Category: God’s Promises

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Quiet Streams

I’m still camping spiritually this morning. Yesterday, I showed you the tent that I call home while on this earth. And this morning I want you to see the camp site.

It’s beautiful. Lush green pastures beside a quiet stream.

I can lay down in the lush green meadow grass after I’ve eaten my fill and rest. Then I can rise and walk to the edge of the stream to drink from the cool, refreshing water. Oh yes, it’s a beautiful site.

A place where all worries and fears can be handled by the Shepherd.

“The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. 2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.” Psalm 23:1-2 AMPC

What is it I came here wanting, needing? Peace, hope, rest for my weariness, confidence, security, help, wisdom…

“ And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 AMPC

“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.” James 1:5 AMPC

“Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].” Hebrews 4:16 AMPC

“A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.” Proverbs 16:9 AMPC

Today, September 11th, is a hard day for many of us. A day of remembrance, a day we will never forget. Or maybe today is just another day, like so many recently, that is filled with moments over an unknown future.

“ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

He is worthy of all our praise because He has done and is doing great and mighty things on our behalf.

Join me at the campsite the Lord has led me too. Join me in green pastures, beside still waters and find rest for your soul.

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Labor to Rest

Do you know that Labor Day was God’s idea? You didn’t? Let me explain.

All through Scripture the Lord has given us instruction to rest. It started in the Garden of Eden. “And on the 7th day, God rested.”

When the children of Israel left Egypt, they needed rest. They had been enslaved for 400 years, making bricks, under the rule of a cruel pharaoh and his task masters. When they crossed the Red Sea and started toward the Promised Land one of the first things God did was given them a set of rules which would make life easier.

Love the Lord with all their heart. Don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t covet, don’t commit adultery. And honor the Sabbath – rest! God rested and so should they. Rest was an outward sign of an inward trust. It was a sign of putting God first, a day set aside to focus on Him and all He had done for them.

The writer of the book of Hebrews said they failed.

“We should do our best to enter the place of rest, so none of us will disobey and miss going there, as they did. 12 God’s word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. 13  Nothing is hidden from God! He sees through everything…14 We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. This is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4 CEV

The Israelites failed to believe God’s message. He promised to be their provider, their defender, their God but they chose to make gods of gold. When He showed them the fruitful land He had for them, they choose to look at the giants and backed away in fear. They didn’t rest in who God is and what He had promised.

Hebrews tells us that Jesus understands every one of our weaknesses – our fears and our failings. But we aren’t left to be overcome by our circumstances. No! Instead, we are told to come bravely and find help, we are told to come and rest in who God is.

It takes work to rest. We have to develop strong faith, not in ourselves, but in God and His word. Instead of seeing the giants, we need to trust the promise of provision. We work to make God’s word come alive in our lives.

Jesus said this: “Come to Me, all of you who work and have heavy loads. I will give you rest. 29 Follow My teachings and learn from Me. I am gentle and do not have pride. You will have rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 NLV

We learn from Him; follow His teachings and we will have rest!

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Why Worry?

There’s a whole lot of life that needs to be lived and the Father wants it to be free from worry!

Years back, many years ago, I read a book written by a very successful and innovative American businessman, Jon Huntsman. He wrote a book, “Winners Never Cheat”. I still have it in my library of influential books.

Anyway, Mr. Huntsman, had challenges in his business, like all successful businesses, and opportunities for worry. He said he had a box, a worry box on his desk, and anytime he was presented with one of those opportunities he wrote down and put it in the box and released the pressure of worry. He opened the box once a week and amazingly many of the notes were no longer an issue. They had resolved without his worry or stress. The ones that were still a concern, he left in the box.

Such a simplistic approach to problem solving. But Biblical! Mr. Huntsman was a man who trusted God.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLV

“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 NLV

“ Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” I Peter 5:7 NLV

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?…30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:25-33 NLV

Maybe, just maybe, we should follow Mr. Huntsman’s example and make a worry box. Write down our concerns, large and small, open the lid, put the “worry” to rest and close the lid.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLV

God has a much better capacity for handling challenges successfully than we ever will. Afterall, He knows all our needs before we do and He has promised to never leave us or abandon us.

Why worry?

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No Matter Where

I love how you can see God’s work all around – each day there are new reminders of His amazing love. The songs of the birds at the ocean are different from the ones in the desert but they are sweet just the same.

The sound of the waves coming to the shore is as exciting as the sight of the sunrise or sunset that captivate me each day at home.

The earth is truly filled with the glory of God!

“The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. 2 Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. 3 They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. 4 Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world. In the heavens a tent is set up for the sun. 5 It rises like a bridegroom and gets ready like a hero eager to run a race. 6 It travels all the way across the sky. Nothing hides from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people. 8 The Lord’s instruction is right; it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light. 9 Worshiping the Lord is sacred; he will always be worshiped. All of his decisions are correct and fair.

10 They are worth more than the finest gold and are sweeter than honey from a honeycomb. 11 By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. 12 None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sinwithout knowing it.

