Month: November 2023

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Good morning, Reader! Today’s topic is the result of personal growth in my life. There was a time that I worried about everything. At salvation, that was the first thing the Lord took away from my life. It helped me to trust in Him early on and to develop dependence on Him and Him alone. But what if a believer has not been rid of this? The Apostle Paul gives us clear instruction in the verse above: prayer and thanksgiving. Is it any wonder why believers struggle with anxiety? Prayer must be a daily (if not more) occurrence, Reader. It teaches us to turn to the Father in everything. It teaches us to share our anxieties with Him and lay them at His feet to take care of for you. Prayer teaches us to submit to the Father’s will for our lives.

What things make you anxious? Do you have a rocky marriage? Do you struggle with the war in the Middle East? Is your income less than your purchases? So many things can lead a person to feel anxious and uncertain about the future. We will be seeing the repercussions of Satan’s efforts to rule this world more and more as the end of days approaches. The Rapture could happen at any time! But until it does, we will see the hearts of men grow colder and more wicked. Jesus teaches us in:

Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. (23) Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

Christian, we are currently seeing God’s chosen people brutalized in Israel. In fact, antisemitism has increased exponentially and is occurring in our own country. How very sad that Christians aren’t creating more of a stink and speaking up against it! Your silence is interpreted as agreement with those who hate the Jewish people. We cannot and should not be silent. As we speak up against the enemy’s hatred of the Jews, we can be sure to fall under persecution ourselves. But according to Jesus, we are to rejoice and leap for joy for our reward is great in Heaven!

If you’re anxious about circumstances in your life, I recommend you do the following:

Pray! Pray! Pray!

If you feel that anxiousness rise up in your spirit, pray again! Keep praying and keep telling the Lord that you can’t take it. He will not abandon you any more than you would abandon your own child if that child came to you for comfort, Christian! Jesus promises us:

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Peace Through Troubled Times – Fretting

By Kate Plourde

On November 6, 2023

In Devotionals, Peace Through Troubled Times

Psalm 37:1-8 A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. [2] For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. [3] Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. [4] Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. [5] Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. [6] And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. [7] Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. [8] Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Is it any wonder why people are more fearful these days? They look around and see chaos where there once was calmness. One only look at major cities and see the homeless population. Crime is up, jobs are down, and prices are escalating! All this doom and gloom can be overwhelming to some. So what exactly does one do when the cares of this world seem to take over one’s life? The Bible has all the answers, especially to believers!

The remedy for fear is clearly depicted in today’s Bible passage. There’s a clear outline and I laid it out for you in today’s graphic. The word “fret” starts off our “don’t do’s,” but what exactly does that word mean? I thought it meant not to worry, but not according to Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.

To be agitated; to be in violent commotion; as the rancor that frets in the malignant breast.

To be vexed; to be chafed or irritated; to be angry; to utter peevish expressions. “He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground.

Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary

This definition is not what I expected at all. So God tells His child not to get agitated or have violent disturbances over seeing the sinner prosper. I can think of several circumstances of this type of agitation in my own circle of friends and acquaintances. How does God respond to this? In the very next verse, He tells us that their end will come and they will be cut down. No matter how bad life gets as a result of the evildoers, their time will come. People who give into their fears usually develop anxiety and mental illness. So is it any wonder that from 2007 to 2017, there was a 13% increase in mental health conditions? If you let it go far enough, it can literally disable you!

There has been a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade (to 2017). Mental health conditions now cause 1 in 5 years lived with disability.
World health organization

The next remedy is to “trust in the Lord”! Proverbs 3:5-6 is an excellent piece of advice from David’s own son, Solomon. There is nothing that happens that God has not already given the “go ahead.” He has allowed the circumstances in your life for a reason: (1) to grow you spiritually, or (2) to teach you a lesson. The conclusion to either one should be to trust Him.

We then come to a somewhat odd remedy and that is to delight oneself in the Lord. Noah Webster said: “Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement.” When one has the joy of the Lord in their hearts, one delights in Him. When we delight in Him, He will bless you with the desires of your heart. The desires He gives you will most certainly be according to His will for you.

Committing your way has more emphasis than trust. It means you have no doubt that God will handle whatever situation you have placed in His care. You have entrusted God because you know for a fact that He will provide the answer and fulfill your need according to His will. He is your Jehovah Jireh. (Genesis 22:14) Just as God provided a sacrifice to Abraham to replace Isaac, so will God provide you with what you will need for every situation when you commit your way to Him. Committing to God brings with it a sense of surety knowing without a doubt that God will handle it.

The next remedy is to “Rest in the LORD”! Oh Reader, have you rested in the Lord? Rest is to stop, to be quiet; free of any disturbances in your life. It’s a time of complete reconciliation with God. Jesus told us about this rest in Matthew 11:28. There is no rest for the unbeliever because he has a God-shaped hole in his heart that has been filled with the cares of this world. But to the believer, we can rest in the fact that God’s Word is never wrong! Amen?

