Tag: faith

The Faith That Results in Perfect Peace

 

Text:

Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)
3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Observation:

Trust in God is essential for God’s people of every age; notice these verses from the Old and the New Testament.

Isaiah 12:2 (ESV)
2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Here is the Goodnews for God’s people; those who trust in Him, He will keep them in perfect peace.

Where is your mind; on your problems or on your provider? The hymn writer encourages me to trust Him more.

“Simply trusting every day;

Trusting through a stormy way;

Even when my faith is small,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.”

Prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I thank You for the gift of faith that allows me to trust in You; and, to trust in Jesus all of the days of my life. O for grace to trust You more. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

“I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end.”

 

Source: https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/568

 

What Does It Take to Go the Distance?

 

Text:

Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Observation:

The key word for today’s meditation is “perseverance”. It involves tenacity, which is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with faith.

What is faith? The Bible says this about faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 

This is the faith that believes in the absolute certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. It is this type of faith that pleases God. This type of faith please God because it comes from a heart that has heard God speak through the Spirit.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 

Everything that you can see with your eyes is perishing; the things that will last forever are invisible.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (ESV)
9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 

Prayer:

Father God, help us, by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, to walk boldly in the footsteps of Jesus, led by the Spirit of God, and serve faithfully and tirelessly until You call us home.

Father, help us to keep the faith, and finish the race. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

 

Daily Bread

Title: Why I Love the Lord

Text:

Psalm 116:1-4 (ESV)
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”

Observation:

In this Psalm the Psalmist expresses the faith and the confidence that every child of God can identify with who has put their trust in the Lord. In this Psalm he indicates that he could not trust in himself, and that he could not trust in others.

Psalm 116:3 (ESV)
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.

Psalm 116:11 (ESV)
11 I said in my alarm, “All mankind are liars.”

Have you ever felt like the Psalmist in his view about himself and others? Yes, life is hard down here. A lady told me the other day; “It’s not the world, it’s the people”. However, in the midst of all that the Psalmist experienced in his life, he never lost hope because he trusted in the Lord. He found hope and help by trusting in God, and calling upon the Lord in prayer.

It is comforting to the heart and uplifting to the soul to know that there is a God in heaven who hears and answers prayer. I join the Psalmist, and agree that the Lord is faithful.

Psalm 116:1 (ESV)
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.

In view of the Lord’s faithfulness and His unconditional love, I will remember to call upon His name in prayer, and take everything to the Lord in prayer. I am so glad that I serve a God in whom I can trust.

Psalm 116:2 (ESV)
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

Prayers don’t have to be long to be effective; this is the prayer of the psalmist.

Psalm 116:4 (ESV)
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”

Prayer:

O Lord, help me to be the man You purposed me to be. Amen.

Daily Bread

Title: The Potential and Power of Prayer

Text:

Philippians 4:6-7 (HCSB)
6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Observation:

We only have to look at the life and ministry of Jesus to see the importance he attached to prayer. The scripture records numerous instances where Jesus prayed. I ask myself the question, If Jesus had to pray, then what about me?

Mark 1:35 (HCSB)
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there.

I believe that we do ourselves the most good when we saturate our prayers with praise and thanksgiving to God. I have also discovered that praying for others more than we pray for ourselves also results in getting my needs met without me even asking. However, we should not neglect praying for ourselves because Jesus prayed for himself. Notice how Jesus set the example for prayer in John chapter 17.

John 17:1-5 (HCSB)
1 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You,
2 for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him.
3 This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.
4 I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.
5 Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world existed.

Prayer is the means that God has provided for His people to communicate with Him. It is through prayer and the Word of God that God’s people are able to align our will with God’s will. It is the means by which we get the power to fulfill our purpose, and reach our potential.

Who wouldn’t want to exchange worry for the peace of God? You can have it when you pray; Prayer is the key to God’s storehouse. There is no scarcity in God’s storehouse; nothing you need is ever out of stock.

“What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!”

Source:

http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn.php/h/789#ixzz2bByM6HRr

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father,  I extol You, my God, O King, I bless Your name, and give You the praise that You alone are worthy of.

Father God, I am so grateful for the potential and the power of prayer. Father, Your love is so amazing, and Your cup of grace, mercy and forgiveness is bottomless.

Father God, I will bless Your name forever and ever; every day I will bless You, and never cease to cast all my cares upon You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.