. He is our savior, healer, deliverer and our guide. He will never lead us in the wrong direction.
Touch can transfer healing power. Think about Peter and John and the man at the gate, beautiful. He had sat at that gate for years and begged for money. Peter and John came by, and he looked at them, expecting they would give him some money. Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but I have something better. Then he reached down and got him by the hand, lifting him to his feet. The man was not healed until Peter commanded in the name of Jesus for him to rise and walk, then he touched him by reaching down to help him up.
Never underestimate the power of prayer, faith and simply taking someone by the hand and lifting them up. There is power in prayer and power in a touch.
There is a game that children often play to learn the lesson not to gossip. It is called the telephone game. Everyone stands in a line, and one whispers a sentence or two in the ear of the person next to them, they repeat it to the one beside them and the game goes on and on. When the person at the end of the line seems confused by what they were told they have to go to the original source to see what the sentence actually said. Things along the line always gets confused when it comes to human beings.
Jesus is our source, he has given us his Spirit to always whisper the right information in our ear. We can depend on Him to lead us and guide us, every step of our way.
People in many countries carry their water for many miles. They have to go to the rivers or streams. They have to go to the source to get the water. Like those of us who are blessed to have water come to us by pipe, our sink is our source.
But to find living water, we have to go to Jesus. He met a woman at a well in the heat of the day. She was being shunned by the other women in her village, because she had been married several times and was currently living with a man she was not married. She came for water, but ended up getting so much more because she met Jesus.
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
How many people try to run from their problems, only to find that they carry them wherever they go. I have been known to go to the beach in search of peace. I always feel close to God standing on the edge of the ocean. I feel like my problems are so very small. I realized that the destination was not my peace, but God was my peace. Yes, maybe the beach helps me to connect to God, but ultimately, anywhere God is, there is peace. He is our source.
When a car breaks down, you have to take it to someone trained by the manufacturer to fix it. You have to take it to the source that it came from originally. When we get sick, Jesus, our source, is waiting to bring healing to our bodies.
Psalm 34:18-19 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
Whatever we have need of Jesus is our source. All we have to do is call on His name. He will save, heal, deliver and set free those who need help.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
This verse is a good way to summarize what I have been saying today. God is the vine, we have to connect to the vine or our source for strength or we will never produce fruit. Whatever we need, we can go to our source.
When we can’t see the path before us. When we wonder if our foundation is solid. When the storm clouds are so very dark and the rain is beating down. He is still God.
When we are in so much pain that we do not know if we can get out of bed, or we are so emotionally heartbroken and smothered by grief that we find it hard to breathe. He is still God.
He will never leave us or forsake us. God will see us through whatever we face. He is still on His throne, and He is still God. Our faith has to be in Him and not our circumstances. No one knew this better than Job. He didn’t allow his grief, sickness or the influence of others to shake him. He lost all that he had for a season. He didn’t look outward to the influence of others. He didn’t look inward to the voice of his flesh, but he looked up to God for the answers.
The one who held his every breath in His hand. He kept his focus on God and God turned it all around to pour out a blessing on Job. God wants only what is best for us, we can trust him. He is bigger than our circumstances.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
I want to encourage you with a true story…
There was a man who was stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean. He survived several days. He went through a couple of hard storms. When he was asked how he survived the storms and waves he said, “I had to be here now.” In other words, he had to focus only on that moment he was living.
He could not be overwhelmed by all the waves that may come at him. He had to focus on the one in front of him. He could not celebrate all the ones that were behind him, because he had to focus on the one in front of him.
If he had gotten wrapped up in fear and worry about all the waves, he had yet to face he would have become battle weary and fallen into fear. He would not have survived. If he had been caught up in celebrating and looking at all the waves behind him, he would not see what was coming at him. We have to learn how to live in the moment.
In the hard moments we need to keep breathing and know he is still God. We cannot worry about tomorrow’s problems. Tomorrow, will bring what it brings, and we will have time to face it then. He will still be God. When our time on earth is done. He will still be God and He will be there for his children.
Phil 4:11-13 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
We have to remember that nothing we face is bigger than our God. When things are going wrong or when they are right, He is still God. He will forever reign. He is good and in every moment of every day, He is still God.
GOD FOCUS--Psalm 34:3 O magnify the Lord with me.... 