Promise for Today Favorite - No Matter

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. 

Proverbs 13:12 NLT

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 

Hebrews 11:1 NLT

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:

Job 13:15

A wish is an unfulfilled longing; it is not hope. Hope is an expectation, but it is not faith. Faith is believing, but it's empty without the ability to trust. Trust is when you know that you know that you know - no matter what the circumstances - God is there.

Unfulfilled longing: I wish things could be better.

Expectation: I hope things get better.

Believing: I have faith that things will get better.

Trusting - according to His Word - no matter what!

Psalm 46:1-3, "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled..."

Psalm 61:1-4, "Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings."

Psalm 62:6-7, "He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."

I have believed a lot of things in my life that turned out not to be trustworthy. But I have come to know that I know that I KNOW God IS trustworthy, no matter what I see. No matter what I hear. No matter what I feel. No matter what anyone else feels or says or does. His Word is true. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him..." no matter what.

Prayer:

Father,
          Life isn't always easy, but You tell us in Your Word that Your yoke is. We choose to yoke up with You, Lord. We choose to trust You no matter what. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Wishes

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him! The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.
Lamentations 3:23-26 NLT

I get lots of emails - more than I can usually get through. However, I like the idea of being able to communicate electronically and to let people know in real-time that I'm thinking of them via text or email, but I don't like that it's quickly becoming the only form of communication. It's detrimental to building and maintaining relationships - with each other and with the Lord. Drop God a text instead of talking to Him? You may laugh at that, but think about the one-liner toss-ups we call a prayer life...

How many times have you gotten an email that reads something like, make a wish and send this to 3 people or 9 people in the next however many minutes and your wish will come true. Or the one that says something funny will happen on your screen if you send it to X amount of people... and of course, it never happens - just like the wish thing never happens.

Let me just say this - wishes are hopeless thoughts. Hear me out before you cast me off with a Bah, humbug... There is no action with a wish, except maybe a sigh. There's no faith with a wish. I wish Jesus would come... When was the last time we fervently prayed for His return - or fervently prayed about the circumstance that led to that wish? 

If you're of the mind that a wish is a heart's desire, then base your desires on the only thing you know that is true. The Word of God. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

Prayer:

Father,
           Give us wisdom to see the subtle deception of wishful pining. We need You. We want to know You. Open our hearts and minds to see and know You for who You are and seek You accordingly. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

No Matter

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 NLT

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 NLT

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:Job 13:15

A wish is an unfulfilled longing; it is not hope. Hope is an expectation, but it is not faith. Faith is believing, but it's empty without the ability to trust. Trust is when you know that you know that you know no matter what the circumstances, God is there.

Unfulfilled longing:
      I wish things could be better.

Expectation:
     I hope things get better.

Believing:
     I have faith that things will get better.

Trusting - according to His Word - no matter what:
  
Psalm 46:1-3, God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed,  And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled...

Psalm 61:1-4, Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Psalm 62:6-7, He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

I have believed a lot of things in my life that turned out not to be trustworthy. But I have come to know that I know that I KNOW God IS trustworthy, no matter what I see. No matter what I hear. No matter what I feel. No matter what anyone else feels or says or does. His Word is true. Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him... no matter what.

Prayer:

Father,
          Life isn't always easy, but You tell us in Your Word that Your yoke is. We choose to yoke up with You, Lord. We choose to trust You no matter what. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen