Tag: watching over His saints

And not lose heart

“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

Psalms 116:1  I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.  Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

Psalms 18:1-6     The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalms 31:22-23     I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.  Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

Psalms 34:3-4    Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!  I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

Genesis 35:2    So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.

Psalms 55:16-17     But I call to God, and the LORD will save me.  Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.

Psalms 145:18-19    The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.

Luke 18:1    And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Philippians 4:6     do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Satan is very crafty and uses any means possible to place doubts, fears, and anxious thoughts into our mind.  He never tells the truth and will try to convince us that we are without hope, worthless, that God does not care, that God does not hear our prayer, and that waiting for God is a waste of time.  He tries to make us doubt God’s love, promises, sovereignty, power, and faithfulness.

Life has a way of not going according to OUR plan(s).  We have disappointments, heartaches, sadness, loss, and feeling like we have been forgotten.  We are not immune to these thoughts and feelings.  However we can face them with truth.  God is all powerful, steadfast in His love for us, promised to be our rock, refuge, fortress, strength, courage, hope, comfort and heavenly Father.  Not one single trial, trouble, or moment of loss changes these.  Satan’s lies do not change the love God has for those who are called by His name.

When the Israelites had left the Egyptians and were at the shore of the Red Sea.  They turned around and were looking at the full force of the Egyptian army coming toward them with intent of killing them.  God told them to face the sea and not look back.  He showed them looking back turns to fear and doubt (fertile ground for Satan’s attacks)- looking ahead with hope and trust they will see the hand of God, His mighty power, and His faith sustaining and unfailing steadfast love.

Look ahead clinging to, relying on and trusting in God who is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.

Darkness to Light

Psalms 82:5  They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Proverbs 1:29   Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

Romans 1:28    And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Proverbs 4:19    The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.

Ecclesiastes 2:14   The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness

John 3:19    And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

John 12:35    So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

1 John 2:11    But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Proverbs 2:6  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;  he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,  guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.  Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;  for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;  discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,  delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,  who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,   who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,   men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.

Ecclesiastes 3:16    Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.

2 Timothy 2:19    But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

There is one thing that keeps coming to mind from these scriptures.  People without Christ walk in darkness and they have no clue they are.  In fact they do not even know what the light is or how it will help or where to find it.  We are to be a reflection of this light, able to tell them of the light, and where it can be found.  Being a reflection means our way of light ought to be easily recognized as different from the world we live in.  The way we talk, react, think, and respond.  Our lives should reflect joy, peace, wisdom, understanding, hope, love, generosity, strength, courage, and concern all in the help and name of Jesus Christ.  Is it possible, as christians, that we too choose to live in darkness or with the light set to very dim.  Are we drifting away to a life of complacency, neglecting our calling to be light unto a lost generation.  Do we set our expectations so low for being a follower of Christ that there is no visible differences between us and those lost other than going to church on Sunday?  I think we have fallen into and follow a lie.  That lie is “it is up to the pastor, preacher to tell the gospel and up to me to go hear him teach and preach”  rather than being a reflection of Christ and telling others of His great love, hope, joy, peace …….  Out of the abundance of our heart the mouth will speak.  If nothing is coming out and nothing can be seen differently in our lives then we certainly need to look at what is filling our heart.  Living to be a humble servant, honoring, following, and obeying God requires us to choose to be in His word with the desire and intent to know Him and how to serve Him and be able to discern His leading each day.  Our reflection of the light of Christ will grow brighter and brighter as we choose to be in His word and be used by Him.