Simple Thoughts On Promises

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

Needs are basic human requirements. People need food, air, water, clothing, and shelter to survive. Basic amenities in the household are also needs. Education is another need, so also some basic means of travel. The above needs become wants when they are directed to specific things that might satisfy the need. A person who needs good and clean food for maintaining his/her health may desire rich and costly foods which may not really bring him/her benefits. He can survive with other food but this is what he wants. Excesses are wants for specific things that we don't actually need but may only enhance our lifestyle.

In the verse that we read above, the Apostle Paul says that God will meet all our needs. Doesn't mean that God will give us the latest and fastest cars or the most posh apartments in town. Of course he may give us that if he so chooses but the promise is for providing all our needs.

There are many who preach and stress that God gives the best if you do this or that, but that hardly lines up with the Word of God.

Jesus even exhorted his disciples to seek first the kingdom of God and therein their needs would be met.

God knows our needs. He is a loving father. He will not withold anything that is needed by us in our life. He cares for us since we have put our trust in him. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he said,
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7,8)

Yes, God the Father knows what you need before you ask him. One of the simple requests in this prayer as taught by Jesus was:
Give us today our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)

Any other need can be similarly prayed for and met.
Could it be so simple? Yes it can be, if we truly consider God as our Father.

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And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

The phrases used by Apostle Paul in the above verse are excellent...all grace abound to you, in all things.., at all times.., having all that you need..., you will abound...

It all starts with "And God is able to make all grace abound to you."
But Paul's exhortation regarding "giving" by the believers in the Church at Corinth is found in this chapter just before the verse given above. He told them:
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6, 7)

The sowing principle is stressed upon here. It does not mention tithing but emphasizes the fact that God loves and rewards a cheerful giver. The heart attitude is important.
Give to whom? Paul lauded the Corinthian believers for their eagerness to give to all- God's servants, needy believers and generally others in need.

For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. (2 Corinthians 9:2)

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. (2 Corinthians 9:13)

Giving does not begin or end with tithing. Each man/woman should give what he/she has decided in his heart to give.

Giving not only refreshes the hearts of the needy, but as Paul mentions later in the chapter....This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:12)

Our giving with a cheerful heart also overflows in many expressions of thanks to God. God in fact gave us his greatest gift Jesus for whom the Apostle gives thanks to God as he ends the chapter saying:
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Let's not forget then that...God is able to make all grace abound to us, so that in all things at all times, having all that we need, we will abound in every good work.

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Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." (2 Kings 5:10)

This was the prophetic promise given to Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram when he had come seeking for a cure for his leprosy from the man of God Elisha.

Elisha did not come out to meet Naaman but had only sent a servant to give him the message. Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. (2 Kings 5:11, 12)

Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. (2 Kings 5:13, 14)

Obedience brought him healing and deliverance and he returned to his country a happy man.

To a disobedient king of Israel (Saul), God had this to say through Samuel the prophet:
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)

The Apostle Peter exhorts us regarding obedience in his epistle:
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (1 Peter 1:14)

God expects us to be obedient to his Word at all times. God delights in our obedience and his blessings rest upon us when we live in obedience to him. Praise the Lord.

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So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

Our human body ages after every day that we spend on earth. Sickness makes the body weaker as we get older and finally the time comes when the natural body becomes aged enough to be sown. Some natural bodies are untimely sown too. Sown natural, sown in weakness, sown in dishonor and sown perishable.

But the difference is marked with the sown natural body of an unbeliever and that of a believer in Jesus Christ. An unbeliever's body is raised spiritual and imperishable but neither in power nor in glory. The believer's body as Paul says here is raised up spiritual, imperishable, in glory and in power.

That was how Jesus was raised up. He is the "firstfruits" of the resurrection. He was raised up spiritual, imperishable, in glory and in power.

