15
Aug '18
He Won’t Leave You There
15
Aug '18
Mark 4:35-41
Exodus 14:21-29
You don’t have to be alive very long to hit some rough waters. Everybody’s boat gets rocked from time to time. The wind blows like crazy and you might even take on water. The temptation is to freak out and wonder how—or if—you’ll make it to the other side.
Storms are part of the journey. For me, one of the hardest things is dealing with stuff I can’t fix. I’m tempted to try anyway, but the older I get, the more I realize it just doesn’t work. Some situations are above my pay grade. My fixes are nothing but thick patches on threadbare jeans. They don’t hold very long. I need God to set things right. He’s the only One who can get me unstuck and take me to the other side.
Does that sound familiar? Are certain circumstances getting worse the more you work on them? Are they starting to look like a permanent part of your scenery?
I know what that feels like, but I know this: you can get unstuck if you keep your faith moving. God’s got you. He won’t leave you there. He’s in your boat and He’ll go through the storm with you. When you get to the other side of it, you’ll be stronger for having made the journey.
If you’re in rough waters and you can’t see the other side, think back to all the times you saw no way out. Remember how He parted the sea, or brought life to something dead, or gave you the strength to take another step. You thought it was “The End,” but Jesus made a way for you—out of no way out.
Your past victories weren’t just for the past, they’re reminders of how God makes the impossible possible. You can draw strength from them. Today’s storm doesn’t have to paralyze you. He’s a good God and He’s with you. For sure, He won’t leave you there.
When I read this I felt it needed to be shared for someone to read and be encouraged today. Remember, He won’t leave you there. No night is too dark, No battle is too hard, No situation is too hopeless, No chains are too strong with Jesus by your side.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Isaiah 12:2
08
May '18
A Faithful God and an Unfaithful People
08
May '18
The book of Judges presents a stark contrast between the faithfulness of God and the unfaithfulness of his people. It is astounding to consider that so soon after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt, a generation arrived on the scene that neither knew the Lord nor the works that he had done for them. The very same nation who was an eyewitness to the stunning might of God had now forgotten him altogether. Their forgetfulness is seen in their ever-increasing propensity toward rebellion. (Judges 2:11-19)
One would anticipate that their sin would prompt God to abandon his people forever. Yet, time and time again, an avalanche of God’s grace meets the faithlessness of the people. In fact, the text records God’s pity on the people and his attentiveness to their cries. Previously, Moses recounted how the people of God groaned because of their slavery and cried out to the Lord (Ex 2:23-25). These cries for deliverance were met by responses from the Lord. He heard their cries. He remembered the promises he had made in his covenant with them. He saw their need, and he knew their pain. This is the nature of the faithfulness of God — he hears, remembers, sees and knows.
Now, generations later, God heard the cries of his people and provided judges to lead them to victory. He did this despite the fact that they had demonstrated a perpetual inability to obey, even for a generation. God’s faithfulness is clearly not predicated on the goodness of his people. Rather, God’s faithfulness is founded on his character. He is a faithful God who always keeps his promises.
The faithfulness of God is the hope on which the Christian life is built. Those who know Jesus through repentance and faith can rest assured that God is faithful to his promises (1Co 1:9). He will not abandon his people, nor will he turn his back on them when they are unfaithful. Instead he hears, remembers, sees and knows. He hears the cry for mercy from those who know they are broken. He remembers his covenant, made long ago to Abraham, to save his people. He knows the needs of his people and, by virtue of Christ’s work, has made provision to meet those needs and restore them to a right relationship with him forever.
Jesus, I thank you and praise you for your grace and faithfulness. Thank you for never giving up on me, even when I am ungrateful, rebellious and forgetful of your goodness. Amen.
When I read this it blessed me. I was reminded of the many times in my life when God showed me grace and faithfulness and I didn’t always realize it in the moment or deserve it but God. He is indeed faithful, we must trust Him and turn to Him no matter how dark it may seem. Remember this devotion, He hears, He remembers, He sees and He knows.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Isaiah 48:17