Who Can You Really Trust To Never Let You Down?

Who can you turn to?

So many people let us down, family friends, bosses and our leaders. Who can you turn to? Who can you trust?

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7.

BLESSED

We do not use the word blessed much these days, but it can be thought of as "Happy" or to be in a place of contentment. It can mean that you have God's favor.

IS THE ONE

This is the ultimate singular. The one is not someone who is looking at God and faith as an extension of a family, culture, a formal religion that is inherited, or someone who is observing traditions for social reasons. This one is an individual who himself has personally chosen to trust; he would say it is a "Me and God thing." It is personal in the sense of ownership but it is not secretive or hidden.

WHO TRUST

Trust is unwavering faith. Believing in someone and looking to them with hopeful expectation. It is based on knowing the person and knowing that they are trustworthy.

IN THE LORD

Your faith is only as good as the thing you trust in. If you trust in a statue then your faith is only as good as that statue. If you trust in a person then your faith is only as good as that person. To trust in the Lord is the most secure trust you can have. He is ever able to save and provide.

The title of Lord reminds us of how God is the one who rules over all things. He is the ultimate authority and no one is higher in rank than he is As Lord of all he can command the stars and the seas the wind and flowers.  If you were to trust anyone there is no one better.

He is worthy of our trust, not only is the Lord the All-Powerful-One, he is one who never breaks His word and always keeps His promises found in the Bible. He is the Creator Father who loves you and sent his Son to be our salvation by sacrificial death.

WHOSE CONFIDENCE

Confidence here is like trust in action, it is to trust with experience, trust that has been tested, and is based on knowledge. If you do not know anything about someone it is almost impossible to trust them.

IS IN HIM

There is no one more worthy to put your trust in than The Lord. Express to him that you are trusting in him and that you are confident of his help. And whenever doubts occur reaffirm your trust in The Lord.

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

© Adron  1/15/17

What Happens When You Trust God? Jeremiah 17:8

To trust God more- it sounds like a good thing but how will it help us in the real world of hard knocks?

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:8

BLESSED
To be blessed is to be happy or to have God's favor or grace.

TRUST THE LORD
To trust the Lord is very personal, you don't inherit it from parents or get it from your country, and it doesn't come on you in some magic way in your house of worship.  It is a conscious decision you have to make yourself.

CONFIDENCE
This is trust that does not waver.  It is the result of spending much time getting to know the one you trust in.  As you spend time with God you will not only trust Him but also have a trust that is based on God and not based on some lesser thing like human philosophy or even religion.

Tree with roots in a stream.

THE TREE
This blessing is likened to a tree that is well watered.  Since the psalmist lived in an arid country the image of a tree by streams of water is powerful and desirable.
     * It is planted by water and is well nurtured by the roots.
     * It does not fear the desert heat because it has a source of water close by.
     * It's leaves are always green, it will not wither or go dormant.  A tree with green leaves is beautiful.
     * It has no worries in drought because the water is near.
     * It never fails to bear fruit, so it is a blessing to those around it.

It is the picture of everything a tree should be.

THE METAPHOR
As the tree grows deep roots it is protected, nourished, healthy and fruitful; the same can be said for those who develop deep roots in the Lord that we have a source of spiritual nourishment, protection, and peace.

YOU CAN BE LIKE THAT TREE
Trusting the Lord blesses you in many ways, like the tree you will be free from worry, have a source of strength, and confidence, and you will be a blessing to those around you

A deep faith comes from deep roots in the Lord.  Spend time with God in prayer, thoughtful reading of His Word the Bible, spending time in private and community worship and in acts of serving him.

If you do not know the Lord as savior then see this other post.

(c)Adron Dozat 4/12/15

What Can You Do When You Doubt Your Calling?

We may feel called by God to do something, but after a while, it looks like it is unraveling; we get discouraged and wonder if it is worth it. The Bible gives an example of someone who went through all that and made it to the hall of God's faithful.

"By faith Abraham when called to go to a place, he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Hebrews. 11:8.

FAITH

God Calls Abraham 

Abraham's faith was not a sit-in the church on Sunday type of thing, but it was a go and doing kind of thing. He was called, and he went. The word faith and the word obey are both used in this verse because there is no faith where there is no obedience.

CALLED
We may hear a call from God to leave our lives behind and follow where he leads. Faith like Abraham's will go without needing to know where the end will lead to. Such faith looks not to its own wits and resources but to God's promises.

