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We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. Psalms 78:4
During Old Testament times the stories of God’s deliverance were crucial to reminding each generation of how God worked in the lives of His people. Some of those stories told of great victories over enemies. Some stories told of God’s judgment for sin and a refusal to follow His commands. These stories were a constant reminder of God’s desire to be involved in the lives of His people.
Sometimes, when we read these stories we forget that the people involved in the events had no idea how they would turn out! We have the advantage to read ahead and see how God acted to save His people. They had to live the suspense, fear and anxious moments without knowing ahead of time what would happen.
The stories in the Bible remind us that God is actively involved in our lives and that He expects our lives to be active. Contentment in God’s eyes means that we rest in His provision while at the same time we yearn to grow closer to Him, to see Him work more fully in our lives. He never expects us to be stagnant.
Being a follower of Jesus Christ means that we will never settle for less than what He can give us. Through the working of His Spirit in our lives we can understand more of what He has in store for us. As we seek to grow closer to Him we will meet resistance. The voices within us will tell us we can’t attain the things God has for us. We will feel we aren’t worthy of His blessings. Our failures and weaknesses will seem too large.
Don’t listen to the lies. You are God’s chosen child. He gave all He had through Jesus so that you can rise above the struggles and roadblocks that come into your path. Remind yourself of the stories of how God worked in the past. He can do the same for you today as you grow in your relationship to Him.
PRAYER: Holy God. I remember the Bible Stories of my youth and how you did miracles in common people’s lives. I have to admit that many times I feel that kind of involvement isn’t meant for my life. Forgive me for believing that lie. Help me to draw close to you and to believe that you can and will do a miracle in my life today. Keep me from being content to stay where I am in my walk with you. Amen.
“If you can?” said Jesus, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Mark 9:23
Mark tells the story of the man who brought his son to Jesus for healing from a terrible demon that would throw the boy into violent seizures. Sometimes the demon would try to kill the boy by trying to throw the boy into fire or water. The man was desperate for help.
When he found Jesus the father said to Him, “If you can do anything please help us.” Jesus responded by saying the verse for today, “If you can?” said Jesus, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” The man responded by saying what each of us has no doubt felt in our lives. “I do believe…help me in my unbelief.”
It isn’t enough to simply believe. Had the man sat at home watching the boy convulse and say “I believe you will be healed’ nothing would have happened. Empty belief brings empty results. The boy was healed because of at least three things that the man did that each of us must do if we are to see God work in our lives.
First he didn’t simply believe. He believed in God. He sought out Jesus because he ‘knew’ from what he’d seen and heard that this man was a man of the Most High God. His belief was based on fact and on a power that could indeed heal his son.
Secondly, he put action to his belief. He sought out what God had for him rather than sitting at home and feeling sorry for himself and his boy. He pursued Jesus. Jesus tells us to “seek, and we shall find.”
Lastly, the man believed in himself. He believed that he was important enough to be heard. It wasn’t that he was worthy of being heard for any reason. Like the Roman commander said to Jesus, “I’m not worthy of you coming to my house…” The man believed in his ‘worth’ because of God’s love and mercy, not his own righteousness.
Believing involves believing God to be who He says He is, believing that if you seek Him, He will come to you, and believing that you are worthy of His working in your life because of Jesus and God’s unlimited mercy.
Don’t give up! Don’t let the enemy keep you from believing in God. Don’t listen to his lies about your worthlessness. When we believe as the man did, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. There are so many times when I feel like the father in this story. I want to believe your promises but my fear, my circumstances, the guilt I have keep me from seeking after your blessing. Help me today with my belief. Show me the wonder of your mercy in my life. Amen.
He did this that he might clearly demonstrate though the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His fee grace (His unmerited favor) in (His) kindness and goodness of heat toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7 (Amplified)
Grace is more than forgiveness of Sin. The Bible tells us that not only are we forgiven but the Father showers us with a multitude of blessings. Unlimited favor! How would life be different for us as followers of Jesus Christ if we could completely grasp this one truth?
God the Father, the creator of the universe wants nothing but the best for us as His children. We are like only children to Him. We are the sole heir, the only one He has to shower His goodness on. It’s not a competition thing with the believer across the church aisle. We don’t lack because ‘he got my blessing’.
To live fully in God’s grace and to enjoy the blessings He has for us doesn’t involve a change in circumstance or location. It demands a change of vision. Some of God’s most amazing blessings come out of adversity and hardship but too often we feel so surrounded by the wilderness we miss the oasis’ along the way.
YOU are God’s chosen child. He has placed you where you are for a reason. He’s gifted you for His glory. Don’t let the circumstances you are surrounded by cause you to miss the blessings hidden in the sand of the wilderness.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. Thank you for the many riches you have given me. Forgive me for the times I have dwelt on my circumstances and not on my position in Christ. Encourage me and strengthen me for today. Help me in the midst of my pain to feel your comfort. Empower me to live according to your unlimited blessings. Amen.