Here's a part from the gospel of Luke where Jesus appeared to his disciples after the resurrection....raised up spiritual, imperishable, in glory and in power.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. (Luke 24:36- 43)

And the Bible says,
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)

That's the blessed hope for every believer. Praise the Lord.

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This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD. (Ezekiel 37:5,6)

"The valley of the bones" is an exciting part of this major prophetic book, "Ezekiel." This prophetic vision about the restrengthening of the Israelites then in exile, gives hope for everyone who is in a state that the Israelites found themselves in- dejection, forsaken and on the verge of annhilation.

In the vision, the Spirit of the Lord takes the prophet into the midst of a valley full of dead bones and asks him a question, "Son of man, can these bones live?" to which the prophet replied, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." Then came the command from the Lord for Ezekiel to prophesy to the dead bones.

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" (Ezekiel 37:4-6)

And as he prophesied to the bones, something miraculous happened.
There was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them.

But they were still not alive. There was no breath in them.

Then came the second command from the Lord for Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath to enter these slain.

And as he prophesied there took place another great miracle.
Breath from the four winds entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet - a vast army.

The Lord explained the vision to the prophet saying, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'" (Ezekiel 37:11-14)

Are you in a situation where you are saying like Israel of old, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'
We must remember that as believers we serve El Shaddai- God Almighty. He is able to dramatically change the hopeless situations that we confront in our lives.
This promise of his is for you if you are in a hopeless situation. He says,
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

God bless you.

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Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." (Genesis 37:5-7)

This dream given by God to Joseph took more than 20 years to be fulfilled. Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt and then sold him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's (King of Egypt) officials in whose house Joseph worked till he was thrown into prison by Potiphar whose wife had wrongly accused him of trying to forcibly lie with her. He spent two years in prison for no fault of his. Through a strange turn of events, all perfectly planned by God, Joseph was called in from prison to explain the dreams that Pharaoh saw; dreams which no one else could explain.

Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole of Egypt to manage the crisis of famine that was to come upon the land after a season of abundance. As prophesied by Joseph famine struck the land and even Canaan was afflicted. So Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to get food for his family. That's how Jacob's sons who had tried to destroy Joseph's future by selling him as a slave now found themselves in Joseph's presence.

The Bible says,
Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. (Genesis 42:6)

...they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground...fulfilling what Joseph had dreamt several years before.....my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.....

Perhaps a dream that God gave you several years back has not still been fulfilled. Take courage from Joseph's story. The dream will find fulfillment in God's time. The Holy Spirit is working on it, even now. God bless you.

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"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. (Psalm 91:14)

Are you acknowledging the name of Jesus?
Jesus said,
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:32)

"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8)

Even in the Old Testament times God wanted his people to acknowledge him; that he was the only true God.
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:39)
"But I am the LORD your God, [who brought you] out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. (Hosea 13:4)

In the Gospel of Mark, Ch. 5, we read that Jesus once travelled to the region of Gerasenes to bring deliverance to a demon possessed man.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. (Mark 5:18-20)

As believers, God calls us to acknowledge him ourselves and also before others, especially to them who have never heard about the salvation that is offered by God through Jesus.

Will you carry the baton of the gospel and run for Jesus, acknowledging and proclaiming his name?
He will fulfill his promises for you too. God bless.

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The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. (1 Samuel 10:6)

This is Samuel the prophet prophesying to Saul who was chosen by God as king of Israel when the Israelites heckled Samuel to appoint a king for them.
This was a turning point in Saul's life.
As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all the signs that Samuel told him were fulfilled that day. When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying. He was soon anointed king of Israel.

God anoints us with the Holy Spirit so that we can live strong lives as Christians. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth as Jesus said.
If the decisions that we take in our lives are guided by the Holy Spirit of God, we can live victorious lives as Christians.

Sadly, Saul, though he had the anointing of the Spirit of God, chose to take decisions on his own and was finally rejected by God for disobeying him.

