God, the Creator of the universe, chooses us. And when He does, His purpose is not simply to save us from eternity in hell. His love goes beyond that. He wants an intimate relationship with each one of us. Building this intimacy requires . . .
Commitment. God pledged that He would make Abraham into a great nation. He asked the future patriarch to demonstrate his allegiance by obeying the command to leave home for an unknown land. The Lord’s commitment to us is clear. He rescued us from sin through His Son Jesus, sent the Holy Spirit to live within us, and promised us eternal life. Our pledge is obedience in both inner attitude and outward action.
Clear Communication. To develop an intimate bond, two people will express deep thoughts and feelings, and they’ll also listen carefully to one another’s words. God speaks to us through Scripture about Himself and His plans, and He also stands ready to listen (Psalms 10:17). The time we spend praying and meditating on His Word reveals our commitment to communication, which includes listening, speaking, and understanding.
Openness. God speaks honestly about who we are, the condition of the world, and the only solution: Jesus Christ. He willingly tells us the difficult truths about ourselves but also encourages and affirms us in our efforts to follow Him. Our part consists of being honest with Him about our thinking, actions, and emotions.
Salvation is only the first step of life in Christ (John 3:16). Have you accepted the invitation to intimacy with God?
The Lord has ways of shaking the world when He is at work. He literally caused the ground to quake when Jesus died on the cross, and Hebrews 12:26 describes a time to come when the earth will undergo a similar display of His power and presence.
Likewise in our day, God often lets the foundations of our world be shaken—whether political alliances, financial systems, or other forms of human security. Then we can see the flimsiness of the structures on which we’ve based our pride and hopes. Individual lives are also often shaken when a family experiences crisis or a marriage begins to unravel. If we have built upon the fragile foundation of human wisdom, pride, and conditional love, things may look good for a while, but everything collapses when storms hit.
Though adversity affects everyone, we can have peace in knowing that God always has a greater purpose when He allows upheaval in our world. Hard times can also shake believers out of apathy and self-focus, reminding us not to trust in ourselves or the temporary structures of this world. There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around, you’ll have a solid footing if you stand on His love.
It’s not enough for believers to simply enjoy the security of knowing that our “house” is built on a solid foundation. As God’s ambassadors on earth, we have a responsibility to extend His compassion to people whose lives are crumbling. Be a living message of hope to those around you today.
The difficulties we face originate from one of three sources. Some are sent to us by the Lord to test our faith, others are the result of Satan’s attacks, and still others are due to our own sinful choices.
As you consider these three causes, which type is the hardest for you to bear? I think most of us would say the last one, because we have nobody to blame but ourselves and it seems as if no good can possibly come from it. After all, the Word of God says we will reap what we have sown (Galatians 6:7), so we see nothing ahead except a painful harvest.
What this kind of thinking fails to take into account is the Lord’s redemptive abilities. Although He never promises to remove all the consequences of sin, He can use our failures to teach us to fear Him, hate evil, and walk in obedience. The difficult lessons we learn can also become our protection from sin in the future. Having suffered the pain of going our own way, we’re more likely not to take that path again.
God often uses our own mistakes as tools to get our attention. He won’t let His beloved children get away with sin, because He knows it robs us of blessings, opportunities, and even character refinement.
As painful as your situation may be, thank your heavenly Father for caring enough to send out His loving discipline. Now it’s up to you. How will you respond to His correction? When we learn from experience, the scars of sin can lead us to restoration and a renewed intimacy with God.
Are you wasting your troubles? Any time God allows trials to enter your life, He has a purpose for them. He wants you to squeeze out every ounce of spiritual growth instead of letting difficulties force you into despair and discouragement. If you’ll just respond in the right manner, the trial that looks as if it could destroy you becomes an instrument of blessing.
The most natural response to adversity is to groan and plead with the Lord to remove it. If that doesn’t work, we might get angry or try to find our own way out of the difficulty or pain. Sometimes we resort to blaming others for the trouble. And in truth, someone else might have caused the problem, but ultimately God allowed it. No matter where affliction originates, who is involved, or how evil their intentions, by the time it reaches you, it’s been dipped in the Father’s love and shaped to accomplish His good purpose. The question is, will you cooperate with Him, or will you resist?
Perhaps the key word is found in verse 4 of today’s reading. God wants to use our trial to develop spiritual maturity, but unless you let it do its work, that opportunity will be lost. If we could foresee every benefit the Lord designed our trials to accomplish, maybe we’d be more cooperative.
Although we can’t see all the specifics of God’s plan, we know that His goal is to use our adversity to supply something we lack so we can be mature and complete. Even though the experience is painful, rest in the Father’s comforting arms, and let Him do His perfect work in you.
Each of us will experience moments of apprehension. Denial or trying to hide from it will do no good. When you feel fear begin to rise in you, ask yourself the following questions: Where does it come from? (You know it isn’t from God.) Has God ever failed me in the past? Does He promise to meet all of my needs? Does He keep His promises?
If we read the Bible, we’ll find countless stories of God’s faithfulness. For example, the apostle Paul lived through hardship, persecution, pain, and all kinds of terrible circumstances, yet he was able to make the bold declaration that God weaves it all together for the good of His followers (Romans 8:28). This testifies to the fact that for those who trust in Him, God turns every difficulty, loss, and separation into something good.
Whatever we read in Scripture—whether a story about Abraham, David, Job, Isaiah, Jonah, John, Paul, or others—we see God’s constant love and care for His people. His Word is a lamp that will give us clear guidance when circumstances are bleak. It offers the best direction we will ever find. When we meditate upon it, pray over it, grapple with it, and incorporate it into our life, His light chases away the darkness. The psalms, in particular, are helpful in dealing with fear.
God, the sovereign ruler of this universe, is in control of your life. Don’t make the mistake of thinking He isn’t, simply because He does not operate according to your will and schedule. If you read your Bible and meditate on it, you will find genuine strength in His promises.
