Little Troubles? Prepares for Glory

“These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all of our troubles seem like nothing.” - 2 Corinthians 4:17

God uses everything…even the situation you’re in right now; to help our character grow. He uses problems to help us mature. James says it like this: “My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything” (James 1:2-4).

You may feel tired and depleted right now due to some situation or circumstance affecting your life or the lives of those you love. This is the time to look to God, to place your hope in Him, and to trust He is still in control.

He is a God of Hope, and His Hope will not disappoint. In time, you will see that God can use even that situation to make you stronger and to develop your spiritual muscle.

In Romans 8:28, the Bible teaches, “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (NLT).

God’s purpose for you on this earth is to prepare you for eternity. This life is preparation for the next. We’re in the warm-up act right now! You’re likely only here for less than a hundred years, but you’ll be in eternity for trillions upon trillions of years…and even then you’re just getting started!

Today’s problems get you ready for an eternity you can’t imagine right now.

That’s what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:17: “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all of our troubles seem like nothing” (CEV).

Today’s problems may seem to be a heavy burden. But they’ll seem like nothing in heaven.

Hang on to that hope when you feel weary, overwhelmed, or just plain ready to give up. Remember, God is preparing you for eternity with Him in heaven!

Simply Ask...But In Faith

“If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask Him; but…if you don’t ask with faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer." - James 1:5-8 (TLB)

God wants to direct you in life, but two things need to line up: You need to ask the right person, and you need to ask with the right attitude. The right person is God, and the right attitude is in faith…trusting Him to provide the answer.

The Bible says, “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask Him; but…if you don’t ask with faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer” (James 1:5-8 TLB).

Have you ever asked God for something while not expecting to get it? That’s why you didn’t get it. God works in your life according to faith.

So often we say, “God, please guide me!” and we walk away without waiting for guidance. We just immediately get to work on the problem. We may say that we want God to give us wisdom and help us make the right decision, but we don’t really expect Him to. We think it all depends on us.

But God has promised to give you wisdom…if you ask for it. Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view. Wisdom is the ability to make decisions the way God makes decisions.

Think about this: God never makes a bad decision. He never makes a mistake. He says if you trust Him and listen to Him, He will guide you. But you must first ask in faith.

Fear Not For...I Am!

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

As we journey through life, we have many experiences. From these experiences we may feel joy, happiness, sadness, anxiety and fear just to name a few. Though many people experience joy and happiness, we see today that many people are filled with anxiety and fear. They are anxious and fearful of what they are going through and of the unknown. With the events that have transpired in the world in the last three to four years, this is quite understandable.

Living in fear and anxiety will rob anyone of their lives and cause them to miss out on the beautiful things of life. To live in fear and anxiety is torment. It also paralyzes; many are stuck because of fear. Scripture says that God has not given us the spirit of fear. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind - 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV. Fear does not come from God, but from the enemy of our soul.

Hear what God says to us in His word. Fear thou not! God is saying that we must not fear; do not be afraid, do not allow fear to come in and take over your life. Here is the reason why you should not fear or be afraid, because God says, I am with thee. The great ‘I AM’ is with you! When God told Moses to go and deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses asked God, what name should I say to them of the one who sent me? Listen to what God told Moses. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you - Exodus 3:13-14 KJV.  

Did you get it! I AM! Not I was or I will be. I exist, I am here. I AM. The present One! The One who has shown up on the scene! The One who will deliver! The One who will set you free! The One who fights for you! He is with you! He is for you! Think about that for a moment. Visualize it. God right there with YOU!  Right there, next to you! Do you feel strengthened by what you see? He is with you!

Sometimes, we may feel dismayed (discouraged or downcast). Other times we feel like we are alone, no one is on our side. But God is saying, oh no, you have me, I am your God. The God of the universe. The God who created the heavens and the earth. You got me and I got you, says the Spirit of the Lord. You are never alone! I am your God! When you feel weak, look to me, call upon me, I will give you strength to go on. Again, He is reassuring you, I will help you! Realize this, God is not asking you to look for help anywhere else. He is saying. ‘I’, I God will. Not your husband, wife, brother, sister, or someone else. No! I God! God Himself will help you!

Not only will God help you, but He will uphold you! You are not going down. You are not going under. Like Peter, when he walked on the water, he only began to sink when he took his eyes off of the Messiah. Therefore, keep your focus fixed on God, knowing that God, yes, the God of heaven, God who sits high and look low, will uphold you with the right hand of His righteousness. It’s not about what man think or may say is right, but it is by God’s righteousness. Yes, God will hold you up and retain you with His victorious right hand of rightness and justice. Hallelujah!!!

Are you still afraid? Do you still fear? Read the devotion again! Fear not! Just know that God is with you! God is for you! God got you!