Why Is It Important To Believe That God Lives Forever? Psalm 102:27

What does it mean that God lives forever, and how is it important to me that He does?

"But you remain the same, and your years will never end." Psalm 102:27.

YOU
Who is this one we call God? He is the All-mighty, the Creator, the Lord Of All, He is the All-powerful-one, He is the one who saw us from the beginning of time and loved us.  He is God whom we can call on with confidence.

REMAIN
Something that remains is the thing that is left when all other things are taken away. If you took away all that was unimportant and all that was temporary, you would be left with God.

THE SAME
God does not change. He must remain the same, or else the hope of mankind for eternal redemption is lost.  If God could change then Satin, His enemy would be able to win, and evil would triumph. If God changed, then what is righteous and good today might be wicked tomorrow. His love for us today may be vindictive tomorrow.

If God was to change, there would be a supposition that He may intentionally or inadvertently change His mind about his love for us. If God was to change, perhaps His love for us, if it remains through such a change, might be different and not gracious. But God does not change, so His love for us will endure eternally.

YEARS WILL NEVER END
Notice the scripture quoted above does not say days but years, the longest measure of the celestial planet we live on. As the creator of time, God is outside of time, and He is not bound by it.  He is eternal, so there is no gradual slow change, no maturing or decaying.

IT IS A COMFORT
It is a great comfort that God does not change because we can count on Him to be the same loving God who sent His one and only Son to pay for our sins with his own death and blood. To think that God does not change from year to year or day to day reassures us that his love and grace toward us are the same. Therefore we can always trust in God.

It is a comfort that God lives forever because if He did not, then how could He give eternal life if He himself does not have it? Any type of salvation doctrine must begin with an all-powerful and eternal God.

EVERYTHING ELSE ENDS
This world will pass away, but God will not, and when we respond to His love and come to Him through the Gospel of His Christ, then we are in Him who will live forever. Therefore we can be assured of our own eternal life.


To learn more about how to have a relationship with God, CLICK HERE.

(c) Adron 4/2/17

Is There Any Reason To Trust God? Malachi 3:6

If everything changes, does God change too?

We have trouble with the idea that God does not change because we see and experience change on every level in our world and lives.  If He changes, can we be confident in the goodness of The Almighty tomorrow as we are today?

"I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed." Malachi 3:6.

THE LORD
Here is a simple reminder of who He is.  He is not only the one who created the universe out of nothing, but he is also the one who, by that same power, has the authority to rule and even condemn.  As the Author-of-all, He is also the owner of all.

DO NOT CHANGE
Things change for different reasons.  They change because they grow, age, learn or are subject to external forces greater than they are.   But none of these things apply to the Almighty.  He does not grow since God is already complete.  He does not age since He is eternal.  He does not need to learn because He is All-knowing.  He is not subject to external forces greater than He is since God is the Almighty, and as the Creator of all things, nothing is greater than Him.  Nothing that causes change applies to God.

God has declared that He does not change, so we have a promise based on The holy character that He will not change.  If it is a matter of choice, the decision is made, and God has decided not to change.

Our understanding of God may change, but the way He was yesterday is the way He is today and the way He will be tomorrow.

DESCENDANTS OF JACOB
The verse and passage were addressed to a people and a time, but it may easily apply to all people and all-time since the point is not the audience but the author. It is about God.

The faithful today can identify themselves with the promises to Jacob.

ARE NOT DESTROYED
It is not because we are so noble and virtuous that we are not destroyed but because of the faithfulness of God.  He is faithful to Himself, so He does not change. He is faithful to His promise.

God is Good, loving, and gracious.  He always has been, and He always will be. Because He never changes and is holy, we can trust His promises in the Bible, where He offers eternal life, blessing, and goodness to those who receive him.

(c) Adron 4/23/16

Does God Hear The Prayer Of The Heart

Sometimes we pray aloud, maybe in church or a formal setting, and sometimes we have to pray silently in our heart; does God hear the silent prayer, does he honor it as much as public prayer?

"Before he had finished praying, Rebecca came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah who was the wife of Abraham's Brother Nahor." Genesis 24:15. "Before I finished praying in my heart Rebecca came out with her jar on her shoulder..." Genesis 24:45.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Abraham told his servant to go the land of his relatives and bring back a wife for his son Isaac. The servant arrived at the town where he waited by the well and prayed for God to show him by a specific test who was the one he should bring back. While he was still praying the answer literally walked up to him.

