How Should A Christian Respond To Critics?

It seems that people are against us, what can we do to cope and overcome adversaries? The Bible tells of one who had trouble with critics.

"This is the answers they gave us, 'We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago." Ezra 5:11.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
The people of Israel returned from captivity to a Jerusalem and temple that was destroyed.  Ezra's enemies demanded Ezra identify himself and his followers as they proceeded to rebuild the temple.

WE ARE SERVANTS
Maybe Ezra was not willing to reveal his identity and his followers, but this bold statement is full of significance.

First, we all serve somebody.  The universe is divided into two camps- the camp of the holy, and the camp of evil.  Jesus said it too, "He who is not with me is against me." (Matthew 12:30,  Luke 11:23).  Ezra was confident in who he served, this made him bold.

Ezra had perspective, his answer was like saying, "Don't ask us, instead you should ask our master, we are servants of God."  Our critics are not criticizing us they are criticizing God.

Ezra was accountable to his commission; his answer was like saying, "We do not need to answer you, we answer to God, and we report to him not any king."  If we are doing God's will those who criticize us do not stop us.

To say they are servants of God says that they are obeying the Almighty's command. If we are obeying The Lord we can have confidence in spite of what others say.

The place of a servant is a humble place. We must be humble as we serve.

OF THE GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
The God of Heaven and Earth outranks a mere emperor, and he outranks our enemies.

The emperor's officials may worship another deity but the God of Heaven and Earth is still over the official and over his god.

Ezra did not serve some vague force or mystical being; he had a solid understanding of who God is.  His dedication to God must have led him to seek to learn, understand, and know God.  This gave him confidence. If we do not know God this way we will not have this confidence.

AND WE ARE REBUILDING
They had a commission from God to rebuild His temple and so that is what they were going to do. No matter who opposed them they were still going to obey God.  Our commission should be our confidence.

They were focused and they were not going to let the critics distract them from the task.  We must resolve to keep our focus.

Today we are servants of the same God and we have a commission to build up His church - His dwelling in the earth.   We need the same humble resolve as Ezra

(.c)Adron Dozat 1/28/15

What Does God Do When Good People Suffer?

One would think that good people should not have to suffer; that God would honor their virtue with protection and ease, so where is God in all this? There are many answers but here is one to consider.

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out them all." Psalm 34:19.

MANY
This verse speaks in a matter of fact way and point-blank says the good person will have many problems and suffer much. There is no set minimum or maximum, we face many afflictions.

AFFLICTIONS
Afflictions are ongoing trials, they are the kind we cannot escape, they follow us and may go on for years.

LORD
Our God is the ruling authority who commands all things, none can resist him.  He is able to deliver, there is no situation that is too big for him. It is not that God is not able to help- he is able and he is willing.

DELIVERS
The Almighty is not passive but he is active. We think our problems are so big, but God delights in showing us that he is bigger.

The word, "delivers," is present tense, the verse does not say that the Lord will someday deliver us from our trials but it says he is now delivering us. His deliverance may be a sudden event or it may be a gradual working, and it very likely will not be what we expect. Deliverance may not be external but internal- a change of character or of understanding. He may not deliver you out of the affliction but deliver you through the affliction.

In our minds, we know that God can open the sea and deliver from the lion's den or the fiery furnace, but when you experience deliverance it is a teacher that has a deeper significance. To experience God's deliverance is to know The Lord in a unique way. We cannot give testimony, or glory to God if we have no experience.

We must go through our afflictions with God if you do not know the Lord as your Savior see my other blog.

Are My Problems Too Big For God? Romans 8:31

Sometimes we feel the whole world is against us and there is nowhere to turn.

"What shall we say then in response to all these things. If God is for us who can be against us?" Romans 8:31.

ALL THESE THINGS
This verse references the things God has done is doing and will do for us who believe.  (Click here to read Romans 8 for context). The chapter says, among other things, that...

     * We are freed from condemnation, (verse 1).
     * We are freed from sin and death, (2).
     * He gives us the Holy Spirit, (9).
     * Christ lives in us, (10).
     * God gives us son-ship, (15).
     * God gives us an inheritance with Christ, (17).
     * He will reveal glory in us, (18).
     * God makes us the first fruits of the Spirit, (23).
     * The Spirit helps us in weaknesses and in prayer, (26).
     * We are predestined, called, justified, and glorified, (30).

GOD IS FOR YOU
Whatever problem you have God has already dealt with the biggest problem you will ever have- He sent His son to die to take your place in judgment and pay for your sin.  Then after doing that he gives everything else he can give.

HE HAS DONE
He has given to those of us who believe a place and purpose in His Kingdom that is far greater than our place in this world.  We may feel like second class losers here but the Lord has made us first citizens of His Kingdom, we are holy, royal, and heirs.

WHO CAN STAND AGAINST HIM
Considering all the Almighty has done for us if we have any need it is the smaller issue; since God has resolved the greatest most eternal problem we can be confident He is able and willing meet the smaller ones we face every day.

If you are interested in knowing how to have God in your life forever see my other blog on salvation.

(c) Adron Dozat

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

Why Do All These Bad Things Happen To Me? James 1:2

Why Do These Things
Happen To Me

You might say that you are a good person and believe in God and love Jesus but there are so many
problems and tribulations in your life, that you ask, "Why what's wrong?"

"Consider it joy my brothers when you encounter various trials of many kinds for you know the testing of your faith produces endurance." James 1:2-3 

CONSIDER
To consider something is to put the thought into it, or to rest your thoughts on it; it is like the concluding statement, but not just a statement it is an action statement that requires a response. For this verse to start with consider is to say live out have this opinion.

JOY
Joy is more than happiness, it is like the apex of happiness. Happiness is external and is submissive to the circumstances around us, but joy comes from within.

TRIALS OF MANY KINDS
We experience problems, trials, tests, and just about everything else, there is not just one kind of trial that we encounter there are many and there is always another that you never suspected lurking around the corner, but each has a purpose.

TESTING OF YOUR FAITH
Our faith is the point. It is not about you but it is about God and your relationship to God and what you think of him.

ENDURANCE
There is a purpose in the trials; they produce something that cannot come any other way- character. If there was no test there would be no faithfulness, no patience, no long view of life, and we would be no better off.

God has a purpose in our difficulties, this purpose lifts us up to be noble, virtuous, and Christ like, so we may consider it joy.

(c) Adron 1/9/14

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

How To Pray To God in Times Of Trouble.

The prophet Jeremiah was in trouble, in prison and facing death. What words did God have for him? Would they be the same thoughts for us in our problems today?

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you did not know." Jeremiah 33:3

CALL
God is waiting for us to call to Him. To call to Him is not just a little grace prayer at mealtime but to pray earnestly with desperation as if we were calling out loud enough for heaven to hear us. The way someone would call out if they had fallen down in a well, they would call as loud as they could so anyone passing by would reach down and lift them out; that is what it is to call out in prayer. This is prayer as few experience it- but it is prayer as we all should experience it.

WHY
The Lord is not ignorant because as the All Knowing God he knows our situation; but we need to pray, prayer is for us not for Him. We need to express these dark thoughts and fears to the God of light and love. He has bound himself by the principle of prayer and waits for us to act on it so He will act.

WHAT THEN
What can we expect of The Almighty if we call to Him? We are told one of the things is that God will do is to reveal great and unsearchable things. He will open our minds to truths we would not be able to discern otherwise. He will let us in on his plans. We may begin to understand the Bible or have a perceptive on our troubles that lifts us up onto a higher ground above the troubles.

THE NEED TO KNOW
There is much going on in our lives that we are in the dark about. Much happens beyond our field of view. We are living in a world that is ruled by ungodly powers and The Lord is in conflict over the kingdom of men's hearts.

Jeremiah was the only one in tune with God in his day, but even he was blind to the plans and activities of God. God told him he needed to pray to see. It is no different today, even with our technology and social development we still need to pray, indeed more than ever.

We all have dark problems in our lives but God is Lord of all and will give us insight into them if we pray.

To learn more about having God in your life follow the link to my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat 9/17/13

Why Doesn't God Get Us Out Of Trouble?

We have troubles, and they may ruin us or worst. We look to God, and it looks like he has let us down. But Psalm 34:18 tells us otherwise.

"The righteous person may have troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all." Psalm 34:18

Psalm 34:18 Art.

RIGHTEOUS

To be righteous is to be considered without sin before God. No one can become righteous on his own. We are all sinners. God in his grace calls us righteous as part of his gift of salvation; he counts us as righteousness based on Christ's work on our behalf through his life and death, which paid for our unrighteousness.

TROUBLES

When we come to God through faith, we have blessings and eternal life, but we still live in a world ruled by evil, and we still face troubles. Our troubles are not because we have lost God's blessing or because we have sinned and must be punished. The saints of old all experienced troubles; even the Apostle Paul sought relief from a chronic condition but was not healed, instead he was given grace; The Lord said, "My grace is enough for you for my power is made perfect in weakness." ( 2 Corinthians 12:9).

The Father allows us to go through troubles because he loves us.