The test of Abraham's faith was the test of obedience. He did not look at the situation. He looked at God.

NOT KNOWING
Abraham may not have known where he was going, but God did. When God called Abraham, He did not tell him where he would end up, only that he was going to a land that God was going to show him. Though Abraham did not know the destination, he knew the one leading there, and that was enough.

The scriptures do not indicate that Abraham put God to the test like Gideon did or took time to think it over in fact, the indication is that Abraham obeyed swiftly.

LATER RECEIVE
Abraham's faith was not exhausted in the first efforts of going out; he dwelt in tents the rest of his life. Though he never received a palace as the owner of the estate, he kept on having faith. He has received far more than promised in heaven.

YOU 

You may feel that you have started out on something you can't finish or you won't make it to the end, but you must refresh your faith by looking anew at the Almighty who is able to do abundantly more than you need. 

(c) Adron 12/31/15

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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

What Is The Best Way To Handle Fear? Advice From The Bible.

Sometimes the things we fear are so huge that we cannot think of anything else, in time fear grips and cripples us. Where can we turn to overcome fear?

"He said, Listen king Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this great army, for the battle is not yours but God's." 2 Chronicles 20:15.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
The Bible tells of an alliance of enemies that marched against the Lord's people. Facing certain destruction and death King Jehoshaphat sought the Lord with prayer. After he prayed the prophet came with the message not to fear because the battle is the Lords.

DO NOT BE AFRAID
There are many reasons we are afraid in life. There are circumstances outside our control, there are dangers that threaten us and our loved ones, and there are uncertainties in our future.

There is a bigger reason to not be afraid- God:
     * He is in control.
     * Nothing catches Him by surprise.
     * He will never lose a battle.
     * He is in charge of all things.
     * He has power over all things.
     * He is bigger than all things.

THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS
When there is a problem in our lives we think we need to act and we say, "What can I do?" God was in control long before we found out about the problem and He will remain in control long after we have forgotten the matter.

BUT GOD'S
God is able to win the battle. We have to do our part which is to obey Him and trust Him, God is able to deliver.

In 2 Chronicles 20 the story ends with the enemies turning on each other and annihilating each other. The Lord's people went to meet them in battle but found only dead bodies as far as the eye could see.

When you face the multitude of foes seek the Lord and pray to Him for deliverance because He is able.

(c)Adron Dozat 12/5/13

What Can You Do When Everything Is Against You? Help From The Bible. 1 Samuel 14:6

Sometimes it looks like the whole world is against us and there is no way out of a situation. A young warrior once faced a garrison of enemy troops alone but found confidence and victory.

"Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of these pagans perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can hinder the Lord, He can win the battle whether he has many warriors or few." 1 Samuel 14:6.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Jonathan was the son of the king, Saul, during the times of war with the Philistine nations surrounding the nation of Israel. The Philistines had an outpost that threatened Israel. Jonathan was inspired to attack the outpost alone.

NOTHING
This great statement of faith is full of confidence in God.  There is nothing, no person, and no situation that can stand in the way of God and his intentions.

HE CAN WIN
Since there is nothing that can stand against the Lord he will win, but to say he can win is an understatement- it is a certain fact.

WHETHER
We look at numbers and statistics and we try to calculate if things will go the way we want. The Almighty is not disturbed that the odds are against him. He is God; he will be victorious no matter what. This is saying God is bigger than the enemy, he is bigger than our problem and he is bigger than anything we can face.

IT IS ABOUT THE LORD NOT US
Jonathan put his faith in the Lord of Host, not his own strength or sword. God wins the battle; he can do it by many or few because he does not need numbers or armies.

Jonathan's faith was in the Lord for victory and for salvation from his enemies. His statement of faith and confidence is for the glory of God and is an example to us.

If you are facing overwhelming foes look to the Almighty Father who is far bigger than any problem we can face.

If you are interested in learning more about salvation click here to read my other blog.

(c) Adron 11/11/13

What To Do When Your Faith Is Weak

There are times when we all doubt and our faith wavers. Sometimes we wonder if our faith is strong enough.

The Bible tells of a father's struggle with faith when he brought his son to the disciples so they can cast out a demon; the disciples were not able to drive it out, so they brought the boy to Jesus.  The father says, "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."  "If you can?' said Jesus, 'Everything is possible for him who believes.'  Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'" Mark 9:23, 24. NIV. The passage ends by describing the healing, where the demon is cast out.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

The guy deserves credit because he has seen his son suffer since his youth, and when he brings him to the disciples, they are not able to help, he had despaired hope, yet he did not give up.

