We Can Trust Him
Have you ever looked up to heaven and asked God, “Why?” Perhaps you lost a loved one or suffered from a tragedy or abuse. Maybe you made a poor decision and had to reap the consequences of it. Whatever happened, the pain was real.
I remember being at the doctor’s office with my mother after my father’s heart attack. The doctor gave a very short timeline for my father’s life. I was the one shaken while my mother boldly declared to me, “I do not believe that.” Her faith made all the difference for my father and me too! Honestly, I felt helpless, like the wind was taken out of my sail. This was my father, not some stranger. My tiny mustard seed of faith met a divine opportunity that day. I thank Jesus that He is the “Author and Finisher” of our faith (See Hebrews 12:2). He made a way for each of us to live a faith-filled life.
The writer of Hebrews shared another amazing fact about Jesus,
“For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:16-18 ESV).
Jesus loves us! He “shows up” to provide what we need when we need it. That day in the doctor’s office with my mom, I needed Him. His grace saw us through. Because Jesus suffered, He is well able to help us through any trial, at any given time. He cared enough to become like us and paid the price for our sins. His faithfulness paved the way for our redemption. My finite understanding cannot figure out “why” Jesus loved us enough to become like us. “Why” He did this for us and not the angels. Why? Why? Why? We may never know the answers on this side of eternity.
What we do know is that we can trust that His “love never fails.” We can take Him at His Word. We can watch His mercy and grace in action every day. We can follow His path of obedience in our lives. We can trust that He is able to help us through any and everything.
My precious father lived many years past the doctor’s prediction. There was a convergence between heaven and medical breakthrough. I am grateful that I got to witness my mom taking a posture of faith and see the fruit of it. I am also grateful that God is mindful of us! Everything we read in the Gospels confirms His great love for us. He paid the redemption price for us. He suffered for us. He kept His eye on the prize, US! He cared enough to send His own Son to die on the cross for us. Jesus paid the price for my father’s healing. Oh what a mighty God we serve!
Let’s pray. We thank You Lord for all that You suffered for us. Thank You for demonstrating obedience for us. Thank You for paying the ultimate price for the propitiation of our sins. We love You. May we yield to the work of Your Holy Spirit to conform us to Your image, in the name of Jesus, Amen!
Is Anything too Hard for God? – Streams in the Desert – November 5
- 20225 Nov
Is there anything too hard for Jehovah? (Genesis 18:14).
Here is God’s loving challenge to you and to me today. He wants us to think of the deepest, highest, worthiest desire and longing of our hearts, something which perhaps was our desire for ourselves or for someone dear to us, yet which has been so long unfulfilled that we have looked upon it as only a lost desire, that which might have been but now cannot be, and so have given up hope of seeing it fulfilled in this life.
That thing, if it is in line with what we know to be His expressed will (as a son to Abraham and Sarah was), God intends to do for us, even if we know that it is of such utter impossibility that we only laugh at the absurdity of anyone’s supposing it could ever now come to pass. That thing God intends to do for us, if we will let Him.
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Not when we believe in Him enough to go forward and do His will, and let Him do the impossible for us. Even Abraham and Sarah could have blocked God’s plan if they had continued to disbelieve.
The only thing too hard for Jehovah is deliberate, continued disbelief in His love and power, and our final rejection of His plans for us. Nothing is too hard for Jehovah to do for them that trust Him
–Messages for the Morning Watch
Waybread
From: Today Devotions
SCRIPTURE READING — EXODUS 12:37-39
The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.
Perhaps you have read or heard of The Lord of the Rings stories by J.R.R. Tolkien. Maybe you have also seen the movies. In these stories, a group of friends takes a long journey to destroy a magic ring that is packed with evil power. Their journey is difficult and dangerous.
To sustain them on their journey, the friends are given a special food called lembas, also described as “waybread.” It is simple and compact, and it supplies more energy than the travelers would expect.
When the Israelites were about to leave Egypt, God told them to make unleavened bread. This bread was made without yeast so that the people would not have to wait for it to rise. It was flat and compact, and it would give them energy for their long journey ahead. The uniqueness of this bread would continue to remind the people that God would take care of them.
These stories remind me of the Lord’s Supper. The food and drink are very simple, but they remind us of God’s power, which is far greater than we might expect. Jesus told us to eat this meal in memory of him because we need spiritual sustenance for the journey of the Christian life, which can be difficult and dangerous. This meal strengthens us spiritually, reminding us that God is near and will see us through.
Lord, you know that our life journey can be dangerous. Thank you for drawing near to us and sustaining us. Amen.
Today’s Devotions
November 5
Psalms 141:3-5 3Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. 4Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies. 5Let a righteous man strike me–it is a kindness; let him rebuke me–it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers,
This could be our daily prayer. Our mouth seems to be the most likely member to join in with the sin of others. It is most likely to express any evil in our own heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When we hear someone slandering a person who has caused us harm, or whose ideas and goals are different from ours, our tendency is to jump right in and join in the slander. James teaches that if we can control our tongue, we can control our whole body. We need the Holy Spirit to be the guard over our mouths, to keep the door of our lips sealed, unless we can speak words that build up and encourage. (Ephesians 4:29) Our world is full of slander and complaints. Let us be a voice of encouragement and praise.
David prayed his heart would not be drawn toward evil. After his fall with Bathsheba, he no longer trusted his own heart. Do you realize how easily your heart can be drawn to evil? It is always there to entice us with a lie. It offers us a delicacy, but that delicacy will take us further than we want to go and cost us more than we want to pay. This is similar to the Lord’s Prayer when He prayed, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One.”
We need the blows of a friend to wake us up when our mouth or desires are out of control. True friends love you enough to warn and correct you. Fair weather friends will never confront you. A true friend will risk the friendship to tell you the truth. Receive it like anointing oil. Don’t be offended!
In the last line David does not pray against people, but against their evil deeds. Those deeds cause pain and suffering in others’ lives. Our battle is not against people who have fallen for the delicacies offered by Satan, or we may find ourselves praying against ourselves. It is against the actions that lead to destruction.
Prayer: Lord, guard our mouths; keep our hearts from evil, and help us to accept a righteous rebuke.