Can God Give Success Over Really Big Problems or Just Small Ones? Joshua 6:2

We all have different areas of failure but can God give us success over big problems?  There is an encouragement in God's words to Joshua.

"Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men."  Joshua 6:2.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
The people of Israel crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land in the neighborhood of the biggest and most fortified city of the region- Jericho.  Conquest would be costly if not impossible.

SEE
The invitation to see was to become aware of the important facts.  It is not that their adversaries were safely shut up inside or that they were afraid of Joshua and his army, but The Lord wants Joshua to see that God has delivered it to him.

I HAVE DELIVERED
This is written in the past tense.  It is remarkable since Jericho had yet to fall and Joshua still had to march his men around the city for seven days first, but God speaks as if it was already done.  If God says it is done then it is done no matter if it is past, present, or future.

Delivering something suggests it is in your possession, it is in your control and you have authority to deliver it.  God said I have delivered Jericho because as God He possessed it, had control over it, and had the authority to deliver it

INTO YOUR HANDS
It went from God's hand to his hands.  He gives Joshua possession of it and authority over it.

When something is put into your hands it is easy, you just hold out your hand palm up and plop there it is.  You don't work for it or buy it- you just receive it.

ALONG
God gave the city along with the king and the fighting men, God left nothing out.  If the king or fighting men escaped it would mean protracted fighting and resistance.  When God gives victory He does not overlook anything.

VICTORY
The city was Joshua's but he still had to lead a fight, he still had to march and obey God's commands.  You may not be a Joshua but God has given victory in Christ, he puts victory in our hands but we still have to take it.  We have to believe His promises and obey His commands and take possession of it.

To learn more about how you can have a relationship with God see my other post.

(c) Adron 5/13/15

What Does It Mean To Wait And Hope For The Lord, Psalm 33:20

Sometimes we struggle and then we call on the Lord and expect something to happen but it looks like nothing is going to happen; we wonder if something went wrong with prayer or with our faith.

"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield." Psalm 33:20.

WAIT
It is hard to wait.  In our modern times we are conditioned to get things quickly, but it is even harder to wait when we have a crisis or difficulty.  God is not neglectful or slow but He is purposeful, His timing is directed by His love for us.   His delay may have more to do with us becoming ready for the answer than it is about Him taking time to prepare the answer

HOPE
To hope engages waiting with a purpose or an expectation.  Hope is based on understanding who God is and his purposes in our lives.  Not knowing God causes our hope to feel empty, but when you know the Lord and are growing in that knowledge then your hope is bright and full.

LORD
A lord is a governor or ruler, God is not the only creator of all things He is also the ruler who commands and controls all things; if you are going to hope in someone that is the best someone to hope in.  Not only is He the all-powerful creator and ruler of all things He is also the loving Father who sent his Son to be the sacrifice to take our sins and offer us eternal life.

HE IS OUR HELP
There is no maybe, wishful thinking, or doubt, but this is a positive affirmation statement, which states a fact that the Lord is our help.

A helper comes alongside you so the two of you can work together.  Imagine what it would be like to move a heavy load with the help of a kind Olympic weight lifter, you know he can do the bigger and harder part, so if the All-powerful One is your help He can do the harder part in your situation too.

SHIELD
This goes beyond helping for God becomes the shield- a wall of protection.  God becomes something we could not become or even help in becoming, He actually is our place of refuge.  We can hide in Him in His love and comfort.

CONTINUE
The problem with waiting is that it is not over quickly and we must resolve to continue to wait, but we can go through our trials and struggles knowing that God is beside us.  Our lives are a relationship with God and when we engage Him then the waiting is not only endurable but leads to the blessing of knowing him better.

We can hope and look forward to seeing his deliverance.

If you want to understand more about how to know God see my other post.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/15/15

Where Can You Hide from Troubles, Psalm 46:1-3

There are many things a person can take refuge in, things like home, hobbies, relationships, music, money, drugs, pleasure, etc. But all man-made forms of refuge will eventually weaken and fail.

"God is our refuge and strength,an ever-present help in trouble.Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way." Psalm 46:1-2.

REFUGE
In ancient times, a refuge was a place where you escaped an enemy and found safety. Today a refuge may be a place where you go to hide from it all, a place where our troubles can't get to us. The Psalmist says, "God is our refuge and strength." What better refuge than the All-powerful, Creator, and Master of the universe?" What better strength than The Lord?

EVER-PRESENT
The word ever-present reminds us that God is here no matter what. No matter where we go or what happens He is not going to be overwhelmed and beaten. No matter what we do He is not going to desert us. He is "ever-present." He is always present, he is in all the right here is there ever could be.

HELP

Where Can You Hide From Trouble

There are different kinds of "help." One is a personal side by side- a one with one helping out, like a peer or equal, and we each do half and the job gets done. Another kind of help is where no matter what you do your efforts are futile, like being stuck at the bottom of a well. Then we need a superior person to help, a person who is not in the pit but is above and strong- only he can pull us out. The Lord is not an "equal-to-me-helper," where I do some and He does some. The Lord is TOTAL HELP. Sometimes we have to stop struggling and just hold on the rope and He pulls us up. (We do not go through life sitting on our hands and doing nothing. We do have responsibility for our actions and many times we have to act.)

