August 4 Out Of The Blue

Image by Zach Fonville

2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23; 1 Corinthians 1:1-17; Psalm 27:1-6; Proverbs 20:20-21

“The Lord is my light and my salvation,
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life
of whom shall I be afraid?
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling.” Psalm 27:1-3,5

Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” 1 Corinthians 1:7-9

Out of the blue
trouble comes,
stirs up the waters
of my life.
“Didn’t see that one coming!”
Life is like that–
this fallen, imperfect world
I live in.
Life isn’t fair,
but that’s OK
because my God is
faithful.
The good work that He
began in me,
that spark of faith life
remains steady because of
His promises to me,
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Trouble will come
in many shapes and forms
but it need not define me.
I am not depression.
I am not joblessness.
I am not broken relationships.
I am not cancer.
I am not addiction.
I am not loneliness.
I am not…
I am faithful
because my God is faithful.
He will not let me be tempted
beyond my ability.
He provides my way of escape
from the enemy that surrounds me.
He hears my prayers.
He is my Light and my Salvation.
Praise His holy name!

Thank you Heavenly Father for defining my life for me–for calling me to be your own–for being with me in times of trouble, for helping me endure. Thank you for your faithfulness in sending the promised Messiah–Jesus Christ, my Lord, who broke the bonds of sin and death and now lives and reigns with you now and forever! Amen!

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August 2 Reality

Photo by Matt Gruber

King Hezekiah’s Reality:

Bad things happen to God’s faithful people.

“After all Hezekiah (king of Judah) had faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah.”  2 Chronicles 32;1

God fights the battle.

Hezekiah reminded his people:  “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or discouraged…for there is a greater power with us than with him.  With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”  2 Chronicles 32:7-8.

God hears and answers a cry for help.

“King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cried out in prayer to heaven about this.  And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and leaders and officers of the Assyrian king…So the Lord saved Hezekiah from the hand of Sennacherib…He took care of them on every side.”  2 Chronicles 32:20-22

Our reality:

Even when we live for Christ, we encounter challenges to our faith–illness, work conflicts, money issues, relationship snags…

“In this world you will have tribulation…”  John 16:37

God is always there for us.

“But take heart–I have overcome the world.”  John 16:37  “He who did not spare His own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”Romans 8:32

Lord God, like King Hezekiah we face “enemies” that threaten to destroy our peace.  May we remember to call on you in prayer;   to seek your hand in our deliverance;  to trust you with our “battles.”  We thank you for the ultimate victory over sin, death and evil won for us by your son’s death on Calvary’s cross.  May we live this day in humble service to you for all you have done for us.  In Jesus’ name we pray,  Amen.

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.  The troubles of my heart have multiplied;  free me from my anguish…Guard my life and rescue me;  let me not be  put to shame, for I take refuge in you.”

                                                            Psalm 25:16-17, 20

 

 

 

 

2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13;  Romans 15:23-16:7;  Psalm 25:16-22;  Proverbs 20:16-18

 

Jan. 19 I Dreamed a Dream…

Genesis 39:1-41:16;  Matthew 12:46-13:23;  Psalms 17:1-15;  Proverbs 3:33-35

 Joseph dreamed of adoration, but ended up in a pit, then in the house of a master, then in the bottom of a dungeon.  He must have wondered at times what his earlier dreams of bowing wheat sheaves and circling stars meant for him.

Reality was–he was stuck in a country foreign to him, no longer the favored son of a doting father–doing time.

“But, while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him, he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.  So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison…the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”

 No recorded words of bitterness, complaint or lament came from Joseph’s lips.  Wherever Joseph found himself, he knew God was with him.

Lord, life isn’t fair.  Things happen to us that we didn’t ask for or anticipate.  We have ended up in places we never imagined.

 Thank you for promising to “never leave us nor forsake us.” (Hebrews 13:5) No matter where we are or what the circumstances are–thank you for being with us.   May we be found faithful in all things.  For your sake–Amen

“For I am sure  that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39