Category Archives: Comfort

Because He IS Able??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 13 No. 08

07 Sunday Apr 2019

Posted by in A Father's Love, Choices And Consequences, Choose You This Day!, Comfort, Confidence, Encouragement, Every Knee Shall Bow, Faithful is He that has Promised!

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 13 No.08. Because He IS Able???

 

I started this article on a different vein but felt that I needed to share something that is on my heart.  There are times when we just “feel” discouraged, defeated, confused, or distraught over things that are out of our control.  There are the times that we must rise above our “feelings” and stand on what we know!  And what we know has to be grounded in God and His Word!

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless

I am not ashamed:

for I know

whom I have believed,

and am persuaded

that he is able

to keep that

which I have committed

unto him

against that day.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words,

which thou hast heard of me,

in faith

and love

which is in Christ Jesus.”    2 Timothy 1:12-13

Paul told his son-in-the-ministry, Timothy, that his confidence was in Jesus—regardless of his personal suffering for the Gospel or his circumstances; and we can learn a lot from this truth!  I love the old hymn that reiterates this truth as well—because I do “know whom I have believed” and that’s why and how we can “press on”!

Job understood this principle in the midst of the tragedies that overtook him.  He understood it and proclaimed it to his misguided, if well-meaning, friends who insisted that he must have sinned, or these things wouldn’t have happened to him.  While this seems to have been the first of the “prosperity” teaching, Job knew that his relationship with God was sure; even though he came to understand with even more confidence that God has plans that are far beyond what we can comprehend—HE IS God, not us!

“Seek ye the LORD

while he may be found,

call ye upon him

while he is near:

7 Let the wicked

forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man

his thoughts:

and let him return

unto the LORD,

and he will have mercy upon him;

and to our God,

for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts

are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways

my ways,

saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens

are higher than the earth,

so are my ways

higher than your ways,

and my thoughts

than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow

from heaven,

and returneth not thither,

but watereth the earth,

and maketh it bring forth and bud,

that it may give seed

to the sower,

and bread

to the eater:

11 So shall my word be

that goeth forth

out of my mouth:

it shall not return unto me void,

but it shall accomplish

that which I please,

and it shall prosper

in the thing whereto

I sent it.”  Isaiah 55:6-11

As Job so succinctly declared:

“Though he slay me,

yet will I trust in him:

but I will

maintain mine own ways

before him.”  Job 13:15

Job knew that his confidence was in God Almighty, yet he also knew that his responsibility was to live with integrity before the God to whom he would answer. His answer didn’t have to impress his friends, for he would answer to his God!  And so will we—every man, woman, boy and girl, will give an account to the God who created us, and has offered us the salvation that Jesus bought at Calvary! James talked about our need to draw near to Him when we have the opportunity; for that opportunity will not always be available.

“And the LORD said,

My spirit shall not always strive

with man,”  Genesis 6:3a

“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,

The spirit that dwelleth in us

lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith,

God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore

to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God,

and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands,

ye sinners;

and purify your hearts,

ye double minded.”    James 4:6-8

God loves us and has given us His Son, Jesus, who paid for our sin, if we will but come to God through Him (See John 14:6).  And God is ever at work growing us into the image of Jesus (See Romans 8:28-29).  He hasn’t gone to sleep, or forgotten where you are, nor has He taken time off—but He is ever working in our hearts and lives through every circumstance!  And I trust Him!  He has ever proven Himself faithful, especially in those times when I simply had to cling to what I know to be true, and march through my house repeating to myself, “I’m not giving up!  I’m not giving up!  I’m not giving up!”  For just like Paul, I cling to the fact (not the fairytale) that God is God, and I belong to Him!

“Being confident

of this very thing,

that he which hath begun a good work

in you

 will perform it

until the day of Jesus Christ:”    Philippians 1:6

He has me/you in His hand—we who have come to Jesus in repentance and faith in HIS substitutionary (in my place), atoning (Paying the debt I owed), sacrifice for sin (because I owed a debt I could never pay!)!  God is ever at work on our behalf!  Always!

“When thou passest through the waters,

I will be with thee;

and through the rivers,

they shall not overflow thee:

when thou walkest through the fire,

thou shalt not be burned;

neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

3 For I am the LORD thy God,”  Isaiah 43:2-3a

You can trust in HIS care!  I know that some of you are walking through the fire today; yet God Almighty has never lost sight of where you are!  He has you in His hand.  Just look up, walk forward and press on with Jesus!

