OUR GOD GIVE ASSURANCE FOR THE FUTURE

The future can be scary. No one can be 100% sure, when leaving home in the morning, that they’ll return. Our lives can be changed forever with a phone call or an unexpected event. If we dwell on uncertainty, we’ll quickly spiral down in a vortex of worry and anxiety – to a place no one wants to be.

Thank God, He gives us assurance for the future in His word. No matter what happens, as Christ followers He assures us that…

• Nothing will ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:36-39)
• He goes before us and will never leave us. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
• He Himself holds our hand and encourages us. (Isaiah 41:13)
• He renews His compassion and unfailing love every morning, because He is faithful. (Lamentations 3:22,23)

With countless other truths, God gives assurance for the future. If you are anxious or stressed, stand on His truth! And remember… “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11)

As we step into a new year, let’s remember that no matter what, our God gives assurance for the future! AMEN!

(Thank you for following me during 2016 in my quest to know God better. We’ve just scratched the surface, and I hope you keep digging deeper in His word to discover more of Him. God bless you in 2017!)

OUR GOD PROVIDES THE WAY OUT

In the early 1900’s, Harry Houdini (1874-1926) gained worldwide fame as an escape artist. He got himself out of straitjackets, handcuffs and coffins. In his incredible water torture escapes, Houdini would be lowered upside down in a locked glass cabinet filled with water – and escape! He is still famous today for his skillful feats.

Fortunately, we don’t need the skill of Houdini when we are trapped by temptation or immobilized by struggles in our lives; we are promised a way of escape. Our survival in those challenging times never depends on our abilities, but always on God’s faithfulness. The Apostle Paul wrote these timeless truths to the church thousands of years ago in the 1^st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 10, and verse 13:

• God is faithful
• God sets the limits. He “will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.”
• God provides the way of escape “that you may be able to bear it.”

No one can deny Houdini’s skill; it’s documented. Likewise, God’s ability to provide a way out is well documented throughout history. Reading of His past performances, we find every reason to trust Him, our faithful God, who never fails to set the limits and provide the way out. Let’s thank Him for that!

(Join me each Monday of 2016 on my quest to know God better!)

OUR GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY

What would we do without caller ID? It allows us to avoid scam artists, political campaigns and telemarketers when we don’t recognize the name on the screen. On the other hand, recognizing the name, we usually take the call; the caller is trustworthy and the message may be important.

In Psalm 9:10, David wrote: “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” God’s personal, relational name “Yahweh” is expressed in that Psalm.

In his book Every Name of God in the Bible (one of my favorite books, highly recommended), Larry Richards explains God’s name Yahweh, based on the dialogue between God and Moses at the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3. Mr. Richards wrote: “In essence, the name “Yahweh” revealed God as ‘the One who is always present’ with His people.” (p. 25); that’s exactly what David said: “For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” That’s the important message: God is always present with us.

Knowing God’s name makes all the difference. We trust Him with all of our needs because He is our ever-present God. We praise Him for His faithfulness, because He’s never forsaken us. Knowing His name, we get the important message: Our ever-present God is trustworthy!

(Join me every Monday of 2016 as I share more of my quest to know God better)

OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL

The four seasons were part of God’s plan, and they are proof of His faithfulness. After The Flood, God’s covenant with Noah included this promise:

“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
and day and night
Shall not cease”
(Genesis 8:22)

The cold and “s word” that are part of winter are proof of God’s faithfulness. (“s word” = snow)

The renewal that Spring brings to a monochromatic world also proves that God is faithful.

Summer’s long days, warm evenings are part of God’s faithfulness.

The beauty of Fall colors with cloudless blue skies as a backdrop shows us that God is faithful.

The sun came up today, because God is faithful. The stars shine at night because God is faithful.

The list is endless. From Genesis to Revelation we read of God’s faithfulness; in all seasons, He faithfully pours out His kindness, strength, provision, comfort and compassion on His people.

As we look back over our lives, let’s praise our God for His faithfulness in every season. He was faithful in the past, and we can trust Him to be faithful to the end. Worship our faithful God as you listen to Selah sing “The Faithful One”. https://youtu.be/IczlW3QlHCs

(Join me every Monday in 2016 on my quest to know God better.)

OUR GOD IS ALMIGHTY GOD

A credential provides the basis for trust: a diploma, degree, certification or experience are all valid. Any cardiac patient would trust his cardiologist rather than his neighbor with health issues. Right?

In Genesis 17, God gave Abram (later renamed Abraham) His credentials before establishing His covenant with him. God also gave Abram promises that would make an impossible situation possible. On that occasion, God’s first words to Abram were “I am Almighty God”. We know that God kept that covenant and every promise He made to Abraham; after all, He IS Almighty God, who makes the impossible…possible! He does whatever needs to be done to do that.

What if we would believe that God has the power to do whatever needs to be done to fulfill His promises in our situation? What if we would preface all of God’s promises with His credential of “Almighty God”?

I am Almighty God. I will forgive you.

I am Almighty God. I will guide you.

I am Almighty God. I will always love you.

I am Almighty God. I will supply all your needs.

I am Almighty God. I will….. (You can finish the phrase with a promise)

Next time you face an impossible situation, meditate on God’s promises. You can trust that the Promise-giver will do whatever needs to be done to make the impossible possible, because He has the credentials. Our God is ALMIGHTY GOD!

