Simple Thoughts On Promises

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Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:5, 6)

2 things: commit your way and then trust in him. Whatever the problem, first lay it at the Lord's feet and then trust in him that he will make a way where there seems no way.

The Israelites often fell into the hands of their enemies because of a lack of commitment to the Lord. During the times of Samuel, the prophet, they suffered at the hands of the Philistines. Samuel advised them to commit themselves afresh to the Lord.
And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." (1 Samuel 7:3)

If you need continual deliverance from the enemy, you need to remain committed to the Lord. The Apostle Peter writes:
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
And to escape his snares every believer needs to remain committed to the Lord.
Peter's advice to escape the devil's snare is this:
Resist him, standing firm in the faith...... (1 Peter 5:9)

And to stand firm in the faith, we need to remain committed to God and his Word.
The promise for today states- commit and trust- and the result will be- he will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Let that be a reality in your life. Praise the Lord.

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For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:4-6)

Great and wonderful are the ways of the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God. If you are in Christ today, the matter written above pertains to you. You have been chosen before the creation of the world in accordance with God's pleasure and will.

Writing to the Romans and the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul makes this very clear:
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:29, 30)

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11, 12)

You have been in God's plan always. In the fullness of time, things happened. You believed the Word and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. Not for a day or two but for eternity.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13, 14)

This blessed hope is what should keep us going each day despite the troubles that we face day in and day out. May the Holy Spirit help and strengthen each of you who read this to wait patiently for that glorious day when you enter eternity and live with God forever. Praise the Lord.

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But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. (Numbers 14:24)

Of the 12 leaders who went to explore the promised land only Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun gave a good report to Moses and the Israelites. The other 10 dicouraged the people from going forth to possess the land. Instead they made plans of going back to Egypt.

Seeing that, Joshua and Caleb told the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them."

But the people wouldn't listen, angering God, who decided to destroy all the Israelites. But Moses interceded and thus God forgave their sin. Yet he sent a plague on the people who rebelled and they died.

God also made known his decision to the Israelites:
Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. (Numbers 14:30,31)

If God be for us who can be against us?
Have you the spirit of Joshua and Caleb? Willing to abide by God's Word? Being led by the Spirit of God?
If yes, you will enter the promised land (Heaven) in the fullness of God's time. God bless you.

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God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19)

Balaam, the false prophet was recruited by Balak, the Moabite king to curse Israel. But try as much as he would, Balaam was not able to curse the Israelites because God only gave words of blessing for him to pronounce. Initially, God did not want Balaam to go with the Moabite leaders to meet Balak, the king, but later seeing Baalam's eagerness, God allowed him to go but commanded him to speak only what God told him.

Balak was angry with Balaam for uttering words of blessing for the Israelites.
Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!" He answered, "Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?" Then Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will see only a part but not all of them. And from there, curse them for me." So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. (Numbers 23:11-14)

The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message." Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?" Balaam replied,
"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it." (Numbers 23:19, 20)

No one's curse can harm you if God has decided to bless you. God will even bring words of blessing from the mouth of people who intend to curse you or have cursed you in the past. Our God is El Shaddai, Almighty God. Trust in him, he will never let you down. God bless you.

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The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.'" (1 Kings 20:28)

The king of Aram warred with the king of Israel, but he and his armies were defeated because God gave Israel victory. The Arameans investigated the cause of their defeat and came to the following conclusion:
"Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. (1 Kings 20:23)

God heard their talk about calling him "gods of the hills", though they did it out of ignorance, yet God proved to them that he is not only God of the hills but God of the plains too; in fact he is God Almighty; omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent.

God sent a prophet to give the king of Israel the promise that we read in the title verse here. Compared to the vast Aramean army, the Israelite army was very small.
When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside. (1 Kings 20:27)

Yet the Lord fought for Israel and defeated the Arameans.
The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them.

The enemy that you face today may be stronger than you but can never match the strength of Immanuel- Jesus Christ who is with you at all times. Remember, the battle is the Lord's and he will fight for you as he fought for Israel. The victory is your's so PRAISE THE LORD.