JESUS

Jesus addresses the real issue first.  Jesus could have condemned the man's lack of faith in harsh words but the question, "If you can?" is a gentler rebuke.  I am sure He could lecture us all on our weak faith, but he speaks kindly.

FAITH IN WHOM

The father asked if Jesus could do anything.  Of course, he can heal, heal, restore, and put to right all wrongs we have experienced.  "Everything is possible for him who believes."  As long as we have faith in the right person, the one who is the all-powerful God.  There is no limit to the possibilities of God.  There is no mountain that He can't move.  There is no darkness He can't shine in.  There is no grief He can't comfort. There is no hurt He can't bring blessing to.

WE TOO

The man sought the Lord's help with his unbelief. We all have times of unbelief when doubt is mixed with faith, and he had reason to doubt. His request was an example of desperate prayer; "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief."  He asked The Lord to help with his unbelief.  It is a simple thing to do; just pray.

Do not overlook the necessity of prayer in the actualization of our faith.
     * We must pray that the Lord will give us a correct understanding of who He is.
     * We must pray that our hearts may be ready to obey the call to act on our faith.
     * We must pray to the Lord to prop up our faltering faith.
     * We must pray to know the Lord that our faith is in.

Faith must be in the correct thing.  We must have faith in Jesus. Faith in anything else has no real power.

Everything is possible for him who believes art.

Blessings

(c)Adron 7/16/13

Does God Give a Second Chance?

Sooner or later everyone feels they have failed- they have failed friends, family, and even God. Is there ever a second chance to get it right and to really fulfill our purpose?

"And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give to you."  Jonah 3:1-2, NIV.

SUMMARY
Jonah was commanded by God to go to Nineveh and preach repentance, but the people of Nineveh were the enemy of Jonah's people, so he took a boat going in the opposite direction. A fierce storm threatened to sink the ship and he told the sailors to toss him overboard since it was God's judgment on him. In the sea God sent a great fish to swallow him; while in the fish, Jonah repents and worships the Lord. After three days the fish spews Jonah out on a beach, and there the Word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.

REBELLION
Jonah had a clear instruction from the Lord. It was simple, "Go this way and say this thing." In the book of Jonah, his nationalistic pride is revealed as the reason he didn't to obey God; he ran in the other direction rather than preach the message to his enemies. In other words, God said go right and he went left.

REPENTANCE
Jonah's prayer of repentance is one of the most elegant and poetic chapters in the Bible,
     * He confesses his sin.
     * He avows his submission to God.
     * He declares God right.
     * He affirms his faith in God.
     * He declares in faith that he will worship God at his temple.

RESTORATION
After the fish vomits Jonah out on the beach God's word comes to Jonah a second time. It is the same commission; his opportunity is not lost, the task is still his; he is to go to Nineveh and proclaim the message.

God gave him the second chance even though he rebelled, fled, became the companion of unbelievers, even telling the sailors to throw him overboard. It is hard to find anybody who went more wrong; yet after he turns from his rebellion and seeks God he is recommissioned as a prophet. He was the prophet Jesus honored by identifying himself with more than once.*

For Jonah God was the God of the second chance; He is the same God today and offers a second chance to any who are willing to turn to him.

Matthew 12:40. Matthew 16:4.

© Adron 7/1/13

Is Who Jesus Is Important?

We may think we know who Jesus is and feel comfortable or complacent about his identity. What if not knowing who Jesus really is makes a difference? What if missing out on who Jesus is means we miss out on something really important?

"And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, 'Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.'And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. " Matthew 13: 57-58. NIV.

THE NEIGHBOR KID
In this passage, Jesus was in his hometown and the people took offense at him. The people were basically saying, "We know this guy, don't we? He grew up here. It's just Jesus, Mary's kid." They were so familiar with Jesus they thought they knew that they missed out on who he really is.

We do that with all our relationships. We get comfortable and begin to take a friendship, a family member, or even a spouse for granted; we assume we know all there is and nothing more is there.

FAITH IN WHOM
The problem becomes the words, "And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." They were too familiar with a Jesus they thought they knew and that translated into a lack of faith. It is as if Jesus became common so they failed to see past the usual. The commonness of Jesus became an obstacle that diminished their faith. Because they misunderstood who he was they were not able to have faith in who he was.

