How Can God Keep His Promises To Men? Joshua 21:45.

Is God's word good?  Can He keep His promises when they seem so big and we are so far from him?

"Not one of all the LORD'S good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled." Joshua 21:45. NIV.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
God made many promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding their inheritance and future generations who would receive the Promised Land.  They lived in Egypt for 400 years during which time they became great people.  When they were delivered from the oppression of Egypt they returned to the land God had promised them.  This verse is quoted at the conclusion of the book of Joshua which tells of the taking of the land from the Philistines and other peoples.

NOT ONE ... FAILED
God is all-knowing and all-powerful therefore it is not possible for Him to make a promise He could not keep.  Since God is all-knowing He would know not to make such a promise, but being all-powerful there is nothing He cannot do so if he promised it he can do it.

If a promise was only partly kept it would undermine God.  It would mean he is not all-knowing or all-powerful or that he was capricious.  The promises of God must be kept 100% or not at all; if they are only kept in part it would mean He cannot be trusted and we would have reason to doubt.

EVERY ONE
The double emphasis is a method of scripture used often to give what the Bible calls witness or testimony since by the testimony of two or three a thing is established in Levitical law.

None of the promises of God were overlooked or forgotten.  If you had a list in front of you and you were checking them off you would check them all off.

WAS FULFILLED
God didn't just keep the promises He makes- He abundantly keeps them more than we can imagine.  They were not half full but overfull.

God kept the promises in spite of the kind of people they proved to be in the wilderness, where they rebelled and sinned against him numerous times.

THE LORD'S GOOD PROMISES
God's Word is full of promises to us today just as broad and great as he had given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Those promises to us are good and generous; God has no reason to be stingy but to the contrast, his gift of his son illustrates his tremendous generosity.

That God kept his promises to Israel should encourage us to search His Word for the promises he has for us so we may learn them, observe their conditions, and experience the blessings He has for us.

(c)Adron Dozat 2/21/15

What Kind Of Person Gets Wisdom? 1 Kings 3:9

Is there a special type of person who gets to be wise?

"So Give your servant an understanding heart so that I can govern this people and to distinguish between right and wrong for who is able to govern this, your great people?"  1 Kings 3:9.

BACKGROUND
The quote is from the Bible where King Solomon responds to God in a dream in which God says, "Ask of me whatever you want." Solomon asks for understanding and discernment.

SERVANT
Solomon was humble. Though he was king of Israel at its peak of prosperity and power, he referred to himself as a servant. Even though he had riches and power and the allegiance of a nation at his disposal, he approached God humbly.

AWARE
Solomon was aware of his need; he made a case saying that understanding is critical for governing the people of Israel.

SOLOMON DID NOT GRASP
He saw the people and nation as God's, not his. He saw himself as a steward of God's people.

THE TIMES HAVE AND HAVEN'T CHANGED
King Solomon needed wisdom, understanding, and discernment for the enormous task of governing God's people, it was a simpler time, but his need was great. Today we need wisdom as much as he did. Our world is such a complicated place, and the battle between good and evil rages as never before.

WISDOM
Wisdom eludes us. We look for it and try to educate ourselves but still find it missing. Here we see that wisdom comes from God and is granted His gift.

Solomon's wisdom began with an encounter with God and a prayer. Like Solomon, we should seek God and ask for wisdom- He promises to give it (James 1:5).

(c) Adron 1/27/14

Do You Ever Feel Like Giving Up On God?

Sometimes we feel like following God and being a good person is not worth it. We might ask ourselves why I should keep following the way of faith?

"Let us hold fast the confession of our faith, without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23.

LET US
This is a phrase that suggests an option. You have a choice. It is saying to choose to hold fast.

The "us" is plural and joins you and me with the fathers of the faith over the ages. This verse is written by someone who included himself in the need to be encouraged.  This means that even the saints of old struggled with the idea of giving up. You are not alone.

HOLD FAST
We not only choose to not give up we have to resolve to keep on moving ahead.

WAVERING
Wavering is going back and forth on a subject. We have to stop going back and forth going one way and then the other. We have to decide to stick with it.

We may be tempted to give up on living for God when times of testing and difficulties come, but we should hold fast and not give up.

WHY
     * Not because we are earning a reward (though we might be).
     * Not because it develops character (though it is).
     * Not because we will be ashamed for it one day (though we will).
     * Not because it is the right thing to do (though it is).
     * Not because it is giving victory to the enemy (though it is).

But because He who promised is faithful.
     * Faithful to His word
     * Faithful to His promises.
     * Faithful to the church,
     * Faithful to you.