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He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy. (Proverbs 14:21)

Our God is a just God. He is righteous. Therefore whether a person is a believer or not, he maintains his righteousness within the bounds of his Word. The above promise speaks of blessings for those who are kind to the needy.

There are many who do good and help the poor and needy. Some of them build homes for the poor, open charitable institutions for orphans and the aged and run hospitals and care centers for the destitute. God rewards them while they live here on earth with things that he thinks is appropriate.

There are several verses in the Bible which speak of God rewarding those who are kind to the poor and needy. Several blessings are pronounced on them in the Word of God.
A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. (Proverbs 22:9)
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing……(Proverbs 28:27)

Some people ask, “Why God himself doesn’t feed or help the poor”? That’s because he expects those to whom he has given much to give to them. And if we look at it from another angle, “What everyone has is all given by God.”

If everyone realizes that what they have is all a gift from God, then surely their outlook will be different.

God gave the Israelites a lot of blessings which are detailed in Deuteronomy 8. But he also warned them saying,
You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…… (Deuteronomy 8:18)

This wonderful verse from the book of Proverbs should sum it all up regarding what our attitude should be towards the poor and needy:
He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. (Proverbs 19:17)
Praise the Lord

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Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. (Isaiah 51:6)

Ain't the day near when the above prophesy will be fulfilled? Everything seems to be going on as usual though. Countries and country heads are laboring to establish peace. Terrorists and unholy elements are working in the reverse. Economic ups and downs, the rat race being slowed just a bit and giving way for the arms race. Global warming is taking it's toll on this earth that was created by God Almighty. As the Word prophesies, so it will be: the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies.

But there's the silver lining to this dark cloud prophesy. God says,
But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.

To you who have believed in the triune God and accepted Jesus as your personal Savior and are living for him, the sun of righteousness will shine permanently.
The Bible says,
"Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. (Malachi 4:1,2)

May the Holy Spirit of God prepare each one of us who have believed in Jesus for that glorious day when we meet our Lord and Savior and be with him forever. God bless you.

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You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you. (2 Chronicles 20:17)

The Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord. Jehoshaphat praised God for his sfrength and might and recounted the great deliverances God had wrought for his people and then he confessed: We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.

As they fasted, prayed and praised God, the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel. He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them....."
(2 Chronicles 20:15,16)
And then came the promise that we read in the title verse.
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.
2 Chronicles 20:17)

The next morning, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever."
As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

God gave a great victory to king Jehoshaphat and to the people of Judah because they trusted in him despite the odds being against them. They followed God's plan as given by Jahaziel and their fastings, prayers and praise paid off.
God loves the praises of his people. If you are in a situation like what king Jehoshaphat found himself in, start praising God. He is able to perform yet another miracle to save you. God bless you.

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Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. (Lamentations 3:22)

The Apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians says,
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Paul here comments regarding the love of Christ and says that this love surpasses knowledge. The question that we can ask ourselves is...have we grasped how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ?
Truly it is immeasurable. He chose to die so that we could live eternally with him in heaven. He gave away all the glory that he had so that we could share in his glory.

Paul writing to the Philippians sums up the sacrifice of Jesus for our sake:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)

made himself nothing...humbled himself....became obedient to death...

That love cannot be measured, but it can be amply experienced by those who put their trust in him. And because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness. Praise the Lord.

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I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark - you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. (Genesis 6:17,18)

In a whole generation, God found one righteous man and made a covenant with him.
The Bible says,
Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (Genesis 6:8,9)
Notable here is that 7 others escaped the great flood because of this 1 man finding favor in God's eyes. God cares for the family. He could have just saved Noah because of his righteous nature and blamelessness, but he didn't do that. He had compassion on the others in Noah's family. None of them are mentioned to be having Noah's great qualities yet they escaped the wrath of God because God didn't want this righteous man to be without them after the flood.

What would have been Noah's condition if his wife and children perished in the flood and he alone escaped? It would have been something like Naomi returning from Moab without her husband and 2 sons. She asked others to call her "Mara" instead of calling her Naomi, because of all the bitter experiences that she had to go through.
Of course she found restoration through Ruth and Boaz, but that took some time.

Are you in a family? Love each other because God loves you despite your short comings. Are you the only one saved? God will have mercy on the others when you pray for them. Are you all saved? Live as children of the light and glorify God. Praise the Lord.

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And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

What a simple yet great promise! For those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul says that God the Father will meet all their needs. Sometimes things happen fast. Prayers are answered promptly. Needs are met without any delay. But sometimes one has to wait after praying, but God fulfills his promise.

For some who wait for a long time for their prayers to be answered, depression and despair set in. But as they meditate on the Word, God strengthens them and keeps their hope alive.

To those who obey God's Word and believe in his promises, the Bible has another wonderful promise regarding God fulfilling their needs.
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:11)

God cares for you and he will meet your needs because you have put your trust in his son Jesus Christ who is the Savior of the world. May God bless you and answer your prayers today.

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"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" - (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul quotes the above verse from the book of Isaiah. The verse with a slight difference reads as follows:
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:4)

2 things are of note here:
God has wonderful things in store for- 1. those who love him & 2. those who wait for him.

If you love the Lord, pray to him and then wait patiently, he will reward you at his wonderful time.
In his old age, Abraham had but one desire- that his son Isaac got a good life partner. So he prayed and sent his servant Eleazer to find a bride for Isaac from among his own people.
Abraham loved God and waited patiently in prayer while his servant went searching for a suitable woman for Isaac.
How true the above promise is as we find God already having selected the right woman and sending her to the place where Abraham's servant stood waiting.

Abraham's daughter-in-law was chosen by God according to his divine purposes. In the fullness of time, she met Isaac and they got married.

If you love the Lord and have been praying for something in particular, God will answer you because of his abundant mercies. Remember, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
God bless you.

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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

This verse is not an echo from the past, but an invitation that still holds good today. And those who come to Jesus, heeding his call, truly find rest for their weary souls.

The gospels are replete with examples of many who found rest in this wonderful Savior. There are so many problems that we as believer's face day in and day out, but at the end of the day, we can assure ourselves that the Lord is in control because he has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.

Sleepless nights, nights where we have cried our hearts out wondering whether the Lord cares after all. Yet the doubts fly as we see redemption come at the break of a new dawn.

Jesus says, "I care for you son/daughter. I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Let us believe his words this day. God bless you.

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Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." (Genesis 18:14)

God keeps appointments and we read the rest of the story in Genesis Chap.21.
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. (Genesis 21:1,2)

To the question, Is anything too hard for the Lord? we can answer positively and say,
"No, nothing is too hard for the Lord!

At age 99, God spoke to Abraham and said,
"As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." (Genesis 17:15,16)

When Abraham heard that he was perplexed and a bit amused too. We read in Genesis 17,
Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" (Genesis 17:17,18)

But God had decided and he said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. (Genesis 17:19)

Isaac was born at God's appointed time.

So what's your issue? Do you feel that the time for your miracle has passed?
This day the Lord asks you the question he asked Abraham long ago...Is anything too hard for the Lord?

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And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Have you thought about this particular verse? It says that we as believer's are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus with ever-increasing glory.
Maybe we don't take time to think about such things because of the hectic pace of life that most of us live. There are so many things to be dealt with and some of us have become wonderful multi-taskers.

But we are changing day after day as the Lord works on us and in us. Not only for us to become better human beings but mainly to prepare us for our eternal homes.

Graying, perhaps losing the sharp memory that we used to have, yet maturing spiritually to a level that we once thought we would never acheive.

We are being transformed as we pass through various life situations, good and bad, and God is renewing our spirit and soul for a home that would be ours in the fullness of time.

