Joy in Your Presence

So many of us, if not all of us, are looking for joy today.  We are looking for joy in our earthly relationships, looking for joy in our jobs, and looking for joy in our wealth and in our possessions.  Where can we find true joy?  Joy is a gift from God.  True joy cannot come from our earthly relationships, our jobs, our wealth, or our possessions.  True joy can only come from God.  In Psalm 16:11, David says, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with JOY in your PRESENCE, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

JOY comes through the PRESENCE of God, not the PRESENTS of God.  I don't know about you, but when I look back at many of my prayers I find myself praying for the PRESENTS of God a lot more than the PRESENCE of God.  For Christ followers, God's greatest PRESENT is His PRESENCE.  David understood this and confirmed this in Psalm 16:11.  David was a man who had it all...people, power, health, and wealth.  However, none of it brought him joy.  It was God who brought Him joy through His personal presence.  That's the way it was for David then, and that's the way it should be for us today.

Let's spend more time in prayer and more time in the Word of God seeking His face, desiring His PRESENCE more than His PRESENTS.  Lord, start with me.  I am guilty of desiring the blessings FROM You more than desiring the blessing OF You.  Forgive me and help me.  Thank You for meeting me where I am today and overwhelming me with Your presence.  Thank You for the joy You give me in this eternal relationship.  Amen.

Wednesday in the Word with Bro. Jeff - 3.25.2020

Fan Into Flame

I don't believe this is a coincidence, but the last time I submitted a blog the title was "I Will Trust in You," quoting the passage found in Isaiah 26:3, which says, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You."

Over the past couple of weeks so much has changed in our world.  COVID-19 has become a reality that we all must face.  So many changes have taken place, and quite possibly, more changes are coming.  In hindsight, I thank God for the Scripture He gave me back on March 2nd.  I look back at that passage and that blog I write, and I realize that God knew exactly what was coming.  Nothing takes Him by surprise.  Our God is Sovereign.  He is in control, and when I trust Him I can have perfect peace.  That is His Word to us found in Isaiah 26:3!

I also love His Word found in 2 Timothy 1:6-7.  Paul was writing to young Timothy to encourage him in the midst of trouble and chaos, in the midst of suffering.  Paul was in prison.  Timothy was dealing with people, and people either had problems or were causing problems.  Paul encouraged young Timothy to focus on God.  Paul encouraged young Timothy to FAN INTO FLAME the Spirit of God within him.  The Spirit of God gave him power, love, and self-discipline!  The Spirit of God did not make him fearful of the troubles or the sufferings of this world.  Rather, the Spirit of God prepared him and enabled him to move forward for the kingdom of God, regardless of his circumstances.

In these times of trouble and suffering today, focus on God.  If you are a Christ follower, you have the Spirit of God in you, and it is not a Spirit that produces fear.  His Spirit produces power, love, and self-discipline so that you can be who He created you to be and live the way He created you to live.  If you are a Christ follower, focus on God and remember the commands He has given you.  Be loving, patient, gentle, and kind.  Be obedient to God and to the authorities God has placed over you.  Be a servant to everyone.  If you are a Christ follower, focus on God and remember the promises He has given you.  He will give you power, love, and self-discipline. He will be with you...always.  Nothing in this world or out of this world will change God or His commands or His promises.  He is faithful!  He is good!  He is sovereign!  FAN INTO FLAME His Spirit within you!

I Will Trust In You

I love the words that I read in Isaiah 26:3-4.  Isaiah says, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they TRUST in you.  TRUST in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal."

I know that I will be tempted today to put my trust in myself.  I will be tempted to put my trust in my spouse, in my children, in my friends, and in my job.  There will be opportunities for me to put my trust in the leaders of my country, my state, and my community.  There will be opportunities for me to put my trust in my doctors or in my medicines or in my treatments.  I know that I will be tempted by Satan to put my trust in anything and anyone but God.  Satan does not want me to put my trust in God.  He does not want me to live in perfect peace.  He does not want my mind to be steadfast.  He does not want me to stand upon the Rock eternal.  Therefore, he will tempt me all day long to put my trust in anything and anyone but God.

Lord, help me today against my enemy, Satan.  Lord, help me today to put my trust in You and in You alone!  I need You, Lord.  I need Your perfect peace.  I need a steadfast mind that only You can give me.  I need a firm foundation to stand upon, and You are my Rock eternal!  Lord, I make this declaration today: I WILL TRUST IN YOU!  

Are You Suffering???

Suffering. Hardship. Pain.  Those are words we don't really like to hear, and they are certainly words that we don't like to experience.  However, we need to see those words, hear those words, and experience those words from a biblical perspective.  Listen to the words of Paul, a man who understood suffering, hardship, and pain.  He says in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."  He goes on to say in verses 5 through 7, "For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.  And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

I don't know what kind of suffering you are experiencing right now or what kind of hardship or pain you are experiencing right now.  It could be physical, emotional, relational, or financial suffering.  The pain could be annoying or it could be severe.  However, there are some incredible truths in 2 Corinthians 1 that can help you if you are willing to see them and hear them.  Paul tells us that our God is "the Father of COMPASSION and the God of all COMFORT."  He tells us that God "COMFORTS us in ALL our TROUBLES."  In other words, you have a compassionate Father who loves you so much that He can and He will give you comfort in ALL your troubles!  There is no suffering, hardship, or pain that exists that God can't comfort you.  It's not too small and it's not too big.  God has comfort for you!  Paul also shows us in this passage that God gives us His comfort so that we can be vessels of His comfort to others who are suffering through hardship and pain.  This is why it is so important to connect with other believers, to connect as a church family.  God's great comfort flows TO you and THROUGH you so that others may experience His comfort, as well!  We also see that God's comfort is available to us through His Son who suffered greatly - Jesus.  God's comfort "abounds through Christ."  

Whatever you are going through right now that is causing your suffering, God knows you and God loves you.  The hardship and the pain is real, but God's compassion and comfort is real, as well!  Turn to Jesus.  Turn your eyes to Jesus.  Turn your heart to Jesus.  Through Jesus you can experience ABOUNDING COMFORT that will help you endure the suffering, the hardship, and the pain.  When you make it through this suffering, God will use you to be a vessel of comfort to others who are suffering.  And remember Jesus' prediction and His promise to you that is found in John 16:33.  Jesus says, "I have told you these things, so that IN ME you may have PEACE.  In this world YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE.  But TAKE HEART!  I have OVERCOME the world."  You don't have to overcome because Jesus has already overcome for you!  Turn to Jesus.  Rest in Jesus.  He is all you need.