The God we serve can save us. — Daniel 3:17
Due to an injury in 1992, I often suffer from chronic pain in my shoulders and neck. When pains are very strong, it is not always easy to trust the Lord and praise Him. But when I’m really struggling, God’s constant presence comforts me. The Lord strengthens me and assures me of His unchanging love, boundless power and grace that sustains us. At times like these, I am encouraged by the resolute faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They worshiped God and believed that He was with them, even in a situation that seemed hopeless.
When King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw these three young men into the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:13-15) if they did not worship his golden image, they answered him with great courage and faith. They did not doubt that the Lord deserves to be worshiped (Dan. 3:17) – even if He does not save them from a fierce death (Dan. 3:18). And God did not leave them alone at the time of the cruel test: He joined them in the furnace and protected them from the fire (Dan. 3:24-25).
The Lord will never leave us alone. He remains with us in times of trial that may seem as threatening as Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. Even if our suffering does not end on this side of eternity, the Lord will always remain powerful, kind – the One who deserves our trust.
Lord, we thank You that You are always with us, no matter what happens to us.
Faith is trusting in the unchanging character of almighty God, not in circumstances.
Author: Sosheel Dixon
What are you thinking about?
The thoughts you fill your mind with are very important because what you hold on to affects what you think.
By choosing to focus on God’s promises, you begin to recognize God’s blessings in uncertain times. Believing that God will deliver you from this pain gives you the strength to keep moving in faith and fighting.
Isaiah 12:2 reminds us that we belong to a God who is faithful in His promises. Therefore, when we belong to God, we have nothing to fear. All we need to do is hang on to God and wait for His intervention.
So for today, meditate on some of God’s promises and let them transform your way of thinking:
God will support you. (Psalm 55:23)
God’s peace will protect your heart. (Philippians 4:7)
God will sing and glorify you with joy. (Zephaniah 3:17)
God will understand you and guide you in the way you should go. (Psalm 32:8)
God is your refuge and strength, a quick helper in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:2)
You overcome everything by the power of the One who loved you. (Romans 8:37)
God will never leave you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
God’s perfect love casts out fear. (John 4:18)
Nothing can separate you from God’s love. (Romans 8:38-39)
God is not finished with you. God is not finished with you. God is not finished with you. (Philippians 1:6)
In ancient Israel, the shepherd’s rod and staff protected and guided the sheep and even reminded the sheep that the shepherd was near. And so King David (who was a shepherd as a child) used the metaphor in Psalm 23:4 to convey this truth: God was his protector and guide.
King David faced death many times, and his enemies intended to kill him. He also dealt with his sin problems and personal mistakes. But in the midst of all this, he repeatedly drew attention to God’s faithfulness and God’s assurance.
Where did he find these assurances?
King David was supposed to be a student of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Torah — the first five books of our Bible.
To a Jew, the Torah was not just a story about God, it was the very Word of God. It was authority, promise and guidance. It was on this Word that David based his life and his psalms. David could write about God’s character because:
1. He knew the Word of God.
2. Thanks to this word, he felt the faithfulness and goodness of God.
We also have this and much more. We have the revealed Word of God from the ancient prophets in the Old Testament, the words of Jesus while on earth, and the revealed words of Jesus through the apostles and writers of the New Testament. In other words, we have what David had:
1. We have the Word of God.
2. Based on this word, we can feel the faithfulness and goodness of God.
Read what Jesus said to His disciples:
I have told you this so that you may have peace in me. In the world you will have sorrow. But take heart; I conquered the world.
John 17:33
We, like David, have nothing to fear because God is near—and He is our comfort. Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures helps us to confidently believe that God is and will be a faithful defender, guide and presence for those who love Him. So decide today to dig deep into God’s words.
One of the miracles of salvation is that when we have faith in Christ, God not only saves us—He also empowers us to live according to His will for us. Your life in Christ is a life filled with the Holy Spirit living within you.
This is a great gift, but also a great change in life. It often takes time to change the way we think and act. We may have bad habits that require hard work to correct, or thought patterns that are difficult to break.
Fortunately, God promises to be with us and give us the strength to make these changes in our lives. When Paul writes to his disciple Timothy, he encourages him to continue developing the gift that God has given him. Although we receive salvation in a moment, it takes a lifetime to develop and work on what God is doing within us.