GOD'S HELP
God's help was not just an idea or a philosophy. It is the result of a relationship; we make the Lord our help, strength, and refuge. We didn't just sing songs about it and read books about it, we make a decision and act on it; then we will experience God as our refuge and help. We have to decide to not look to other things, instead, we express to God that He is our refuge and help.

If you have never trusted God as your refuge for your soul follow this link: Click Here.

(c) Adron Dozat 5/17/13

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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Where You Can Go When You Need Someone To Hold Your Hand. Isaiah 41:13

Sometimes we reach out in desperation to find comfort, at those times it would be good just to have a hand to hold while we cry, mourn, or go through anguish.

"For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee 'Fear not; I will help thee.'" Isaiah 41:13. JKV.

GOD
This verse reminds us in triplicate just who is holding our hand, he says "I the Lord Thy God."  The Almighty is making a powerful point by the personal pronoun "I," He is not sending someone else, even the wisest, smartest and most caring person would fall far short of God who is always by your side, he is saying don't get it wrong it is Me coming for you. 

Second He is the "Lord," the sovereign; ruler and king of all, who has all authority and dominion; His every command is to be obeyed, He is the one who is coming to hold our hand.
Third He is "thy God," God is personal he wants us to know Him as our God, not just a god of a religion or a part of a creed he is our God.

RIGHT HAND
He will hold our "right hand" the hand that is for most people the dominant one: often stronger, but not only stronger it is more sensitive to touch more trained and in tune.  He holds the hand that most connects to who we are.  We may hold a hand while we walk on a dark and unfamiliar path, or while we cry, or receive bad news; God does not hold our hand only at one particular time, we may be confident his hand is available all the time we need him.

GOD COMFORTS
God is not silent in our grief, he has a message.  He is speaking but sometimes we are so self-absorbed (and understandably so) during our times of trial when we are suffering too much to hear His comfort.  Even if we don't hear them He still has words of comfort, guidance, and lessons in the times of our sorrow.

HELP
Here God speaks directly to our hurting hearts; He says "fear not. I will help thee."  If God says fear not then we can be confident and should not fear, after all, He is God.  He promises to help us, and this should give us much to rejoice in; we can look to and expect God to help us.

This verse expresses the willingness of God to comfort.  He desires to be our counselor, confident, and intimate.  He is holding out his hand for us to take and to experience his love.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/12/12

What Does God's Help Mean?

It is a relief when you find someone who can help, especially when they are more qualified than anyone else.

“Because you are my help, I will sing in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 63: 7, NIV.

These words are open-ended, and limitless. God is the great help; no problem is too big, no situation is too hard, no question is beyond his wisdom.

HELP
Though God is “my Help,” we still go through the trial but with the Almighty at our side. He is willing to help; a helper comes alongside and shares the struggle. Shared trials build a bond. God wants intimate relationship with us; many never nurture that relationship except in a crisis. We try to solve the dilemma ourselves or we want to command God as if He were a servant not our Lord. Remember that to ask for His help is to be willing for God to give that help His way- not ours.

WILL
This verse expresses confidence in God. The author knows that God is his helper, and he "will" celebrate God in song. This kind of confidence is the fruit of time with God, getting to know the heart and character of God.

SHADOW
We consider being in someone’s “shadow” as a bad thing but here it is good. It is the shadow of protection. Shadows fall behind, this suggests that The Almighty goes before, so God in all wisdom and knowledge has gone before us in every trial. He knows the way and the results.

The “wings” invoke the image of the eagle, king of birds, who commands the skis. We need a safe haven when help is not enough, and to be in the shadow of such wings is to be under the protection and shelter of the Almighty. A mother bird spreads her wings over her chicks in the storm and the Heavenly Father spreads his protection to those who make Him their helper.

SING
Because God is our help we can “sing,” this is the way it should be. We owe God our worship, for He is our creator, and we should worship even more so when He is our helper. Every test and experience should result in songs of devotion.

If God is not your helper then come to Him today and confess your need. Ask him to be your helper and let Him help as He sees fit. Don’t wait for victory- sing his praise.

To learn more about coming to god Follow this link to my other blog.


My prayer. Psalm 63: 7,

Put me under your wings, o Lord,
And shelter me from this storm.
I try to win by my own scheme,
But my troubles are too great.
I need today your help again.
My efforts are such a waste.
I will trust only Your commands,
And will accept your results.
Draw me to be so close to You
Even to know Your own heart.
I praise You for this hard ordeal.
For victory I now give thanks.
In your shadow I will prevail,
And sing from a joyful heart.

(c) Adron 1/13/10

Where You Can Find Help. Psalm 120.1, 2.

Some days it seems we have more hills to climb than we have strength. We may have an illness, the loss of a loved one, or the scarring injury of a wrong done to us. We long for help and wait, but those hills are still there to climb. They just won’t go away.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 120:1, 2, NIV

This is a favorite verse, and we often turn to it or reflect on its meaning. To say, "I lift up my eyes..." is to suggest we are looking "up" or for help from above. Why look to a created being when the Creator is waiting to be our helper? We look to programs and institutions to be our help, but they offer only partial help. We look to people, but people fail and err. We look inside to our own hearts, but the results are no better than we are.

The author of this verse practically boasts that his help is not in man, angel, king, or city but his help" comes from the Lord. The title Lord is like saying “God the Divine Ruler,” or “God the Absolute Governor,” or “God the Monarch of All There is.” God is in control of all things. He is Commander of all the elements of the universe down to every single molecule. All things respond to His command. There is no greater help.

The author of this verse didn't say he was hoping to have help from God or that he was asking for help from God; he said, "my help comes from the Lord." It was a sure thing to him; this is a statement of great faith. If only we could say with the same confidence that our help comes from God. We must realize and do not doubt that help does come from the Lord.

Not only is our help the Lord and Ruling Monarch, but He is the "maker of heaven and earth." To be the maker of things is to be more powerful than the thing you make, or else you couldn't make the thing. God is the Maker of heaven and earth, so his power supersedes the abilities of heaven and earth to resist his power. As the maker of not only the earth but of heaven also, then there is nothing left out. We can’t say our problem is bigger than God because our problem came from a place he didn't make and has power and control. After all, he made all things. He has power and control over all those things, so he has power over the very hills we have to climb.

We can look at how big the hills are that we have to climb, but if we look above the hills to their very maker, we will find our Help. If the hills are big, the Maker of the hills is bigger. Let's look to Him, who is the maker of the hills.

If you want to learn more about finding God, follow this link: Salvation.
Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  See the most popular post in the left sidebar or use the search box above for more like this.

(c) Adron 11/19/09

Who To Look To When No One Is On Your Side? Psalm 73:25

Who do you turn to when the world has let you down?

“Whom have I in heaven but you, and earth has nothing I desire beside you.” Psalm 73:25, NIV.

GOD
No matter what our treasures are the best we can have is God. The author of this verse was so passionate about God that all other blessings were nothing in comparison. He would pass all the world's treasures without a glance to have God.

HEAVEN
He looks beyond angels, cherubim, patriarchs and saints to the One who is the advocate, defender, and sustainer of his life. No other being created us, and no angle died for our sins, no other stands with scarred hands pleading our case. Only Jesus made salvation possible for us on the cross and now he sits in heaven as our advocate.

DESIRE
Who can say, “And earth has nothing I desire beside you?” Desire is longing and wanting with a hopeful anticipation until it fills our thoughts. The psalmist saw that God is more beautiful and fulfilling than the best the world has to offer; nothing comes close to God.

Our world tries to make us desire this or that. Things alone by themselves are not evil, but they are nothing compared to God. Fascination with the material goods of this world is a waste of time at best and possibly sinful at worst.

Lets:
     * Pray for a heart of devotion.
     * Read the Bible more and see God clearer.
     * Put away and repent of things that lure me from God.
     * Stop serving the things of this world.
     * Find ways to serve God.

God made us and we are only fulfilled when we come to God. We, however, try to fulfill the purpose God has for us in other ways. God designed us so that we find fulfillment in serving Him.(c) Adron

What is the Point Of The Good Samaritan Parable? Luke 10: 25 – 37

We have heard it since childhood and tell it to our kids, yet after a lifetime of exposure to this parable, do we still miss the point?

BACKGROUND
It is in response to a question that Jesus tells a parable of how a man fell among robbers who beat him and left him half dead.  A priest ignored him as he walked by, as did a religious leader.  Then, a socially low-caste Samaritan stops and helps the man by treating his wounds, taking him to an inn, and paying for his care, including a promise to return and make good at any other cost.  Jesus then asks, “Who was the neighbor to the man?” It begs the answer- the Samaritan. (See Luke 10:25 -37.)

WHAT WE DON'T HEAR
Often we are so focused on the illustration that we miss the point, or we know the story so well it has no effect on us.  Instead of being moved by God’s Spirit, we are inoculated against the action.

THE END IS THE BEGINNING
Jesus concluded the parable by saying, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"  The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise.”

WHAT WE SHOULD HEAR
How many sermons have we ever heard on the last four words of that verse? “Go and do likewise.”  That is the point of it all.  It is not just a story about a guy who did a good deed- but it is a mandate.  When we read this passage and all others in God’s Word, it should affect us as if we are hearing His voice directed to us, as if we hear Jesus commanding us to personally “Go and do likewise.”  He is telling us to be the Good Samaritan.  If only we did! It would make such a change in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Jesus' words call us to a lifestyle that responds to the needs of others. The Christian life is a relationship with God; as such, we must be aware of opportunities He has set in our paths to be " Good Samaritans.”

May you find great blessings as you “go and do likewise.”

© Adron 10/11/09