13 Don’t let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault.” 14 Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, Lord, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.” Psalm 27 CEV

May your day be filled with seeing the Lord’s majesty and filling your heart with wonder, No matter where you are!

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Learning from a New Source

I am thankful for God’s love and strength today. Each morning when I get up, hear the birds singing and see the dawn I am grateful. Yesterday another one of God’s creatures reminded me of the Father’s faithfulness. He was just swimming in the harbor. He wasn’t distressed or anxious over the events of the day. He just swam by to say hello. All of creation has its own way of seeing God provide.

In my reading I was confronted with the strength we have been given to live the Christian life. We can’t do it on our own, but we are able to live this life victoriously through Christ because He has promised to be our provider of all that we need to be victorious.

“He gives us everything we need for life and for holy living. He gives it through His great power. As we come to know Him better, we learn that He called us to share His own shining-greatness and perfect life. 4 Through His shining-greatness and perfect life, He has given us promises. These promises are of great worth and no amount of money can buy them. Through these promises you can have God’s own life in you now that you have gotten away from the sinful things of the world which came from wrong desires of the flesh.” II Peter 1:3-4 NLV

“Now you are wearing a new life, a life that is new every day. You are growing in your understanding of the one who made you. You are becoming more and more like him. 11 In this new life it doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, circumcised or not. It doesn’t matter if you speak a different language or even if you are a Scythian. It doesn’t matter if you are a slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and he is in all of you.

12 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you. 14 Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:8-14 ERV

Hold your temper, be humble, show mercy and forgive quickly. Not easy things to do but since Christ lives in us we can draw on His strength and find it more than enough for each day.

He has given us this new life and has equipped us with all we need.

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Don’t Rush – Rest!

How often have we all driven down the highway and seen those signs, “Rest Stop Ahead”? Most of us just keep driving. But it’s important to rest!

So many things vie for our attention. Demands come from career, from family, from current events and also from our own desires. Things happen so quickly it seems and we are caught up in another crisis and if not a crisis, just caught up in life. When life gets hectic like this, we react to circumstances instead of planning a course of action.

There’s no peace in that!

And if there’s no peace then we also know that we haven’t given the Lord permission to direct our steps. We need to be led by His Spirit so that we make wise and deliberate decisions; decisions that bring peace and joy.

I encourage you to stay focused today. Focused on God’s word and His promises.

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you. 4 So trust the Lord always, because in the Lord Yah you have a place of safety forever.” Isaiah 26:3-4 ERV

The Apostle Paul was giving final instruction to the christians in Rome and this was his instruction.

“I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.” Romans 15:13 ERV

Check your heart in every situation. Are you at peace or is there turmoil? If there’s peace, then proceed and trust the Lord’s leading. If not, then wait – pray and don’t be in rush!

“You, Lord, are all I want! You are my choice, and you keep me safe. 6 You make my life pleasant, and my future is bright. 7 I praise you, Lord, for being my guide. Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind. 8 I will always look to you, as you stand beside me and protect me from fear. 9 With all my heart, I will celebrate, and I can safely rest.” Psalm 16:5-9 CEV

“Wait for the Lord’s help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help.” Psalm 27:14 ERV

Enjoy your day and let the peace of God which bypasses our understanding guard your heart!

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Memory Loss

Last night Dave and I slept on our living room floor not because we didn’t remember where the bedroom was but because our mattress has lost its memory.

You see, we have a memory foam mattress but it isn’t as effective as it once was so we purchased a new one. However, the new mattress needs 48 hours to come to its full efficiency. So, we put the old mattress on the living room floor and slept there for the night.

It seems the Lord uses all my little daily nuances as teaching tools and this mattress was no different.

How many times do we let our memory of God’s goodness, His love and provision slip?

“ Do not act like the sinful people of the world. Let God change your life. First of all, let Him give you a new mind. Then you will know what God wants you to do. And the things you do will be good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NLV

“Let your minds and hearts be made new. 24 You must become a new person and be God-like. Then you will be made right with God and have a true holy life.” Ephesians 4:23-24 NLV

Our instruction is to have our minds, our memory, conformed to God’s goodness.

“ I have looked for You with all my heart. Do not let me turn from Your Law. 11 Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” Psalm 119:10-11 NLV

The Lord told Joshua: “ Only be strong and have much strength of heart. Be careful to obey all the Law which My servant Moses told you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left. Then all will go well with you everywhere you go. 8 This book of the Law must not leave your mouth. Think about it day and night, so you may be careful to do all that is written in it. Then all will go well with you. You will receive many good things. 9 Have I not told you? Be strong and have strength of heart! Do not be afraid or lose faith. For the Lord your God is with you anywhere you go.” Joshua 1:7-9 NLV

Joshua’s memory, his heart, was to be set on all that God had promised then he would be strong, courageous and successful.