“But thanks be to God,

which giveth us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren,

be ye stedfast,

unmoveable,

always abounding

in the work of the Lord,

forasmuch as ye know

that your labour

is not in vain

in the Lord.”   1 Corinthians 15:57-58

In other words—We Win!!!  So, tie a knot in that rope you’re holding onto, look up to the One who has the other end of that rope, and walk forward in confidence in HIM—not your feelings, or your circumstances!

And I’d simply like to close today with one of my favorite Psalms!

“I will lift up mine eyes

unto the hills,

from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh

from the LORD,

which made heaven

and earth.

3 He will not suffer thy foot

to be moved:

he that keepeth thee

will not slumber.

4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel

shall neither slumber

nor sleep.

5 The LORD is thy keeper:

the LORD is thy shade

upon thy right hand.

6 The sun shall not smite thee

by day,

nor the moon

by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve thee

from all evil:

he shall preserve

thy soul.

8 The LORD shall preserve

thy going out

and thy coming in

from this time forth,

and even for evermore.”   Psalm 121:1-8 

God’s got this—remember that you/I can “know whom I have believed” because we are “persuaded that he is able”, for HE IS always able!  Look up at The Lord—not around at the ‘lions’ nipping at your heels!

Amen and Amen!!!

Bible Ballistics:What Comfort? V2#15

25 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in Comfort, The Word

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Bible Ballistics:What Comfort? An Editied Repost of Vol. 02 No. 15

 

After a week helping a friend during a difficult time in the hospital, I feel led to look at the Biblical perspective of trials and comforts.  We all have those times when we don’t understand the things that go on in and around our lives.  2 Corinthians 1:3-5 declares,

“ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” 

Often God uses our circumstances to equip and train us to help others around us in their times of need.  That seems a bit unfair to many but let’s think this through.

Who has trouble?

      • Everyone!!!!
      • Ever since Eden we have lived in a fallen world and will experience trials and difficulties because of the fallen nature of our world, until the Savior returns to establish HIS OWN KINGDOM!!!

But we can have a confidence and a perspective that the world can’t understand. As James 1:2-5 says,

 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 

We are called to “count it all joy”, when we face the trials and temptations of life, and the word patience here is referring to “endurance”.  While rials are a given in life, when we walk with Jesus Christ we have the ability to

“Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, Rejoice…” (Phil 4:4).

And Phililippians 4:6-7 goes on to say:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”    

We are enabled by the Spirit of Christ to walk in confidence and joy no matter the circumstances we are encountering.

Why?  Because Christ paid the price for our victory.  Job 14:1 tells us that

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” 

We are born into a broken world and Job reminds of this clearly but Job also reassures us that we can have confidence in the God who saves and keeps us.

Job 19:5 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” 

And 1 Cor. 15:54-58 proclaims that coming “victory”,

” So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  

OUR VICTORY IS IN JESUS….!!!!  (That would make a marvelous song…)

So how does this work out in all practicality?  Well, simply but not necessarily easily.  We must remember that God is sovereignly in charge.

He knows all,

sees all,

and controls all.

 

And even more importantly in application—I can trust HIM.

Psalm 73:1 declares that, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” 

And Psalm 143:10 says, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”

Micah 6:8 also tells us that God will show us what is good for us to do/be, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” 

And Jesus himself tells us in Mark 10:18

“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”  

 God is “good”!! All the time!!

So our hope is in HIM!

I have the “blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin”,

I have been “made the righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus”,

and I can be and do “all things through Christ which strengthens me”.

I can have “victory” in Jesus. And because I have “victory” in Jesus as I go through each days trials and difficulties, I am enabled by God’s Spirit to not only receive that comfort/victory but to be that “comfort” to others who need God’s

comfort,

strength,

and grace.

How?

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given”.  James 1:5

GOD has promised that if I’ll but ask for His wisdom-he will give it.  In 2 Cor. 1:12  Paul tells us,

“For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.”  

We are to seek and apply God’s wisdom to our own lives and circumstances, and as we do God shows himself faithful to our needs and circumstances. We then learn to have confidence in Him, not with fleshly wisdom but with “God’s” wisdom.  Producing a confidence that we can boldly share with others in their times of need.

Right back to our beginning verses in 2 Cor. 1,

      • “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”. 

Our God -“the God of all comfort”…–

the one who brings joy to my sadness,

strength to my weakness,

answers to my questions,

and as we talked last week, hope to any hopeless situation.

I pray this will give you food for thought this week and that you will lean on your “God of all comfort”, and be a comfort to those around you.  Let’s press on together for Jesus.