God's Word on That

Author: Myrna L

  • In the Midst of the Storm

    While studying Acts today, I ran across some truths that we can learn from Paul’s shipwreck incident.

    1. Paul knew from his feelings that disaster was coming. Yet when God speaks a promise to Paul, all that changes. Have faith when God gives you a promise!
    2. God can speak even [or especially] through the storm; we must be ready and listening.
    3. God may run us aground somewhere before He gets us to our final destination, but all will be well. It is probably for the betterment of those around us.
    4. No matter where God puts us, He always gives us support. Get rid of your idea of what a miracle is, and God is free to show you what He can do for you.

    The secret to godliness is: “This is God’s will for me right now”, no matter what is going on, or what it looks like, or if it’s unpleasant to go through.

    We all face storms; and we all have a Companion willing to sail with us.

  • Facing Something Difficult?

    And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened?” (Numbers 11:23) Is anything too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14) You are the Lord, the God of all mankind. Nothing is too hard for You! (Jeremiah 32:27)

    So I will look to You, Lord, and Your strength. I will seek Your face always — at all times – in everything I do (1 Chronicles 16:11). For I remember that You, gracious Father, reward those who diligently seek You (Hebrews 11:6). Those who seek You, Gracious God, lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10). As I first seek Your Kingdom and its needs, all things will be added to me as I need them (Matthew 6:33). My power and ability and sufficiency are from You, God Himself (2 Corinthians 3:5). I give cheerfully and You, my God, make all grace flow to me in abundance, so that in all things at all times, having all sufficiency in all that is needed, I abound to every good work (2 Corinthians 9:7-8).

    Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God both now and forever. Amen! (Revelation 7:12).

    God has created water in the desert before. Nothing is impossible with Our God!

  • Let the Light Shine

    You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

    For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). … To purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good (Titus 2:14).

    For it is God’s will that by doing good works you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men (1 Peter 2:15). So live such good lives among the pagans, that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us (1 Peter 2:12).

    Let His magnificent Light shine through you.

  • A Challenge is Opportunity

    About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God… Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose… But Paul shouted, “We are all here!” (Acts 16:25-28)

    Paul and Silas did not leave their cell because they saw a higher purpose for which they were in prison. How often are we so busy looking for deliverance from our circumstances that we miss God completely? God is looking to do miracles with our challenges, if we will only look for them. Our adverse situations can often be the door of spiritual opportunity for those around us who need it.

    And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

    When God had Paul write this, He meant all things. Therefore in the next challenge you face, tune your spiritual antennae and ask God for discernment to see the real purpose for the adversity.

    Next time you face any adversity, ask God for the reason behind it.

  • Jesus, Our Promise, Our Life

    “Immanuel!” (Matthew 1:23) The name that carries heaven’s assurance that no one who knows and trusts Jesus will ever be without His presence. Jesus is the end of all that is good; the height of all that is life; the depth of all that can be spoken.

    It is because of God that I am in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:30), who has become for me wisdom from God — Jesus is my righteousness, my holiness, and my redemption. Jesus is my Kinsman Redeemer and I owe Him my life.

    A Life of holiness requires us to be able to ask for His promises. Stand on the promise, then; press on and plead the promise – respectfully but continually. Pray not with hope it will be done but with the knowledge it is already done in the spirit realm, and that God will bring it to fruition in the physical realm. Our God is that good!

    The spirit realm is more real than the physical realm. And that’s God’s domain.

  • Jesus, King of Truth

    “Are You the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33) Pilate was only doing his job: protect Roman citizens from uprising, and protect Rome from wanna-be kings. Pilate knew the Jewish leaders had handed Jesus over out of fear of their people. If Rome killed Jesus then the people – who were enamored with Jesus at this time – would blame Rome instead of the Jewish authorities, and all would be happy.

    But Pilate used “king” in terms of a kingdom. “Kingdom” is a weak word, indicating territorial sway or dominion. Jesus wasn’t talking about a set of geographical miles that made up His area of authority. “Kingship” on the other hand is a quality of being, of having authority that centers around Him and in Him, not the land it holds. The “world” is the devil’s domain, the earthly realm. Jesus is king not of this world, but of everything not of this world. His kingship is over all truth and holds all things together. (Colossians 1:17)

    “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19). Pilate had the sign made mostly to annoy the Jewish leaders, and to implicate them in Jesus’ death. But God guided him to write truth. Which is only fitting for the One who came to testify to the truth. (John 18:37) Let us also testify to God’s truth by the way we live our lives.

    For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth (2 Corinthians 13:8).

    We should be beacons of truth in a weary and dismal world.

  • Wash My Feet, Lord

    When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, Peter – who knew how high above humanity Jesus, the Son of God, was – tried to refuse. But Jesus wasn’t interested in hygiene as much as holiness. (John 13:8-10) Like Peter, we need to know there is a difference between the washing of regeneration and washing for continued fellowship. Our daily contact with evil all around us causes dust of defilement to settle upon us, so the mirror of our conscience is dimmed and the spiritual affections of our hearts are dulled. The initial cleansing of baptism cannot be canceled, and does not need repeating. But we must review our daily walk and clean away the grime of the journey.

    Jesus points out that without obedience (John 14:15), there is no meaning to any virtue (John 15:4). In our spiritual life, a man who has been cleansed from sin need not think all is lost when he sins in his walk through life. He need only confess that sin to be entirely clean again. (1 John 1:9) But remember: sin cannot be forgiven if it is not specifically confessed.

    Let us ask daily for His cleansing Spirit.

  • A Prayer to God for His People

    Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our fathers. May He never leave us nor forsake us. May He turn our hearts to Him to walk in all His ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations He gave our fathers. And may these words of mine which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may uphold the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel [and of His Church] according to each day’s need so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. (1 Kings 8:56-60)

    May my God supply all that you need from His glorious resources in Christ Jesus. And may glory be to our God and our Father for ever and ever, amen! (Philippians 4:19-20)

    There is but one God in this universe… And He cares for you.

  • Faith and Obedience

    Faith and obedience are the two legs with which a Christian walks. Promises which strength our faith and prompt our obedience also enforce our pleas and prayers. Faith confidently expects the fulfillment of the divine word. Obedience is not only a virtue of high importance, it is also the supreme test of faith.

    Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is the faithful God who for a thousand generations keeps His promises and constantly loves those who love Him and who obey His commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

    You need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised (Hebrews 10:36). Let us then hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

    Faith can make miracles happen. Never underestimate the power of His promise.

  • Our Gracious God

    God never stops fulfilling His promises as long as we keep pleading them by faith to cover our needs.

    2 Kings 4:1-7 explains this beautifully. Elisha told the woman to ask for empty jars from her neighbors. “Not just a few” he specifically stated, giving the lower limit but no boundaries on the upper limit. And told her to shut the door to keep out non-helpful wagging tongues that could speak against miracles and cut if off. The oil stopped flowing when all the jars were full. Just like the feeding of the five thousand – when all were full, then the miracle ends.

    The woman only asked for the debt to be paid, but God gave her enough to let them live off the money till the boys grew up. That is a wonderful picture of our generous God!

    On any divine promise we can hang time and eternity, and rely on God to fulfill to the limit any of those promises we claim.

    When God gives, it is always more than enough.