GOD IS PERSONAL AND INTIMATE
Only a real friend knows your heart and God is more attentive than any friend, He searches your most deep thoughts. He knows your history and what brought you to this point. Your heart has no secrets from him.

GOD IS WAITING
God gives us free will and will not violate that, so He does not force answers to the prayers we have not prayed. He is waiting for our declaration of faith by our request.

WHILE HE WAS STILL PRAYING
It was a prayer of faith. The servant had learned faith from Abraham. Perhaps he saw faith in action through Abraham's great struggles or the servant watched it in his master's daily life. It was a simple faith and God honored it immediately.

GOD HEARS
God knows the thoughts of your heart; he knows your fears and your feelings. It is logical that he hears the prayer we pray in silence without uttering a word out loud.

If you pray out loud or silently you can pray confidently, God listens to what is in our hearts as much as what comes out of our mouths.

To learn how you can know God personally see my other blog.

* To read Genesis 24 in it's entirety follow this link to Bible Gateway.

(c) Adron 4/5/14

Why Does Living For God Seem To Get Harder and Harder? Judges 7:7

We follow God and try to obey him but our lives get harder and our problems seem bigger.  Is something wrong?

"The Lord said to Gideon, With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.  Let all the others go home." Judges 7:7.

BACKGROUND
The Midianites were enemies of God's people.  God chose Gideon to defend against them.  Thousands responded to Gideon's call but God reduced the numbers by instruction and then a test where Gideon was to observe how they drank from the river; those who drank face-down were excluded while the few who scooped the water with their hands and drank erect were selected.  This test left only three hundred to oppose the thousands of Midian.

GOD
God explains that he didn't want Gideon to boast.  God may share his glory but will not permit others to take it. Throughout the Bible, we see that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (Proverbs 3:34).

GIDEON
Gideon did not give an early indication of greatness or leadership.  God had to push him into action. Once Gideon began things got harder, less logical, and full of doom, in spite of the fact that he was finally obeying and following God. You would think that when you follow God things would get clearer and easier but Gideon found himself with only three hundred against thousands, death and national disaster were obvious.

BUT
But God. (That is not a complete sentence, but it is a powerful statement.) One plus God is a majority. If Gideon faced the armies with his small force alone then defeat would have been certain; but God was in the picture, he had a plan and he was in charge.

VICTORY
God gave the victory. The three hundred didn't even carry weapons into the battle but lights and trumpets. The enemy turned on themselves; Gideon and his men just stood and witnessed the victory.

We may face overwhelming problems with no logical hope of victory, but remember God;
     * Continue to follow.
     * Continue to obey.
     * Continue to believe-
and you may find yourself standing blowing a trumpet announcing God is victorious.

(c) Adron 1/28/14

A Reason to Praise And Worship God Psalm 89:15

Is there any reason to sing God's praise?  There are many- but one stands out for most people as above the others.

"I will sing of the Lord's unfailing love forever. With my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1

I WILL SING
The writer of the psalm is compelled to sing the Lord's praises.  This doesn't just happen; he has an understanding and experience of God, and that is the only way that he can say such things.

UNFAILING LOVE
God's love is not like ours.  Our love is fickle and changes with the seasons and circumstances, it is only as strong as our personal character, and it is as weak as our abilities.  God's love is unfailing; he would not be God if his love failed.  He is infinite all-powerful and all-knowing, therefore, His love cannot fail since it must also be infinite and reflect His perfect nature.

FAITHFULNESS
God is love* but faithfulness is what he does; as The Holy God, He has chosen to be faithful.  We may break our oath and fail to keep our word but God is not like us he will never break his promise to be faithful.  As the Almighty One, He has all abilities to keep His word.  He is holy, so He will never break His promise or else He would cease to be holy.

SING
We can sing Our Heavenly Father's praises forever because He lives forever and when we come to God through Jesus, His promised sin-bearer, we have the promise of eternal life.

The promise of freedom from sin's judgment and eternal life is a great reason to worship but the greater reason to worship God is God himself- because of who He is, therefore, He is most worthy of praise.

*1 John 4:8

If you want to learn more about God's plan of salvation and eternal life see my other blog:

(c) Adron 1/21/14

Can We Understand God? Isaiah 55:7-8

Since man is finite and God must be infinite can the finite man understand the Infinite God?

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:7-8.

DIFFERENT
God's thoughts and ways are not ours; they are so different that there is no comparison. If we use our ways to try to understand His ways we will miss the mark.

