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

Friends' Favorites - Difficult, Despite the Promise

When Esau was 40 years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They made life very difficult for Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 26:34-35 CEB

In verses 2-5 of this same chapter, God visits Isaac, the son of promise, and reiterates His blessing of Abraham, promising to keep His word with Isaac in regard to all the lands and the number of descendants too many to count and that all the nations of the earth will be blessed because of them. 

Can you imagine if the Lord came down and declared all that to you? Wouldn't you think you were set for life - and all the generations after you? "This is going to be a piece of cake - I got the Promise!" But that's not at all what transpired. By the end of the chapter, the in-laws were already outlaws. Verse 35 - They made life very difficult for Isaac and Rebekah. Their lives were "very difficult"  despite the promise!

How often do we get a word from God and think, "Oh, this is it! Everything's coming up roses now!" but then we find we're dealing with more thorns of life than roses? More fertilizer...  Do we turn against God? Do we get angry with Him? Do we doubt His Word? Do we become UNbelievers?

Let's do a heart check. What was the last thing you heard God speak to your spirit? Do you believe it? Has it happened? If not, do you still believe it? Has your life been difficult despite the promise? Don't give up. Don't stop believing. God is still on the throne and He's working His plan for your life. Trust Him.

Prayer:

Father,

          Bring back to our hearts all that You have spoken to us. Help us to do an honest check of our faith and trust in You. Grow us up in You, Lord. Help us to remain steadfast and immovable, always excelling in the work You've laid before us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Plan B

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
James 1:6-8 NLT

I've mentioned before that I grew up hearing "God helps those who help themselves." I heard it so often as a child, I thought it was Scripture. It is NOT. However, as all subtleties of satan, a thought that sounds good can really mess with your faith. We start thinking that God doesn't have time - or worse - doesn't care because He doesn't answer in our time frame or the answer is not what we wanted or expected. And surely, "we should do something about that..."

I have heard good Christian people actually say, "Well, I'm gonna pray about it and if that doesn't work, I'll do such and such." There's no evidence of faith in that statement. There's no ...prayer, believing... (Matthew 21:22). The Truth following such a statement would be, "Don't waste your breath." Our Promise for Today clearly states, Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. That's praying with a Plan B.

Plan B indicates a lack of faith; not believing that God is who He says He is. Plan B is declaring either that God can't or won't - I don't know which is worse. If you have prayed something according to God's Word, there isn't anything higher, better, wiser, richer, more profitable to your mind, soul, body and spirit! What Plan B could possible be better than God's Word?

Prayer:

Father,
            Forgive us for every time we made an alternate plan. Show us where we lack faith in trusting You and You alone. Expose the lies of the enemy of our soul and tear down strongholds that have been built on those lies of half-truths. Open our eyes and our hearts to receive Your whole Truth and nothing but Your Truths. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Check Up

While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John..."

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
Luke 1:11-13, 18 NLT

Zechariah was a priest. He had served in the temple a long time. Verse 7 tells us that both he and Elizabeth were very old. He had years of life experiences that he had allowed to shape his thinking and his beliefs. Somewhere along the line, what he believed based on those life experiences had redefined his faith. 

We've all done it. Think about your prayer life. Do we pray BELIEVING or do we pray hoping or do we just throw some words up in God's general direction, wishing He would, but figuring He probably won't... based on our life experiences? 

The struggle we tend to have with true faith is when what we've experienced in life is different than what the Word of God says about us. Are we able to set our face like a flint (Isaiah 50) in spite of the trials and tribulations and words that come against us?  Do we choose to take God at His Word? His Word tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). 

Whether we're new in the Lord or have been serving Him for years, is our faith in God's Word and what HE says about the situation? Or is it in the situation and how we figure it will probably end up based on our own experiences? Have we let our faith become watered down with tears of disappointment? Lost loved ones? Chronic illness?  Let's do a heart check. Do we need to repent and realign our hearts with His? 

Prayer:

Father,

           Forgive us for any and every time we have chosen to believe circumstances over the Truth of Your Word. Clear our minds, O God. Give us clean hands and pure hearts as we earnestly follow You. Help us to see with spiritual eyes Your plan and purpose for everything in our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen