Some Background: In Jeremiah 10:16 we have the pinnacle of God declaring His love for Israel when He says that “Israel is the tribe of His inheritance”. The very next verse (17) God pronounces judgment on His people and casts them out of their land. In verses 18-22 we have the exact measures of the judgment of God; namely in what form this judgment will come upon the people and then in verses 23-25 we have Jeremiah’s prayer for correction, both for him and Israel.

Jeremiah begins his prayer, “O Lord, I know” Well, what did Jeremiah know? He knew that the affairs of this world are not under the control of individuals, no matter how much they imagine they are. There is a supreme power that rules and overrules and works according to its own will, whatever men may determine or desire to do. God is omnipotent and He is working out His wise designs throughout this sinful world.

This truth should be remembered by us, for three reasons…

1. It takes away our fear of man.
Why should we be afraid of someone who will die. You are a child of God and are under divine protection. The most powerful enemy of you or of the Church can do nothing to either without God’s permission. The almighty God is Master and Lord over those who imagine that all power is in their hands.
“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe”. Prov 29:35.

2. It should ensure your faithfulness to the will of God.
In this passage the Lord is allowing Nebuchadnezzar to devastate His people; His people with whom He has sworn Himself, in covenant, to be their God. It is God who permits affliction. Therefore the Jews should not think as much about the instrument with which they are afflicted, but rather of “who” is afflicting. Are you afflicted? Remember it is the Lord who permits you to be tried.
Do not be angry with the secondary cause of the affliction. Rather believe that the Lord causes this for your good, for your growth in sanctification, and submit your will to God’s will. A dog that is struck with a stick will bite the stick. The stick however has no will to strike the dog. If the dog had more sense, it would bite the person behind the stick. So your struggle with afflictions must be against the causer of the affliction and not the instrument of the affliction. If there is any struggle, it is against God, your Creator.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom.8:28)

3. This truth is that our faith should be strengthened.
It is easy to trust God when everything is going great. But genuine faith trust God in a storm. In this passage there is a storm, and yet what does Jeremiah do? He prays. In the time of trial, the tried ought to remember that God has all things in his care, and that this trial is a permitted trial. To trust God in the time of trial is not easy, but it is the time of trial that displays real faith.
Trials will lead you to triumph if you abide in the Lord always.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be open to Your correction so that I might walk right before You. Give me the wisdom to know Your discipline and the courage to face it.

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The psalmist tells us that God has His plan. He hears our prayers and sees our need. He knows exactly what is going on. The wicked think that they have everything under control. “Yet they say, ‘The Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob understand”‘ (v. 7). “God can’t see what we’re doing; God’s not going to do anything.”

That’s the false confidence of the wicked. But the psalmist answers that with inspired logic.
“He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? He who instructs the nations, shall not He correct, He who teaches man knowledge?” (vv. 9,10). In other words, is God dumber than we are? He sees what’s going on in this world. He hears the cries of His own people and disciplines those who need discipline.

Our tendency, of course, is to take things into our own hands. Moses tried that approach, and it sent him to the wilderness for 40 years to learn how to trust God’s timing and method. When you find yourself crying out, “How long, O Lord, how long,” focus on God and remember that He knows as much about the situation as you do—probably more. Then wait on Him. Watch and pray. You can be sure that He will keep His promises.

Learning to trust God’s methods and timing is a lifelong course. When you need to wait patiently for God to act, first look to Him and lay hold of His promises in Scripture. Then rest in His care. He knows your situation, and He keeps His word. He will act at the right time.- Warren Wiersbe

Read the following words of our God with your name in “you”.

In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the LORD. (Isaiah 54:14,15,17).

If you are a servant of God please read this message again.
Be sure of the facts that the Holy Spirit is praying for you now! (Rom.8:26).
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”
Our Lord Jesus Christ is interceding for you now!! Rom.8:34.
“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us”.

Prayer: Lord, I put my time entirely in Your hands. Though circumstances may not seem to be in my favor, I will still trust in You no matter what happens. I believe that Your eye will guide me.

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“Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22.

I don’t know about you-
– but it seems that the tests we’re going through are getting harder and harder.

Do you remember when you took tests in high school?
At the time they may have seemed hard.

But imagine if you had to take an elementary school test when you were in high school.
You’d probably think – oh this is so simple.

So if it seems that the testing of your faith is more intense-
– it simply means that you’re graduating to new levels of faith!

Our faith is being tested, and as we pass each “faith” test, we’re finding different means of being tested.

I suppose in a few years-
– we’ll look back and think to ourselves – wow that was a hard test, but now it doesn’t look so difficult!

If you’re going through a tough time right now-
– be encouraged because it simply means that God is graduating you to new levels of faith!

The harder the tests, the greater difficulty – the greater the reward, an increased blessing awaits you!

Stay focused, stay alert and remember that God is trying to stretch your faith so that you can accomplish even more for His Kingdom!

(PR)

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“They all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke,’Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.’ Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped.” Mark 6:50-51.


Why were the disciples so terrified when they saw Jesus walking on the water?

Yes, walking on water was a real miracle.
But what made this more amazing was that it was at night and in the middle of a turbulent storm.

These seasoned sailors feared for their lives.

But Jesus wasn’t bothered by the size of the waves or the speed of the wind.
He remained the master of the elements.

Think about the practical implications of this story:
Are we shaken by the storms of life?
Does everything around us seem out of control?

We need to remember during difficult times that Jesus is sovereign over everything.

Every wave.
Every storm.
Every danger.
Every enemy.

The only reason for us to fear is when we are not confident about our relationship with Him.

Those without a personal relationship with Him can’t have this level of trust and confidence.
But everything changes for those who have a genuine relationship with Him.
They know that He is in the boat during the storms of life.

As long as Jesus is with you, you can be at peace.
As you face storms and turbulence, cultivate the habit of turning to Him.

Talk with Him.
Declare His Word.
Praise Him, knowing that, as we trust in Him, we don’t have to be afraid.

He can give us peace and bring us through whatever difficulties we may be facing.

(PR)

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“Faith ;comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17.

D.L. Moody spent many hours praying for faith.

He once said:
“If all the time I have spent praying for faith was put together, it would be months.
I thought that someday faith was going to come down and strike me like lightening. But faith did not come.

Then one day I read in the 10th chapter of Romans, “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

I now opened my Bible and began to read God’s Word and faith has been growing ever since.”

Much of what believers describe as ‘faith’ has nothing to do with Biblical faith!

Our faith must not be based on emotion, or want, and not on the latest Christian seminar.

But it must be centered on God’s Word, on Christ, His death and resurrection, His salvation.

Read, hear, apply and live the Word, and you will grow strong in faith.

(PR)

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“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:7.

Let’s say you’ve come up against the toughest trial of your life-
– an obstacle many others have failed to overcome.

Maybe you’re facing it today.

What’s your first response?
Do you forge ahead, or do you fall to your knees?

Israel faced an obstacle too big for its own might to overcome; his name was Goliath.

All of the armies of Israel had self-confidence until they faced this giant.
Then where did their self-confidence go?

It failed them.

But one young man, David, completely ignored self-confidence.
He had another kind of confidence—confidence in the living God.

David said to Goliath, “I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts..whom thou hast defiled.”
When everyone else cowered in fear, David, the boy whose confidence was in God, went forth to victory.

We all need confidence.

But the question at hand is:
Confidence in whom?

If we rely on our own power, we lean upon a weak reed indeed.
When we have confidence in ourselves, two things invariably follow:

1.If we succeed, we become prideful, and
2.if we fail, we are cast into despair and depression.

We live in a day when hundreds of books and seminars preach self-confidence.

But these messages fly in the face of God’s Word, which declares, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength.” Jeremiah 17:5.

Self-confidence is a snare and an illusion.

How much better to trust the One who made you than to trust in yourself.

Confidence in God delivers us from pride by giving us gratitude to God for victory in our lives.
It delivers us from despair because we know that whatever comes to pass, God will work it together for our good.

Those who trust in God go through life with a certain tranquility that allows them to pass over the rough spots of life virtually undisturbed.

We need to trust in God not only for our salvation but also for the everyday affairs of our lives.

Are you facing a Goliath in your life today?
Like David, place your confidence in God, and wait for your victory through Him.

(PR)

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Uncertain circumstances characterized Moses’ entire life.

He was born in Egypt at a time when the growing Hebrew population was seen as a threat.

The king enslaved the community and ordered that their male infants be killed. Ex. 1:22. To protect Moses, his family let others raise him as an Egyptian. 2:1-10.

When he was grown, Moses had to flee and live far away from home.vs. 11-15.

Later, in a personal encounter with the Lord, he learned that he was God’s choice to be leader of the Israelite slaves. 3:10.

Moses felt ill-equipped for his new role, which involved approaching Pharaoh to request his people’s release.
And then imagine how he must have questioned his ability to lead more than a million Hebrews while contending with their ingratitude and rebelliousness.

Yet Moses steadfastly carried on.

What enabled him to persevere was faith, which God’s Word defines as “the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen.” Heb. 11:1.

Because Moses had learned how to see “Him who is unseen” (v. 27)-
– he was able to grasp the reality of his invisible Lord’s character and promises.

After encountering God at the burning bush (Ex. 3:2)-
– he viewed life differently—from then on,
– his purpose was to rely on the Lord and follow His divine plan.

Though Moses did not live perfectly-
– the Scriptures commend him for walking by faith.

From his example, we can learn how to persevere through the unknowns of life.
And with the Holy Spirit’s help, we, too, can become men and women of great faith.

(PR)

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“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33-36).

Most of us enjoy feeling in control of our own schedule and grow frustrated when things don’t go according to plan.

Yet if we truly desire to walk in the center of God’s perfect will, we must become willing to cooperate with His time frame!

Consider how you pray about situations in your life.

Without realizing it, you may be demanding that God follow the schedule you’ve constructed according to your very limited human wisdom.

Yet if we believe He is who He says He is, how can surrendering to His way not be to our benefit?

Think about His unique, praiseworthy qualities:

• His all-encompassing knowledge.
The Lord has complete understanding of our world and the details of every individual life—past, present, and future.

• His complete wisdom.
God understands man’s every motive, whereas none of us are able to accurately discern people’s intentions.
We make choices based on partial information, whereas He has the wisdom to take action based on truth.

• His unconditional love.
Our Creator is always motivated by love and constantly has our best in mind.
Unless we trust His heart, our view of reality will be distorted.

• His perfect sufficiency.
At just the right time, God will provide us with everything we need to carry out His plan.

Submitting to God’s timetable requires faith and courage.

Believe in the goodness of His heart and His plans—and wait until He gives the signal to move forward.

Then, as you follow His schedule, you’ll experience the joy of watching Him make all things beautiful in His timing.

(PR)

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“All things are possible to him that believes” (Mark 9:23). 

Real moral fibre is developed through discipline of faith.

You have made your request of God, but the answer does not come.
What are you to do? 
Keep on believing God’s Word.

Never be moved away from it by what you see or feel, and thus as you stand steady, enlarged power and experience is being developed. The fact of looking at the apparent contradiction as to God’s Word and being unmoved from your position of faith make you stronger on every other line. 

Often God delays purposely.
And the delay is just as much an answer to your prayer as is the fulfillment when it comes. 

In the lives of all the great Bible characters, God worked thus.
Abraham, Moses and Elijah were not great in the beginning-
– but were made great through the discipline of their faith, and only thus were they fitted for the positions to which God had called them. 

In the case of Joseph whom the Lord was training for the throne of Egypt-
“The Word of the Lord tried him.” 

It was not the prison life with its hard beds or poor food that tried him.
But it was the Word God had spoken into his heart in the early years concerning elevation and honour which were greater than his brethren were to receive; it was this which was ever before him, when every step in his career made it seem more and more impossible of fulfilment, until he was there imprisoned, and all in innocence, while others who were perhaps justly incarcerated, were released, and he was left to languish alone. 

These were hours that tried his soul, but hours of spiritual growth and development, that, “when his word came” (the word of release), found him fitted for the delicate task of dealing with his wayward brethren, with a love and patience only surpassed by God Himself. 

No amount of persecution tries like such experiences as these.
When God has spoken of His purpose to do, and yet the days go on and He does not do it, that is truly hard; but it is a discipline of faith that will bring us into a knowledge of God which would otherwise be impossible.

(PR)
 

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Times of hardness are inevitable!

It’s true that we’ve been redeemed from the curse.
And there’s nothing Satan can do to reverse that.

But-
– he is going to challenge you on that!

So don’t be surprised when things get tough!
Times will come when you have to stand strictly by faith-
– when you’ll have to speak and act as though what God says is true even when you can’t feel it or see it happening around you.

There will be times when everything looks terrible.
That’s when you must endure hardness as a good soldier.

So many people hear the word of faith and they say, “Hey! I’m going to try that.”
Then when the hard times come, they give up and cave in!

Living by faith is not something you try!
It’s a lifestyle.

You do it when it’s hard.
You do it when it’s easy.
You do it all the time because you’re not doing it just to get in on the benefits.
You’re doing it because you know that faith pleases God (Heb. 11:6).

Things may get a little rough at times.
But-
You’ll always come out on top if you endure hardness as a good soldier!

If you refuse to faint and fall away, you will have the victory.
The only defeated Christian is the one who quits!

(PR)

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