Look at yourself in the mirror. What do you see? Physical changes every now and then.
Do you see the spiritual transformation? the ever increasing glory?
Food for thought these days! God bless.

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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31,32)

Jesus emphasized on "Truth" and this is very evident in the gospel of John. There are a great many verses that begin with Jesus saying, "I tell you the truth". In the promise given above, Jesus stresses the fact that if one has to be his disciple, one has to hold on to his teaching and when one does that he/she will know the truth and the truth will set them free.

Some people are so bound by traditions and error filled human doctrines that they fail to see the truth that is presented in the Word of God. They were like some of the Jews of Jesus' times. When Jesus told them about 'truth' setting them free, they retaliated by saying,""We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" (John 8:33)

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed". (John 8:34-36)

If we humble ourselves and accept and obey the Word of Truth, it will set us free. The Son of God, Jesus wants to set us free and that he will do if we hold on to his teaching. Praise the Lord.

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How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues. (Psalm 31:19,20)

If you have reverence for the Lord and have taken refuge in him, the above promises are for you. There are several blessings promised. One blessing is that God has stored goodness for you and he will bestow it openly. The other blessing is that God will hide you from the intrigues of men and keep you safe from accusing tongues.

David, the great psalmist king of Israel sang these because he had experienced it first hand in his own life.

King Saul tried to kill him 21 times, yet God protected David and he was crowned king of Judah and Israel. None would have thought about this when David was being chased around by Saul who was jealous of him. But God had goodness stored for David and he bestowed it upon him in the sight of men.

When he did not find deliverance immediately, he despaired and said,
"I am cut off from your sight!" .....but when the Lord answered his prayers, he sang....Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. (Psalm 31:22)

God is good and he loves you. If you have "fear of the Lord" and have taken refuge in him, he will be with you always and deliver you from evil. Remember, he is the one who...stores goodness for you and delivers you from the intrigues of men and from accusing tongues. God bless you.

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And the LORD said to Joshua, Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. (Joshua 3:7)

That "Today" came after a long wait for Joshua, but it did come. Has your "Today" of exaltation come from the Lord? It will, if it has not, but you have to persist in doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord and also be faithful in the calling that you have from the Lord. Are you in a secular work place? God has a purpose for you there? Are you working under superiors? No need to fret; the Lord will reward you for being faithful.

Even if your start is simple as it was in the lives of several people that we read of in the Word of God, if you are faithful and maintain your integrity, God will surely bless you in due time. Of course, there may be many who run ahead of you using crooked means, but they will eventually fall. Their greed and pride will bring their downfall.

Joshua was honored by God for his faithfulness. He was not only faithful to God but also to his immediate superior..Moses. Finally one day God told Joshua:
Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them - to the Israelites. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. (Joshua 1:2,6)

He did not fight for leadership. It was given to him by God. His faithfulness was rewarded. And so will yours be...Praise the Lord.

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"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." (Revelation 22:7)

Did you tell someone today that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back? Maybe not today, perhaps last week? or the week before that?? If you haven't, you are perhaps not expecting him to come very soon.

Well, this is one thing that you need to remind yourself of everyday so that you gear up for the event.

There are debates and arguments about whether the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation or after or midway. Whenever it happens, we must be ready for the event.

Jesus said,
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man". (Matthew 24:36-39)

He also said, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man". (Luke 21:36)

If the Lord returns today...Are you ready?

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But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:4)

After the exile of 70 years, when the Israelites returned to their own land, instead of building the temple of the Lord and worshipping him there, the people built their houses and didn't care about the temple.
Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD." (Haggai 1:2-6,8)

Then Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord and the message of the prophet Haggai and decided to do as the Lord had commanded.

When they decided to obey the Lord's command, he gave them the promise that we read in the title verse. "Be strong, I am with you" was what the Lord promised them. With the help of God, they again built the temple.

Every believer must have this attitude (obedience) for God's blessings to come upon him/her. Jesus said,
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)
God bless you.