HIGHER
To say God's ways are higher suggests so many things...
     * His ways are nobler.
     * More righteous.
     * More holy.
     * Wiser.
     * Purer.
     * More purposeful.

If God's ways are different and higher we must not apply our standards and logic to him, because no matter how lofty we are we will still fall short.

CAN WE KNOW?
If a man is to know God then it is not on the basis of man's discovery of Him but on the basis of God's revealing of himself to man. Since man, the finite, cannot make himself infinite so we cannot become capable of knowing God, therefore the Infinite God must become finite, (God must be able to become finite or else he is not truly infinite.)

DID GOD?
God has spoken to mankind, the Bible says, "In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the universe. The son is the radiance of God's glory, and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he provided purification for sins he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven." Hebrews 1:1-3

We can understand God because he came to us in the flesh and as Christ, he did what we could not do so that through Christ we can know the Father.

To learn more about coming to God through Christ see the tab above titled Salvation.

(c) Adron 12/31/13

How Can I learn about God?

There are so many systems of thought and beliefs how do I know which will lead to God?

"I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go: I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." Psalm 32:8 

I WILL
God wants to instruct and teach us. He does not want us to go about in the dark not knowing the way. He says, "I will..." this expresses His intent and design; His purpose to teach and guide us.

The spiritual nature of His instruction is not something we could come to on our own because God's ways are holy. We need him to instruct us in his ways and to teach us how His ways fit in the world.

THE WAY
The way to God is the way to live life. Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13)  There is a right way to live life and a way to have eternal life. God wants us to find that right way.

COUNSEL
Counsel is what you give an equal. God has given us free will and he guides us to use it wisely. He does not force His instructions on us but wants us to take it and make the good choice so we become partners with Him in doing good works.

LOVING EYE
He watches with love and care. His eye is always on us because He loves us; and because He loves us He teaches, instructs, and counsels us.

PROGRESS
There is a purpose in His steps.
     * Instruct is like a father to a child where He lays foundations in our lives.
     * Teaching is like a mentor to an apprentice where He builds on the foundation.
     * Counsel is like two adults sitting at a table as friends and one gives the other advice.

OUR PART
Psalm 32:9 says, "Do not be like the horse or the mule; which have no understanding but must be controlled with bit and bridle." Our Heavenly Father wants to teach, lead, and counsel us but we have to respond. We must not be stubborn but yield to His teaching. When we hear a Bible truth and don't like it we must not reject it for that is rejecting God's teaching guidance and counsel. This leaves The Lord no alternative but to guide us by bit and bridle, which is with circumstances we cannot control.

Be open to God. He gave us his Word, the Bible, read it. He gave us prayer, so talk to Him, He gave us community so find a church that loves God and his Word. He wants to be found -keep looking.

To learn more about finding the way to God see my other blog click here.

(c) Adron Dozat

Where To Find Inner Strength For Hardships.

We have so many hardships we want to hide from them. Can we escape our problems?

"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." 2 Thessalonians 3:3.

THE WORD, BUT

We may have troubles, problems, afflictions, and many woes, and then we come to the great word, "but"; this word is the turning point.

It is like saying...
     We have troubles, but the Prince of Peace...
     We have problems, but God the Almighty...
     We have afflictions, but the One who Rules the Universe...
     We may have trials, but the Lord of all things...

The word "but" is not only a turning point; it is an introduction of the one who revokes or changes all that goes before the word "but."

LORD

Many of our problems seem big because our view of God looks small. Remember who the Lord is and what he has done in creation, history, and salvation.

Few of us face an Egyptian army with an ocean on our backs, but if we did, it would be nothing to our God; he is bigger; he opens the sea, lets us escape, and drowns the army. Few of us face a fiery furnace, but if we did, it would be nothing to our Lord; he just takes a walk with us through it. Few of us are thrown into a lion's den, but it is nothing to the Creator of lions- he just shuts their mouths, so they are hungrier when our accusers take our place in the den.

FAITHFUL

God is not like us; He does not break His promise.  Some say there are over 300 promises in the Bible, and He has never broken a single one of them.  In this verse, His faithfulness is directly associated with strength and protection. If God says He will strengthen you, then He will, and you can count on it.

STRENGTHEN

To be given strength suggests going through a difficult time and persevering to victory.  We may want an easy way out, but the Wise Father often has a better plan; he wants us to grow and mature, and often of hardship does this.  He is there and goes through it with us.

You may have to go through a hard time, but do not give up; the Lord is faithful, and He will go through it with you.

If you have not come to salvation through faith in Jesus' death for your sins but would like to know more, follow this link to my other blog.