HE PROMISED
We do not hold on to God. He holds onto us that is why it says he is faithful.  Our relationship with God is based on his promise. John 3:16.  He keeps his promise to give us eternal life, and he keeps all the other promises that go with it.  He asks for our loving gratitude and obedient service but if we fail he does not revoke the promise he gives us, we may lose our blessing but not our salvation.

Maybe you feel like giving up on God, but he will never give up on you.  It may be that you know about God but do not know him personally. To learn how you can know God in a personal way then click here to see my other blog post about finding God.

(c)Adron Dozat

How Can God Make Promises to Sinners?

The Bible is full of promises from God to man, but how can that work since God is holy and man is sinful?

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 1:20.

PROMISES
A promise implies a relationship, it may be a relationship of a friend or of someone who is subject to authority, or of a passing acknowledgment of one another, but there has to be a relationship that allows communication before you can have a promise.

BUT
God is pure and holy He does not associate with sin and He will not have a relationship with sinners.

HOPE
In the Bible, God has given many promises to those who love and obey him. The greatest promise is that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life" John 3:16. That promise is the guarantee of eternal life. God can fulfill that promise to us because Christ fulfilled the demands of judgment for sin. Through that promise, we can enter into a relationship with The Father in Heaven.

AND
Because Jesus' death paid for our sin we have salvation and all the other promises of God's goodness are available. Without Christ's death, none of The Lord's promises would be available to us for we would have no standing before The Almighty, instead of the promises of good we would have the prospect of judgment.

GOD SAYS YES
More than a yes the sacrifice of the Lord is a seal of approval or ratification. God gives his affirmation that the work of Jesus is satisfactory to meet the requirements of Justice. The ultimate demonstration of the Yes of God for the work of Jesus is the resurrection.

WE SAY AMEN
Amen, can mean mutual agreement. To say amen is to say I agree.
     * We agree Christ is the fulfillment of the promises of God,
     * It is an agreement to a partnership with Christ.
     * It is an agreement of the worth of Christ,
     * It is an agreement that we are sinners in need of his saving.
     * It is an agreement that Christ is our savior.
You could say the Christian life is all about the Amen.

You could say Christianity is all about Jesus.

If you want to know more about having a relationship with God see my other blog.

(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

Does A Believer Still Need To Seek The Lord?

Often we hear, "Seek the Lord while he may be found.*" It suggests that you must come to the Savor before it is too late. But after that, do you no longer need to seek God with all your heart?

“Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” Psalm 119:2 NIV.

BLESSED

This verse promises blessing, which conveys more to seeking the Lord than just coming to salvation. Blessings await those who keep on seeking him.

When God says blessed, He does not get specific because His greatness and generosity won't be bound. This is very open-ended, and truly we cannot imagine all it is.

WITH ALL

To do something with all your heart is to pursue it with passion and obsession to exclude other things; you think about it the time, and you spend time, money, and effort in its pursuit.

SEEK THE LORD

To say, "Seek the Lord" is open-ended, it could mean:

• Seek to find Him for salvation.
• Seek to find Him in a decision or circumstance.
• Seek to find a fresher, deeper, and clearer view of the Lord.
• Seek a deeper practical presence of the Lord.
• It could be so personal that we each have our own intimate definition.

DAILY SEEKING

You must be committed to finding the Lord in practical life. Seek Him in daily situations, especially in major decisions and small ones too. Have the attitude that every event of our day is brought before the Lord in prayer; this is seeking the presence of the Lord. Try to do this with a lot of little prayers, like when you get in the car, or arrive at work, or before starting a chore.  Make regular rest stops in your day to be quiet before the Lord and wait on his prompting in your heart. Have set times like morning devotions where you are free from distractions and spend time with Him in Bible reading, prayer, and quiet meditation.

As you try to seek the Lord try to remember these things:

• Pray, and ask the Lord to change your heart to want to seek him.
• Search the scriptures, which reveal the Lord.
• Practice the presence of the Lord and seek Him throughout the day.
• Stop hurrying and take opportunities for spontaneous prayer and rest in him.
• Confess and forsake things that block your view of the Lord.
• Be willing for God to change your understanding of Him.
• Be open to personal change.

To seek the Lord is to find blessing.

 * Isaiah 55:6 
(c)Adron Dozat 7/18/13

Can We Undo The Wasted Years?

Everybody has regrets, we look back and see the years that have past, and good opportunities are gone.  No one can turn back the clock but is there anything we can do besides self-pity?

The Bible passage in Joel 2:25 offers hope.

