Do You Believe?

"Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.  And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.  And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.  And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.  And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.  And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.  And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.  And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished." (Acts 12:1-16).   


           Peter had been put into prison and the church people were gathered at Mary's house and were praying for Peter. No doubt, they were praying for God to protect Peter and release him from prison. We do not know what they were praying for, but we know they were praying for him.

          Peter was being guarded by four quaternions of soldiers. A quaternion is four, so four quaternions is 16 soldiers. He was sleeping between two soldiers and an angel of the Lord came and miraculously set him free. He then went to Mary's house where they were praying for him. Rhoda answered the door and saw it was him and was so excited to see him. She went and told the others that Peter was there, and they told her she was mad, or crazy. They simply could not believe he was there. They thought it was a ghost. They were simply astonished that he was there.

         You have to wonder what they were praying for. If they were truly praying for Peter to be released from prison, then why were they astonished and amazed when he really was released? If they prayed for God to spare him, why were they astonished when they saw him.  

         We are no different from these people. We have been asking God for things or miracles. We have been praying for situations to change, then when God answers the prayers, we are amazed and just can't believe it. We even tell people, "You just won't believe what God just did" or "I can't believe that God answered my prayer!"  

        We are to pray with faith. We are to believe that God will deliver His promise to us.  Faith is what pleases God and that is what sees our prayers answered.  If we doubt, we live a defeated life.


"But without faith it is impossible to please him:" (Hebrews 11:6).

"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." (James 1:6-7).

       God wants us to live a life of faith and assurance in His word. He wants us to believe that He will do what He says He will do. You can trust Him. You can depend on Him to answer. The answer may not always be what we want, but it will always be what we need. These people were praying for Peter and God answered by a divine miracle. When they saw their prayer had been answered, they could not believe it.

      When you pray, are you like Rhoda in Acts 12, or are you like the people who were gathered praying?  Are you expecting your miracle, or are you amazed when the prayer is answered? When others tell you the miracle is right there, do you laugh at them and disbelieve them?  God expects us to have faith and believe in Him. Why do we pray if we are not going to believe He will answer? Expect your answer. Expect your miracle.  Don't give up. Don't doubt. Don't be discouraged. Stop looking at the situation as hopeless and believe God for the impossible. Dare to believe Him. Trust Him. 

     When you want to talk to someone on the telephone, you call them. You expect that they will answer, or you would not call. When you want to visit someone, you go to their house. You knock on the door and expect them to open the door. If you did not expect them to open that door, you would not go to their house and knock on their door in the first place. You can trust God more than you can trust people to open their door or answer their phone. They may fail you. They may not answer the phone or open the door. God will never fail you and will never let you down. 

      What will you do when your miracle knocks on your door? 

       

What If?

"Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; bu t the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.  Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him." (John 4:5-30).

      Have you ever tried something new for the first time? Perhaps it was a new food or a new restaurant. Maybe you tried a new cleaning product or discovered a sale in a store somewhere. If you had a pleasant experience with it, one of the first things you do is share this information with others. You might say something like, "You have got to try this!" or something like that. You want others to have the same experience that you did. You want them to know about it. We do this all the time without realizing it. You may have even done this today.

     Jesus had given this woman something that she was searching for. This was something she desperately needed, but could not  attain on her own. He met her needs that day and gave her a new chance at living life His way. Now, she had a choice. She could have kept this to herself and simply enjoyed this new blessing; but she chose to not do that. She laid her waterpot aside. She no longer desired the things of the flesh. That was not important to her anymore. She had found the living water and knew that she would never be the same. She went into the city and began telling people about Jesus. She began sharing the good news with them. She was not quiet about it and was not ashamed or embarrassed. She was bold and joyful. She wanted everyone to experience what she had just experienced.  It says in that Scripture that they came to Jesus. So, they left what they were doing and came to see this for themselves. 

"And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. And many more believed because of his own word;  And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (John 4:39, 41-42).

     These people came out to hear see Jesus for themselves and listen to what He had to say because of what the woman told them. Her words to them caused them to be interested in finding Jesus. Once they found Him, they began to believe what He was saying to them, and they confessed that He is the Christ, the Saviour of the world. They might not have ever seen Jesus or heard Him speak; which led to their believing, if it had not been for this woman going and telling them about Jesus. Her testimony to them led them to Jesus.

      How long has it been since you told someone about Jesus? How long has it been since you told the things that He has done in your life? This woman was an outcast in society and rejected by most. She did not let that stop her from sharing Jesus with them. The enemy makes us afraid by making us think, "What if they laugh at me? What if they hurt me? What if they shun me?" We should; instead think, "What if they listen to me? What if they give Jesus a try? What if they believe on Him? What if?"

     Someone shared Jesus with us. They told us about Who He is and how much He loves us. Because of the things they said to us, we came to Him. Should we not do the same for others? Other people deserve to experience Him in the same way we do. They deserve to know Him also. We should want them to know Him as their Savior. He wants us to share Him with everyone we meet without being ashamed or fearful. 

"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."  (Psalm 34:8). 

     Have you shared Jesus with someone today? Have you created a hunger in them to learn more about Him? Do you ever talk about Him to them? Do they even know that you know Him? Invite someone to know Him today. Share your experiences with them and lead them to Him. They need Him and He is waiting. You may be the very one to lead them to Him! How exciting it will be to know that they made Jesus their Lord and Savior because of something you said to them about Him. How sad it will be; however, if they die without Jesus because they never knew about Him. Think about this today, and share Jesus with others.

Are You Desperate?

"And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully." (Luke 19:1-6).

     Zacchaeus was an unkind man. He took money from tax payers that he was not entitled to take. He was not respected by the people of his town. He was a sinner. He had heard that Jesus was coming through town. He wanted to see Jesus. He didn't want anything or anyone to hinder him from seeing Jesus. Jesus began walking through the crowd, and Zacchaeus could not see Him; because he was a short man. He was desperate to see Jesus, so he climbed a tree to get a better look. I'm sure he thought he was unseen up in that tree. He probably thought no one knew he was there. This Scripture does not say that he wanted to talk to Jesus. It doesn't say that he wanted a miracle from Jesus. It simply says he wanted to see Jesus.  What he didn't understand was that Jesus saw him in that tree. Jesus knew he was there. He stopped walking and began talking with Zacchaeus. He let Zacchaeus know that He wanted to spend some time with him. This was more than Zacchaeus thought would happen. Jesus went to his house! All of this happened because Zacchaeus was desperate to see Jesus!

       Have you ever wanted something?  Have you ever wanted it so badly that you would stop at nothing to make it happen? Desperation leads to action. If you want something badly enough, you will do whatever you can to see it through. What are you desperate for? More money? Relationships?  A fancy house? A new car?  

      Are you desperate for Jesus? Do you look for opportunities to spend time with Him or do you make excuses for not spending that time with Him?  Are you desperate for more of Him? As we see from this story with Zacchaeus, when he was desperate to see Jesus, he got more than that. When we are desperate for more of Jesus, we will not be disappointed. When we are determined to see Jesus, He sees us. 

      We should not allow anything or anyone to hinder us from getting to Jesus. We must be willing to rise above our circumstances. There is no time like now. Too often, we allow busy schedules, t.v. people, possessions, or anything else to keep us from Jesus.  Jesus is more important than anything in this life. If we seek Him, we will find Him. If we are desperate for more of Him, nothing will hinder us. 

     He is passing your way right now. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to receive Him? Are you desperate? Only when you are desperate will you truly make your way to Him. There are so many stories in the Word of God where people were desperate for a miracle. Some cried out to Him, some followed Him to touch Him, while others knelt at His feet. Whatever their circumstance, they didn't let the crowds of people discourage them from seeking Him. They did not stop until they received their miracle. What are you seeking today? Do not allow people to discourage you. Do not let distractions hinder you. Don't let circumstances rob you. If you are desperate for Him, He will come to you and you will never be the same.

Behold the Lamb!

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29).

     John the Baptist was declaring in this verse that Jesus is the Lamb of God. He was telling all who would listen to him. He was not ashamed of knowing who Jesus was and proclaiming it. He had no doubt at all who Jesus was. No one could convince him otherwise.  Later; however, we see a difference in John.

"And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?" (Luke 7:19).


    Why was John saying in one verse, "Behold the Lamb of God" and in another verse he sent others to ask Jesus if He was truly the One?  What could make him doubt something so important after being so sure about it before?

