Faith Now and Forever

The way Jesus works in our lives and the way He chooses to do things is often past our comprehension. It's mysterious and usually takes faith and patience, because His timetable is often different from ours. Living the Christian life requires faith and trust, because we're not the ones in control—Jesus is. We have to remind ourselves constantly that He knows best, that He does all things well, and that His priorities are often different and much more long-term and "big picture" than ours.

Even with all of His awesome promises—promises like, "Whatever you ask the Father in My name He [will] give you.”. John 15:16 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you,” Matthew 7:7 and "If you have faith, nothing will be impossible for you" Matthew 17:20—we have to remember that we can do our part, but we're not the ones calling the shots. We're not the ones with the bird's-eye view of the past, present, future, and master plan for eternity. We can put Jesus on the spot and we can harness all the spiritual power He has put at our fingertips, but ultimately it is His will that must be done. Jesus is in control, and He knows best.

It's so important to keep an attitude of simple trust in Him, as otherwise we can struggle with so many questions when things don't turn out the way we were hoping or the way we prayed they would.

Relax in the comfort of knowing that Jesus has everything in His hands

If you don't strengthen your faith, life can seem pretty hard for no good reason. When that happens, you can start to feel that it's your fault, that you must be doing something wrong, that Jesus must be displeased with you because He isn't answering your every prayer as you want Him to, or that maybe the promises He's given don't actually work "as advertised."

The devil is always trying to tear down your faith. His job is to try to get you to doubt God's Word. I'd say that's his number-one mission—and it started way back with Adam and Eve in the Garden, when he asked them, "Has God indeed said?" He wanted to get them to doubt God, and in that case his charms and half-truths worked. Genesis 3:1

In addition to the devil's constant attempts to hurt your faith, you've also got human nature working against your faith, because faith defies logic by requiring you to believe in something that is unseen, for which you have no tangible proof at the time.

In time you will find many wonderful promises and explanations that answer age-old questions such as why it seems like God doesn't always answer prayer. But the fact is that life, with all the difficulties and trials and times when prayers seemingly go unanswered, will continue to be a test of faith. It will always be so until we get to heaven.

Whenever things are rough, whenever you feel that they're not turning out the way you'd hoped, when you feel your prayers aren't being answered, when the trials of life are a little too much to bear, when the battle seems too long, when your faith is under attack, when you're feeling weary and aren't sure if you can take much more, climb up onto the rock-solid foundation God has provided for your faith through His many promises and encouraging words, and rest in that safe haven.

The answer is the same today as it has ever been—trust in God and His wonderful ways. You can't figure it all out. Instead, encourage yourself in the Word and relax in the comfort of knowing that Jesus has everything in His hands. Rest in Jesus' arms, let Him shield you and support you, and in God's time the storm will pass.

PSA.37:3-5 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.
JER.17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
ROM.8:24,25 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
HEB.10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;).
PSA.119:92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
MAR.7:37 He hath done all things well.

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The Darkest Times of All

God's purposes aren't always immediately clear, but you can always rest assured that you're in His care, and that things will work together for good in the end-someway, somehow.

When you're going through trying times, in spite of the battles, in spite of the loss, in spite of the confusion, in spite of the heartbreak, you must hold on to the knowledge that the Lord loves you. His love is unchanging, unfailing and unending. No matter what happens, no matter how bleak the outlook, no matter how difficult the battle, no matter how long and dark the tunnel, no matter how severe the suffering, He loves you! He doesn't give His love stingily. He doesn't mete out a little here or a little there as you earn it. He always pours forth His love freely and abundantly!

Jesus has promised you, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20 KJV). He also promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Even through the darkest and most trying times, the Lord is always “a Friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). He is there in the darkness. He is there in the trial. He is there in the test. He is there in the confusion. He is there in the depths. He is there because He loves you. He is there to help you through.
Jesus doesn't like to see you suffer and be unhappy, but He knows you have to go through these things in order to become the man or woman He wants you to be and to fulfill your part in God's great plan-even as He had to go through the agony of dying on the cross for the sins of the world.

When you come to the end of life's road and look back at all that happened to you, you'll see just how much the Lord loved you and how faithfully He cared for you all along the way, especially when the going got rough. It will be clear then that the rocks in your path were not placed there to cause you to stumble, but they were meant to be steppingstones to glory-the glory of utter dependence upon the Lord, the glory of His Spirit working through the humble spirit, the trusting soul, the yielded mind, the loving heart.

So no matter what hard turns your road may take, remember that Jesus is with you. He cares, and He will eventually cause even the “worst” situations to work together for your good. He has promised to.

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New Year Commitments

The door of the New Year has just opened, and while you are thinking about the resolutions or commitments you will make for the year, you will of course want to put some thought and prayer into your commitments to your relationship with Jesus, your participation in the Christian mission of sharing his love with others, your prayer life, your service, your financial giving. These most likely won’t be the only commitments you’ll make, but they may be the most important ones. The tasks of supporting ourselves and our families, raising and educating our children, taking care of our daily needs, are all vital responsibilities and are part of what builds a better future in this life and world; yet we are reminded of what Jesus told His followers: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Making commitments to our relationship with God, to the mission, to living our  values based on His teachings, can and will make a difference in our daily lives throughout our lifetime and in the hereafter as well. The result of such commitments will make us more Christ-like in our interactions with others and a greater blessing to our families, friends, and loved ones—better individuals, more godly human beings. That’s worth committing to!

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