"I will repay you for the years the locust have eaten, the great locust, they young locust the other locust and the locust swarm- my great army that I have sent against you." Joel 2:25. NIV,

CONTEXT
Joel 2 is a prophecy of blessing and restoration for God's people on the "Day of the Lord," a future day of kingdom rule.  We can learn much about God from this verse; it gives great personal comfort and hope.

"I WILL REPAY"
We can't undo the past but God holds the future.  He is able to give the blessing we missed.  He wants to bless and give good to his children.

"THE YEARS"
There is no limit to the dimension of God's work; He is willing not only to fix yesterday's problem but to undo the damage of decades.  He can reach far back and bless far into the future.

LOCUST
The locust may be a metaphor for the unrestrained armies that ravaged the lands in ancient times. The armies stripped the land clean leaving it barren just like swarming locust that covers the land and eats the vegetation leaving a wasteland behind.

Three kinds of locust are referred to in the verse.  God can restore all that is lost not just the major damage from the swarming locust but the damage done by others too. We can be confident that God is able to give back all we have lost.

"I HAVE SENT"
We may have experienced locust-like destruction that leaves only the dust and rocks behind, but God is sovereign, He knew what was happening and He cares for the loss that we have known.

Many have offered to explain why God allows bad things to happen.  It seems He allows us to make bad choices but He grieves over our mistakes and trials too. Often it is so we learn, or mature, or gain character.  Of course, there are many reasons but this verse suggests that he undoes the loss of those years.

The Bible teaches us everywhere that God wants to bless us with good.  He wants us to come back to Him in humility, repentance, and obedience.  If you want to know more about coming to God and finding restoration for the years of loss then follow this link: Click Here.

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

(c)Adron Dozat 6/7/16

Can We Trust The Words of Jesus?

Are the words of Jesus special?

Everybody likes to quote a favorite quip from the teaching of Jesus, usually when it justifies our actions or to humble someone else. Are the words of Jesus different from teachers of other faiths, can we trust his words more?

"Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away."Matthew 24:35, NIV.

JESUS' WORDS
For Jesus to make a claim that his words will never pass away and even outlast heaven and earth is to claim something that only God can say. It would be arrogance or insanity if someone said this sort of thing, but Jesus went around doing what only God could do, like raising the dead, stopping storms, commanding demons, healing the incurable with a word or touch, etc. so the evidence of his life makes his words trustworthy. Because he did the things only God could do, he had the authority to say what only God could say.

COMFORTING WORDS.
It is comforting that Jesus said, "My words will never pass away." Salvation is based on the words of Jesus where he promised that "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Therefore, we trust in the words of Jesus' promise of salvation. Since salvation is a promise God gives to us, and His word will never pass away, so also salvation will never pass away.

TRUSTWORTHY WORDS
The circumstances of life may change, but Jesus' word and God's promises in the Bible will never change. What Jesus promised to us yesterday is true today. We cling to the promise of God's love and need never worry that His promise will change. We hope in his promise of forgiveness through Jesus blood, and we know that promise will never pass away. We call upon his promise to abide with us, and never fear He has departed, because his word will not change.

OUR WORDS
We should make the words of Jesus our own words. Our lives and the world are temporary; our achievements are passing, our monuments do not endure, and our possessions decay. Jesus's words are eternal and righteous, and good for us- wouldn't it be wise to invest in it?

We need to spend time learning his words and teaching. We must stop spending so much time on things that don't last even a few years and completely ignore something that will last forever- God's Word. We spend too much time watching TV, playing games, window shopping, and generally amusing ourselves for a little while. Instead, we need to study God's word and build a life that will have eternity in it.

(c)Adron Dozat 5/25/13

How Does Fearing God Bring Prosperity? Psalm 25:12

If you fear God you will keep out of trouble with him and society at large but can you actually get ahead in this world by the fear of God?

"Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? The Lord will instruct them in the ways they should choose. They will spend their days in prosperity and their descendants will inherit the land." Psalm 25:12-13, NIV.

FEAR
The fear of God is a complicated issue. On one hand, we should love God and have a sense of gratitude for our lives and his blessings. On the other, he is really, really, REALLY powerful and awesome. He creates and gives life so, therefore, he can destroy and take life. His love of mankind has caused him to be merciful toward mankind.

This fear is not the panicked terror of a nightmare but it is reverential respect and a sense of gratitude for his mercy.  We should acknowledge he has the power to punish wrongs, and as the Perfect Justice, he must. We should also acknowledge it is by his mercy and patience with us that we are here.