Today we might say, "Isn't this just the Baby Jesus we sing about at Christmas? Don't we take about him in Sunday School every week? Isn't he in the songs on my Gospel music collection? Isn't he the topic of the book I bought at the Bible Book Store?" It is just the same as the people in Jesus' hometown.

MIRACLES
If Jesus does not bless us with miraculous it may not be because we lack faith, but that we have a wrong idea about him and who he is. We must pray that he reveals himself to us clearly, and be open to having our ideas corrected by him. We must not neglect our relationship with Jesus; we may need to repent of doing so and seek his forgiveness.

Jesus is knowable. He is revealed in the Holy Scripture. If you want to know how to have Jesus in your life follow this link to my other blog: Click Here.

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(c)Adron Dozat

What to Do When You Can't Go On.

Sometimes life is so hard, we feel like we can't go through another day; maybe because we have experienced some tragedy, or we have been wronged, or because of health or financial issues. Everyone experiences the feeling at some time that they just can't go on.

"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."Isaiah 40:30, 31 NIV.

WE ARE WEAK
Human strength is not enough for many of the trials of daily life. Sometimes we are worn out and want to give up. Other times it is worst still, and we completely, "stumble and fall." We give in to despair or depression and make some desperate bad choice. No one is immune from feelings of wanting to give up.

There is wondrous encouragement in the words, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength." Our times are full of formulas, programs, and self-help books full of pop psychology; but this verse directs us simply to hope in the Lord. Here hope is a waiting while looking to God, and keeping our mind focused on God's character and the promise of his Word. When in a dire crisis what better hope than the Eternal Almighty Ruler of all things great and small? Why trade that for weak human strength?

PROMISE
This verse has a promise which is presented as a fact that, those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength." When we hope in the Lord it is like putting on a new person over our old one. When we hope in the Lord others will wonder where we get the strength to go on, and we will share their amazement.

SOAR
The contrast is beautiful- we go from stumbling and falling to "soar on wings like eagles!" When we hope in the Lord we will have an experience that is above the problems of our lives. When we hope in the Lord we can make the dash to victory and we can endure the long trek.

May your strength be renewed as you hope in the Lord today and always.

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

(c)Adron Dozat 3/2/13

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.
For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

Adron

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How To Get God's Help With a Big Problem.

We all face battles, big and little. Sometimes we face them daily, sometimes they loom on the horizon and creep closer over time. Some battles are with people, like a boss, or roommate; others are with situations, like finding a home, or job, or paying the bills. Other battles are fought in our hearts, caused by loss, an unfulfilled need or pain.

This Bible passage offers hope:

"The men of Israel were subdued on that occasion, and the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord the God of their fathers." 2 Chronicles 13: 18, NIV.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
There was a war between Abijah, king of Judah and Jeroboam, king of Israel. Judah had four hundred thousand fighting men, but they were outnumbered by Israel who fielded eight hundred thousand troops. Righteous Abijah climbs the hill and boldly declares to his overwhelming foe that, "As for us the Lord is our God," verse 10. Israel attacks Judah from the front and ambushes from the rear. When Judah saw that they were out-maneuvered they cried out to the Lord, the priest blew the trumpets and the men raised the battle cry; then at the sound of their battle cry, the Bible says that Lord routed Jeroboam and all Israel.

OBSERVATIONS:
Lessons can be learned from this Bible passage:

• We must declare that "The Lord is my God."
• We must "cry out" to the Lord, and pray for His deliverance.
• We should, be like the trumpet blast and give testimony to the Lord.
• We should rely on the Lord.

Often we rely on ourselves to figure out a solution, or we want a formula or magic bullet to fix our problems, but we must remember the simple lesson to rely on the Lord.

GOD OF OUR FATHERS
The specific title for God is instructive. The God of their fathers is in contrast to the gods of the societies opposing them. In our age, there is much clamor to adopt views of God that is not true to him. If we are open we must consider the prospect that the gods of our age may not be true and there is a possibility that the God of our Fathers is the true God after all. This God of Our Fathers is one who listens to our cry and gives victory. This is the God of Love who sent his son to die for our sins.

Let us resolve to seek God and grow deeper in our reliance on him to find victory today and always.