Paul the Apostle, writing to the Galatian Church says,
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. (Galatians 5:16-18)

Paul goes on to describe the acts of the sinful nature which destroys our relationship with God and concludes by saying,
I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:21)

Here is a piece of good advice for all believer's in Jesus Christ from the Apostle Paul:
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

Shall we?

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Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)

Sparrows! Who cares for sparrows? Not one of them beautiful birds. Nothing worth more than half a penny in Jesus' days. Wonder what people did with them in those days, buying two of them for a penny. Very surprising then that Jesus should mention them and also say that not one of them would fall to the ground apart from the will of our Father.
Why care about them? one may ask. Only because they are one of God's wonderful creations. May not look great to our sight, but to the One who created them and for whom they were created, they look wonderful.

You feeling like a sparrow these days? Of not much worth in the sight of family and friends and church members?
This message is for you. Jesus says you are of much worth to him. Not only that; he knows every detail of your life; even things you don't know yourself.Like the number of hairs on your head. Yes, he says they are all numbered.
Oh, really! And what for you may ask?
Nothing much..he's keeping track of what you are losing each day...and even gaining.

In fact God is a good statistician..the best. The Psalmist says,
He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. (Psalm 147:4,5)

But the surprising fact is that though he is involved with these big numbers and accounts, he cares for you.
He cares for you more than he cares for sparrows. He says,
"So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Jesus loves you because you have accepted him as Savior and Lord. Trust in him. He will never fail you.
[If you have still not accepted him as Savior, please do so. I assure you that, "that'll be the best decision of your life."] God bless.

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The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. (Nahum 1:7)

Sometimes trouble lands up in our lives without giving any notice. It may have been brewing for a while, but there you are in the thick of it suddenly. So whats to be done? A hurricane hits you mentally and pain like that associated with a sharp upper cut from the boxer's glove numbs you into silence.

Surprisingly, the very centre of a hurricane, called the eye is usually totally calm. This is directly surrounded by the eyewall which is where the fastest wind speeds are found.

The presence of Jesus is like the eye of the hurricane while surrounding are the howling winds of trouble. There's calm and peace; an assurance that everything will be fine.

And will he save? You bet, he will. He is mighty to save.

The Bible says,
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

So lets say aloud with faith what we read in the title verse here:
The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.
Praise the Lord.

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Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22,23)

Is there any weakness in God? Shouldn't be/Couldn't be, because he is El Shaddai,God Almighty. Yet the Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian believer's says,
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)

God's weakness is nothing other than his agape love. He has compassion on us though we sin or commit unrighteous acts. Though he punishes, yet he loves like no one else can.

The prophet Jeremiah laments the destruction of Jerusalem in the book of Lamentations. Everything that was so glorious now lay waste. Many went into exile in a foriegn land. Things looked dull and depressing. Yet he reminds himself of the Lord's great love.

A compassion that never fails can come only from the Creator of all. His compassion is new every morning.

When everything looks gloomy, we can always remind ourselves of these verses.Great is the Lord's faithfulness.He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10)

So be strong and courageous. God bless you.

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Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! (Psalm 118:15)

At last! A sigh of relief and several "Praise the Lord's"...is the climax of many troublesome events in the life of believers.
Time to witness that the Lord's right hand has done mighty things yet again.
And then shouts of joy and victory.

The psalmist David says,
We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests. Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. (Psalm 20:5,6)

The many narrow escapes that David experienced in his life because of the protecting and saving hand of the Lord prompted him to sing many a song. The right hand of the Lord did mighty things for him.

The psalmist sings his testimony in Psalm 98 in this manner:
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. (Psalm 98:1)

A victory in your life is a victory for God.
His loving arms are always underneath us carrying us at all times whether we as believers realize it or not.
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!' (Deuteronomy 33:27)

Time of victory is time to glorify God yet again for his marvellous deeds.
So, "Praise the Lord."