INSTRUCT
Instruct means to give correct teaching; it has the idea of the boss giving the workers their orders for the day. God would teach us the way we should go through life. He has provided us the tools to receive that instruction in our intelligent minds, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the counsel of wise men.

A stranger does not instruct, the one who instructs must have your respect and obedience. The one who teaches must have some way of communicating with the pupil. God must be known personally to receive his instruction so he has made a way available for us to enter into a relationship with him; a relationship where the barrier of our sins and wrongs are wiped clean through the payment of his Son on the cross on our behalf.

CHOOSING
God instructs us in the ways we will choose. God gives us free will and allows us to make choices, some good and others bad. He allows prosperity to happen when we choose those things that are compliant with his instructions. This requires knowledge of God, his ways, and his Word the Bible.

PROSPERITY
Do not confuse prosperity with wealth. The prosperity of the Bible is more of an enlarging of one's life, it may be finical, or relationships, or service, or gifts of character.

When we come to God through the way he provides we will have a fear that is not dread but of respect, and a fear that is balanced by a love that is greater.

If you want to know more about coming to God follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat

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

____________________________

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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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

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

Use the share buttons below to save and share this post to your social networks. 

How To Become Wise, James 1:5

How do you find wisdom?  Do you adopt a philosophy, study the teaching of a great man, or practice some mysterious discipline?   The Bible suggests from James 1:5 that getting wisdom is not a matter of finding or learning but of asking.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously and without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 NIV.

This verse is so straightforward that it barely needs any comment, but it is deep.  There is an idea that God will give wisdom to those who ask.  This reveals that wisdom can't be bought, earned, or learned, but it can be provided, and God is willing to give it to those who ask him.

Diploma And Miterboard

There are many promises in the Scripture. Some have conditions that must be fulfilled for the promise to be received.  Here, we have an unconditional promise that we will receive wisdom if we ask.  It is that simple, and that is why so few find it.

WHAT WE MUST DO:

We can ask Him for wisdom with confidence. You don't just pray for wisdom and hope for the best, but you can be assured that if you pray for wisdom, The Lord will give it to you.  God does not find fault in the prayer for wisdom; it is always right to do and never wrong.

WHAT GOD DOES:

God is generous, and we are daily recipients of his generosity.  No one could earn His favor, so He grants His gifts freely.  Our Heavenly Father is not only generous in the fact that He gives at all, but He is generous in the vast measure of the gifts He gives.  He will not just give us a little like a sample taste; he overwhelms us with an abundant, exceedingly great amount of his favor.

WHO MAY BECOME WISE:

This promise is for anyone. It begins with "If any of you." It is not addressed to the kings, the powerful and learned of this world, but "Any." The All-wise, All-knowing, and All-Powerful One will give his gift of wisdom as an endowment to anyone humble enough to ask. He gives it without respect of status or class; even a janitor, a cab driver, or a waitress may receive this awesome gift.

PRAYER:

We wonder if we are praying correctly; we get tangled up with rules and forms in prayer.  We know we must pray according to His plans, and if we ask for something against God's revealed, we won't get our answer, but here we see it is his desire and will to give us wisdom.  It is a prayer we can pray with confidence, knowing that it will be granted.

(c)Adron Dozat 6/26/12

Can Christians Be Tempted To Do Evil? 1 Corinthians 10:13

We often feel tempted to do evil. Sometimes the temptation feels so big that we think we have no choice. What should we do?

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out, so that you can stand up under it." I Corinthians 10:13, NIV.

SEIZE
To seize something is to grab it firmly so it can't escape. We may feel like we have been seized by temptation and can't escape but we have hope in this promise.

The temptations we face are not unique and we all share the same struggle. We can never say, "No one was ever tempted like I was."

GOD AND TEMPTATION
The Lord does not tempt us to do evil; we do evil because we have a nature in us to do wrong and we live in a society that does wrong. God is in control, it would be an offense to his holiness if he allowed us to be tempted to evil in such a way that we could not choose to get out; it would make him guilty of the sin by association, so God must provide a way for everyone who is facing sin.

We can be assured that no temptation is so big that we have no choice. It is not just that God being holy must provide a way out, he loves us and his Son died to pay for our sins. God hates sin and will not trick anyone into sin, and because of his hatred of sin will offer every help so we may "stand up under it."

This verse does not say that temptation will just go away or stop, but that we will have the endurance to finish the time of testing without falling into sin.

A PROMISE
This verse is a promise and like all promises, it can't be left idle and expect to happen. We need to accept the promise and act on it.

