Surrendering to the Sovereignty of Almighty God

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.

  Psalm 103:19

 

Have you forgotten that Almighty God is in complete control?  Knowing that our LORD is in complete control - sovereign - should give us a sense of comfort.  God has supreme, independent authority over all things, situations, and circumstances.  When we embrace the sovereignty of God, we are able to experience divine inner comfort and peace.

 

For Almighty God to be sovereign, means that He has unlimited command of all things.  But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body - Philippians 3:20-21.  God is in authority over EVERYTHING.  The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.....Hebrews 1:3.  God works out everything according to His plan and purpose.  He brings all things under His mighty lordship and he sustains all things.

 

Therefore whatever situation or circumstance you are facing, know deep in your soul that Almighty God will work it out.  He will bring it under His control and authority and He will sustain you through the difficult season.  If Jesus is your Savior and LORD, take comfort in knowing that your life is under the authority of a loving, eternal God.

 

When we place our faith in God's control - sovereignty - we will not waiver through unbelief.  We will be strengthened in our faith.  We will give glory to our LORD and we will know deep in our souls that God has the power to fulfill His promises.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised - Romans 4:20-21.

 

Rest in the sovereignty of God today.  Take comfort in knowing He always keeps His promises and He will always stay true to His character.  Hannah Whitall Smith wrote these beautiful words, "Divine comfort does not come to us in any mysterious or arbitrary way.  It comes as the result of a divine method.  The indwelling Comforter brings to our remembrance comforting things concerning our Lord.  If we believe them, we are comforted by them."

 

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to accept Your sovereignty.  LORD, provide us with comfort and peace as we journey towards our Heavenly home.  Strengthen our faith dear LORD.  In Jesus Name I Pray.....Amen.

God's Silence

Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  Isaiah 40:28

Have you ever experienced the silence of God?  We all at one time or

another have experienced the silence of our LORD.  What are we to do?  Hang on to the promises of Almighty God, even when He is silent. 

When we read Psalm 22, it is evident that David experienced the silence of God but he chose to exercise his faith.  You and I must do the same.  When God is silent, choose to hang on to how faithful God has been to you in the past.  He will again prove faithful to you in the present and the future. 

During the times when God is silent, remember that He is Holy.  Yet you (Almighty God) are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises - Psalm 22:3.  Knowing God is the creator of all and He provides us with the very air we breathe should give us comfort when God is silent.  God created the universe by speaking it into existence.  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible - Hebrews 11:3.  Even when God is silent, He is still in complete control.  We can trust in our creator. 

Throughout Scripture we read of God's faithfulness.  Because of the faithfulness of Almighty God, we can stand firm when He is silent.  Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments - Deuteronomy 7:9.  We can reflect on how faithful God has been to us in the past and place our hope in Him knowing that He will continue to be faithful even when He is silent. 

Scripture reveals to us that our LORD is compassionate and gracious to His children.  He loves us more than we can comprehend.  When God is silent, know that He never stops loving His children.  But you LORD, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness - Psalm 87:15. 

Even when God is silent, we can know that God is with us and will never forsake us.  God will provide us with strength and courage and will uphold us with His righteous hand.  Trust in Him.  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand - Isaiah 41:10. 

Dear Heavenly Father, during times of silence I prayer that we will continue to seek You through Your Holy Word.  Thank You LORD for Your faithfulness,Your love, and Your grace.  In Jesus Name I Pray.....Amen.

I Will Share the Gospel Message

He said:  "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day." 

Ezekiel 2:3

 

A call to share the Gospel has been placed upon our lives.  Are you being obedient to your calling?  God called Ezekiel to prophecy to the Jewish exiles in Babylon.  God's Word reveals that the Jewish exiles did not take the message delivered to them to heart.  Those that we carry the Gospel Message to may not take the message to heart but we are still called to deliver the message and be obedient to our LORD. 

 

God chooses to work His divine will on earth through His children.  He will provide us with the power, the strength, and the courage to serve Him when we respond to His calling to share the Gospel Message.  We do not have to depend on our own abilities.  God will equip us to do whatever it is He is calling us to do.  So do not fear, for I am with you; and do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand – Isaiah 41:10.  God knows our heart.  He saw Ezekiel's open and obedient attitude and provided him with the power and strength to deliver the message to the Jewish exiles.  God doesn't expect us to understand everything about His character, His nature, and His ways but He does expect us to be willing and obedient.  When Almighty God sees your heart, does He see a child of His that is willing and obedient? 

 

Ezekiel was called to give God's message to the people whether they listened or not.  We are called to carry the Gospel Message to the people - our family, friends, co-workers, etc. - whether they listen or not.  Ezekiel's success was not measured on how the Jewish exiles responded but on his obedience to his LORD.  Our success is not determined on how people respond when we present them with the Gospel Message but on our commitment and obedience to our Savior and LORD. 

 

Ezekiel had a difficult responsibility.  He was carrying God's message to ungrateful and abusive people.  Ezekiel 2:4 tells us they were "obstinate and stubborn."  We too will come in contact with ungrateful an unkind people but that does not negate the calling to carry the Gospel Message to this lost and dying world.  Remember, we can rely upon our LORD to provide us with courage and strength to carry out the calling He has placed upon our lives. 

 

Choose to be a godly example and share your faith with all people.  Share your faith with kindness and love.  Because we are blessed with the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can lay aside our fear of rejection and our fear of ridicule.  How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" - Isaiah 52:7.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, provide us with the courage and strength to carry your Gospel Message to all people.  Take away our fear of mistreatment and ridicule.  Place love for the unsaved in our hearts.  In Jesus Name I Pray.....Amen.

 

Spirit of Truth and Spirit of Falsehood

Dear friends do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  1 John 4:1

 

We live in a world with many false teachings.  Are you able to discern when confronted with a message that does not align with the Word of God?  We shouldn't believe everything we hear just because someone's method of delivery is smooth and flowery and they say it is a message from God.  Our world is filled with men and women claiming they have a message from God.  Pray and ask God to bless you with spiritual discernment. 

 

First and foremost to identify if a message is inspired by Almighty God, the message must align with the Word of God.  Any teaching that is different from what God has revealed to us in His Word is not inspired by our LORD.  It is imperative that you and I immerse ourselves in God's Word so that we will not be deceived when we encounter false teachings. 

 

Other ways to identify that our teachers are inspired and led by Almighty God is to view their commitment to the body of believers - the church - the bride of Christ.  An anointed teacher will not only teach God's Word but will be committed to the body of believers.  They will work collectively with other believers to see the Gospel Message carried to the ends of the world. 

 

The fruit of the Spirit will be evident in an anointed teacher’s life.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - Galatians 5:22.  The fruit of the Spirit is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.  When a teacher of the Word of God has surrendered to the leading of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit will be manifested not only in their teaching but in the way they relate to others. 

 

False teachers are popular in our world today because they tell people what they want to hear.  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear - 2 Timothy 4:3.  We must seek the TRUTH which is found only in God’s Word. 

 

Dear Heavenly Father, lead and guide us to the TRUTH found only in Your Holy Word.  Place in our hearts a desire for TRUTH.  LORD, help us to not be deceived by the false teachers that surround us.  In Jesus Name I Pray.....Amen.