Tag: Trusting God

Blessed With Full Assurance

Hebrews 10:22 NIV, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings…”

One of the many treasures of living our lives in Christ is the full assurance that having faith in Him brings. This assurance isn’t based on circumstances, and it isn’t based on our own abilities. It’s based on who He is. We are able to have complete confidence in Him, because of His flawless character. Things don’t have to make sense to our natural minds, because His wisdom and knowledge far outweigh our own.

Nothing can replace the full assurance we receive from having God’s love surround us. We can be honest with Him about our feelings. We can give all our doubts and fears to Him in prayer, and He will give us His perfect peace. He holds our future and He holds our hand as we walk through this life. Draw near to God with a sincere heart, and find rest as you rely on Him to guide you.

Our Motives Matter To God

Proverbs 16:2 NLT, “People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.”

Outwardly someone can look and sound like they are trying to please God and help others, but God can see their heart. He can see the motives behind each and every action. Praying and asking God to help us to be aware of the motives behind our actions is beneficial. Every act of kindness should be guided by His love. Having an ungodly desire for attention and credit can do harm to ourselves and others.

Unfortunately I’ve seen people manipulate situations just so they can get all the glory. We don’t have to drive ourselves crazy worrying about rewards. When we operate with pure hearts, God will bless us by making sure we receive the rewards we deserve.

Even in our prayer life, God wants our motives to be pure…

James 4:3 NIV, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

The will of God should be our primary concern. When we ask, we should ask according to His will. When we delight ourselves in Him, He promised to give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).

Love should always be the motivation behind the things we do, because love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

His Love Is Everlasting

Jeremiah 31:3 NIV…“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

I’ve been meditating on this verse over the last few days. God’s everlasting love for us is the foundation that keeps us strong. Knowing that He loves us unconditionally, enables us to keep going, even when we are faced with the sometimes painful and unexpected situations that come our way. The steadfastness of His unfailing love is what gives us strength and hope.

No matter what obstacles you are facing, no matter what weapons the enemy tries to form against you, God’s love for you will never fail. When darkness attempts to overshadow you, the light of God’s radiant love will sustain you.

In Christ, no weapon formed against us will ever prosper. In Him, the victory is already won. God’s love for us is everlasting.

Stand Firm in Your Faith

1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV, “8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

As believers in the body of Christ, we will all endure test, trials, and tribulations. There is no way around it. However it brings strength, encouragement and comfort to know that as believers we are never alone. Not only is the Holy Spirit with us, we also have one another. We all share a common goal of fulfilling God’s purpose here on Earth. We all share a common hope of spending eternity in heaven with Jesus once our work on Earth is done.

As we go through the pages of God’s Word, we also can read the many stories of triumph and perseverance of those who came before us. Their faith in God helped pave the way for us today and set an example for us to follow.

There may be times in your walk with God where you do feel isolated. Unfortunately it’s possible to have these feelings of isolation even with other Christians around, because different Christians are in different stages in their walk with God. Plus everyone has different challenges they are facing.

I pray that if you do feel alone, that God will send the right fellow believers your way that you can connect with. I also pray that you would be refreshed and find endless hope, joy, and satisfaction in our Lord Jesus.

Jeremiah 31:25 NIV, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”

Above all else, stand firm in the faith. Don’t give up the fight. As believers, we are all headed home to eternity. But until that blessed day arrives, may our lives be an example of God’s love to those around us. May we share the message of hope and restoration that has been made available through Jesus Christ.

Have a wonderful day!

Faith Defeats Our Giants

1 Samuel 17:26, 32 NLT

26 “David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”

32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”

David, the young shepherd boy, is a great example of what will happen when we act in faith and leave our fears behind. David understood His true identity. He knew that He was a child of God. He was confident in God’s ability to protect him. He understood that with God’s help, he would be victorious over Goliath, the Philistine giant that he was going to fight. David also remembered that God had given him victory in the past, when he had to fight lions and bears to protect his sheep.

Although David was a shepherd, and Goliath was a warrior who had been fighting all his life, David didn’t let that discourage him. He wasn’t the least bit concerned about Goliath’s qualifications. He knew that all he needed was the power of God to operate on his behalf. Because of David’s faith in God, he was able to defeat the giant Goliath with a simple stone.

1 Samuel 17:45 NIV, “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

David’s story reminds us that no matter what “giants” we must face, when we put our faith in God, He will equip us with all we need to win the fight. David never let fear hinder him, and neither should we. The same God who empowered David, will empower us. No “giants” we face are too big for our God.

Living Each Day By Faith

2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV, “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

Although living by faith as a Christian is a unique privilege, it’s not always an easy thing to do. A life lived in faith is good because we don’t have to be limited by what we see. We can trust God for more. We can believe Him to move in situations that are beyond our control and understanding. At times it’s hard because in our humanness, we desire to know all the answers. We want to be able to figure everything out and have all the details.

Lately I have had to remind myself that I don’t have to have all the answers, because God does. We can only do what He has given us the ability to do. We can only know what He has allowed us to know. Then, we have to be brave enough to live by faith and leave the rest to Him.

I have learned that living by faith means we have to take life one day at a time. We have to trust God to provide our needs each day. Worry always sets in when we become consumed with trying to figure out the details of the future.

There have been many times I have allowed myself to worry about something, only to find out later, that God had already worked everything out for my good. I wasted time and energy worrying. Remembering our Heavenly Father’s good deeds, will strengthen us to keep trusting Him in the future. Jesus lived by faith, and our Heavenly Father has called us to do the same. He makes no mistakes and will always do what is best for us.

Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

A Gift From God

Ephesians 2:8 NLT, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”

This verse is such a refreshing reminder. Our salvation is a gift from God. There is nothing we did or can do to earn it. The Father’s unconditional love for us, caused Him to send His only Son to die for the sins of the world.

John 3:16 NIV, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Everything that was needed for us to have salvation and eternal life was completed by Jesus Christ on the cross. All the praise and glory belongs to our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s an amazing privilege we have to know God intimately, through His Son.

The love we have for God should drive us to take action and serve Him wholeheartedly, but still the works we do can not save us. The works we do help draw others to Him. He is the Source. Thank God for His mercy and grace. His Holy Spirit lives in us and works through us to help share His love with a dying world.

Rejoice and be glad because God’s holy, and magnificent plan is perfect. All we have to do is believe and receive His free gift. He is so good.