The troubles we face are good because...

• They cause us to learn things we would never understand otherwise. 
• They give us perspective. 
• They help us become sympathetic to other people's difficulties. 
• They cause us to grow up. 
• They teach us what is really important. 
• They help us to come close to God. 
• They teach us life lessons.

LORD

Our heavenly Father is in control of all things, and the challenges we face are in his hands. He is the Ruler of the Universe, and he can deliver.

DELIVERS

Sometimes we are rescued from the circumstances, and sometimes we are rescued in the circumstances where we go through the test but with Him and His grace.

The verse does not say when we are delivered.  His schedule is different than ours. With Him, a "day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day" (2 Peter 3:8).

ALL

We must have faith in The Lord. That may sound trite, but it is still true. The Almighty has deliverance in store for us in each test. It may be by the miraculous or by the grace to endure the test. Troubles will be with us to the end of our earthly pilgrimage, but deliverance is there because God has promised it.

If you want to know more about being righteous before God, see my other blog; follow this link: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 8/20/13

Does God Have A Purpose For Me In My Troubles?

We all feel lost and defeated at times, and some bear burdens of disappointment and hurt for years or longer.

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies; with your right hand, you save me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands." Psalm 138:7-8.

PURPOSE

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me." No matter how dark the day, maybe God has a purpose, not just a plan but actions based on a desire to do something good and wonderful. The Lord's designs in your life are great.

His purpose may include...
     * Allowing you to mature as a person.
     * Allowing you to grow in faith.
     * Allowing you to know God in a better way.
     * To prepare you for the opportunity to serve Him and others.
     * To prepare you for some blessing to come.
     * It may be some purpose that is uniquely personal to you.

LOVE

You may wonder why you must go through tough times but remember that God's love "endures forever." His plans are tempered by love so that He does not give you more than you can endure and only enough to do His goodwill in the long run. 

God's love is not mushy feelings, but it is commitment and action; it gives Himself completely to you and more. His love does not end, and our circumstances do not change His love for us.

FEELINGS

You may feel like God has forgotten and abandoned you, but that is not the fact. The author of these verses may have felt the same when he wrote: "do not abandon the works of your hands." God does not forget, nor does He turn away from you.

WORK OF HIS HANDS

You are the work of His hands, so He has ownership over you and your life; acknowledging ownership declares submission to His kingship. You are not only the work of His hands, but you are in His hands, so you may rest there by faith.

PRAYER

Like the psalmist, you can pray to God and voice your despair. Cling to God and say, "Do not abandon the works of Your hands." Ask Him to finish His work in you. Trust yourself to His love, rest in His hands, and wait for this time to pass. God has a purpose for the sorrows you face, it is a loving purpose, and He will not abandon you.

If you have not yet come to God for love and salvation, follow this link: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 7/16/13

Is There Hope For When We Despair and Mourn?

Bad things happen, and we suffer loss and personal disaster when they do. We look for hope and meaning in our time of darkness. Where is it?

"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory." Isaiah 61:3. NLT.

These beautiful words of hope and promise come from Isaiah. They were a promise to a select people, but now we understand the One True God loves all people, and He may grant blessings to whomever He will.

HE WILL GIVE
We look for comfort, but it is not found in our efforts. Instead, it comes when we bring God into view. We start with the awareness that God is purposeful and his purposes are good.

ASHES
Ashes symbolized extreme sorrow. It was the ancient custom to toss ashes onto one's head during grief. The Lord says he will exchange the ashes of sorrow for a crown, meaning the time of mourning will be gone. Instead of mourning, it will be a festival party of honor.

RIGHTEOUSNESS
We cannot make ourselves righteous, but God gives it. The great oak is a wonderful picture of strength, beauty, and purpose. When we come to God to receive the blessing of righteousness, we also find these other blessings.

BLESSING
This Bible verse illustrates God's desire to bless, comfort, and heal. We are in a sinful world of rebellion and are far from God, but he sent a message of hope through the prophet Isaiah.

COME TO BLESSING
We cannot reach up and find God, but he did what we could not do and sent his Son to do for us what we could not do ourselves.

Centuries after the verse was written, the fulfillment began; Jesus came to show the way to the blessings of God. Christ said, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."* He also said, "I am the truth, the way, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me."* Paul the Apostle said of him, "There is only one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus."* When we come to God through Jesus, we come to new life and blessing

(c)Adron Dozat 7/22/13

What Does God Think About Your Broken Heart.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To read Psalm 34 in its entirety click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 4/19/13

Who Cares If You Have A Broken Heart?