(c) Adron Dozat 8/24/13

Can You Be Worthy of God?

We are debtors to so many, but we do not respect that debt we owe, especially to Him to whom we owe our very existence.

“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:11:12. NIV.

Something worthy is valuable, commendable, admirable, laudable, or praiseworthy.

IS GOD WORTHY

Consider God. He is our creator. He knows our thoughts and cares about our struggles. He is our provider who sustains us with food to eat, shelter from the storm, and air to breathe. He loves us; even when we fail and betray Him, He is still constant in His forgiveness. He is merciful and generous. He provided our salvation by coming to earth in the body as His Son and died in our place on the cross to pay for our sins so we may have salvation by faith in Him. He rose again to give us hope and the power to live a new life. Besides eternal life through His son, He grants blessings beyond understanding, even adopting a son and heir of heaven.

ARE OUR LIVES WORTHY

But are the lives we live worthy of such a God?

• Does He approve of our lifestyle? 
• Is our image in the mirror worthy of God, or does it declare addiction to sweets, slovenly attitudes, and laziness? 
• Is the occupation of our free time worthy of God; do we spend too much time watching TV, and does the programming honor Him? 
• Do we visit websites and read magazines that are vain or evil? 
• Do we continue to practice sin, knowing it offends our Lord? 
• Do we give to the Father's work, and is my giving an expression of devotion or drudgery? 
• Do we give our time to serving Him? 
• Are our words full of praise and thanks to Him or full of complaining? 
• Do we ever read His Bible or Pray? 
• Do our actions express our gratitude, and do our activities show that we are called by Him?

BE WORTHY

No one can ever completely live a life worthy of God, but the great shame is that few of us even try. He is worth every effort. He is waiting to bless our attempt. May we take up the banner that He is worthy and hold it above our lives, living by that motto. May we measure every action by the standard that He is worthy of this deed. Let’s encourage ourselves and others to live lives that honor God.

If you want to learn more about finding salvation through Christ, follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat 7/30/13

Where Can I Find Strength To Face This?

I hope this short post gives comfort, hope, and encouragement, as it points you to a source of strength as we find purpose in our struggles.

***

We face a test or challenge, it is daunting like a high mountain we must climb, but we feel weak, unprepared, and too small. Where can we get help?

"It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he causes me to stand on the heights." Psalm 18:32-33, NIV.

This verse was written by the warrior poet, David, thousands of years ago; seasoned by many battles he knew what he was talking about.

IT IS GOD
David acknowledges God as the one who provides. These two verses have three references to God.  They progress and build on each other.

     * God who arms...strength.
     * God makes... feet secure.
     * God causes... stand.

God provides the victory, therefore, God is the victory.

ARMS
God gives him equipment for the battle but the equipment is not a sharper sword or longer spear but strength. This is open-ended since the verse does not specify if it is physical, spiritual, or emotional strength, but that makes it limitless- God can give whatever strength you need.

SECURE
God was his protector and gave him security in his way. He can make our physical way secure from attack and harm.

There are other forms of security. In every difficulty there are choices. God gave David security in his choices. God makes the way clear and without compromise so the victory is honest and upright.

FEET LIKE A DEER
The deer of that land were adept at climbing the rocky mountains in search of food and shelter. They were nimble, sure-footed, they would not stumble or fall, and they dominated the mountains. God can give the perfect provision that is completely suited to your need.

STAND ON THE HEIGHTS
This is the one who has overcome and is standing on the top. This speaks of victory and accomplishment. From the heights were security, domination, and rule. Those below had to look up to see him standing there. Standing is a picture of confidence and status.

The heights were a picture of worship. God makes us stand on the heights of worship because he is gracious not because we climbed the mountain; His son climbed a hill carrying a cross to die to pay for our sins so we can stand before him on the heights.

Whatever mountain you face God can give you strength and stand you on top in the victory.

If you have not come to God through the gift of salvation and want to learn more follow this link, click here.

(c) Adron

How To Win The Esteem Of Others

We all want the esteem of friends, spouses, or parents.

We want them to see us as special, and sometimes, we will do anything for them to see us that way, no matter the cost.

“’ Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ Declares the Lord.‘This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.’” Isaiah 66:2, NIV.

ESTEEM

To esteem is to have high regard, value, and respect for something.

The high esteem of God is better than the esteem of the whole world. God gives a list of what he is looking for in the one he will esteem highly.

HUMBLE

Humble is to be lowly and put others ahead of yourself in thought and action.

CONTRITE IN SPIRIT
Contrite in spirit is to willfully be deeply sorry for wrongs.

TREMBLES AT MY WORD
The person who trembles at God's Word recognizes its truth and power, the Bible, and responds with awe and reverential fear.

WHO
Who is any of these things?
     * We should pray to be.
     * We should decide to put others first.
     * We should resolve to be humble.
     * We should recognize and repent of our sins.
     * We should learn God’s Word.

GOD'S ESTEEM
To earn God's regard would encompass all other ambitions; if you win the esteem of God, you will have it from the one whose esteem is most important. It would be nice to have the esteem of the rich, powerful, and famous people, but God's esteem is better. It would be better to have God’s esteem than to be the head of state, industry, or to have wealth, fame, or fortune.

What God esteems is the opposite of what man esteems. We admire the one who is powerful, good-looking, smart, talented, speaks well, etc. On the other hand, the God of Heaven looks on the "humble and contrite in spirit who trembles at his word." That could be a grandma, a single parent in poverty, a gas station attendant, or a cashier, or just the guy up the street. You would never know by looking.

THE ESTEEM OF OTHERS
If you are the kind of humble, self-sacrificing person that God esteems, you will be the kind of giving, serving, good citizen who is full of kindness and does good works the people around you will esteem.

To learn how you can know God in a personal way, follow this link: Click here.

(c) Adron 7/23/13

Why Does God Hide From People?

Why does it seem that God is so far away? Is he not willing to help?

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear 2. But your iniquities have separated you from your God. Your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2, NIV.

POWER VS WILL

Of course, God is able. He is all-powerful, and as Ruler of the universe, He can command all circumstances. "His arm is not too short." He can reach down from heaven into the mess of our world and do whatever is necessary.

He can hear us calling to Him, for "his ear is not too dull to hear." The last part, "he will not hear, " is frightening." If it was a matter of God not being able, we could shout louder, send up darker smoke signals, or clang a gong, but if he "will not," then we have no hope.

US VS GOD

Why does God refuse to act? Our iniquities (sins) have hidden us from God, and our "sins have hidden his face" from us. When someone is offended, they may turn away from you on purpose. Our sin causes God to do just that. God is holy and pure; He cannot allow His holiness or purity to be tarnished or compromised by sin. Sin is the big barrier between God and us.

FORGIVENESS

Redemption, the forgiveness of sin, and salvation are through the person and work of Jesus, who laid down his life to take away the punishment of sin. God, the Judge of the universe, put our sins on Jesus for us. We come to God through Jesus and obtain forgiveness and peace.

CLEAN

We need cleansing. As we walk through this lost world, our lives are affected by sin around us, and we slip into sin. If we neglect daily confession and repentance, God and His blessings seem far away.

God asks us to do so little.

     • We must recognize what is sinful.
     • We must confess and admit to God we are wrong.
     • We must turn away from our sin.
     • We must accept his forgiveness based on the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.
     • And get on with life with Him in it.

Through faith, we can know God face to face.

To learn more about cleansing your sins, follow this link: Salvation.

(c)Adron Dozat 7/4/2013

What is Better Than a Big Beautiful House?

The media is full of big beautiful houses, some overlooking sunny beaches, or perched on mountain tops; these look nice, who wouldn't wish to own one? There is nothing wrong with beautiful houses but what if there is something better? The Bible in Psalm 84:10 suggests that there is.

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere: I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10, NIV.

BACKGROUND

The courts were enclosed areas around the temple. The real glory was inside the temple, where God symbolically dwelt. The courts were, in a sense, the lesser area.

BETTER

Something that is better is preferred, it has a higher value, and it is superior.

     * An hour reading the Bible is better than days watching TV.
     * One hour in prayer is better than days in recreation.
     * An afternoon in God's service is better than weeks on vacations.
     * The lowest job in the church is better than most do at the top of corporations.
     * Serving soup in a mission is better than sitting next to celebrities at a banquet.

It is better to spend time where God is served and worshiped than places of indulgence.  It is better because God is better.

It is better because God remembers service done for Him. He is pleased with it. His kingdom is advanced by even the smallest task done in His name. 

DOORKEEPER

A doorkeeper is someone who opens the way so others may enter. What could be better than being the person who brings others to God?

A CONFESSION

The psalmist is saying that he has found this to be true. We find this to be true also, and anyone who adopts this attitude that God is better will experience the same blessings.