      When he was making the proclamation, "Behold the Lamb of God", he was actually seeing Jesus. He actually was talking with Him. John's life at that time was good. He was baptizing people and telling them about Jesus. However, being bold and standing for the truth sent him to prison. It was here that he began to doubt if Jesus was really the one he had been preaching about all this time. He knew he could soon die, and he wanted to die knowing for sure he had been serving the right one. He had to know for sure. He was in a dark time in his life. He felt alone and forsaken. He needed assurance that Jesus was truly the Lamb of God.  So, he sent people to ask Jesus if He was really the One. Jesus didn't say, "Yes, I am." or "No, I am not", or any other answer. He simply said:

" Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached." (Luke 7:22). 

     In other words, Jesus was simply saying, "Tell John what you are seeing me do, then let John make up his own mind and answer his own question."
John knew who Jesus was, he was just discouraged and needed reassurance. He needed reminding of Jesus' power and miracles. He is no different from us today.

     As we read this, we might think that John was wrong to question who Jesus was, but in some ways, we do the same today. When things are going good in our lives, we say, "Praise the Lord, Hallelujah, Glory to God, God is good!"  Then we find ourselves in a dark place in our lives and those good times seem so far away and we just need to be reminded of His goodness, mercy and miracles.

"Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake." (John 14:11). 

      Jesus was telling us to believe that He is who He says He is, but if we have problems doing that, at least believe in Him because of what we see Him do in our lives.  We all get discouraged sometimes and need to be reminded of His goodness towards us. 

      What has Jesus done for you? Has he saved you? Has he forgiven your sins? Has He healed your body and mind? Has He set you free? What has He done? Remind yourself. If you are at the place John was in where you ask if He is really the one, then remind yourself of what He has done. Settle in your heart and mind today that Jesus IS.

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6).

     This tells us that we must believe that He IS, and believe that He is a rewarder.  Do you believe that He is? Do you know that He is the Lamb of God? Do you have that assurance in your heart today? You can know. You can be at peace with the knowledge that Jesus is Lord and He is your Lord. Don't doubt another day. 

Paid in Full

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."  (Psalm 103:12).

     If you have ever borrowed money from someone, when the debt is paid, they give you a receipt with "Paid in Full" written on it. This means the debt is paid and is no longer owed.  How foolish would it be to go back every day to the bank or that person and try to pay the debt again? If you went every single day and reminded them of the debt and tried to pay it, they would not accept it, because it had already been paid in full; it was no longer owed. 

     Well, Jesus has paid the debt for our sins when He died on the cross. When He said "It is finished", that was as if He were saying, "Paid in Full". There is no way we can pay for our sins. We can't do enough good deeds, we can't pay enough money or do anything to pay for our sins. Praise God, we don't have to. Jesus already paid the price with His precious life. He paid for our sins because we couldn't. All we must do is accept His payment, repent of our sins follow Him daily. 

     How many people walk around every day still feeling guilty for sins they committed years ago that they have already repented of and Jesus has forgiven them? If Jesus has forgiven the sins, then why are people still trying to carry them around? This is like trying to pay this debt every day that has already been paid. Once the sin is truly repented of with a broken heart, it is forgiven. Look at that verse again. He has removed our sins from us if we have repented. If He has removed them, why are we still carrying them around and feeling condemnation?  That condemnation does not come from God. God does not condemn. 

     The enemy condemns. He makes us think we are too bad for God to love and forgive. He makes us believe we have messed up too much to ever be forgiven.  These are lies. The enemy lies to us to get us to continue carrying the shame of our past sins when we have already repented and God forgave us through the blood of Jesus. 

     People will condemn us. They will remind us of what we once did or who we once were. They will make us feel unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. If these sins have been repented of and forgiven by God, then those accusations are false. 


"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."  (Romans 8:1).

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:17).


     Don't allow yourself to fall back into the same sin again, because if you do, it must be repented of to be forgiven. That would be like paying the debt off that has been borrowed, then going and borrowing money again. Now the debt is owed again and must be paid.  Once it has been repented of and forgiven, let it go and don't carry it around anymore. It has been paid in full by God through Jesus' blood.


    God forgives. The debt is cleared. The slate is wiped clean. There is joy and peace that comes from knowing He loves us enough to forgive and let go. 
Don't walk in condemnation over past sins that have been forgiven. Let it go, move on and keep going in the right direction. 

