YOU keep YOUR Promises

There is no GOD like the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, either in heaven above or on the earth beneath.

“YOU (LORD GOD) have kept what YOU promised to YOUR servant … YOU have spoken with YOUR mouth and have fulfilled YOUR Word with YOUR hand.. (1 Kings 8:24).

Are you or someone you know struggling with something?  Family members, several of the girls in my classes, and even I have physical issues right now and that is not even counting the other troubles we face.  As one pastor recently said, you just come out of one crisis to face a problem.

This morning as I was speaking with the LORD and laying several people’s concerns before HIM, I thanked HIM that HE was a GOD who keeps HIS promises and does or allows nothing without a purpose (Ezekiel 14:23).

I began rejoicing as I lay one concern after another before our Mighty LORD.  I smiled as I thought of Ezekiel 36:36 last clause through the 1^st clause of verse 37 “…I the LORD have spoken it and I will do it says the LORD GOD, Yet I will have them ask ME for it…”  

Yes GOD keeps HIS promises, but we must ASK!

This morning like usual I prayed according to promises found in specific verses. Beginning with, “LORD GOD, YOU say that when YOU have spoken something that YOU will do it.  I know that we must ask for that fulfillment and we must also fulfill any conditions that are attached, so I ask…”

Romans 8: ²⁸ And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love GOD, to them who are the called (because they called on the name of the LORD -1 Corinthians 1:2) according to HIS purposeà ²⁹ For whom HE did foreknow (would call on the name of the LORD), HE also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of HIS SON (JESUS), that HE (JESUS) might be the firstborn among many brethren.

2 Corinthians 4: ¹⁵ For all things are for your benefit, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of GOD. ¹⁶ For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which lasts but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and (unending) weight of glory; ¹⁸ While we look not at the things which are seen (our situation/problem), but at the things which are not seen (that which YOU are achieving for us through our situation): for the things which are seen are temporary; but the things which are not seen are eternal (will last forever).

LORD, I don’t have to know what YOU are doing or how YOU will achieve what YOU promised.  Just knowing YOU will do what YOU said is enough and gives me peace as I bring each concern to YOU.

Hugs,

Sharon

You don’t know

“Right now, you don’t know what I am doing, but you will know hereafter” (John 13:7).

Have you ever heard someone say, “Where was GOD?”, when something bad happened?  This past year has been another difficult one for many of us.  But GOD says HE is in each situation doing something behind the scenes.  GOD promises one day we will be comforted when we realize what GOD was doing through our struggles.  Ezekiel 14:23 says looking back, we will be comforted for we will see that GOD did nothing without a cause intended for good. 

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4)

Now the stories in the OT were written down for our benefit so we could learn through them so let’s take a look at one & see what we can learn.

Have you ever been amazed that the fallen angels (demons) have to appear periodically to present themselves before the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY to give an account of where they have been and what they have been doing (Job 1:6-7 Job 2:1,2)?

Scripture tells us that even Satan only has the power GOD allows him to have and GOD sets limits that the devil cannot cross (Job 1:12 Job 2:6, Lamentations 3:37).

GOD called Job a man above all others, perfect in all his ways yet HE allowed Satan to attack him. 1st Satan took all Job’s wealth and all Job’s children.  Then after his next appearance before GOD Satan received permission to touch Job himself and therefore gave Job severe boils all over his body, turned Job’s wife against him to tempt him to curse GOD and die and sent arrow thoughts to influenced the thinking of his best friends-who had come to encourage and comfort Job, so his friends accuse and mock him instead. Though Job struggled, he never turned from believing in GOD.

When GOD appeared to Job and told him to pray for his mocking friends, Job didn’t question, he obeyed.  For Job knew that ultimately, regardless of the means used, GOD alone is in control of what happens, and that GOD is good (Job 1:21).

After all the horrible things happened we hear Job say, “The LORD gives and the LORD takes away, blessed be the name of the LORD. 

In Romans 8:28 we are told that GOD ALMIGHTY works all things (what HE gives and what HE takes away) together (like one might stir together different ingredients to make a cake) for an end result of good to those who love HIM and are the called according to HIS purpose.  2 Corinthians 4:15 says all things are for our benefit (NIV) and that our (by comparison) light and momentary troubles achieve wonderful heavy, eternal things that far surpass the pain of today (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Let us look at the last chapter of Job (Job 42) and see the end result of good GOD achieved for him.
1- Before all this happened, Job had heard about GOD but after these struggles Job saw GOD face to face (Job 42:5).  That means that after the struggles, Job knew GOD in a more real way.  That is called intimacy (in to ME see).  It is when we see GOD more clearly.

2-After Job chose to obey GOD and forgive and pray for his miserable friends, GOD turned his captivity- (took away Satan’s power over him).

3-GOD gave Job favor with those who knew him and moved all of them to come and comfort him. Each person gave Job some money plus an earring made of gold.  By doing this GOD blessed the end of Job’s life more than before (when he had been the richest of all the men of the East).

In the end Job had 2 times as much as he had before.  Plus, he had 7 more sons and 3 more daughters (so then he had 2 times as many children with the 1st 7 sons and 3 daughters gone ahead to Paradise and were awaiting him there). 

But from tidbits here and there in this book, I believe Job considered the greatest gift achieved for him through all his troubles was the increased knowledge of GOD that brought him into a close intimacy with GOD his Creator and LORD.

During the end times the Bible tells us that our enemy will make war against believers and will have the power to wear us out (Daniel 7:21,25) until CHRIST comes. But GOD’s purposes will stand. Then at the appointed time Satan’s power will be removed, the devil and demons will be locked up (Revelation 20:1-3) and believers will rule with JESUS over the survivors of the 7-year Tribulation.  So, through our struggles here on earth, we need to remember that our temporary troubles are achieving for us things that will last forever.  Focusing on that truth enables us to endure with GOD’s grace helping us.

What GOD is doing right now, while we are struggling in our present situation, we do not yet understand. We are called on to live by faith.  But later we will know.  “So, trust in the LORD with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge HIM and HE will direct your path. Fear the LORD and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7).

Let us focus on GOD’s promise that HE is achieving for us and so live with expectation  “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great GOD and our Savior JESUS CHRIST (Titus 2:13).

Hugs,
Sharon