(c) Adron 2/24/13

What is the Answer for Worry? Matthew 6:25

Worry can really cripple us, emotionally spiritually and in practical life. If your worries are little or big Jesus' teaching points to the perfect answer.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet our heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they?" Matthew 6: 25, 26. NIV.

In history's greatest sermon Jesus deals with many issues; one of which is worry. Many things constitute worry. We might be worrying if we...

     * Take things and turn them over again and again in our imagination.
     * Take a situation and start to imagine all the different ways it could turn out.
     * Dwell on all the "what ifs" about a thing.
     * Wear out a subject in our mind.

HELP
Christ points out several basic things people worry about, they are legitimate like the need for food, water, and clothes. There are lots of other worries he could have listed like public safety, old age, disease, and finances. In our modern complicated world we have many more things to worry about, like school, career, the effects of technology on our daily lives, city life, loneliness- the list can go on and on. Some of these worries are monumental to us.

WHY
Jesus said "do not worry," and gives a good reason. If Our Heavenly Father does such a good job of taking care of birds that are small what about humanity who are more important to God than birds. It is genus that Jesus chose birds as his example since some birds eat many times their own weight each day. God does a good job of caring for his creation so what about us who are so much more valuable than birds?

LOVE
People are the object of God's eternal love. He sent his Son to pay for our sins and there-by fulfilled our greatest and deepest need; if he did that out of His love and care for us what else is he willing to give or do? (See Romans 8:32.)

COMMAND
The way Jesus said, "do not worry," is like a command. If we continue to worry we are breaking a command and need to confess that sin. We need to...

     * Pray and confess
     * Tell God my concerns.
     * Acknowledge that he is in charge.
     * Receive His peace.
     * And leave it all with Him.

May you find all your cares are fulfilled by his loving provision today and always.

If you are interested in know Jesus as your savior see my other blog follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat

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Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.
For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

Adron

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Where To Find Hope In A Bad Situation

What help and comfort is there for someone in a bad situation?

"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." Psalm 125:1-2, NIV.

A REMINDER
Some things we hear over and over and though they are old and simplistic they are still true. We need reminders to be practical in our faith. Not just to start our day or week with a little prayer and go on without another thought about God; that would be a good beginning but a poor ending.

TRUST
We are saved by trusting the Lord, but we need to "trust in the Lord" must as a daily or moment by moment faith. As we go through our day we must bring God along. Every day is full of situations, problems, thoughts, feelings, people, and things that challenge us. We must not rely on our own ideas or the ability to solve them. Sometimes a quick prayer as an expression of faith in God is all it takes. Other times it is more complicated and takes seeking Our Lord out in prayer, searching the scriptures, meditation, and counsel with godly friends.

• We need to pray often and tell God we are trusting him and tell him the reasons why.
• We need to remember Bible verses that have promises and pray to claim them.
• When we are trusting in ourselves we must repent and tell God, and renew our trust in God.
• We need to stop running back and forth, both physically, and mentally, and rest in Him.

AN ENCOURAGEMENT
It is encouraging that "The Lord surrounds his people." As we go through difficult situations we can know the Lord went ahead, he is beside us, and he is covering our backs. We can trust him and then drop our guard because he is our guard on every side. We may feel all alone like no one understands, no one knows our pain and worry; but he was there first, he is next to us with his hand on our shoulders, and he is behind cleaning up the mess. He surrounds us and the enemies can circle all day long but they won't find a crack to get in.

A HOPE
He surrounds us both "now and forevermore." There will never be a time when God does not surround us. We may feel like he has left- but these feelings are not the fact. When trials come we need to pray and claim this truth, "He is surrounding me." We could look at those trials and say, "Do your worst- God has me covered!"

© Adron 1/13/13

Why Do We Have To Wait For God? Lamentations 3:26

We don't like to wait. We want God to answer our prayers right now and help us out right away. Why do we have to wait?

It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:26, NIV*.

WAIT
Waiting is not something many of us do easily in our fast-paced world, we want results now.  The Bible is full of encouragement to wait and gives many examples of those who did. We need to leave the culture of hurry up for the culture of God's time. God has a purpose for the time of waiting that we have to go through. It may seem hard at the time but it is good in the end because we learn things, we grow as people, and we experience God afresh, just to name a few.

QUIETLY
Quietly is an attitude that some of us do not know. We are noisy and we complain, or get full of business, and feel a need to do something about our problems with panic. The quiet the Bible speaks of here is to be able to wait in silence.