 As Christians, we do not live out rules we live a relationship with our Savior. A relationship is a personal thing and we each must bring our Lord into the things we experience. Any relationship must have communication and we communicate with God through prayer; therefore pray this verse and if the concept of claiming the promise helps then do so while you continue to look to God to show you the way of escape.

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY
We must be vigilant about staying out of situations that lead to sin. We must resolve not to feed the evil we are prone to through modern media, experiences, or associations. We should pray daily to be kept from sin and for God to show us the pathways out of temptation.

A prayer:

Heavenly Father and holy God.
I am prone to evil and fall in sin,
forgive my frequent transgressions.
Give me a heart that resolves to follow you
make me disdain the sin in me
and to turn from opportunities to nurture it
Show me the way out of situations that lead to sin.
make me sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guidance
Help me to follow you singly
and not break from spiritual communion.

© Adron 3/11/12

God's Purpose For Trials in My Life James 1:12

There are many blessings in the Bible and some are difficult to understand, the strangest may be the blessing in trial.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12, NIV

BLESSING
"Blessing" seems to mean happy and there are many examples where the two words are interchanged in the Bible and in literature.

SUFFERING
Suffering itself is not a blessing, it is the one who perseveres under trials and testing who is blessed. To persevere is to not give up, it is to persist determinedly over a period of time in defiance of difficulties.

TEST
We think of a test as being something done to discover; such as a school exam where we measure our knowledge of the subject being taught. God already knows everything; His purposes in our testings are not to discover but other things such as teaching us through the test- often patience or trust. A test can be applied to prove or demonstrate what is already known. The classic example is Job where God already knew Job’s devotion and faithfulness and allowed trials in his life to demonstrate it to Satin.

PURPOSE
It is clear that God has many purposes for us in our trials and like Job we may not get the answer in this life but here we see a revelation of one of God's purposes in our trials. God will give a reward to those who endure trials- a crown. A crown has always been a symbol of merit, wealth, status, heritage, rule, and many more things. We do not have the slightest idea what this crown will be but considering the One who is giving it this reward will be FANTASTIC!

CONDITIONAL
There is a condition for the crown, it is the condition that we must love God. This verse puts the crown of life, perseverance under trial, and love of God together; this shows one of God’s purposes in our trials. Trials are an opportunity to demonstrate love for God in a powerful way one which alone merits the reward of a crown.

LOVE
Never will you show you love God better than being faithful to Him when you are going through a trial. Let us all resolve to persevere during these trials we face today and prove to those who are watching what is the depth and firmness of our love of God.


If you want to know more about having God in your life see my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat

Where Is Hope In Sorrow? Psalm 30: 4, 5.

So many times, we feel despair, loss, rejection, and disappointment when we desperately search for hope and relief.  Where can we find comfort for our souls and healing for our hearts?

“Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger last only a moment, but his favor last a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalms 30: 4, 5.

ENCOURAGEMENT
This pair of verses should lift you up.  First, it encourages you to get your eyes off of yourself and look at the Lord.  You need to remember life is not all about you, but the Lord, it is about knowing Him, serving Him and loving Him.  You need to remember to focus on God and worship Him, to sing His praises, not your woes.  You will find it brings healing to your heart and spirit when you sing and worship the Lord.

LOVE VS ANGER
The Bible teaches much about God’s loving nature but also about His anger.  The Lord is holy, and His anger is holy, too; he is not capricious or angry out of malice, but his anger is guided by His justice.  Our sin and disobedience may move us into the place where God’s just anger is focused, but this verse promises that His "anger lasts only a moment;" you may have to endure the consequences of your sin for a long time, but you can be assured of an immediate return to the joy of His love upon confession and repentance.

BLESSINGS
His favor, like grace, is goodness given to us when we do not deserve it.  He longs to have a relationship based on His favor, not anger.

Our Heavenly Father is committed to you, His child, and has given you blessings and favor.  Take time to consider His blessings; one thing is clear- the favor trumps the anger, and to the believer, it outlasts his anger.  God does not desire to leave us in the night of sorrow.  He sent His son, Jesus, "...to give us life and life to the full" (John 10:10).

PROMISE
You may have nights of weeping, with nothing left but tears.  You may think that your sorrow will remain forever, but the sun does rise, and there is an end to it. The promise of this verse is that "Rejoicing will come in the morning." The imagery of night and morning tells us that there is a timetable with the Almighty- a time where sadness will end, a time set by Our Father for the tears to end and the laughter to begin.

If you have not yet trusted Jesus as your Savior and would like to learn more, visit my other blog: Click here.

© Adron 10/7/9