THE KEY

The two words, "My God," is the key to understanding this verse. The Psalmist makes God His own God.  If God is not your God then religious service and ritual are empty. This is a relationship with God, and it comes through His Son, Jesus, who died for our sins and gives eternal life freely to all who repent, believe, and receive.

(c) Adron 6/11/13

Is God Too Far Away?

If God is so high and lofty is he too far away for the everyday guy to know Him?

"For this is what the high and lofty One says- he who lives forever, whose name is holy; 'I live in a high and holy place but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.'"  Isaiah 57:5, NIV.

THE PROBLEM
God is high, eternal, holy, lives in a high and lofty place. Basically, God is beyond reach in every sense of the word.

• He is beyond reach in status since He is the high and lofty one.
• He is beyond time since he; lives forever.
• He is beyond sinners because he is holy. 
• He is beyond the physical world because he lives in a high and holy place.

It seems we can't get to him who is so far above us.

BUT GOD
There is hope for God to say, "but also with him..." God is far above us, yet He chooses to live with the contrite and lowly in spirit.  We cannot reach up to Him, so He reaches down to us.

CONTRITE
To be contrite is to be worn out by our sins, it suggests repentance, remorse, and it confesses we are unworthy.  It is based on the truth that we are needy sinners before a holy God.

LOWLY
The "lowly in spirit," speaks of the inability to overcome need.  We can't lift ourselves up above the effects of sin.  We recognize we are lower than God, and because of our sin we forfeit any and all rights before Holy God and must bear the punishment.

WOW!
The Almighty lives with lowly people who turn from sin.  Intellectuals, Nobel Prize winners, millionaires, or the famous, alone does not qualify for God;  He lives with the down and out, the forgotten little people, who flunked out, and the people of social poverty who live on the edge of despair.

He just doesn't visit; He moves in, He has the master bedroom, the keys, and His name is on the mortgage. He lives here!

REVIVE
To "revive," is to breathe life into the dead. Jesus called it "Born Again."*  God desires to revive our spirits and our hearts; though our hearts are broken through sorrow or loss and our spirit is crushed, God wants to revive us.

We are dead in our sins, but when we humble ourselves and accept God's salvation He comes to live with us and He continues to revive us day by day. There are times when the trials of this life overwhelm us, but we can know God lives with the contrite and lowly and we find He is there to revive us.

To learn more about salvation and having a new life follow this link: Salvation.

* John 3:3
(c) Adron 6/8/13

Can We Count On God?

We are human and know we should keep our promises, but we break our word; we are unable to control all circumstances and we often promise what we can’t perform. That is how we are but what about God is he like us does he break promises?

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:13. NIV

FAITHFUL
It is an understatement to say that God is faithful. He is faithful because He can be, and because He has decided to be. He will not sin by breaking a promise He keeps his promises because he is God. He is all-powerful and can exercise his power as creator of the universe and overcome every obstacle to any of his promises.

LOVING
He has made promises because He loves us, to provide for us, and because He is good. The promises of God teach us about Him; through them God reveals that He is worthy of trust, service, and devotion.

OUR REACTION
We should find comfort that, "The Lord is faithful to all his promises." It has huge implications. Just think that the creator of the universe, who rules forever and is Lord of all, has made promises to mankind. There are hundreds of promises in the Bible. They are for each of us, and if we really believed it we would search scripture for all his promises and watch with eager anticipation for their fulfillment.

That the God of Heaven gave promises for us to find and accept as our own should fill us with awe. It should cause us to begin a treasure hunt for the wealth of God.

We should ask ourselves...
     * What are his promises?
     * Do we know his promises?
     * Have we rejected blessing because we have neglected his promises?
     * Do we not believe his promises?

We should resolve to...
     * Search scripture to learn God's promises.
     * Remember the promises we already know.
     * Make them part of our prayer life.
     * Claim them and receive them by faith
     * And thank God for them.

THE GREATEST PROMISE
God's greatest promise found in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." This promise of salvation brings us into a life of promise. It is foolish to neglect all the other promises this one opens up to us; and we fail God, ourselves and others by ignoring his promises.

To learn more about the promise of eternal life follow this link: Salvation.

(c)Adron Dozat

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What Does God Think About Your Broken Heart.

We experience a broken heart at different times in our lives, maybe due to some sudden unexpected loss, or when an emotional defeat occurs. Some of us carry a broken heart all through our lives. We know people who are struggling or maybe we ourselves are facing loss and difficulty, but "The Lord is close..."

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."Psalms 34:18 NIV.

