Who Do You Trust?

Who Do You Trust?

Thus says the Lord,

“Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind, making [weak, faulty human] flesh his strength, and whose mind and heart turn away from the Lord. For he will be like a shrub in the [parched] desert; and shall not see prosperity when it comes, but shall live in the rocky places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord. For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out its roots by the river; and will not fear the heat when it comes; but its leaves will be green and moist. And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought nor stop bearing fruit." (Jeremiah 17:5‭-‬8, AMP)

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember and trust in the name of the Lord our God." (Psalms 20:7, AMP)

"Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-‬7, AMP)

Trust in God

The Inevitable Storms of Life

The Inevitable Storms of Life

"But now, this is what the Lord , your Creator says, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you [from captivity]; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you." (Isaiah 43:1-2, AMP) 

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]." (John 16:33, AMP)

There are uncertainties and challenges in life. Experiencing reduced functionality with age, unforeseen challenges, the vagaries of the weather, the irresponsibility, self-centredness and inconsiderate behaviour of certain individuals, among other things is inevitable. Life can be tough at times. That is just the way it is. Storms come and go; some linger longer than others but irrespective of how long they hang around, one thing is sure, God is with us in the storms. In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus was crossing the Sea of Galilee with his disciples in a boat. During the journey, a windstorm arose causing water to fill the boat, but Jesus was asleep. The disciples panicked, woke up Jesus and asked Him whether He did not care that they were perishing. Their outburst smelled of fear of death. Jesus calmly "rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace , be still'" (v. 39). Jesus was in control then and is still in control today.

God spoke through Isaiah the prophet saying that through waters, rivers and fires, He would be with the children of Israel. God has not changed and has said He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). God does not necessarily remove us from storms or challenges but He stays with us through the trouble. He delivers us from the storms while we are in them. That is powerful!

What storm are you experiencing or going through today? It is true that some troubles are self-inflicted but for the one who walks with the Lord every minute of the day, God has everything in control. It is fair to say that Jesus knew that a storm was coming when He entered the boat but He was not perturbed. He went to sleep on a pillow. After He awoke from sleep and commanded the wind to be still, Jesus said, "... “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40, NKJV)

So, what was Jesus really saying? That they should have realized that God the Son and the Son of God was with them in the boat and there was no way the boat was going to capsize with Him in it. Jesus was not asking them to have faith in themselves but in Him, the Creator of the universe. Where is your faith? Do you really trust Jesus to take care of you? Are you drawing closer to Jesus? You see the issue is not the storm but faith in the One who has power over the storms and is with you 24/7. No wonder God told Israel through Isaiah the prophet that when they go through the waters and the rivers, they will not be overwhelmed for He would be with them. Do you believe that God is with you? 

Remember that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) implying that you have the peace of God with you wherever you go. Do not fear, do not be afraid for God has your back. God did not use the conjunction 'if', rather He used the conjunction 'when'. It is true that we do not know when storms will come but we can prepare for them. Jesus told the parable of the two men who built houses, one on the rock and the other on the sand in Matthew 7:24-27. The one who was wise built on the rock while the one who was foolish built on the sand. If the storms did not come, the two houses would have been standing. The test is in the storm not outside it. The wise man anticipated the rain, the floods and the wind but the foolish man refused to consider that possibility. Wishful thinking is a poor foundation for life whereas biblical thinking is what forges forward and anticipates danger ahead. The biblical thinker thinks in the manner God would, he or she sees the invisible, comprehends complexities and finds solutions for the seemingly incomprehensible or unfathomable. That is because the biblical thinker meditates on the Word of God after reading and studying it. The one who is rooted in God's Word is not shaken by the storms of life but is strong in the midst of the storm because Jesus is with him or her. Hallelujah!

The one who stands upon the Word of God always ends up with a powerful testimony whether in life or in death. Such an individual is not afraid of the storm because he or she can say without a shadow of doubt:

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39, NKJV). Oh, glory to God! Such a person can say with conviction:

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

My dear brethren, whether you are going through a storm right now or are about to experience one, take heart for there is nothing to fear. God is for you and with you. Remember He has seen the end for He knows the end from the beginning. He will provide a way through like when the children of Israel went through the Red Sea. You are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus and He will keep you, guide you, protect you and provide for you. 

 So rejoice, be glad for the storm will eventually go away. "Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]." (Proverbs 3:5-6 , AMP)

Have a blessed day.

