Because He Trusted In God (part 2)

Daniel 6:23 NIV, “…And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”

When I finished writing about Daniel’s ordeal with his coworkers, I was reminded of a time when I was working with a very difficult co-worker. I had just been promoted to junior accountant and she was the senior accountant who was responsible for my training. She spoke to me very rudely, and if I made any sort of mistake (which was inevitable since I was in training), she would blow things way out of proportion.

She would complain at times to the manager, or other accountants, in an attempt to make it seem like I was doing a horrible job. No matter how well I did, it was impossible to please her. Some days I even dreaded going to work because I didn’t want to cope with her foolish behavior. My family and some of my close friends were praying continuously over the situation. The prayers are what helped me to be strong and keep going. I knew God was with me in the “lion’s den”.

After working with her for about a year, I had had enough. I felt God was leading me to talk to the manager (again). But this time I told the manager if I had to continue working with that accountant, I would leave the company. That was when things turned around. The manager apologized for not taking action sooner, and immediately moved me to work with another senior accountant. The senior accountant I had been working with was humiliated, because to her this was like a demotion. The manager told me pride was most likely the reason the previous senior accountant was acting so badly. She was fearful her work wouldn’t be perfect because of me. (Proverbs 16:18 GNT, “Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall.”)

This new senior accountant told me her goal was to help me get promoted. In addition to training me, she would also have weekly one on one meetings with me so we could discuss any concerns. Well after two months of working with her, I did get promoted from junior accountant to senior accountant! It was amazing to see how after dealing with unfair treatment from the previous senior accountant, God was moving on my behalf. As a bonus, the old senior accountant ended up resigning a month after I was promoted. This was even better, because now she was gone completely.

Even though working with her was unpleasant to say the least, I knew it was all part of God’s plan. I was able to pray for her salvation, and did so for quite some time even after she left the company. I also learned more about working with difficult people, and saw first hand how ugly pride can be. Daniel had to go all the way to the lion’s den before God delivered him, but he never stopped trusting God. I had to keep trusting God when dealing with my difficult coworker. I also had to trust His timing.

So whatever you may be going through, keep trusting God to provide what you need. Keep trusting Him to deliver you at the right time. No matter how long you must wait, remember…His grace is sufficient for you, and His power is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God’s Favor Surrounds You

Psalm 5:12 NIV, “Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

It’s comforting to know that as children of God, we are surrounded by His favor. We’ve been made righteous through the precious blood of Jesus. Because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf by giving His life, we now have the blessing of God’s favor.

The favor of God that rest upon our lives, allows us to experience God’s plentiful blessings from day to day. His favor also keeps us safe from things and people that are not part of His plan for us.

Since we have God’s favor, we do not have to walk in fear. Instead we can walk in confidence. We can be confident knowing that God’s favor is with us no matter what we may face. His favor surrounds us with His love and protection.

I pray that you will have peace knowing that through Christ, the favor of God is surrounding your life.

Because He Trusted In God

Daniel 6:23 NIV, “…And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”

Daniel was an exceptional person who stood out from the crowd. He was great at what he did, and his coworkers didn’t like it. They became envious of him because he was up for a promotion. Since there was no fault that they could find with his work ethics, they had to find another way to bring him down. So they basically decided to go after him for having faith in God.

They convinced the king to create an order that would take away Daniel’s right to pray to God. Then when they caught Daniel praying, he ended up being thrown into the lion’s den for punishment. Although Daniel spent the night in the den, God locked the jaws of the lions and Daniel was unharmed. You can read the whole story here: Daniel 6

Daniel’s situation is still so relevant today. There are people who will try and hold you back when they see you getting ahead or doing your best to serve God. They may even lie on you or try and turn others against you.

Sometimes we wonder why certain things happen, or why God is taking so long to bring justice. He always has a perfect plan, and nothing slips past His watchful eye. Daniel trusted in God to deliver him, and He did. God will do the same for you. No situation, no matter how out of control it may seem, is beyond God’s power. He is fully aware of the evil doers and their wicked schemes. He will intervene at the perfect time.

The “lions” that attempt to destroy you are already defeated by the Living God who never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:4). Keep trusting in the Lord with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). The finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, has overcome the evil that is in this world (John 16:33).

Rest For The Weary

Matthew 11:28 NLT, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

There is a lot that we are up against on a daily basis, but Jesus offers us rest. We can give Him all our burdens in prayer. We can tell Him about all of our fears, and uncertainties. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant our problem may seem. If it bothers us, then it matters to our God. There is no need to hold back anything from Him.

Jesus also gives us rest as we strive to know Him better. He wants us to trust Him with every step of our spiritual journey of becoming more like Him. No one is perfect, and growing in Jesus is a lifelong journey. We must trust Him with the process. There are times where we will feel like we’re doing better than other times. But as long as we are seeking the Lord daily, then He will help us to grow. The important thing is that we don’t give up.

The rest our Savior Jesus gives us, is a rest that can only be found in Him. He offers us His peace in a world full of chaos. His Spirit will lead us on level ground.

Psalm 143:10 NIV, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Confidence In HIM

I read this a couple of days ago, and reread it this morning. Thank you Perth Girl for this breakdown of Psalm 23:1-4. It’s a timely reminder to let God, our Shepherd lead us. He loves us and will take great care of us.

Manu's avatarThe Faithfood Blog

Psalm 23:1-4 ” The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even 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.”

This passage speaks of green pastures and quiet waters as well as the darkest valley, evil and enemies.

It is one thing to say, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” and quite another to be in a dark valley in life and to hold that promise close to your heart with confidence and know that the Lord is with you.

Psalm 23 is a well-known and well-loved psalm and one of my favourites too.

David is identified as the author…

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God’s Word Will Stand Forever

Isaiah 40:8 ESV, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

As I reflect on my own life, there were many times where I didn’t have a right understanding of God’s Word, so I wasn’t living like I should have been. There were also times when I knew what God’s Word said, but still chose to be disobedient and do what I wanted to do. However regardless of me, I’m thankful that God’s Word never changed. It remained the same throughout my lack of understanding and disobedience. It was me that needed to change, by making a decision to obey His Word.

The fact that God’s Word will stand forever, is the reason we can place our hope in Him. It brings such joy to know His Word will always stand. He patiently waits for us to seek Him and turn from our sinful ways. As we seek Him, we will become more like Jesus and have a better understanding of His will for our lives.

God’s Way Is perfect, His Word is flawless…

Psalm 18:30 NIV, “As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

We can trust God, and His Word. He will lead us down the right path. I’m thankful the Holy Spirit doesn’t give up on us. He is patient as we grow in godliness. But diligently seeking God is the part we are responsible for. When we ask Him to, He will strengthen us to seek Him daily.

Safe In The Shadow of Jesus

Psalm 36:7 ESV, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

Some years ago I had a dream. I walked into an office building and once I got in a war broke out. There was shooting and loud noises all around me. I was terrified and was running through the building trying to find a place to hide. However, no matter how hard I tried, I could not find a refuge. So I called out, “Jesus, hide me in the shadow of your wings!” Immediately a shadow appeared. No matter where I went in that building, I was safe as long as I stayed in that Shadow. No one could see me. It was as if I was invisible. Not one of those flying bullets could harm me.

Although this was just a dream, the message it carries is very true. The Lord Jesus will always be our refuge. He will lovingly hide us in the shadow of His wings. He will protect us. Even though we must walk (or run!) through the trials of this life, He will carry us safely through. All we have to do is call out to Him. No matter what, He will be there. His love is steadfast, it endures forever.

Romans 10:13 NLT, “For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”