To wait quietly for God to rescue us is a tremendous act of faith. It is a living statement of belief that God is good and in his goodness he has control, therefore the best outcome is assured.

Many times we may abstain from speaking our complaint out loud but inwardly simmer with worry and anxiously review scenarios of doom. This causes us to miss out on the blessing of God working on our behalf, we miss knowing God in the hour of our distress.

SALVATION
Our salvation comes from the Lord. Salvation is something we cannot do for ourselves. In our lives, we are at God's mercy and receive his grace day by day and hour by hour, but we do not recognize God working in all the little things. Then the big crisis comes and we are not in the habit of looking to God since we have not practiced it in the little ways.

We already experience deliverance in our daily lives from his hand as much as the eternal salvation we receive by faith in the death of Christ on the cross in payment for our sins. When we think about how he has delivered us in the past and in little ways today it is easy to wait quietly for the deliverance in the big crisis we face.

Truly it is good to wait because then we will be blessed and we will see the salvation the Lord has for us.

To learn more about the salvation of the Lord follow this link: Click Here.
*To read this verse in other translations follow this link: Lamentations 3:26

(c) Adron Dozat 12/15/12

What Is The Key To Solving Problems? Zechariah 4: 6

What does the Bible say about solving personal problems? We all have problems such as debts, woes, worries, and fears. We try different things like education, money, bigger guns, or a louder voice, but nothing works.

"So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, 'Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty.'" Zechariah 4: 6, NIV.  (Link to See other Translations).

The quote above is from the vision of the Prophet Zechariah, in which he is given a message for the governor of Jerusalem to not lose heart in rebuilding the destroyed temple. It was an awesome and overwhelming project, opposed by the enemies of Israel and discouraging since it had been languishing for forty years.

THE WORD OF THE LORD
The word may not seem like much to go on. We would rather trust in might and power, but the word of God is trustworthy. God always keeps his word and never breaks a promise. The prophet's statement implies that the Word of the Lord is not only instruction but also God's promise. It is an echo of the Genesis account, where God performed acts of creation by speaking the universe into existence.

MIGHT AND POWER
As Governor Zerubbabel would have understood, might and power were essential to ruling a city or nation. We seek our own might and power; we look for the strongest, smartest, and most advanced thing to solve our problems. God has a different way he wants us to allow his Spirit.

MY SPIRIT
God's Spirit is not something we cannot see or feel. We turn from what we can do to fix our problem to faith in God. His Spirit is not a force or positive influence, but God speaks here of his personal divine self. "My Spirit" is God saying he is the one, not us, so we must do away with our efforts and allow God to build.

SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY
We need to remember the source—this is the word spoken by the Lord Almighty, the all-powerful, all-controlling, all-loving, all-knowing creator and sustainer of the universe who holds every molecule together. He is not random but deliberate in his actions and has a loving plan.

The building's completion was a guarantee. Zerubbabel needed to believe God and trust in his word, for God said it would happen. For our problems, we need to remember that God gives us many promises in His Word, the Bible. We need to trust God, believe his Word, and allow his Spirit to work.

© Adron 11/20/12

What Makes God Happy? Psalm 147: 10,11

What does the bible say makes God happy? Could there be a more important question? It would be a good thing to be able to please God and a bad thing if we are never able to make him happy. The Bible gives an answer.

"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:10, 11, NIV*.

STRENGTH AND MIGHT
Mankind looks on the outside, we see a handsome face, a strong body, a fat bank account, a job with status or a position with power, and think God is pleased with those things like we are.

We might do some great thing for God and people will be impressed, but God being God does not need our help and is not impressed with any form of strength. He created the universe and since he created it in the first place our efforts at best borrow what he has given and give back to him what is his already.

We look at big things, monuments, buildings and institutions and we are amazed, but the verse above takes the cavalry and the infantry, or in modern terms, the military might, (which is the biggest institution of a nation), and says he is not pleased with size, power, or ability.

We personally struggle with issues and huge problems and wish the cavalry would come to our rescue but God has another plan. God takes pleasure in those that fear and revere him. He is pleased with those who hope in him, not in themselves or man-made solutions.

HOPE
Hope always looks away from the here to see forward and beyond the current situation. Hope requires something or someone bigger than the need. Hope asks that the one who is bigger is able and willing to rescue. We might put our hope in money, or education, or government assistance, or friends; we hope in the strongest things around us, but it will not please God. If we are not pleasing God we are inviting his disfavor, but hope in God fulfills the need of every heart and promises eternal rescue.