Then we are given a gentle reminder not to fret. This ends the remedy. However, now begins the application. No remedy is able to perform its cure if it is never taken or applied. If you’re a believer, you have everything you need at your fingertips.

Peace Through Troubled Times – Job Loss

By Kate Plourde

On November 3, 2023

In Comfort During the End Times, Devotionals, Peace Through Troubled Times

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

If you are reading this and find yourself in the midst of living without a job, I pray this post encourages your heart! But do you know that God is with you, Christian? He has not abandoned you – He is with you through His Holy Spirit! He never leaves you nor will He forsake you in this time of hardship! (Hebrews 13:5)

I find it so personal when I read that one of God’s names is Emmanuel (or Immanuel in the King James Bible). The Hebrew word literally means:

עִמָּנוּאֵל
‛immânû’êl
im-maw-noo-ale’
From H5973 and H410 with suffix pronoun inserted; with us (is) God;

Christ’s title, Emmanuel, is most commonly used at Christmas time to describe His birth. However, the meaning “God with us” goes so much deeper. As I see the news of the unemployment lines getting longer, I can only imagine the distraught and discouraged minds! Worrying over bills and putting food on the table is something that hits everyone. But is it what Christians should be worrying over? Emmanuel is with us. In a previous post about El Roi, we learned that this is Hebrew for “God sees us.” Today, we learn that God is with us. Nothing gets passed Him, Reader. God put specific titles for His name so that we would learn about His character.

God knows your difficulties and He knows exactly what you need, even before you realize that you need it. He is working out the details in the background whether you see that or not. Isaiah 46:10 proves to us that He knows the beginning to the end. Therefore, He will not place you in a situation where it will cause you to sin. Absolutely not! You can trust Him to do the right things in your life! Today’s Scripture passage in Proverbs is so apropos!

As a believer, trust that God sees what you are going through and is present to help you to go through this trial of unemployment. He just asks that you trust Him and to acknowledge that you are not going to lean on your own personal understanding of the circumstances. Allow God to work… He won’t let you down. I think of David as he was struggling with Saul trying to kill him. He wrote many Psalms as he struggled with life and death situations. Spend time in Psalms and encourage your heart! Take a look at what David wrote when he was delivered out of the hands of his enemies and the hand of Saul:

2 Samuel 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

Your trial is no less important to God than was David’s trials. The same God that delivered David will help you with finding work. One of my favorite verses depicting how much we mean to Him is:

Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Christian, be encouraged because your Father is there and He will help you. Trust in Him and allow Him to open or close doors; allow Him to work, and don’t jump the gun. He loves you (John 3:16); He sees you (El Roi); He is with you (Emmanuel). How more personal can it get? What a wonderfully compassionate God we serve!!!

If you are not truly born-again, you cannot experience the peace that God brings. There is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Peace Through Troubled Times – Sickness

By Kate Plourde

On November 1, 2023

In Devotionals, Peace Through Troubled Times

Gen 16:13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

Everyone has either gone through, is going through, or will go through troubled times. This is especially true when it comes to sickness. One doesn’t really know how to deal with sickness until they themselves go through the battle. Oh how true!

Are you currently struggling with cancer or a life-long illness? It is difficult to look on the positive side of things when you’re right smack in the middle of it, isn’t it? For the Christian, however, you have a God who sees you! Hagar recognized this when she and Ishmael were cast out of their home by Sarah into the wilderness. No, she wasn’t sick, but I dare say she wanted to die because of the circumstances she found herself in. It is then that she said, “Thou God seest me.” We see from the rest of that account, that God blessed Hagar and Ishmael.

There is not one smidgen of detail that the Lord doesn’t see, dear Reader. He sees everything! He is there to provide comfort to you in your sickness. Don’t allow yourself to get to the point of being bitter toward God for allowing this trial in your life. Bitterness is an awful thing and can lead a person to say and do things who would not normally do in a right state of mind.

Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

God sees your disappointments. He knows your heart and realizes that you cannot do those things that everyone else gets to do! He knows your desire to accomplish tasks but cannot. He knows these restrictions because He allowed them in your life for a purpose!

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

2 Corinthians 1:4 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.

God has given you a purpose in life despite your circumstances. Yes!!! We all need a purpose so we feel needed. As the saying goes, “No man is an island”! Therefore, stop feeling sorry for yourself and start helping someone else. There is no better “mental cure” than to be a blessing to someone else. It takes our eyes off ourselves and onto others.

El Roi, God sees you; now go “see” someone else and help them with their trial!

If you are not truly born-again, trials will be overwhelming to you. Come to the cross and be saved! There, the God who sees you will welcome you! If you choose not to, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

1 Cor. 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Month: November 2023

Peace Through Troubled Times – Anxious

Peace Through Troubled Times – Fretting

Peace Through Troubled Times – Job Loss

Peace Through Troubled Times – Sickness