Unexpected Grace

That situation in your life that is causing you so much grief right now, might be the very circumstance God is using to bring about your greatest victory. Somehow, it’s the very things in life we want to run from . . . avoid and just get relief from . . . that God uses to work His miracles of deliverance and write the beautiful story of redemption in our lives. He might be answering your prayers in very unexpected ways.

Right now there is much at stake in our world. We need spiritual eyes and ears to be attentive and understand the times we are living in. The lines in our culture are blurred and our hearts and minds can be easily deceived. Therefore, we need to be in God’s word so that we know the Truth and can, by His spirit, discern good and evil.

We have an enemy that wants us focused on what we see . . . Chaos . . . Hate . . . Division . . . Loss . . . Sickness . . . Anger . . . Hopelessness . . . all the things that will destroy our souls! If we choose to dwell on these things they will take root in our hearts and minds, thus killing the life God wants us to have.

We must not focus on these things!

Fear causes the lies to scream louder than the truth. You know that voice in our heads that speaks to our most insecure and vulnerable places . . . the voice that tells us we are alone, not enough, hopeless and without help.

Are you struggling with fear today? Is anxiety crushing your heart? Do you wonder if God will come through for your family? Are there needs so great, that without a miracle, you are going under?

I’ve been there.

Fear is crippling. Fear is distracting. Fear is deafening.

Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. Isaiah 41:10 Message version

We must recognize fear for what it is and call it out for being a liar. It doesn’t tell us the truth. It smothers our faith in an attempt to kill any fire inside of us.

Fear only grows if you feed it. We have a choice to feed our fears or feed our faith, with Truth and Obedience.

I don’t want 2021 to be defined by my fears. Honestly, I have wrestled with many over the past days and weeks. But I am determined that fear will not be the boss of me. We must not allow fear to rule us if we are going to follow Jesus, because He wants to take us to some places we never thought we would go.

He promises to always be with us . . . and that is a promise that will sustain us wherever life takes us.

But there is a requirement that must be met.

Obedience to His Word. You can’t have faith without obedience. You don’t have obedience without faith.

In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Joshua 1:5-9 Message version

Sometimes God leads us on a journey we don’t understand and we can’t see where it will end up. We don’t have to understand or see it all laid out perfectly on a map to know that His way is the best. We only have to trust and obey.

That’s easier said than done. But this really matters and determines who rules our life . . . God or fear.

Hebrews 11:8 reminds us . . . “He went out, not knowing where he was going.”

Isaiah 43 begins by saying, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you . . . When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Later on in verses 18-19 we read, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing!…”

The Moody Bible Commentary explains Isaiah 43:19 like this, “It inspires them not to accept that which appears to be prudent, rational or expedient, but to think with a theological rationale that calls them to trust in God to intervene, to protect, to rule.”

God is on the throne, friends. He protects us, He cares for us, He sustains us. “(My version of Colossians 1:17)

New things can be scary. But when God has promised to be with us, we can face the unknown with confidence. We are assured of God’s faithfulness to His word and His character.

We are confident because of who God is!

God is my provider. I know this . . . but because my heart can be so weak and fearful at times, I need to be reminded of that daily. All too often, I allow what my eyes see put me in a tailspin of fear and hopelessness. Circumstances can look so bleak that I’m tempted to throw in the towel and give up. But what I see is NOT the truth!

Instead, it’s the perfect circumstance for God to enter and do what only He can do . . . when I choose to worship as I wait and praise when my heart is heavy and discouraged.

God calls us to trust in what is unseen. And that requires faith in what He’s spoken to us through His word. We have to KNOW His promises and cling to them when life doesn’t make sense.

“Jesus told him, ‘ Don’t be afraid; just believe.’’ Mark 5:36

He has provided in the past. He will provide in the future. DO NOT FEAR. We are asked to stop relying on ourselves. We must trust in His provision and timing and do what He tells us to do. Those are simple commands, yet they require everything. And that is a whole other blog post to come . . . simple words can be hard words when applied to our lives.

“When sight ceases, it is the time for faith to work. The greater the difficulties, the easier it is for faith. As long as human possibilities for success remain, faith does not accomplish things as easily as when all natural prospects fail.” – George Muller