CLOSE
To be close can mean more than one thing. Our Father is all-present which means he occupies all space and time, so he is close by in proximity, but to the brokenhearted, he is close to heart. The Lord is not standing off in a corner or finding something else to do while we hurt like some people do when they know we are depressed. His attention is focused on our struggle, He sees our hearts with compassion, and understands our hurts and loss. It is like His heart sees our hearts with all-knowing love.

CRUSHED SPIRIT
What is worst a broken heart or a "crushed spirit?" A crushed spirit is the feeling of giving up or the hurt of so many defeats that you can't start again. We may often feel like a failure like we can't go on or there is no hope.

SAVES
Saves is an action word. The Lord is a redeeming God. He wants to rescue us because he loves us. We may not see it or we refuse to see it but God is working on our behalf in ways beyond understanding. It is a comfort to know that the Lord saves. There is something of value in our experiences, there are lessons we learn; there is a purpose, God is doing a mighty work in and through us. We sometimes do not recognize that "saving" at the time but we can count on it.

PROMISE
The Lord saves "those who are crushed in spirit." As we go through a dark time we can count on the promise of this verse and the truth of His character that he is close to us and desires to save us as we go through the times of hurt.

Unfortunately, we put barriers between us and The Lord, you may call it sin, or rebellion or stubbornness, but our actions push him away when he is waiting for us to call out for him.

This verse requires a relationship. When we have a relationship with God we find He is with us in many ways; we just need to stop and wait to see Him. When we look we find his hand held out to us. Call out, and come to Him and make Him your Lord and enter into a relationship with Him.

To learn more about how to have a relationship with God follow this link to my other blog: Click Here.

To read Psalm 34 in its entirety click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 4/19/13

How Does The Bible Help My Fear? Psalm 27:1

We are often beset with worry and fear. Sometimes it is about our future, our loved ones, our personal well-being or just chronic worry. Fear can overshadow everything in our life. It can cripple us and keep us from living the kind of life we want to live. What can we do about it?

"The Lord is my Light and my salvation. Of whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1, NIV.

THE LORD
First, consider the Lord. He is the all-powerful creator of the universe. He rules creation and has the ability to command events from the greatest storm to the smallest insect. The Lord is our creator who loves and knows us. He is the one who sent his son to die to pay for our sins- this is a loving God and a powerful father.

LIGHT AND SALVATION
That God is our light should be comforting to us because He is all-seeing and all-knowing, not only that, it is the fact that the one who is all-seeing and all-knowing is on our side. Light reveals the phantoms of darkness to be nothing. Evil seeks shelter in darkness for the Bible says "men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil,*" but light robs evil of its support, light even chases away evil.

He is our salvation, not we ourselves. We may be helpless to fix many of the problems that come into our lives; and the biggest one, our sin, is beyond repair. But God is salvation, and not us. We need not rely on our weak efforts and lack of ability. He is able, He is willing, He is our salvation.

STRONGHOLD
A stronghold by definition is a safe and secure place. It is the highest quality of fortress, not a tent but a bombproof ironclad citadel. It is the place no enemy can ever get into, it withstands all the efforts of the foe.

OF WHOM
Of whom is a question without an answer since God has no equal. If The All-powerful Ruler is your indestructible fortress there is no one who you need to fear.

FOCUS
We spend much time thinking about the little things that will cause pain and problems. Let us turn our focus on God not these lesser things

To say God is our salvation is a faith statement. We do not have salvation by osmosis, it is a gift God gives to those willing to receive it. To learn more about finding salvation read my other blog,  follow this link: Click Here.

*John 3:19

(c) Adron 3/24/13

How To Handle Hard Times, James 5:11

Sometimes things are too hard and we just want to give up. We wonder if there is any good in our going on.

"As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance, and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James 5:11, NIV.

PERSEVERE
To persevere is to endure a time of trial or test without compromising or giving up. It means to not turn away from the course but to keep moving ahead, and it is to remain constant no matter how big the obstacle or daunting the test.

JOB
The story of Job tells how he was tested and experienced one disaster after another. First, he lost his possessions, next he lost his family, and then his health.  His friends came and misunderstood his righteous stand of being faithful to God. After his time of testing, he was rewarded with greater blessing than he had before.

THE LORD
He is not just God the creator of everything he is the Lord, the one who rules and commands all. His word is obeyed by angels and even demons. The test Job went through did as much to show the nature of God as it showed Job's character, and in it, we see God is full of compassion and mercy, not just a little but all of God contains these qualities of his loving goodness.