LOVE
God's love is unfailing, the cavalry and infantry may lose the battle and hence the kingdom but God's love never fails. His love is proved at the ultimate victory in the cross where Jesus died to pay for the sins of lost mankind and his love was confirmed when Jesus rose from the grave assuring all who believe in him of eternal life.

The one who would please God is the one who hopes in his love.

Just imagine what it would be like to be a person who God delights in, why choose anything else?

* To read this verse in different translations follow this link: Psalms 147:10.

(c)Adron Dozat

How Can I Please God? Hebrews 11:6

We want to please God, but do we know how?

We ask just what does God want from us? Is there any way to know what pleases him and wins his approval? Are the answers hidden in cosmic mystery or is it so obvious we miss it?

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6, NIV*.

These words were written in the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews, and are a key to understanding the Bible.

PERSONAL FAITH

Faith is very personal and each person must come to their own terms with it no matter what religion or creed you practice, it is not something you inherit from your parents or are taught it in school. God requires faith not because he is vain, vague, or hidden but because his purpose is for a relationship with us.  Relationships require faith and trust, not rules and regulations. Without faith, there is no relationship with God.

Because: without faith...
     * God is only a judge to be feared
     * An arbitrary Father figure
     * Or a cosmic force
     * A vague mystery
     * A stranger.

FAITH GROWS
Faith need not be the great measure: Jesus endorsed even the smallest faith as being sufficient. If one feels their faith is weak or lacking they may consider the following suggestions.

     * We must pray and ask God to help our faith.
     * We must seek out the companionship of those who live lives focused on faith
     * We must seek God in his revelation of the Word the Bible and creation.
     * We must confess our lack of or weak faith.

THE EARNEST SEEKER

God promises to reward our faith, not just the faith that says there is a God who created the universe but the faith that believes that God wants to be known and found by the creatures he made. We must seek God; the Bible tells of Adam who sinned and hid from God but we must each correct that error and look for God. God promises to be found by us when we seek him earnestly, to be earnest is to be sincere, passionate, devoted to a cause, and it is to be personally persuaded even consumed by a pursuit.

If it is impossible to please God without faith then the other side of the coin must be that by faith we may please The Almighty. Faith says I will believe the promises of what you said without wavering, doubting or compromise.

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

To read this verse in other translations follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

© Adron 10/5/12

How To Handle Fear. Psalm 56:3

We all have times when we are afraid. Fear comes in many forms and is caused by many sources.  When it comes, what can we do? The Bible offers hope:

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." Psalm 56:3, NIV*.

BACKGROUND

Fear, encouragement from Psalm 56:3

This quote is from a psalm written by King David when he was captured by the Philistines. He expected torturous death for himself and his followers.

Sometimes we are captured by our enemies. They may be the enemies of debt, solitude, failure, loss, humiliation, or something much worse.

WHY DOES GOD ALLOW TRIALS
We may puzzle why God allows these dreadful events in our lives. Perhaps it is so...

     * We will grow through the challenges.
     * Or we will see life differently.
     * Or so we will have compassion on others that experience similar struggles.
     * Or, as in the case of Job, a test to justify God.
     * Or so we can have an opportunity to trust God.

WHY TRUST?

The verse above expresses how one man, David, handled fear. Though David was a warrior and experienced hand-to-hand combat, he acknowledges that he had fear for he says, "When I am afraid," not "if I become afraid."  He resolved to trust God. He made a decision to trust.  He didn't run from it, and he didn't fight it. He reasoned that God is worthy of trust.

     * God is greater than the problem.
     * God is more powerful.
     * God is all-knowing.
     * God is all-loving.
     * God is just and fair.
     * God rewards those who trust in him.
     * God is good and does good.

ACT OF TRUST

There is an action in this verse. David is not just contemplating positive thoughts- he "puts his trust..." The act of trust in God is personal, and we each must decide to trust in God since God is the creator of relationships. How we each experience him may be unique based on our relationship with him.

For some, trust is best expressed in a prayer where one tells God they trust him for the circumstances. For others, it may be a resolution that God is good no matter what and to move ahead in a situation. For others, it is a moment-by-moment refreshing of the truth that God is in charge of our good and to not react in fear. For some, it is to resolve to be faithful to God no matter what.