Paul reminds Timothy that God’s Spirit does not give us fear or cowardice. These things are tools of the devil trying to keep us from God. But the Spirit of God gives us confidence in Him. He gives us the power to live according to God’s intentions in our lives. We must always remember this power when we face difficulties.
The Spirit of God also gives us the power to love others. Loving people can be difficult, especially those who may have hurt us. But God promises to give us His strength and love so that we can be a light to all those around us.
God’s Spirit also gives us the capacity for self-discipline. We won’t experience spiritual change and growth if we don’t train and practice – but it takes time, dedication and perseverance. We must be consistent in doing what God asks us to do, including reading God’s Word and talking to Him. Fortunately, when we belong to God, He helps us. He gives us the strength, endurance, and sanity to develop habits that help us become more like Him.
So take some time today to talk to God. Ask Him to give you His Spirit for confidence, love, and self-discipline. Think about how God is leading you to change your life. As you do this, remember that God does not give us fear. He fills us with love because He wants us to feel secure in our relationship with Him.
It is difficult to always remain joyful, and especially in times of change, difficulties or losses. Paul, the author of the letter to the Philippians, was probably familiar with this. At the time of writing the letter to the Philippians, Paul was in prison under the guard of Roman soldiers (Acts 28).
Despite the fact that Paul was in a difficult life situation, he still wrote to the church in Philippi and encouraged them to always rejoice. He also said that they should pray to God and not worry or worry (4:6). They should ask God for what they need with thanksgiving.
Paul’s teaching is this: despite our circumstances, there is always a reason to glorify God.
If we learn to always rejoice and submit to God in prayer instead of worrying, God’s peace will be with us in our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7).
God has given us everything we could hope for. If we believe in Jesus, we are forgiven of our past mistakes. We are also given grace and peace. In addition, the Spirit of God lives in us to give us strength in our new life.
All this is the reason why we should praise God constantly. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. And because of this, we are sure of our salvation for eternity.
Joy in the Lord in times of trouble makes our faith in Jesus deeper and stronger.
Set aside time today to rejoice in the Lord. If you are struggling, start by making a list of all that God has done for you. You can also make a list of all the attributes of God, such as His goodness, faithfulness, and love. Spend time in prayer thanking Him for all these things. Continue to practice this throughout the week to develop a habit of expressing gratitude.
Hundreds of years before Jesus, God’s people were in trouble.
They got confused in life, could not help themselves, and perhaps began to doubt that God would save them. Have you ever felt like this? If so, you may be among the original audience of this verse—the exiles in Babylon.
The Babylonians took their land and sent them hundreds of kilometers away. Perhaps they thought that God had abandoned them or that He did not hear their cries. But God is always present and He is always close.
Isaiah let his people know that God would provide a way out of the Babylonian captivity. And God fulfilled His promise by allowing His people to return home.
A generation later, many of God’s people felt themselves in a new exile. They were home, but all was not well. So they remembered this verse and its promise—that no matter how dark or desperate our situation may be, God is able to provide a way out of a broken, broken heart and despair into a whole, healthy future.
But they did not know that an even more final solution to the problem of the darkness in which they lived was approaching. Isaiah 40:3 is a prophecy that was fulfilled not only when the exiles left Babylon and returned home, but also at the coming of the Messiah. Through Jesus, God made a permanent way for people to come out of darkness and find hope, strength, and peace. God has provided a permanent path from darkness to light.
So what are you going through? What is your “Babylon”? It could be a habit you can’t seem to break, a loved one who keeps making self-destructive decisions, or a mental health problem that seems overwhelming. No matter what it is, God can and will bring you out of brokenness and back to life.
Did something unexpected happen to you? Maybe it was a surprise that brought you joy, or maybe it was a tragedy that affected your life. Each of us experiences moments in life that we do not expect.
Even though unexpected things happen, we still plan and dream about how our lives will turn out. We may have plans for our future education or plans for specific relationships in our lives. But we can never plan for the unexpected because we don’t know the future. We don’t even know what might happen in the next few minutes.
We learn from the Holy Scriptures that God is omniscient, which means that He knows everything that will happen everywhere in the world. He has full knowledge of every event and action that takes place. Moreover, He is also omnipotent, which means that He controls everything that happens in the world.