COMPASSION
God sees our struggles through and he cares, he is understanding and has sympathy for all we are going through. He not only cares but he acts, his compassion is not just a good feeling of love and well-wishing it takes action for our benefit.

MERCY
The Lord has mercy. He gives good to those who cannot obtain it, or even do not deserve it. He is forgiving and kind. He gives aid. We are in his power since he is supreme and he exercises his power for our good.

DON'T GIVE UP
Don't give up on the Lord. If you give up it is not just that the bad situation wins but that we are making a statement that we do not believe the Lord will come through. Do not forget the Lord brought about blessings and good in the life of Job. When we are tempted to give up and turn away from doing right we must remember that our God, the Lord Almighty, is compassionate and merciful toward us.

To Learn more about finding God's mercy in your life read my other blog at this link: Click Here.

(c) Adron Dozat

Does God Care When You Feel Alone?

Sometimes we feel alone in our struggles as if no one sees and no one cares. We wish someone will come alongside to give support.

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him." Isaiah 30:18, NIV.

This verse is taken from the Bible where The Lord describes future judgment, and then in the middle of doom and woe he says, 'yet...' it is a turning point where the heart of God shines through to give comfort and hope. Though his people have sinned and rebelled, "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious."  We cannot excuse sin and wrongs but in life's mess, but we can know that God longs to be gracious to us.

LONGS
To long for something is deeper than just a desire. It fills up your thoughts until everything else is pushed out; it is "a heart-deep preoccupation," or even an obsession. It is wonderful that God longs this way to be gracious to each of us.

GRACIOUS
One may see gracious as the forgiving kindness of God to those who are far from him. When God is gracious he is giving mercy to those who do not deserve it and love to those who are lost from love.

RISES
The Almighty is never complacent. From his heavenly throne he "rises" to show us compassion. Ancient kings always sat, you did not want to be in the room if the situation called for the king to stand up- it meant war or death. God doesn't just sit in heaven wallowing in mushy feelings- he acts.

COMPASSION
Compassion here seems to be love-inspired acts of kindness to those who are helpless. Who isn't helpless in some way? We all have hurt, or guilt, or have experienced injustice, but God longs to be gracious and compassionate to us.

WAIT
Many find it hard to apply faith in some situations; we may hurt too much, or face high mountains of difficulty. This verse ends with an encouragement, "Blessed are all who wait for him." The ancient passage quoted above may have referred to a coming Messiah, but we wait daily for victories small and great. We wait for the Lord to reveal himself in a situation, we wait for the Lord to answer prayer, and we wait for him to deliver us from a situation. We must not give up on God we must continue to hold on in faith; and according to the above promise, we will be blessed.

To learn more about finding God see my other post follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/6/13

Where to get power to do good. Philippians 2:13

We want to do good things but can't; the power is not in us. We have had a little success at self-reform but will soon slip back. Or we come to faith in God and still can't seem to live a life of good actions. Our desires are all bent on doing selfish and shallow things.

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:13, NIV.

GOD
Good is good, and all good begins in Him. Our nature is weak and seems bent on wrong, so we can't rely on ourselves. We can't do good apart from God, so we have to rely on God. If we have come to God in faith, then He is with us and partners with us in our lives as we partner with Him in His kingdom. By faith, God becomes the source in our lives that enables us to do good.

WORK
God has a purpose in our lives, and He is working in us to bring it about. For this verse to say, "He is working in us," suggests He is active in our lives. It suggests He has a purpose in this work in us. Work suggests progress is made and construction is on the way. Work is sometimes hard, uncomfortable, and inconvenient, yet it should reassure us that God is working in us.

IN US
His work is not just to build up a nice, cozy lifestyle; He is working inside of us, in our minds, and hearts, to make something new. He is changing or renovating us. He has a process that will change the very nature of who we are.

OUR WILL
God is changing our desires. He is trying to make us less selfish and more generous, less angry, and more peaceful, less haughty, and more humble and He is doing many other things in our lives. The biggest thing He is doing is to give us a willingness to do good,  He is working in our hearts to have a willingness and a willfulness to do good.

ACT
Our actions follow our thoughts. When our wills are given to God, our acts will be given to Him also. Good intentions are nice, but it is the acts that demonstrate the power of God in our lives.

HIS GOOD PLEASURE
In each of our lives, God has a good purpose and a plan that he is fulfilling within us for our good. We can be confident and rejoice in His work in our lives.

To learn more about having God in your life see my other blog, follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/5/13