In one of Jesus’ last acts on earth, He celebrated Passover with His disciples and said this to them: “Then he took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke off some pieces, gave them to the apostles and said, “This bread is my body that I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me.” 20 In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup of wine and said, “This wine represents the new agreement from God to his people. It will begin when my blood is poured out for you.” Luke 22:19-20 ERV

This old mattress is leaning up against a counter right in front of me. Its memory no longer conforms to us. I pray that my memory of God’s promises remains strong, conforming me to the image of Christ.

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More Promises

A reminder from the Father this morning. We are to not only read His Word but believe it! When we do, it will change our lives completely. The Word, which is another name for Jesus, is alive and powerful and transforming.

And here I am with another song filling my heart!

 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King!
Through eternal ages let His praises ring.
“Glory in the highest!” I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail!
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

This song, “Standing on the Promises of God” was written in 1886. But it is relevant for every generation. We are surrounded by a society of half-truths, innuendoes, distortion and bald-faced lies that we become skeptical to what we read and hear. However, there is one source we should never doubt and that is the word of God.

“I write this letter to you who believe in the Son of God. I write so that you will know that you have eternal life now. 14 We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. 15 He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.” I John 5:13-15 ERV

“God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations. 19 Abraham’s faith never became weak, not even when he was nearly a hundred years old. He knew that he was almost dead and that his wife Sarah could not have children. 20 But Abraham never doubted or questioned God’s promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave all the credit to God. 21 Abraham was certain that God could do what he had promised. 22 So God accepted him, 23 just as we read in the Scriptures. But these words were not written only for Abraham. 24 They were written for us, since we will also be accepted because of our faith in God, who raised our Lord Jesus to life. 25 God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God.” Romans 4:18-25 CEV

I’ve often said that I think God’s word can be summed up in two verses:

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change.
If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then “he will do what he promised.” Numbers 23:19 ERV

“ The yes to all of God’s promises is in Christ. And that is why we say “Amen” through Christ to the glory of God.” II Corinthians 1:20 ERV

Believe God’s Word – Don’t Doubt – Don’t Give Up! God’s word WILL come to pass, He CAN’T lie. God’s word has more promises than we can count!

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It Is Finished

When I went to bed last night the words of this song came to mind:

It is finished, the battle is over
It is finished, there’ll be no more war
It is finished, the end of the conflict
It is finished and Jesus is Lord

Yet in my heart, the battle was still raging
Not all prisoners of war had come home

These were battlefields of my own making
I didn’t know that the war had been won

Oh, but then I heard the king of the ages
He had fought all the battles for me
And the victory, victory is mine for the claiming
And now praise His name, I am free

It is finished, the battle is over
It is finished, there’ll be no more war
It is finished, the end of the conflict
It is finished and Jesus is Lord,

When Jesus said those very words on the cross all the angels in heaven and demons in hell knew what He was saying:

“A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:29-30 NLT

Jesus was talking about the work He had been sent to do, reconciling God and man, paying the price for sin, bringing salvation to all. He was talking about sin’s authority in our lives. It is finished – our lives being subject to fear, sin, sickness and separation.

“ He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” I John 2:2 NLT

“The fact is, it was our suffering he took on himself; he bore our pain. But we thought that God was punishing him, that God was beating him for something he did. 5 But he was being punished for what we did. He was crushed because of our guilt. He took the punishment we deserved, and this brought us peace. We were healed because of his pain. 6 We had all wandered away like sheep. We had gone our own way. And yet the Lord put all our guilt on him.” Isaiah 53:4-6 ERV

It is finished – the condemnation and shame.

“ So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 NLT

“‘Don’t be afraid. I saved you. I named you. You are mine. 2 When you have troubles, I am with you. When you cross rivers, you will not be hurt. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not hurt you. 3 That’s because I, the Lord, am your God. I, the Holy One of Israel, am your Savior. ‘” Isaiah 43:1-3 ERV

I want to assure you, I want you to have confidence in what Christ did for each of us on the cross.

“ So be humble under God’s powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes. 7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:6-7 ERV

God has provided all we need to live victoriously in this life. The enemy’s power has been broken.

It is finished!

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Don’t Be Discouraged

Wow! That’s easier said than done, right?

I read something the other day that said, “God is never late. He doesn’t wear a watch but He’s always right on time”.

We have our set schedule, our time frame and expectations on how things should be done and how long it should take but rarely, is that the same time frame that God uses. He wants us living in the moment, in His presence, regardless of the circumstances.

We used to sing a hymn, nearly every Sunday evening. Our church let people request the songs we sang those evenings and inevitably someone would request “What A Friend We Have in Jesus”. And then they would share a testimony of God’s faithfulness and provision. I particularly like verses two and three.

“Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there.” verses 2 & 3 of What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Joseph Scriven

Never be discouraged – take it to the Lord in prayer. Listen to these words that the Lord spoke in the Old Testament to Joshua and Isaiah.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NLT

“Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the Lord is going to do this to all of your enemies.” Joshua 10:25NLT

“Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side!” II Chronicles 32:7 NLT

No matter the circumstances, no matter the obstacles, no matter the enemy we have God’s promise to never leave us or abandon us. Keeping our hearts set on this promise will keep us from being afraid or discouraged.


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