Our Ultimate Need

Our Ultimate Need

"But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also. 'But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:33-34, AMP)

"But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, AMP)

The dictionary meaning of the word, 'ultimate' is:

1. the best achievable or imaginable of its kind.
2. a final or fundamental fact or principle.

In other words our ultimate need connotes the idea that we are engrossed with the very best, the most fundamental, without which nothing moves and from which all else emanates. This is extraordinary. This is why I am fascinated by Matthew 6:33 and I praise God for that powerful verse of Scripture. Jesus knows us inside out, upside down and He was fully aware that distractions will come, challenges will arise, and responsibilities will call for our attention.  In fact in Matthew 6: 32, Jesus said, "For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them." (AMP). God knows what we need, for nothing takes Him by surprise. After all, He created us. 

Jesus pointed His disciples to the essence of existence - seeking first, not second or third the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He went on in John 15:5 to say, "I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing."

Very often we act as if God is ignorant of our needs; we give excuses for not attending Bible Study, Prayer Meeting or Sunday Service. We feel that we can fix our needs; when we go to church, our main objective is for one need or the other to be met or provided. And we forget that our ultimate need is Jesus. Without Jesus, we can do absolutely nothing - be it at our place of work, at home, on the streets, while we are walking or driving, whether we are awake or asleep or involved in other things or activities. The bottom line is that if Jesus is not in what we are doing, then our efforts are wasted, energy is expended unprofitably and even when our activities attract the applause of men, they amount to nothing with regards to the Kingdom economy. Someone described the above state of affairs thus: 'Flapping wings but not flying; gyrating but not moving; expending energy but not doing any work; making sounds which are incoherent; exerting effort but obtaining no fruit; always striving but never achieving'.

Our lives are designed for much better and the Bible says, "For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:3-4, AMP). Everything needed for life and godliness has been provided by God and these are obtained via true and personal knowledge of Him. The tendency to emphasise the temporal over the eternal is a ploy from the pit of hell. That is exactly what the devil deceived Adam and Eve to do in the garden of Eden. God gave them everything but they lost it when their attention was drawn away from God through carnal desire, through the accentuation of the senses, the amplification of feelings and the lustful desire for sensationalism. Sensationalism always leads to compromise and compromise leads to death in the spiritual realm. Adam and Eve lost their fellowship with God, were contaminated with sin and expelled from the garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve exchanged their God-given desires for what was basically founded upon the unstable soil of sin. Whenever we cease to do what is right and embark upon actions that are not God-centred, we sin (James 4:17). Their eyes strayed, their minds became tainted with ungodly thoughts and consequently their actions proved fatal. May God help us in the Name of Jesus. 

This brings me to an aspect of our Christian life that so very often leads to a misinterpretation of God's plans and purposes. God is omnipotent and wherever He is, His power is present for signs and wonders. Yet we should not forget that God is sovereign and He decides what will happen, when and where it would happen. God brings forth His power amongst those who seek Him diligently, whose desire it is to glorify His Name, and who want to be His witnesses in the world we live in today. The disciples met in the upper room in accordance with the commands of Jesus, "Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high." (Luke 24:49). The power was not manufactured by the disciples. It came from God but they had to remain or tarry in the city of Jerusalem. They had to wait upon God because God was the Source of their needs. What they needed was power from on high and for that to happen they had to align themselves with the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. They could not cajole or manipulate God; He chose the time and place for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

Today we need God like never before. We should realise that God is not an ATM or Santa Claus and that there is order in the Kingdom of God. The temporal things of this world can never endow us with spiritual gifts, growth or fruit. Our ultimate need is God, without whom we are doomed. That is why Jesus came - to deliver us from the bondage of the devil and sin and to reconcile us with Him. Do not be deceived, or distracted, or swayed by the glittery baits of the devil and the subtle and dubious philosophies of the world. Recognise that without Jesus we can do nothing but with Him we can do all things. Our ultimate need is not clothing, food, accommodation, work, etc; OUR ULTIMATE NEED IS GOD. When we have God, all other things fall into place.  Robert Lowry and Annie Hawks wrote in 1872

I need Thee every hour
Most gracious Lord
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford

I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee

I need Thee every hour
In joy or pain
Come quickly and abide
Or life is vain

May we yearn for God as a deer pants after water. We must fear Him and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Will you let go today and let God? 

Have a blessed day.