There are people in our lives that we trust. We look up to them. They are our mentors, our role models. But, they are human. They mess up. They don't understand everything. They offend us, or let us down.
But God never fails. He never forsakes us.
" Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
We love our friends. We love our romantic relationships. But we fight. They betray us. They lie, or they leave.
But God's love is unconditional. God's love is eternal.
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you."
Jeremiah 31:3
"Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,
Your faithfulness to the clouds."
Psalm 36:5
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you."
Jeremiah 31:3
"Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,
Your faithfulness to the clouds."
Psalm 36:5
Look in the mirror. What do you see? Do you think....ugly? Hopeless? Unwanted?
God tells you that you are wonderfully and remarkably made. You are beautiful in His sight. He has a purpose for you and He will fulfill it.
"Acknowledge that Yahweh is God.
He made us, and we are His —
His people, the sheep of His pasture."
"Acknowledge that Yahweh is God.
He made us, and we are His —
His people, the sheep of His pasture."
Psalm 100:3
"For it was You who created my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well."
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well."
Psalm 139: 13-14
"Yet Lord, You are our Father;
we are the clay, and You are our potter;
we all are the work of Your hands."
we are the clay, and You are our potter;
we all are the work of Your hands."
Isaiah 64:8
There are those people who hate us. They want to see us defeated. They persecute. They want to destroy your worth.
But God is our refuge. He is our stronghold. He holds us in His hands.
"We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed."
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
"God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble."
Psalm 46:1
"Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
"The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom should I be afraid?"
Psalm 27:1
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
"God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble."
Psalm 46:1
"Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
"The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom should I be afraid?"
Psalm 27:1
We worry about the things of this life. Can I get into this college? Can I pay this bill? Do they even like me?
But God tells us not to worry. He cares for the birds; He will care for you. He says to pray to Him. Tell Him your worries. He will give you His peace.
"Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:25-34
"Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:25-34
We try so hard to do the right thing. We want to be loved, trusted, forgiving. But, we can't. We sin. We are dirty. We fail.
But God sent His son to die so that our sins, our failures, our shortcomings can be FORGIVEN. We can be made right through Him. We don't have to work for His love or for our salvation. If we believe in Jesus's sacrifice and repent of our sins, our sins, our failures, our shortcomings are COVERED by His blood and we will live eternally with Him.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
" But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"
Romans 5:8
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
" But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"
Romans 5:8
We have a God-shaped hole in our hearts. We try to fill this hole with the pleasures of this life. Do you try to fill this hole with your boyfriend/girlfriend? Athletics? Drugs? Sex? You could even be trying to fill this hole with worry. But not matter how much we try to shove into this hole, God is the only One who fills it. He is the only one who can satisfy the longings in your life.
Everything in this world will FAIL.
Blessings! :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say that you were getting a little preachy in this post, but you let God do the preaching through His Word. A very good systematic answer to contemporary life and the subsequent struggles.
ReplyDelete