November 20, 2018 THE SAME POWER part 2
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The joy and peace we are talking about is not something we can acquire on our own; joy, peace, and hope come only as we truly trust Him. We may without a thought say that we trust God, but do we really trust Him? Even in the most difficult times, when we do not understand why certain things happen, or when we or a loved one gets the bad news from the doctor, do we trust Him? There is a break-through, a turning point, when our trust in Him becomes the bedrock of our life, when our trust in Him is firmly set, no matter the circumstances; only by having this kind of trust can we live in the joy and peace and hope that is available to us. Once we have this unalterable trust in God our Father, we are then able to live life to the fullest. Having our trust in God does not exempt us from facing difficulties and it does not mean that we take lightly the trials that we and our loved ones face. However, we must be able to see beyond the immediate circumstances-that is the difference. Our world view must be that we believe that Jesus is Savior, that He came and gave His life for us, that He forgives our sins, that He conquered death, that He is our Father, that God has given us the Holy Spirit, that He uses all things for our good, that He comforts us, that He has given us a new heart, a new spirit, and a new mind, and that He never forsakes us. He has made us overcomers in this life; our part is to believe that we are now overcomers and walk in the truth of that. When we live as overcomers, our life is in contrast to the ways of the world. In a recent blog, THE SAME POWER part 1, we saw that being made new spiritually, knowing Jesus as Savior, and walking in our true identity in Him, impacts every aspect of our lives, including our physical being. Having and living life to the fullest is just that-full life. For the one who is walking in fellowship with God, even the ‘skies are bluer and the grass is greener’; the beauty of the sunrise and the sunset never escapes our notice; and enjoying a visit or a cup of coffee with a friend is a blessed experience-you get the point. In other words, life is a gift as well as the magnificent creation; He truly has given us all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17. Isaiah 55:12 sums up very well the point I want to make: “You will go out in joy and be lead forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” The joy that comes from knowing God as our Father is not subject to circumstances, but is a joy that abides-always. In John 16:22, Jesus said: “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” Jesus has risen from the dead, sorrow has gone and joy has come to those who walk in His ways; we now ‘see Him’-His Holy Spirit lives in us. Many believers needlessly struggle with such things as doubt, fear, depression, anger, regrets, etc. If this is you, then what I am about to say may sound over simplified, but it works-it’s the truth-you can do this: acknowledge that you are a child of God and choose to lay aside, or discard any actions or any thoughts that are not of God; take God as His word; place your total trust in Him; confess with your mouth that God has made you an overcomer, and then think on and do the things that please Him. Focus on Him and His word. Finally, make the choice to enjoy the life that He has given you. God does not force His life on us, but He has made it available to us; our part is to choose to embrace all that He says about Himself and about us. No matter your circumstances, joy, hope, and peace are available.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and have it abundantly.”
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The joy and peace we are talking about is not something we can acquire on our own; joy, peace, and hope come only as we truly trust Him. We may without a thought say that we trust God, but do we really trust Him? Even in the most difficult times, when we do not understand why certain things happen, or when we or a loved one gets the bad news from the doctor, do we trust Him? There is a break-through, a turning point, when our trust in Him becomes the bedrock of our life, when our trust in Him is firmly set, no matter the circumstances; only by having this kind of trust can we live in the joy and peace and hope that is available to us. Once we have this unalterable trust in God our Father, we are then able to live life to the fullest. Having our trust in God does not exempt us from facing difficulties and it does not mean that we take lightly the trials that we and our loved ones face. However, we must be able to see beyond the immediate circumstances-that is the difference. Our world view must be that we believe that Jesus is Savior, that He came and gave His life for us, that He forgives our sins, that He conquered death, that He is our Father, that God has given us the Holy Spirit, that He uses all things for our good, that He comforts us, that He has given us a new heart, a new spirit, and a new mind, and that He never forsakes us. He has made us overcomers in this life; our part is to believe that we are now overcomers and walk in the truth of that. When we live as overcomers, our life is in contrast to the ways of the world. In a recent blog, THE SAME POWER part 1, we saw that being made new spiritually, knowing Jesus as Savior, and walking in our true identity in Him, impacts every aspect of our lives, including our physical being. Having and living life to the fullest is just that-full life. For the one who is walking in fellowship with God, even the ‘skies are bluer and the grass is greener’; the beauty of the sunrise and the sunset never escapes our notice; and enjoying a visit or a cup of coffee with a friend is a blessed experience-you get the point. In other words, life is a gift as well as the magnificent creation; He truly has given us all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17. Isaiah 55:12 sums up very well the point I want to make: “You will go out in joy and be lead forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” The joy that comes from knowing God as our Father is not subject to circumstances, but is a joy that abides-always. In John 16:22, Jesus said: “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” Jesus has risen from the dead, sorrow has gone and joy has come to those who walk in His ways; we now ‘see Him’-His Holy Spirit lives in us. Many believers needlessly struggle with such things as doubt, fear, depression, anger, regrets, etc. If this is you, then what I am about to say may sound over simplified, but it works-it’s the truth-you can do this: acknowledge that you are a child of God and choose to lay aside, or discard any actions or any thoughts that are not of God; take God as His word; place your total trust in Him; confess with your mouth that God has made you an overcomer, and then think on and do the things that please Him. Focus on Him and His word. Finally, make the choice to enjoy the life that He has given you. God does not force His life on us, but He has made it available to us; our part is to choose to embrace all that He says about Himself and about us. No matter your circumstances, joy, hope, and peace are available.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and have it abundantly.”
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed