Wherever you go today, and whatever you do, stay under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty. Father God loves you and is reminding you to trust in Him who is covering His people with His power, strength, and love.
Father God, thank You for being our strength, our refuge, and our covering as we go about our day. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Text Free Image by homecare119 from Pixabay
Today, many in the United States will gather with family, friends, and others to celebrate our national Thanksgiving holiday. A day we recognize when provision had been made for survival and the abundance of the harvest was reaped and enjoyed. We will gather in living rooms, community centers, church basements, around dining room tables, and elsewhere to remember with gratitude and to feast.
While many dishes will be laid out before us today, the greatest dish, if you will pardon the expression, that we can partake of is the faithfulness of our God. “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed,” is what the Bible reminds us in Psalm 37:3. It is only by what God has done in our lives and for us that we are here today. It is only because of His grace and mercy we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22, 23). Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5), and so, let the center of my affection today and all days, not rest on the feast and the gatherings (although we can enjoy them), but on Him whose faithfulness not only brought us to the joy of the gathering around this table, but will usher us to a more glorious table to come: “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love,” (Song of Solomon 2:4). One day we will fully come into His eternal celebration with uninhibited thanksgiving, gather around and enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9), and celebrate with Him forever.
But our forever there states with our relationship with Him here. Today, remember to do more than fill your body with food from this natural feast, but take in more of Him, Jesus, that your soul may be eternally satisfied: “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him,” (Psalm 34:8).
“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:11-13)
Father God, thank You for Your faithfulness in our lives and the feasting pleasure of knowing and taking in of You more and more.
“He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” (John 6:56, 57)
His holy provision has been made. Come, and join the feast.
Mornings capture us with a sense of new. The freshness for what’s before us opens like a glorious flower that raises her petals to meet the sun’s rays. Whether the pace of the new days starts out fast or slow, there is a certain level of invigoration that permeates the atmosphere. It says life is here, meeting us again as we open our eyes and arise. What we see before us we have not encountered before. This moment in time, with the grace and mercy that comes with it, is unused.
I grew up during a time of hand-me-downs and leftovers. It was not an unheard-of concept to rely on things that were previously used by another or putting aside portions of a meal that remained for later use. “Waste not, want not,” is often what people would say. It was frugal living before frugal living became popular. We are seeing a resurgence of its popularity due to the current economy that is calling people’s attention to rethink how they approach money, life, and their stuff.
But for the children of Israel, there was one thing that God didn’t want them to rethink, and that was their faith and trust in Him. Even though they were relatively new on their exodus journey from Egypt, God taught them a lesson He hopes will last a lifetime – they can put their confidence in His commands, in His promises. They had no reason to doubt God’s goodness.
So, when the need for food arose, He instructed Moses on what the people should do: “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no,” (Exodus 16:4).
Further reading gives us a bit more details:
Every morning, when they opened their eyes, they were expected to walk by faith, depending on their daily provisions from God’s holy hand.
When they chose not to rely on God and to take matters into their own hands, and to keep some behind so that they wouldn’t have to worry about the next day, “it bred worms, and stank” (v. 20). When they decided they couldn’t trust God and believe that He would provide for their tomorrows, their personal, human efforts deteriorated right before their eyes. Instead of being beautiful and nourishing, it became something that was disgusting and unpleasant.
There are a lot of things we can be frugal with, but faith isn’t one of them. Jesus, in the Lord’s Prayer, called us to pray for “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Every morning we are reminded of our need for God, to pursue Him more, and again. As a tummy rumbling for morning nourishment, we are drawn to come to Him and be spiritually satisfied. We are leaning on the Father every single day for His holy provision: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him,” (Lamentations 3:22-24).
Every morning we get to reestablish our love for Him, reestablish our commitment to Him, and walk in His faithfulness another day. We get to come to Him, seeking our “manna” for the day, reaffirming He is our source. He is our God! He is our Portion (compare Jeremiah 51:19; Psalm 16:5; 73:26). He is the place where we not only find our holy sustenance, but it is where we trade the wrongs for what is right. It’s where we exchange the ashes of this life for the beauty of who He is.
“Every day” the children of Israel were commanded to go look for what God had for them. Every morning, their expectation and hope were to be on God alone. He, then, supplied their needs (Philippians 4:19) and sustained them for the day’s journey.
If your days seem limp and powerless, lacking the inspiration and sustenance for this time we live in, draw nearer to your daily Portion. Every morning partake of the Bread of Heaven so that your life may be properly fed.
In your pursuit to be properly fed, do as the children of Israel were instructed:
The promise still remains: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled,” (Matthew 5:6).
Every morning, come and be filled.
With arms loaded with bags, I walk toward my car in the grocery store parking lot. I have been jumping about from store to store all day and the exhaustion is wearing on me. Daily tasks, daily chores, and daily work – we all have them. Life does not allow us to be sedentary. So, off we go on the adventure and calling of the day’s demands.
Carrying my bags, I approached the car when a gentle reminder of God’s presence appeared to me. There, bouncing about underneath, a little sparrow getting on with his day reminds me of the sovereign and omniscient hand of the Lord in my life. The thought of Him that knows the life of that little sparrow knows me also, even to the point that all the hairs on my head are numbered, fills me with encouragement.
Jesus, Himself, tells us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).
Yet, many awake to experience news that shatters and devastates their day. And in the middle of it all, fear tries to have a voice. Through uncertain and unsettling times, fear tries to magnify itself.
But I want to encourage you today, no matter how many bags of stuff you are carrying and no matter how hard the work of life before you may be, make God’s Word louder! If there was ever a time when we needed to drown out the world’s noise and build ourselves even more in the Word of God, that time is now!
God’s Word contains the perfect recipe for a well-ordered life, with its challenges and successes. Our response and reaction to the times we live in are found in the perfect truth written in those pages. It is always right and always true, not only for the days in which it was physically written but for today as well. God’s Word never goes out of style. The psalmist said, “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psalm 119:160).
What that means for us is it is never faulty (Psalm 33:4) and it will never fail (Joshua 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56).
So, Jesus speaks comfort in the Word against the chaos around, and He speaks faith and strength against fear. His word can build you up (Acts 20:32), encourage you, and save you if you let it (James 1:21). Paul taught, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Colossians 3:16). Fill yourself with more of Him. The more we are filled with the Word, the less room we have in our being for junk. A healthy Christian fills his/her appetite with the good, nourishing power of the Word of God: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16).
Friend, make God’s Word louder in your life. One surefire way to do that is to get it into your heart richly, overflowing His joy, truth, peace, and comfort in your life.
Here are some promises of assurance to store in your heart and turn up the volume of your faith today to make God’s Word louder against all the other noise you hear:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” – Isaiah 41:10
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:” – Isaiah 26:3, 4
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” – Proverbs 3:5-8
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31
Who indeed? Friend, there are so many written promises God has deposited and inspired in His Word that I cannot possibly write them all here. But if you desire more, and I hope that you do, just read the Word, for the whole of His Holy Book speaks of Him and His promises both now and forever.
His Word is speaking louder against the troubles we see. It is saying, that He is with us and that we don’t have to be afraid: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Believe it.
God invites us to prayer. Pray over the burdens you carry. Pray over the disappointments you feel. Pray for your family. Pray for your loved ones. Pray for the condition of this world. 𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓶, 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮, 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓸𝓻𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓹𝓻𝓪𝔂𝓮𝓻.
“I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path…” Psalm 143:1-3
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.” Ecclesiastes 7:14
Let’s talk about bad days because we all have them. Bad days are like clouds that block out the sun. When they move in, they overshadow the beauty around them. If they hang around long enough, the dreariness accompanying them can settle in your surroundings, obscuring your view, and warping your perspective.
People tend to shift their perspectives based on experience. Experience can be subjective due to knowledge and/or feelings. In all, it is easy for one to think or feel a certain way regardless of what the actual fact says.
Here’s what is true for the Christian, if the Bible says something, then that’s a fact. With that as our springboard, let’s unpack Ecclesiastes 7:14 to gain a better understanding of whatever kind of day, the season of life, or challenges you may be facing.
“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider.” Know this, we will have both good days and bad days. Yet, we are always surprised when our good days are interrupted by the bad. Part of that comes with the shock and awe of the adverse moment. And it’s not as if we are totally divorcing ourselves from all the feelings we feel when facing difficulties, but we are also to realize that this is a part of life. Peter writes, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12). Some days, hard stuff will happen, if for no other reason than we are living. We are alive. In that, our experiences in the ups and downs of life may vary from day to day.
Ecclesiastes tells how to handle those variances: in the good days, when everything is fine and prosperous, going your way – rejoice. Be “joyful!” Be thankful for those moments. Live with an appreciative heart in gratitude for them.
And in the bad, when things don’t look so rosy – those days you want to hide from the world, he says to “consider.” There are fewer things in life that will slow you down and give you a long pause to reflect, like adversity. It provides a place to mull over some things and to deeply think about this life and the many facets it brings.
The word consider is used in a specific way in this verse that I will deal with in more depth when we get to the next section. But to know for a fact that both experiences of good days and bad days are just a part of our human living, can be almost liberating. In that, it allows us to prepare our hearts and our responses in how we want to act for either/or during those times, even if we sometimes do it imperfectly.
“God also hath set the one over against the other.” God is sovereign over any and all days. One of the things we like to say is that a situation may have taken us by surprise, but it sure didn’t take God by surprise. And that’s so true! I can write a book on the verses of Him ordering the days, and times, and seasons – oh wait, they already did that. It’s called the Bible, and in it, we see from the first page to the last, God’s sovereign hand moving. In the middle, there are a lot of lives, with a lot of stories – some good, and some not so good. But our God, who Ecclesiastes 7:14 assures us regarding these differences of days, “hath set the one over against the other.”
Our God, who is the Creator of the world, is the Creator of our days. And even when the days don’t look right or feel right to us, we have this promise: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Did you see what I saw in that verse? Even if it doesn’t appear good to us, God is able to make something good out of that experience. It doesn’t say that everything that happens to us is good, but whatever happens, God can use it for good.
“To the end that man should find nothing after him.” You never know what’s ahead, so strive to thrive in all seasons and days you experience. Life is a gift, and while we may not like some of the things and days we face, and we may wish they were all full of joy and celebrating, we can remain in hope in our God who has never failed.
The children of Israel experienced many days of a time of prolonged captivity under the rule of their enemy when they thought it would never get better. Because of what they were experiencing, some struggled with the picture of their future God provided through the prophet Jeremiah when he said, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).
My friends, when the days are good, we claim to see the hand of the Lord moving in all kinds of ways in our lives. But when approached by the bad, we fail to realize He’s still there, and no matter what we are facing, good or bad, our reliance, dependence, and hope are securely anchored in God alone and in what He can do and has done for us – not in ourselves, our present circumstances, or experiences.
And while we may struggle to see the end, our trust is to always be in the God who knows the end.
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You are the Rock
that we lean upon.
Better than the
glory of the rising sun.
You are the great
I AM THAT I AM.
Better than Moses,
the prophets, and Abraham.
You are my praise,
my comfort, my shield.
Better than any source
this world reveals.
You are the hope
in my soul, do I trust.
Better than man or plan,
designed or discussed.
It is You to which
none can compare,
for You are better than
anyone, anywhere.
A lot of things
we can appreciate
but You, O God,
are better in every way.
“Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord‘s name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.” Psalm 113:2-4
“Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.” Jeremiah 10:6-7
“I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” Isaiah 45:5-7
The world calls out for our trust. Man pleads for us to put confidence in him. Even our own five senses beckon us to lean upon what we can feel, see, and touch.
But God is supremely better than them all. He is the Utmost beyond our utmost, and none can top, come near, or replace the joy and treasure found in the greatness of our God who is just better than.
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Please Note: Ads below or referenced on this site are prefabricated and mass-produced (of which I currently have no control over) and DO NOT necessarily represent the views and/or beliefs of this site and its admin.
Is the familiar holding you back? Has the comfort of where you are now satisfied you into a state of complacency and false ease? Has fear paralyzed your progress forward?
Unknown. Unfamiliar. These words are areas that we don’t know like the place where we are now. But the plans of our life and the order of our steps were never really ours to begin with (Proverbs 19:21; Psalm 119:133).
I will admit, there are some things where I wish the curtain were opened a little wider so that I can see more of the picture hidden behind. But that is not what faith demands (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith asks for trust (Proverbs 3:5-6). And faith asks for our obedience to move forward even if we don’t quite know all the steps or how it will turn out in the end.
The familiar is all around you every day. It can snuggle you like that comfy blanket you drape over you when you want to settle down for the evening and have a nice read or watch a favorite show. But settling is not a place to set up shop when you feel God calling you for more.
Do you feel Him calling? If so, seek His face for guidance, ask Him for help, and when He prompts you to, walk forward in faith.
Blessings to you on your journey to break the chains of familiarity.
More Inspirational Articles to Encourage Your Journey:
“Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone”
“You Don’t Need to Know Everything!”
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Please Note: Ads below or referenced on this site are prefabricated and mass-produced (of which I currently have no control over) and DO NOT necessarily represent the views and/or beliefs of this site and its admin.
WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO IN YOUR LIFE IS SO MUCH MORE! “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Resist what is contrary!
Copyright © Word For Life Says.com articles/lessons/worksheets may not be copied or redistributed without the express written permission of WordforLifeSays.com. Please see the COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. Blessings to you.
Please Note: Ads below or referenced on this site are prefabricated and mass-produced (of which I currently have no control over) and DO NOT necessarily represent the views and/or beliefs of this site and its admin.
“Behold, God is mine helper…” Psalm 54:4
Prayer does not have to be hard. Previously, I published an article titled, “God, I need Help” and revisiting that article, I think, ain’t that the truth.
The simplicity of our hearts crying out to our God, is really all it takes. There is no reason to have some convoluted plan to try to “persuade” God (if that’s the way we want to think of it) into hearing and responding to our prayers. As our Heavenly Father, not only does He hear, but He personally concerns Himself with every area of our lives.
Isn’t that a wonderful thought?
But, He doesn’t stop there.
God also gives us more help than we could ever imagine because we are more important to Him than we could ever imagine. And I think this is where many allow their faith or lack thereof to be swayed like a pendulum, swinging between belief and unbelief of just how much God cares for each of us individually.
Swing and sway no more, my friend. Today, let us just focus on trusting God enough to simply ask and believe?
That is really all it boils down to, a simple ask with a simple belief.
David, in the above psalm, after praying, “Save me, O God, by thy name… Hear my prayer, O God” (Psalm 54:1-2), simply says, “God is mine helper.” Do you see the confidence in that statement? Do you see how personally he knew that God was for Him? When others were after him and still others sold him out, David remained assured in his faith that God would see him through every trial and work out what he wasn’t able to. David knew, through past experiences, just to believe God in the midst of whatever he may be facing.
“God is mine helper.” Is that your declaration today? If it’s not, it can be. Don’t overcomplicate your needs, your prayers, and the ability of your God to help. Simply ask. Simply remain confident. Simply believe. And just hold on and let God work it out. God knows what He’s doing.
God is for us more than we could ever imagine. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:6).
Blessings~
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