Mar 25 2022

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.

In this verse from Romans, Paul tells us that in every circumstance, the good and the bad, God is working for the good. Nothing can thwart His plans or His goodness to us. This gives us confidence when we are facing something very challenging as well as hope that will help us remain strong in the midst.

Have you ever questioned why God allowed something painful to happen in your life? There have been times in my life when it seemed like a circumstance was designed to wound me where it hurt the most! However, as I look back on what happened, I am able to see how God used those events to draw me closer to Him. Even though I can't explain why certain things happened, I can tell you how God redeemed them in my heart.

Believing that there is redemption on the other side, as this verse promises, helps us not lose our faith in the midst. There are many examples of Biblical figures who struggled to understand why God allowed suffering. Among them are Job, King David, John the Baptist, and many others. We have the full story; we see how Job was redeemed with many children, how King David ascended to the throne and ruled powerfully, and how John the Baptist successfully fulfilled his duty as a messenger preparing the way for the Lord. However, none of them knew how these events would play out in the long run. They had to act on faith and trust God in the midst.

Indeed, this verse from Romans is ultimately a call to trust God. We cannot always see what good will come from something that is painful and upsetting. However, we know the character of the God we serve. The Lord loves us and is all-powerful. Nothing that happens to us will ever compromise His love for us. Even in the midst of suffering, we can cling to the hope that He provides.

Dear Lord, I am so grateful that you are a good and loving God. Help me to draw near to you in times of suffering and pain. I want all the possible good to come out of them. I want to get closer and closer to you with each passing day. In Jesus's name, amen.

Mar 24 2022

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.:

This verse from Isaiah gives us hope. It contains several promises from God that we can take hold of wherever we are in our lives. God promises to always be with us, to strengthen us, and to uphold us. Today, we will look at each of these three promises to understand what they mean for our lives.

The first promise that the Lord gives Isaiah is that He will be with the Israelites. This remains true for us today. In every circumstance and in every situation, we know that the Lord is with us. He will never leave us. Knowing that we will never be forsaken by the Lord helps us to not be afraid. It reminds us that we are always in God's protection and that nothing will happen to us without His consent. Because He is near to us, we have no reason to be afraid.

The next promise is that the Lord will strengthen us. Have you ever felt like you were at the end of yourself? I know I have. Sometimes it seems hard to carry on, especially when life becomes very difficult. However, in this verse from Isaiah, the Lord has promised that He will strengthen us. He will help us continue doing right, even when it seems impossible. In our weakness, He shows us His strength. We can have confidence that if we ask for strength, the Lord will give it to us. We know that when we call out to the Lord, He will give us exactly what we need to carry on and accomplish his will.

His final promise in this verse is that He will uphold us with the right hand of His righteousness. This means we will continue to be covered by the salvation He has given each of us. Our sins have been taken care of once and for all by Jesus on the cross, and we will continue to be held in His salvation because of His promises. Nothing we do can separate us from the Lord.

These three promises show us that the Lord is dependable in all circumstances. We do not have to be afraid because we serve a God who is faithful. He loves us and will never never leave us or forsake us.

Dear Lord, thank you for these three promises that we have in Isaiah. Thank you for being a faithful God. Nothing can stop your faithfulness or your love for me. Help me to rest in these promises when my heart becomes fearful. I love you, Lord, and I thank you for all that you have done for me and your people. In Jesus's name, amen.


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