      

Step Out

"And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus."  (Matthew 14:22-29).

     The disciples were in the boat in during a storm. The wind was tossing their boat; and besides this, it was somewhere between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.  They were, no doubt tired, and it may have still been dark. They were fearful when they saw Jesus walking on the water; not sure who or what they saw. Peter exhibited some faith by making a request to Jesus. He said, "Lord, if it's You, let me come to You."  That took faith, it took courage, it took boldness. Jesus said one simple little word:  "Come".  Peter didn't need to know how deep the water was. He didn't ask Jesus to come and get him by the hand, he didn't ask how cold the water was, he didn't ask any questions or make any excuses as to why he couldn't do it. He didn't tell the Lord that it was impossible for him to walk on the water. He simply got out the boat and actually walked on the water to go to Jesus!  Peter stepped out BY faith IN the Word.  Jesus said, "Come", and Peter went. It's that simple.

     God is looking for those who will simply step out the their boat, step out of their circumstances, step out of their situations by faith in His Word. We always want to ask questions:  "But, Lord, how? when? for how long? why?" We want to make excuses, "That's impossible, I can't, no one has ever done this before, I'm afraid". God just simply wants us to trust Him. If He asks us to do it, He will not let us drown. If He told us in His Word to do it, He will not let us fail. 

     Jesus simply said, "Come". He didn't say, "Peter, come". That means that any of the disciples in that boat could have done the same as Peter as soon as they heard Jesus say, "Come". They were afraid and waiting on Peter to step out first. They wanted to see what happened to him first. There are people today that are waiting on someone else to step out first. They are waiting on "Peter" to obey first. Peter got the blessing of walking on the water. Yes, in later verses, he began to sink when he looked around at the waves and became afraid; but Jesus lifted him back up and they walked to the boat together.

"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:30-31).

     Jesus is simply saying, "Come". This invitation is still being extended today. If you are going through a storm in your life, if your boat seems to be tossing in the wind and you are tired, afraid and hopeless, He is waiting for you to make that step toward Him. He will not let you drown. He will not let you fail. He is right there to take your hand and help you. Don't be like the other disciples who ignored His invitation. Be like Peter, and make that step towards Jesus today. You will be so happy you did. 

 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30).

     Jesus is calling today. He doesn't want you afraid. He doesn't want you tossed around from side to side. He is saying "Come to me". Make that first step towards Him. It might seem scary, it might seem impossible, but you can do it, because He is there with you. He would not ask you to come to Him and then let you drown. He is loving and kind. He loves you and wants you near Him. Come to Him today and trust in Him. Step out on His Word. Have faith in Him and look to Him. You will be so happy that you did!

Are You Listening?

     
"And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden."  (Genesis 3:8).

      Have you ever noticed when you are in a quiet room that the sound of the clock ticking seems to be so loud?  At times, it's hard to concentrate on anything else, because the ticking sound of the clock is all you can hear. However, as your day gets busier and you begin to move around in the room, the sound of the clock ticking seems to disappear. We have learned to "tune out" noises all throughout the day. That clock continues ticking, even though you don't notice it. The ticking continues for 60 times per minute, every minute, all day, every day. As you go about your day, you forget about that sound and may not even notice the clock at all; until you need to see what time it is.

      This is much like our lives. God speaks to us so often, but we are so busy running here and there, doing this and that, that we do not hear Him. He continues to speak to us, even though we may not hear Him. He speaks all day every day. Often times, we do not even notice that He is speaking until we need Him for something.  

      God does not speak in a loud, thunderous, booming voice as we see in the movies. He could, but He speaks in that still, soft voice. The only way to hear Him is to get quiet and be still. We must listen intently for His voice. We must listen deliberately; not rushed, not hurried and not half-heartedly. We must come before Him and be ready to listen and obey.

      In the Scripture above, Adam and Eve took time every day to listen for the voice of the Lord coming to talk with them in the garden. Can you imagine knowing that God would come and talk with you every day at a certain time? We know that He doesn't come in person to talk with us as He did them, but He does speak to us daily if we will take the time to listen. He speaks to us through His word, He speaks to us through our pastors and evangelists, He speaks to us in our spirits; He speaks to us any way He chooses. However, if we are too busy to listen, we will miss out on what He is saying to us. We must take time every day to listen to His voice. We must eagerly await hearing from Him. Block everything else out of your mind and just focus on Him. It's amazing what will happen. It's so peaceful.  Don't miss out on His voice because you are expecting the earth to quake when He speaks. If you are not alert, you will miss it.