We all experience a broken heart at some point in our lives, we may begin to feel like no one cares, but what if there really was someone who did truly care? The Bible has an answer from Psalm 34:18.

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

LORD
What we know of the Lord is slight and pale compared to the truth of Him, but He is full of virtue, and that should give us hope beyond measure. He is the absolute ruler of the universe from the stars in heaven to the blade of grass under your feet. He is all-knowing, all-understanding, all-powerful, all-caring, all-compassionate, all-love, and all-wise.

CLOSE
"The Lord is close..." His presence is not distant; He is not standing off in a corner or finding something else to do while we hurt. He sees our hearts with compassion and understands our pains and loss. He is not far away in some cloud watching angles fly about- He is right here with us. He is close in his attention toward us, close in his presence and close in his thoughts. It is like his heart sees our heart with all-knowing love.

BROKENHEARTED
These days we hear how you must be strong, that men do not cry, you should overcome, and not be weak. Some people may avoid us if we tell them about our pain, but "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted." He is with us in so many little ways, we just need to stop and wait to see Him. When we look we find his hand held out to us.

CRUSHED
What is worse a broken heart or a crushed spirit? A crushed spirit is defeated and feels like giving up, or it is the person who has so many defeats that they can't start again. It is a comfort to know that the Lord saves. There is something of value in our experiences, there are lessons we learn; there is a purpose, He is doing a mighty work in and through us. We sometimes do not recognize that we are experiencing "saving" at the time but we can count on him; it is a promise that the Lord saves "those who are crushed in spirit." As we go through a dark time we can count on the promise of this verse and the truth of God's character that he is close to us and desires to save us through the times of hurt.

This Bible verse implies a relationship. We need to call out, and come to Him and made the Lord-of-All your Lord.

If you want to know more about how to be saved follow this link to my other blog: click here.

(c) Adron 3/27/13

What Does Jesus Call Us To Do?

There is much confusion about what Jesus is asking of people. People say one thing and another, but few look at what Jesus himself said.

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28, NIV.

COME
If Jesus had a catch-phrase it would be the word, "Come." Over and over he says to persons and groups, Come to me..." His life was an open invitation to all. This invitation is to come to a person, Jesus, not a series of rules and regulations.  We come to the Man of Galilee not a creed or system of philosophy. Many find this to be difficult, because it is a relationship and relationships take work, unlike a cold impersonal set of rules to live by.

ALL
Christ invites all to come, all who are weary and burdened. No matter who we are, what we have done, or have experienced, Jesus welcomes us. No one is too bad or too wicked; there is not exception clause, he says all may come.

REST
Jesus offers something no one else ever does, or can, and if they did it would be insane. He offers rest. He says, "I will give you rest," this is a strange use of the word rest.  We would say, "Take some rest or get some rest;" but Jesus is saying something new and different here- he is the source of rest.

Christ offers the end of the struggle with guilt, victory over pain, and the finish of shame. If we rest in a chair it is temporary but Jesus offers a new, unending, and fully complete rest because in his next sentence, recorded in verse 29, he defines it as rest for your souls, this has to be a deeper, more complete, and more fulfilling rest than any other we could ever find.

WHAT AN OFFER
If we are weary of the struggle of our pain and burden he invites us to bring it to him. If we are tired of trying to solve our problems, and if the burdens of our hearts are too heavy to bear then Jesus is calling each of us. No matter what guilt, or shame, or pain we carry he says, "Come."

(c)Adron Dozat

How To Handle Hard Times, James 5:11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(c) Adron Dozat

Does God Care When You Feel Alone?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(c)Adron Dozat 3/6/13

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

Why Does God Take So Long?

Why does God take so long? We have situations and needs and we are desperate for solutions. We pray and look to God but in the back of our mind is the question, "What's taking so long?"

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." Psalm 130:5-7, NIV.

IMPATIENT
We want results immediately; like the TV shows we want all the problems are solved in half an hour. We are impatient, but to wait on the Lord is a major principle of faith, the Bible is full of it and we hurry over it.

FAITH
The Psalmist mastered this discipline; he says, "I wait... my soul waits... I put my hope... my soul waits... more than watchmen wait for morning... hope in the lord..." If you do not have Jesus this kind of waiting is impossible, because it is an act of faith. "With the Lord is unfailing Love and with him is full redemption." The author could wait in faith since he had the facts of God. He knew there was a loving and redeeming purpose in the wait.

Remember the facts about God, like the verse says, "in his word I put my hope." My life is not my own, it is his and he has a purpose in my situation. We may not understand it but he does. He has a timetable, it is not ours; we want him to hurry up but it is not for us to dictate to God.

