One of my favorite songs right now is by Kristian Stanfill called “Always”. The song talks about going through troubles and how we are to lift up our eyes to the Lord, because that is where our help comes from. Psalm 121
Our help may look like it comes from different places or different ways. But our help comes from the Lord. So lift up your eyes and look to the Lord., because that is truly where are help comes from. The chorus of the song has these words, “Oh, my God, He will not delay”. When we are in troubles and we cry out to God, we want immediate results. God is faithful and delay is not denial. And delay doesn’t mean God didn’t hear you.
Remember Lazarus in John 11? Lazarus was sick and when they brought word to Jesus, He stayed two more days where He was at. John 11:6. Mary and Martha both said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died". The situation seems hopeless, but Jesus says to them, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” You know the rest of the account, how Lazarus died and was brought back to life, so that people would see the glory of God. John 11:40-43
Remember Acts 12? Peter was in prison and going to be killed the next day. The church had been praying for him. And the last night before Peter was to be killed, he was miraculously rescued by God.
So when you find your faith being tried, or you find yourself in a fiery trial, lift your eyes up!
Lift up your eyes. Your help comes from the Lord. And He will not delay, Help is on the way!!
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV)
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The good hand of the Lord
In my bible reading the other day, I was reading the little book of Ezra. I began to notice in chapters 7 & 8 a phrase that was used, “The hand of the Lord his God was on him”.
Ezra 7:6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.
Ezra 7:9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.
Ezra 7:28 and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 8:18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 men;
Ezra 8:22-23,31 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way.
I was reminded that in order for us to be successful in life we need the hand of the Lord upon us.
It is the good hand of the Lord upon us that He hears and answers our prayers.
It is the good hand of the Lord upon us that guides and directs our lives.
It is the good hand of the Lord upon us that gives us favor with people of influence and brings organization to our lives and projects.
It is the good hand of the Lord that brings divine contacts into our lives.
It is the good hand of the Lord that brings protection from the enemies.
Eph 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
How good it is to have the good hand of the Lord upon us!
Ezra 7:6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.
Ezra 7:9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.
Ezra 7:28 and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 8:18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 men;
Ezra 8:22-23,31 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way.
I was reminded that in order for us to be successful in life we need the hand of the Lord upon us.
It is the good hand of the Lord upon us that He hears and answers our prayers.
It is the good hand of the Lord upon us that guides and directs our lives.
It is the good hand of the Lord upon us that gives us favor with people of influence and brings organization to our lives and projects.
It is the good hand of the Lord that brings divine contacts into our lives.
It is the good hand of the Lord that brings protection from the enemies.
Eph 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
How good it is to have the good hand of the Lord upon us!
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