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But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. (Luke 1:13)

A promise given when Zacharias and Elizabeth were old. Not a promise given when they were young and were eager to have children. Wonder when they must have finally reached a conclusion that Elizabeth was barren. After years of prayers, now a promise of a miracle, not the miracle itself.

Zacharias couldn't believe his ears. So he asked the angel a question which resulted in his getting tongue-tied. At the face of it, it didn't seem like a threatening question or an argument against the prophesy, yet it happened probably because of his lack of faith in the promise.
Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years." The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time." (Luke 1:18-20)

Again some more waiting period and several months later, the miracle was there for all to see.
And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. But his mother answered and said, "No indeed; but he shall be called John." And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name." And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, "His name is John." And they were all astonished. And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. (Luke 1:59-64)

All's well that ends well.
A promised fulfilled in God's time. This is the John of whom John the Apostle writes:
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. (John 1:6)
This is the John of whom Jesus said,
I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (Luke 7:28)

The miracle was worth the waiting period.
God is Great. We may not understand his ways but he is perfect in timing and giving. Praise the Lord.

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Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. (Psalm 34:5)

Have you noticed the radiance on the faces of some believer's? It has nothing to do with their skin color or their physical beauty. The radiance of knowing Christ intimately is there for everyone to see in these children of God.

The promise above speaks of a specific blessing that every person born into this world can experience. If we look to Jesus Christ, whatever shame that we may have endured in our lives till then can be washed away by the power of his blood.
The blood of Jesus Christ is powerful to wash away shame of whatever cause and make us new creatures filled with eternal hope and joy.
The Bible says,
"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (1 Peter 2:6)

The choice is there for everyone who hears the good news of the gospel. Accept or reject Jesus Christ.
And what's the tragedy involved with rejecting Christ? Nothing but shame!
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)

At the resurrection, some will awake to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Have you looked to Jesus? Though you face problems and trials while living here on earth, your reward is secure in heaven. And as this promise says,
"Your face will never be covered with shame." God Bless.

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I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. (Genesis 17:6)

Another promise given by the Lord Almighty to Abram when he was 99 years old. But God had certain requirements from Abram's life. He said,
"I am God Almighty ; walk before me and be blameless. (Genesis 17:1)
A blameless walk is not easily achieved but we can always strive to acheieve it with the help of the Holy Spirit who comes and resides in us when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The psalmist David took such a decision in his life as we read in Psalms 101:
I will be careful to lead a blameless life - when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. (Psalm 101:2)

And definitely the Bible pronounces several blessings on the blameless.
The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. (Psalm 37:18)

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. (Psalm 37:37)

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11)

Now and often, it is imperative for us as believers to check our own lives whether we are walking before the Lord with a blameless heart.

Abraham's walk was blameless, so all the promises that God gave him were fulfilled.
It would be the same for us too.
The Lord delights in those whose ways are blameless. The Bible says,
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless. (Proverbs 2:7)

May that come true in the lives of all of us. God bless.

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For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. (Isaiah 54:7)

Do you feel forsaken by the Lord? Israel did; and that too on several occasions. It was their fault most of the times.

Why doesn't God act instantaneously in some situation when we need him to? It may be anything from finances to our relationship with our spouse/children. Why the delay when we spend enough time in prayer, worship and meditation of the Word? Why the build up of nerve shattering tension?

How many more lessons in faith are to be learnt? Why does one finally give into satanic temptations? Could have been avoided if God arranged favorable circumstances. These are some of the thoughts that trouble believer's many a time.

But we must remember some of the things that the Bible says, especially this part in Psalm 103.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)

Without the Lord's help each moment, we are vulnerable to failure easily. Take the great prophet Elijah. One day, he comes down on King Ahab & the prophets of Baal with all guns blazing and the next day, he's depressed and wants to die because the wife of Ahab, queen Jezebel threatened to kill him. All the fire of yesterday seemed to have vanished into thin air.

