Our Great Provider

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

God is reminding the Israelites how He has met their needs since day one

1. By passing through the waters--The Red Sea (Ex. 14)
2. By passing through the river--The crossing of Jordan (Deut. 4)
3. By walking through the fire--Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego (Daniel 3)

God also fed the Israelites approximately 240 box car loads of Manna per day during the forty year wilderness journey. Their clothes didn't wear out either. He did much more.

We can face storms and walk through valleys and endure dark nights when we remember that the God of Israel is our God. He will provide our needs and more.

God is faithful and always near. Keep the faith.

A Holy Boldness

Do you realize what we have in Jesus? Our work for The Lord isn't dependent on the frailties of human flesh, but is empowered by the God of Heaven.

He sent an angel to get Peter and John out of prison and told them to keep on preaching. The fire burning in Peter's soul couldn't be quenched even though the Sadducees told him to stop.

Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said We ought to obey God rather than men.

We may not be a Peter, but the same risen Lord lives within the hearts of the redeemed. He still enables us to boldly stand up for Christ in a world that doesn't want to hear about Jesus anymore.

We should always obey God's Word instead of men no matter how much hell rages.

When we witness to a lost, needy world through the power of God, we are more than conquerors.

Lord, give us a holy boldness in our day.

Enlarge My Coast

There are yet souls to reach and people to help through ministry. We need to develop a desire to do more, a burden for lost souls.

You don't have to be well known, have the ability to awe people as you teach, hit every high musical note or play several instruments to make a difference for The Lord. These are good, but God takes ordinary lives and accomplishes extraordinary things for His glory.

1 Chronicles 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed and enlarge my coast and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. And God granted him that which he requested.

Imagine what God can accomplish through us if we pray that He will enlarge our coast--move us out of our comfort zone into new areas of opportunity and ministry.

The Kind Of Person God Uses

God uses common, ordinary people who are willing to do the most mundane tasks for His glory. He uses consecrated people committed to His cause in spite of the obstacles.

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel are perfect examples. The shepherd boy David put his life on the line when he took on the Philistine Giant.

1 Samuel 17:37 David said, "Moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said unto David, "Go, and The Lord be with thee."

And David killed the giant. If your faith is in The Lord, you can't lose the battle. Regardless of what it costs in time, energy or reputation, it is worth it to be used of God.

The Lord is looking for people whom He can fill with His Spirit and use to make a difference for His glory. You can be that person.

Out Of The Wilderness

You wouldn't think Elijah would become depressed after the Mt. Carmel Victory, but he was. Fleeing for his life, he finds himself in the wilderness having a pity party under a juniper tree. But God knew where he was and sent an angel to bring him out.

Isn't it great to know that we serve One who knows how to find us in our hopelessness and bring us out.

When depressed, we may forget that our strength comes from a sovereign God who is in control. 

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. 

When we come out of the wilderness, we find our Lord patiently and lovingly waiting to restore us. He was there all the time.

After God's Own Heart

Some thousand years after his death, Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reveals what God remembers about David.

Acts 13:22 . . . . I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.

David wrote the following prayer:

Psalm 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

If we are after God's own heart we will hunger for His presence and if it's missing, we will take every step to recover it. It might require repentance, obedience, confession or forgiveness.

A heart after God's own heart has a consuming desire to honor Him by searching out His word and carrying it out to the letter.

Are you after God's own heart? If so it will be seen in your desire for His presence, your delight in His precepts, and your dedication to His praise.

God Is Sovereign

Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers: all things were created by him and for him:

The only reason the planets and stars follow their prescribed orbit is because God holds them in place.

The only reason the molecules that make up our bodies, and the world around us doesn't fly off into space is because God holds it all together.

Don't think for a minute that we don't need God. He is sovereign over the entire universe which He has created.

He can take a sinner like you and me who ought to be in Hell for our sins, save us by His grace, set us free from the bondage of sin and put us on a new path. That is powerful.