IT IS NOT ABOUT US
Verse 7 reminds us, to put our hope in the Lord. We want to take short cuts, and hurry things along; instead we must wait for God to do what needs to be done. We must not hope in ourselves and our ways of solving situations but just focus on the Lord and wait to see Him in it. This does not mean sit back and do nothing, we must do what is right but let God be sovereign in the results.

COMFORT
It is comforting that, "with the Lord is unfailing love, and with him is full redemption." The difficulties we face are designed by God with His love right in the middle. We will be better for it. We want Him to hurry- but we must resolve to patiently wait on the Lord.

To learn more about finding God follow this link: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat

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What Is It To deny The Lord? Luke 22:62

We all want to think that we are true to the Lord. We think that it is other people in tough situations who give in to denying their Savior.

"The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him, "Before the rooster crows today you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly."  Luke 22:61-62, NIV.

PETER
Peter was the vocal and leading disciple, a zealot who was quick to say the others may deny the Lord but not him.

He denied the Lord to a servant girl, not a strong armored roman guard with a sword.  It was a small thing and a person who was little in society- just a servant girl. The next person was a nameless person in the Bible and so is the one after that; people who are forgotten, but to them, Peter denies knowing the Lord.

The thing is not who he denied it to but who it was he denied. He only thought about who was in front of him, he thought more about his situation than about his Savior.

THREE
There were three opportunities to stand with Christ, but they became three defeats for the disciple. After denying the Lord to the servant girl Peter was less able to declare his loyalty to the stranger and in the case of the third "called curses down upon himself." The depth denial increased with each incident.

THE FOURTH DENIAL
At the third denial, the rooster crows and Jesus looks at Peter. Was it the last chance for Peter? Was this an opportunity to set things right? Could Peter have then declared that he took it all back and then owned Jesus as friend and master? We do not know if it was the last opportunity to stand with Jesus but we know he goes outside.

Peter does not find himself in a better place; he did not win new friends, status, fame or fortune. He found himself "outside." Each small step led to a place outside. We think little compromises give comfort or aid us in some way but we find ourselves weeping outside.

A BIG TRUTH ABOUT DENIAL
Peter runs outside the courtyard and weeps bitterly. Each step leads to this scene of regret and remorse. Each action led to the next, and each denial was worse than the one before. We must beware of the little compromises. The heart of denial starts in the little steps, they are small but the consequences are great. We must beware of the little compromises, that is where denying the Lord starts and where the unfaithfulness to him begins.

To learn more about finding Jesus as your Savior follow this link: Click Here.

© Adron 3/21/13

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 Does God Make Daily Life So hard?

Is there a reason for all these hardships?

If God loves us and has a perfect plan then why do we have so many chores and live lives of drudgery where we can barely get ahead?

"He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance, and David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them." Psalm 78:70 -72. NIV*.

LOWLY SHEPHERD

To be an ancient shepherd was a boring job. Shepherds lived outdoors every day, sun or rain, they missed community activities like worship or festivals. Shepherds wandered over the hills looking for lost sheep, pasture or water, they lived in fear of predators or robbers. Shepherds had no future, few friends, and little thanks.

CHORES AND FRUSTRATION
Our lives are full of dull drudgery. We clean the house and it gets dirty again, we change the diapers over and over, we care for kids or bosses, or spouses, with no thanks.

We are impatient to "get on with it." We want to do something great like be a preacher or missionary or theologian. We have to remember it was from the boring years of drudgery and thankless labor that David was made ready to lead Israel.

PURPOSE

There is freedom when we recognize the common daily drudgery as full of God's purpose.  As Christians our lives are not our own, we serve him not ourselves. God is doing something in our lives, and it takes time. To grow a squash only takes six weeks but to grow a stately oak tree that may take a hundred years; so, we must be patient with God's timing, he is remaking us into something beautiful. Consider that Jesus spent 90% of his life on the earth working in a carpenter shop and only the last 10%, three years, in ministry.

There is great power when Christians go about their daily task without complaining. The world does not want more "superstar" Christians; the lost people around us are seeking meaning, and when they see people living the grace of God in daily trials they respond.

MAKING READY

Instead of resenting, and complaining we must rest in God's grace. We must see his hand in the everyday boredom of life's tasks and focus on His purpose. He has a plan for each of us, that plan may include cleaning the toilets, taking out the trash, and working hard at a dead-end job. We learn to do these things by His power and over time we will become the person He desires us to be. Like David when we master the lessons of the daily common tasks we will be ready to apply those lessons to great things.

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

© Adron 12/2/12