In The Shadows

Psalm 121:5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

If we are a born again believer, we belong to Jesus and He is our “keeper”. He bought us at Calvary, observing everything we think or do, ever striving to make us more like Him. 

Our greatest gift in troublesome times is having Him close by to flee to - Psa. 91:4.

The Lord is also our “shade” [our shadow]. He is always with us.

I know because many years ago I was miserable from being out of church for five years. One day I simply mumbled, “How do I get back?”

The phone rang and within a week one thing led to another and I was back in church showered with blessings. 

It seemed that the Lord was in the shadows, watching and waiting for me to turn to Him. It reminds me of this old song. 

“Standing somewhere in the shadows you'll find Jesus. He's the only one who cares and understands.

‘Standing somewhere in the shadows you will find Him, and you'll know Him by the nail prints in his hands.”’ 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

God Is Faithful

Despite his trials and troubles, Jeremiah  was still able to find hope in a hopeless situation, because he believed in the faithfulness of His great God.

We can be assured in times of great need that God will prove Himself to be steadfast and faithful. 

The Bible gives overwhelming evidence of the unchanging faithfulness of our great God.

You can count on the Lord. 

Lamentations 3:22-23 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 

Great is the faith that can stand amid the wreckage of life and declare the praises of God. Jeremiah was that kind of believer. Are you?

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

The Broken Pieces

The Bible is a Holy book of hope, love, power, faith, and glory with a message of grace, peace, salvation, redemption, and miracles.

Time and again this precious book overcame with ease impossible situations by the sovereign power of God.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

To those broken by tribulation in this harsh world and those who need a Savior; God wants you to pick up the broken pieces of your life and bring them to Him. He wants to give you peace. He wants you to believe in Him. 

Ruby Kitchen & James Jr. Martin wrote a song about the broken pieces. 

“Have you failed in life's shadows to accomplish your plan? — Is your heart heavy laden, do you fear the Lord's command? — Do you feel that no one loves you and there's no use to try? — Just bring your cares to Jesus, your soul He'll satisfy.

Chorus

Pick up the broken pieces and bring them to the Lord. — Pick up the broken pieces trust in His Holy Word. — He will put them back together and make your life complete. — Just place the broken pieces at the Savior’s feet.”

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

Give It To Jesus

Jesus promised us His peace and His joy — right? . . . .Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

If that’s true, and it is; when we allow the trials of life to take the wind out of our spiritual sails, we have no one to blame but ourselves. 

No one can steal your joy. You have to give it up all by yourself. 

There are situations we can’t fix, so pray about them, knowing that God alone has the power to fix that which is broken in life. 

The sooner we learn this truth the better off we will be. 

There's no use in worrying over it or letting it consume and control your life. 

Give it to Jesus. Stand in His strength and watch Him work it out for you. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

All We Need

When the cities were closed to David and offered no hope; the gates of Heaven opened to His cry for help, even the very throne room of God.  

2 Samuel 22:7 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

This is the kind of blessing all those who know the Lord enjoy. It’s the assurance that Almighty God hears and cares. That humbles me and boosts my faith. 

In the text below, the good Lord is all David declares Him to be and more. 

2 Samuel 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

God truly is all we need. Sing it if you know it. 

“I need Thee every hour, — Most gracious Lord. — No tender voice like thine,

Can peace afford. — I need Thee, oh I need Thee. — Every hour I need Thee. — Oh, bless me now, my Savior, — I come to Thee.” Annie S. Hawks; Robert Lowry, Refrain

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

To Be Like Jesus

Paul says that the Christian can rejoice in the bad times of life. Why is this true? Because of the little word "knowing". 

Romans 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Whatever comes in our lives, we can know that God is working out His will and is attempting to produce in us a state of Christlikeness. 

God is trying to make us like Jesus.

Simply stated, the more we endure for Jesus, the more we become like Him and that is a good thing. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. It again

Have A Little Faith

Abraham had every reason to doubt that God’s promise of a baby to two old shriveled up people would be fulfilled. 

Romans 4:19-20 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 

[20] He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Abraham laughed when he first heard the news. Can you imagine this old couple as they prepared for the birth of their son?

If he doubted, he acted on his belief. Does that make sense? 

Faith is not 100% certainty. Faith is belief mixed with unbelief, but action is taken on belief.  

When we trust God's Word in spite of our doubts and act on it, that is faith.  

Faith is a battle — a struggle. Real faith never gives up. It always rests in the knowledge that God will do exactly what He has promised to do. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. It again