Whatever God allows in our lives is for our good, and he is worthy of our trust.

* To read this verse in other translations, follow this link: online Parallel Bible.

(c) Adron 9/10/12

Why Are There Defeated Christians? 1 Samuel 17:4

We know we should be doing great things for God, but often, we seem to get nowhere.

"All those gathered here will know it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord's..." 1 Samuel 17:47, NIV.

The conflict between David and Goliath was not private but designed to be a public spectacle. The enemy of the Lord loves to openly humiliate and defeat the Lord's own. Our struggles do not happen in secret. We may keep them from friends, but there are angelic and demonic witnesses to our faithfulness and our betrayal of faith.

OUR BATTLES

Why Are There Defeated Christians?

We think that we will win the battles of our times with bigger weaponry, more dollars, or greater campaigns. However, technology, organizations, movements, and political parties do not win the Lord's battles.

In 1 Samuel 17:4, David was facing a giant problem, yet his focus was not on his abilities or weaponry. He did not say, "It is not by spear or sword that I will save," but "it is not by spear or sword that the LORD saves." He saw the struggle was not a conflict between two armies, ideals or political entities or even between his king and the Philistine leaders, but it was between the Holy God and that which opposed him.

THE LORD'S WORK
Some translations use the word "saves," "delivers," or "rescues." Defeat in ancient times meant the vanquished were often annihilated, and families enslaved. The fight was for national and personal salvation; the armies of Israel were facing such an overwhelming foe that the thought was not of victory but of survival. Here God is not a helper but the one who alone rescues, the Lord saves means total dependence on the Lord. David looked to him to be the Savior.

WHOSE?
The battle is the Lord's. We feel that we are struggling and fighting against the evil overrunning society. When we make the battle ours, we lose it. It is the Lord's battle—not ours. Victory does not depend on us; it depends on him.

DAVID'S EFFECT.
There are many points to ponder in the lesson of David and Goliath.

     * When the youth David faced the giant, he stood his ground.
     * He acknowledged and glorified the Lord.
     * He obeyed the Lord.
     * He was prepared by accepting earlier challenges, such as the lion and bear.
     * He used what he knew- the sling and stone.
     * He refused man-made contrivances such as the king's armor and trusted on that which was provided by God- a rock.

These are all wonderful points, but the greatest is that the battle is the Lord's, and that lesson is a lesson of faith we often need to realize over and deeper as we go through our lives

Let us make a similar declaration of faith, and go out in faith and face our Goliaths.

(c) Adron 8/30/12

How Should Christians Prepare for Conflict Ephesians 6:11

God wants us to engage in doing good, but the world we live in seems to be bent on evil. With crime, addiction, broken homes, and broken hearts all around us, doing good sometimes puts a good Samaritan in the target zone of conflict. How do we do good and not fall as a victim of the evil we oppose?

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:11, NIV*.

God Provides:
God has given us spiritual armor to fight against the darkness of the present world system. He has provided everything we need. He does not just say do good in my name and good luck while you are at it, no, he provides weapons for opposing evil, and the armor to withstand the attacks of wickedness.

Put it on:
The spiritual armor God provides to us is available to all but must be "put on. It is waiting to be taken up. At some point, we need to say I will wear the helmet of salvation I will be shod with the shoes of righteousness I will pick up the shield of faith. We cannot wander through the enemy's camp of this world without wearing the armor and survive spiritually. We cannot assume we have it in place.

The armor must be worn in its fullness; the breastplate without the helmet is not good since it exposes us to a head wound, or if you have a helmet but no sword you will be hard-pressed to gain victory. We are offered a complete set of armor; it is foolish to fail to wear it all.

The Intent of Armor:
We don't wear armor so we can go to a beauty pageant and show off our armor. We are given armor and weapons for warfare. It is expected that we are going to fight the battles of the Lord.

The Game Plan:
We only need to stand against the devil's schemes, there is little about tactics in Ephesians 6 except prayer and the word of God. The victory is already won; we in faith pray and claim victory. We are to take our stand, in ancient warfare soldiers stood side by side in ranks to face the enemy to take your stand is to hold your ground.

There is no armor like God's armor. We have nothing that will equal it. It is perfectly suited to the battle against evil in such a way that no man-made armor is.

I recommend a reading of the entire chapter of Ephesians 6 to learn more about this subject.

To read this in other translations follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

(c)Adron Dozat