I came across this writing, which I wrote some time ago, though I cannot remember when; that is very different from what I have written lately, and is a well deserved departure from my usual fare. I hope that you will be blessed by it when you read it, and take with you a different perspective of why things are the way they appear to be, and the secret to triumph over the hard times and difficult seasons of your lives. Enjoy and be blessed.
Last night, the Lord made something real to me that I had known before, but the Spirit of God opened the eyes of my understanding in making me realize just how good God has been with us; with us all.
As we were driving back from Arthur's, and I looked about us; the beautiful Manhattan skyline, the lights from the city, and the moon shining on the Hudson, the beauty of the evening; and taking it all in--appreciating the moment---it all came to me; we are most blessed and fortunate to be living in the greatest nation ever to exist, at such a time as this, in such a place as this.
And as we continued to drive up River Road, it became increasingly apparent to me just how much the Lord has blessed us, and in so many ways, even during hard times.
We could have been born, as are many people in utter hopeless destitution, in a war-torn, or war ravaged nation such as Afghanistan, or the Balkans, or the Middle East.
We could be fodder to the cannon of ethnic cleansing and reprisals so prevalent in many parts of the world today, from Africa to the Balkans, from the Far East to parts of Latin America.
We could have been born in much dire situations and circumstances.
And the Lord has placed us here of all places, in this time of all times.
We could have been born in any other country, or under any other circumstances, or during history's worst periods.
Here in the United States, we could have been born during the Civil War, or during the period of the War of Independence, or even during the Great Depression.
And though many of us have come from lands ravaged by revolution and tyranny (present writer excluded-I was born in the US), or have relatives who also came from those lands to live in this, the greatest nation on the face of the earth; I couldn't but be absolutely thankful for the things God has given us.
It is all His, you know; given to us for our enjoyment and His glorification.
We are simply borrowers for the seasons of our lives as we live through them.
But, God has been immensely good to us.
No matter the current circumstances, this too shall pass, this is only the present, and I will make things change as God makes them happen.
As I do this, He will work behind the scenes, in the areas which you and I cannot see; the hidden areas, and this same wonderful creative power that called into existence that which did not exist before; this same Word of His power is going to shake Heaven and earth to accomplish His will for us.
And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN."
And this expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things (the current circumstances, or whatever situation we may find ourselves in ever at the moment--whether now, or at any time), in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain (our faith, our hope, our love--the foundation of our very being, being defined in who we are relative to Messiah, who Messiah is relative to us, and how this defines us with regards to everything and everyone else).
Nothing can or will thwart the will of God; and God knows what is best for us; for you and for me; for you and me; for both of us; for us and the kids; for all of us.
As we move ahead, the Lord will fulfill His good promises by supplying His provision to us.
God will restore to us the joy of His salvation; He will renew our hearts; cause us to run and not grow weary; and most important of all; cleanse us of our unrighteousness.
He does it because He loves us.
He doesn't have to love us; He simply does.
Because to Him, we are of most importance; nothing is more important to God than you and me; than us; all of us; nothing.
This is why the Psalmist shouts:
"LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD!"
This is why Paul the Apostle writes:
But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
But in every circumstance God remains true to His promise when He's said:
"Let not you heart be troubled,; you believe in God, believe also in Me."
"Do not be afraid..
"You did not choose Me, but I choose you; and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name (the Name of the Messiah: Yeshua/Jesus), He may give it to you."
And when He's said:
"I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."
He's meant what He's said. God doesn't mince words, but means every word that He says. Just as when Christ said:
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
"And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of this age."
And though the circumstances of our lives change daily, the Word of God does not. Remember He's said:
THE GRASS WITHERS, THE FLOWER FADES, BUT THE WORD OF OUR GOD STANDS FOREVER.
He's telling us that wherever we are, whatever the circumstances of our lives, GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
That means now, the present, not some distant tomorrow.
He is there all of the time; in good times and in bad; He is there A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
So that when times become difficult, remember what the Apostle Peter has written for us:
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of [the] Messiah, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you (that means us) may rejoice with exultation.
Remember that the kingdom of God does not consist of words, but in power.
We are not being punished, for Messiah, the Son of God has taken the punishment for us.
Things happen as a result of what we do, not because of some punishment, but through our circumstances He chastises--that is, teaches us through the circumstance.
For the scripture is implicit when it says:
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in [the] Messiah Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which were hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to a cross.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Messiah Jesus our Lord.
And where is God now, but in us; in all who call upon His name; in those, that means us, whom have called upon the name of the Lord Jesus, the Hope of our salvation and the glory of Israel.
And if [the] Messiah is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised [the] Messiah Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
We have this liberty in this time, and in this life in the Messiah; there is no room for confusion when we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose, for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the congregations of the saints.
There is no confusion, but a sense of purpose in what must be accomplished, and knowing that God is walking before us as we move ahead.
With confidence, we will overcome.
With God's help we will do what must be done.
And with God's direction, our walk will lead us to our destiny.
In this I am certain, make no mistake about it.
Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land God promised, wandering from place to place, living in faith of the promise which the Lord had made to him and to his seed that the land he journeyed to and lived as a stranger in would be his and his descendants, and we live our lives discovering and learning as foreigners and strangers in this world; until we are called home to be with our Lord and Savior the Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, the Lord of Glory.
He is aware of our travels in life, and every tear we’ve shed He has preserved, and put away in His bottle, having written everything in His book of Remembrance.
Unmistakably He is for us, therefore He is our trust.
As it says:
THOU HAST TAKEN ACCOUNT OF MY WANDERINGS;
PUT MY TEARS IN THY BOTTLE;
ARE THEY NOT IN THY BOOK?
THEN MY ENEMIES WILL TURN BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I CALL;
THIS I KNOW, THAT GOD IS FOR ME.
IN GOD, WHOSE WORD I PRAISE,
IN GOD I HAVE PUT MY TRUST, I SHALL NOT BE AFRAID,
WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?
HOW BLESSED IS HE WHOSE HELP IS THE GOD OF JACOB;
WHOSE HOPE IS IN THE LORD HIS GOD; WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH,
THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS THEM;
WHO KEEPS FAITH FOREVER;
WHO EXECUTES JUSTICE FOR THE OPRESSED;
WHO GIVES FOOD TO THE HUNGRY.
THE LORD SETS THE PRISONERS FREE.
Don’t’ quit on God’s will when adversity strikes and all seems to be against you..
Do not let the enemy have his way just because things are difficult.
Israel is God’s chosen people, yet it has known adversity from time immemorial, even to this very day. God has kept Himself faithful to His people for thousands of years, and because of His faithfulness, they have survived thousands of attempts at their destruction by nations and people who are nothing but history and archeological digs.
Indeed, every servant of God has known adversity and has suffered greatly for the Name of the Lord Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah; and the knowledge of this – His faithfulness – is what makes us special that we can think of ourselves as enduring above what other human beings are forced to endure, who live in this world without God (those who do not know Him); without the realization that the knowledge of Him and that He is, and most of all, is for us; provides the certainty and hope that anchors our soul!
Every man and every woman has a secret place; bring God into yours, and see for yourself the difference that this will make it.
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