This means that even though we make plans in our own lives, God ultimately guides our steps. It has the power to change the direction of our lives as well as guide us to what is best for us.
Take time to think about your dreams and plans for life. Have you ever presented these plans to God in prayer? This does not mean that you should not make plans for your life, but rather that what you plan should not stand in the way of God’s plans for your life.
Take a moment to ask God to direct your steps. Ask Him to reveal any desires or plans that are not of Him. Submit your plans to God so that you are open to following Him wherever He leads you. Thank Him for His goodness and grace to guide you in your life.
You judge peoples with truth and lead tribes on earth! — Psalm 66:5
During a conference in Asia, I had two instructive talks in just a few hours. First, a pastor told me how he spent 11 years in prison until it was discovered that he did not commit the murder he was accused of. Then several families told how they spent all their savings in their homeland to save themselves during religious persecution. However, they were betrayed by the very people they paid to save them. And now, after many years of living in a refugee camp, they no longer believe that they will find a new home somewhere.
In both cases, people suffered greatly because of the lack of justice, which is one of the proofs of the sinfulness of this world. But evil will not always reign on earth.
Psalm 66 calls God’s people to bring the message of God to this suffering world. This news brings joy – and not only because we know God’s love, but also because we bear His justice. “Let the tribes rejoice and sing,” says the psalmist, “for You judge the nations with truth and lead the tribes on earth!” (Ps. 66:5).
While the biblical writers understood that truth was the key to God’s love, they also knew that justice would come only in the future. When He comes, “justice will flow like water, and justice like a mighty stream!” (Am. 5:24).
Father, help us to carry Your truth where we live, although the day has not yet come when You will destroy all wrongdoing. We are so waiting for your arrival!
Care for justice and pray for mercy.
Author: Bill Crowder
Have you ever asked yourself, “How did Jesus live?” “What does obedience to Him look like?” “How does Jesus want us to live?”
These are great questions that help us understand what God expects of those who love Him.
In 1 John 2:4-6 it is said: “Whoever says that he knows Him, but does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. And whoever keeps His word, God’s love is truly perfect in him. From this we know that we are in Him. Whoever says that he abides in Him must live as He lived.”
When Jesus was with His disciples, He said to them: “This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
When His followers loved one another, it was a sign of their obedience to Jesus—and the same applies to us. John, in his letter to a group of Christians, tells us that God’s commandment is that “we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23).
Our love for the members of the worldwide Church is a sign of obedience and a sign that God lives in us. By doing this, we know that God dwells in us. To walk as Jesus walked means to love the members of the Church with mercy, faithfulness and humility. It is by this love that the world will know that we are His disciples (John 13:35).
Living like Jesus doesn’t mean ticking off a list of things we should or shouldn’t do. It means living a life that is so rooted in God’s love that we seek to obey all of His commandments.
To live like Jesus means to sacrificially love the people whom God created and for whom he sent his Son to die, starting with those who call Jesus their Savior.
Much of the New Testament is devoted to encouraging believers to live with one another. So this week, take time to read the letters of the apostle John in the New Testament and look for ways you can live out Jesus’ commandment to love one another.
Remember a time when you were genuinely scared.
As much as we would like to never feel fear, fear is part of the human experience. But when we are afraid, we have options…
We can panic, stress, be overwhelmed with worry, re-imagine all the worst-case scenarios, and try to drown out the anxiety-provoking situations around us in unhealthy ways… or we can repeat the Words of David:
“But as soon as I am terrified, I trust in God.”
Psalms 56:4
It is worth noting that these words were written after David was captured by the Philistines. He was harassed by his enemies, and he feared for his life.
But David refused to settle for fear.
He resisted the urge to let fear have the last word. He decided to fight back with the Truth…
…And we can too.
We will never have to fight alone. God has given us something more powerful than ordinary weapons: He has given us His Word, His Spirit, and His people. Even when we don’t have access to the perfect inspirational sermon or timely word of encouragement, we can stop and remember the truth: that God is fighting for us, He is with us, and He will never leave us.
When we turn our minds from our overwhelming fear to God’s overwhelming faithfulness, everything changes. So today, if you are scared, anxious, overwhelmed, or uncertain, say it out loud:
When I’m afraid, I rely on You.