It's all grace, dear Brother/Sister in Christ.
Whatever your situation today, believe in this promise from the Bible:
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103:9,10)

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Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. (Psalm 31:23)

The Lord preserves the faithful. How wonderful!
When Aaron & Miraim, Moses' elder brother and sister spoke against him, God came down to speak for Moses. Wouldn't it be great if God was our spokesman?

Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" (Numbers 12:5-8)

And the end result was:
The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam - leprous, like snow. (Numbers 12:9,10)

Faithful Moses had an immediate problem on his hands. He couldn't possibly leave his sister as she was, even though it was her fault for which she was suffering.
So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!" The LORD replied to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back." (Numbers 12:13,14)

Moses had earlier interceded for his brother when God decided to blot his name out of his book for sinning against the Lord by making a golden calf and leading the Israelites astray. Now here he was interceding for his sister.

And because Moses was faithful, his prayers were heard and many a crises averted.

Yes, God will preserve the faithful.
The Bible says,
For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever....(Psalm 37:28)

It's my prayer that we be found faithful in the Lord's eyes. Amen.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 184

"This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz." So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down. (Isaiah 38:8)

(Ahaz’s “clock”, a type of sundial, was used to measure time in the ancient world.)
Can one reverse the order of time? How can one go back 10 minutes when that time has already passed/been completed?
No man can do it, but God Almighty can, because he holds time in his mighty hands. He can do anything that he wishes and this is no great feat for him to acheieve.

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. (Isaiah 38:1-5)
And then came the promise that we read in the title verse.

Are you seeking a positive sign from the Lord these days as you pass through troublesome times?
The greatest sign of all times is found in this verse from the book of Isaiah. It says,
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Jesus, "Immanuel" is with you. "Do Not Fear" is what he says. He heard Hezekiah's prayer and saw his tears. He will deliver you too because he is Almighty God. Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 185

Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. (Acts 27:23-25)

The Apostle Paul and 275 others were travelling to Italy in a ship which got hit by a storm called the "northeaster." The ship took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, they finally gave up all hope of being saved.

That was when Paul stood up and gave them the message that we read in the title verse.

After more than 14 days of experiencing the terrors of nature, they decided to run the ship aground if they could and finally they swam to safety when the ship's bow got stuck and wouldn't move.Once safely on shore, they found out that the island was called Malta. Unknown to him, God had arranged some missionary work for Paul on this island. Many people were healed when Paul prayed for them. After 3 months, they (Paul & Luke) sailed to Rome and when they reached there, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

And Luke ends the book of Acts by writing:
For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 28:30,31)

The faithfulness of God when he gives a promise is clearly outlined here. Amidst chaos and impending death on the high sea, God promised Paul that he will stand trial before Caesar in Rome. God saved not only Paul & Luke the Physician who wrote the book of Acts, but also the 274 others on the ship as he had promised Paul.

When we see only the present with our restricted senses, God sees and knows our future. He has already been there where we will only be later. Here and now or there and when, he will be with us at all times. Great is his faithfulness.
God bless.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 186

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4, 5)

Prophesying more than 800 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Isaiah the prophet prophesies the atoning sacrifice of our Lord, carrying our griefs, our sorrows, our transgressions, our iniquities and our peacelessness. Some translations mention infirmities instead of griefs.

And Jesus, when he started preaching regarding the kingdom of God gave an invitation that still bears fruit though more than 2000 years have passed since he uttered it. He said,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

This is not a temporary rest that Jesus invites all to. The Bible says,
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9,10)

O! What a glorious day that will be for each of us who believe and live for the Lord. An eternal rest of which the Bible says,
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:3,4)

The author of the book of Hebrews exhorts all who believe in the Lord regarding entering the eternal rest in this manner:
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:11)

Let us not be like most of the Israelites who left Egypt for Canaan. Although they were delivered from Pharaoh and the Egyptians by God Almighty, they were not allowed to enter their rest- Canaan because of their unbelief and disobedience.

God promises all those who believe and are obedient to him by saying,
He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:7)

Praise the Lord.