(Join me each Monday of 2016 in my quest to know God better)

OUR GOD WILL NEVER FORGET US

“Can a woman forget her nursing child
and not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.”
Isaiah 49:15,16

In the past, each time I read this passage, I thought: “That’s a good example, but there’s NO WAY a mother can ever forget one of her children!” Being the mom of three, I considered “surely they may forget” an impossibility.

Then Mom’s Alzheimer’s worsened. Each time I visited her, she would ask who I was, and my introduction was always the same: “I’m Kath, your baby.” Questions always followed: “Are you married?…Who to?…Do you have children?” Then she’d repeat, “Who are you again?” and she would proceed to ask the same questions over and over.

As I saw Mom’s memory fade, this verse that Isaiah wrote centuries ago became very comforting to me. Realizing that she really did forget me, this passage became very real to me. I embraced the truth of it. “Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you in the palms of my hands.” Those nail scars that He has on the palms of His hands give me the assurance that He loves me with everlasting life, and He will never forget me.

It is comforting to know that our heavenly Father will never forget any one of His children, and I praise Him that we can rest in that truth.

(Join me every Monday on my quest to know God better)

OUR GOD REMEMBERS TO KEEP HIS PROMISES

“But you promised!” Stinging words are hurled, and the accusation is valid.
“I’m so sorry, I totally forgot!” is our feeble reply.

We blame busy days, countless responsibilities, endless distractions and life’s hamster wheel; but the truth is, we often forget what we promise. We let others down. Unintentional forgetfulness plagues us, because we are human.

Thankfully, our God is not human; He remembers His promises. He never, ever forgets any promise that He’s made, and He never fails to keep them. The Psalmist confirmed that God’s memory is perfect: “He remembers His covenant forever, the Word which He commanded, for a thousand generations.” (Psalm 105:8)

Here are just a few of the promises that our God remembers:
God promises eternal life to those who believe in Jesus. John 3:16
God promises that all who seek Him will find Him. Jeremiah 29:13
God promises to bless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11
God promises to give His people strength. Psalm 29:11
God promises that He will never leave us. Hebrews 13:5
God promises to forgive us. Luke 6:37

I challenge you to add to this list. Dig into God’s Word and discover His “exceedingly great and precious promises”. (2 Peter 1:4). Our Promise-giver will never let us down; He always remembers to keep His promises, and we can praise Him for that!

(Join me each Monday in 2016 on my quest to know God better)

OUR GOD HEARS US

“I can’t understand you. Your voice is cutting out.”

“Talk louder, I can’t hear you.”

Frustrated, we end the call without finishing – or maybe even without starting – the conversation. Unfortunately, that happens even in our high-tech world.

As God’s children, we have the assurance that He always hears us. Our voice doesn’t cut out; we don’t have to talk louder. Going through one of the most difficult circumstances of his life, the Psalmist David reiterated that fact in Psalm 34, speaking from his own experience when he wrote:

“I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (v. 4)

“This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” (v.6)

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” (v. 15)

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles.” (v. 17)

God hears us when we cry out to Him in times of trouble and when we are paralyzed by fear. His ears are always open. No dropped calls, fading voice, unfinished conversations or frustration.

If you are distressed, anxious, troubled or carrying a heavy burden, cry out to God in faith, and be encouraged, because our God hears us!

(Join me every Monday in 2016 on my quest to know God better)

OUR GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON US

Two years ago, we moved into our home, a fixer-upper. Since day one, major projects have been going on: the floor plan was modified to be more functional; the bathrooms and kitchen were gutted and transformed from ceiling to floor. Even the front porch and exterior were renovated…but we’re not done yet. The project is big and progress is slow, but we’re not giving up until it’s finished!

We are God’s “fixer-uppers”. The apostle Paul says that we, who are Christ followers, are being transformed into the image of Jesus; we are in the process of being changed through the power of the Holy Spirit.

God may be gutting wrong attitudes from our lives, or tearing down walls of prejudice, unforgiveness or pride. Maybe He’s restoring our faith in Him, or changing the floor plan to make us more functional. God may be peeling of the wallpaper of hypocrisy and criticism to beautify us with His grace.

Whatever God is doing in us, it’s a process. We have the confidence that “…He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) Even though the project is big, and the progress seems slow, He’s not giving up on us, and we can thank Him for that!

(Join me every Monday of 2016 in my quest to know God better)

OUR GOD NEVER SLEEPS

“He who keeps you will not slumber…nor sleep.” Psalm 121:3,4

What would happen if a person working in the control tower of a busy airport would fall asleep? Disaster. Or if anyone in a position of public service would snooze off on the job? Danger. There’s a time to sleep and a time to be awake and alert. People who are responsible for the well-being of others can’t be caught sleeping.

God is in control of everything in the universe. He’s in control of our lives, and He never sleeps on the job.

God was not sleeping when you got out of bed today to face a new day.

God was not sleeping when you got those bad test results, or when tragedy turned your life upside down.

God was not sleeping when you lost your job, your life’s savings, your home or your business.

God was not sleeping when you were falsely accused, or when a love one betrayed you.

God is not sleeping, even if your prayer is still unanswered.

You can rest assured, because God never sleeps.

Whatever your situation today, praise God that He will complete the good work He started in you, (Philippians 1:6) and rest in Him. He is not sleeping!

(Join me every Monday of 2016 as I share what I’m discovering in my quest to know God better)