"And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:12). 

"And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." (John 10:4-5)

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"                (John 10:17).


     If we are His child, then we are His sheep; because He is our good Shepherd. These verses tell us that if we are His sheep, we know His voice and follow and obey. We do not follow after strangers; or in other words, we do not obey the enemy, our flesh, or the world. We listen to and obey God. 

     Listen......... really listen....... He's speaking; just like that clock is still ticking. What is He saying to you? Are you aware that He is speaking to you right now? Open your ears and listen, then obey. 

"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed;"  (Matthew 13:15). 

     Have you "tuned out" His voice? Are your ears dull of hearing? If you will take the time to wait in His presence and listen, He will speak.  Don't be in a hurry. Rest in Him, wait on Him, and listen to Him.  He's speaking; are you listening?

Where is God?

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."       (Psalm 46:1).

     We are living in a time where evil is everywhere. Unrest and turmoil seems to be around every corner. People are losing hope. They are fearful and don't know where to turn for help and strength. It seems like things are getting worse all the time. 

"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13).

     In all the chaos and confusion, people are looking for peace and hope. They turn to relationships, pills, alcohol, money, or anything else to try to ease their suffering. None of those will satisfy. They are looking in the wrong place. 

     Some would even say, "Where is God in all this? It would seem He is nowhere to be found. Has He abandoned us? Has He forgotten about us?" The Psalmist David asked the same questions:


"How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" (Psalm 13:1).

"Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?"  (Psalm  44:24).

"And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily."  (Psalm 69:17).

Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. (Psalm 102:2).

    We need to realize and remember that God has not forsaken us, and He has not forgotten about us. He cares for us more than we understand and loves us with such love that we could never comprehend.   Take a look at this:

                                                   GODISNOWHERE 

     Perhaps you have already seen this before. Sometimes our lives seem all jumbled together like those letters and not much sense can be made from it all. When you look at those letters, you will see one of two things. If you are going through a rough trial right now and God seems far away, you might see those letters to say GOD IS NOWHERE. That's what the enemy wants you to see. He wants you to believe that God has walked away from you and that you are hopeless. He wants you to believe God doesn't love you. Many people believe this lie, but that is what it is. It is a lie. God has proven time and time again how much He loves us. He sent His only Son, Jesus to die for our sins so we would have eternal life. With that kind of love, why would He just stop loving us and walk away from us?  He won't. His love is eternal; forever, and goes much deeper that our human understanding.

      Now, if you look at those letters again, it says, GOD IS NOW HERE. Nothing changed. No letters were added or taken away. No letters were rearranged. The same letters say something totally different. It's all in your perspective. It's all in where your faith is. It's all in how you choose to see it. This is how God wants you to see it. God wants to remind you that you are not alone. He is with you. He knows what you are going through.

     The word "is" is very important here. It means the present. It didn't say "was", meaning past. Look at the verse again in Psalm 46:1... God "is"... That means every moment of every day. The word "now" also means present. It is always now. Yesterday was full of "nows", today has been full of "nows" and tomorrow will be also.  The word "here" means wherever you are. No matter where you go, you are always "here".   So, God is presently wherever you are!  Isn't that a comforting thought? He is that present help in trouble. Trust Him, depend on Him, walk with Him.  

     Troubles will still come, but knowing that God is with us through them makes it so much easier to go through. Knowing we are not alone makes all the difference.


     "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; andthrough the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thouwalkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."  (Isaiah 43:2).


"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalm 34:18).


"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."  (James 4:8).

"And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you..."  (Leviticus 26:27-28).

    This is the only reason that God will not walk with us. If we are walking contrary to His words and commandments, then we are walking away from Him. However, if we are obeying His commandments and are His child, then He will never leave us alone.

"...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5).

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:20).

     So, do you see that God is with you? Don't believe the lies of the enemy that tells you God is far away and doesn't care. Just remember when the troubles and trials get hard... GOD IS NOW HERE!