I became blessed when I started to really put God first in my life and what I mean by this is that I shifted my attitude from one where I was always seeking for God to do this for me and to bless me with that and to elevate me to here and there I changed that mindset and I started to become more grateful and content with where I am it's in this position that I recognized two things I have much more to be grateful for than I previously thought and secondly but most importantly the more that
you magnify God in your life the more you can see his hand working you know often times we can so easily magnify the lack in our lives we have a car but we want a new one we have a home but we want a bigger one we have savings but we want more however there are Christians who are in some parts of the world and they live under persecution but they're the most loving joyful and prayerful group of Believers you will ever meet and why is that well it's because they have nothing else in this
world but Jesus they spend so much time in the word so much time in prayer and so the focus of their lives is the Lord they magnify God in their day-to-day and as a result they can clearly see his goodness is Mercy and Grace despite the lack that they have and so I encourage you to do the same if you truly want to be blessed if you really want to see how much you are blessed focus on God a lot more than you focus on yourself do you desire to be blessed by the Lord of
course we all desire to live blessed lives we all desire to have the favor of God in our lives but what does the Bible say about blessings allow me to share a few scriptures with you Jeremiah 17: 7-8 blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord whose trust is the Lord he is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes for its leaves remain green and is not anxious in the year of drought for it does not cease to bear fruit take
note of that the Bible is saying when you trust in God you are blessed when you rely on God you're blessed when you have faith in God you are indeed blessed now Psalm 1: 1-3 says blessed is the man who walks not in the counsil of the ungodly nor stands in the path of Sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his Delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its
fruit in its season whose Leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper ER so based on this passage of scripture you are blessed when you don't follow the advice of the wicked you're blessed when you don't listen to the counsel of the ungodly when you don't give ear to those who do evil you are blessed when you don't stand in agreement with those who take pleasure in evil and the reason that you're blessed when you separate yourself from Evil is because Bad Company corrupts good character light and darkness cannot be in Partnership
and so from both passages of scripture that I've shared with you Jeremiah 17:7 tells us that trusting in the Lord brings blessings Psalm 1 tells us that staying away from Evil company brings Blessings Now what I want you to really grasp is the cause of the blessings when Jes Jesus is Central in your life when you have given him the throne to your heart then not only do you trust him not only do you have faith in him but you become protective in the sense that you guard your heart you guard your eyes and ears
because you don't want to give the devil any room to discourage you or for him to have the opportunity to chip away at your faith blessings don't come come because of what you do blessings come because of who you have in your heart and so to each and every one of us we should not Chase blessings we should Chase Jesus Christ chase the one who can bless rather than chasing the individual blessings Chase Jesus Christ Our Lord brings blessings with him Jesus Christ Christ brings blessings of peace with him he brings the blessing of Joy
the blessing of eternal life so chase God not the blessings now let us go to God In Prayer my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ you've said in your word I am the bread of life he who comes to me will not hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst Lord Jesus you have said I am the light of the world I am the door I am the resurrection and the life and Lord it is such a blessing to be loved by you it's a blessing that I know I do not deserve it's a
blessing to be able to call on you to be able to call on your name the name that is above every Other Name Lord Jesus you are are the first and the last you are the alpha and the Omega you are the True Vine and I'm grateful for you Lord because with you and my life I am strong in my weakness I am empowered by the Holy Spirit and I am more than a conqueror and it's all because of you I'm truly blessed because I've come to know your mercy and your love even while I
was still a sinner you love me Lord Jesus even while I was still a sinner you died for me and dear Lord I want to thank you for that thank you for the blessing of Peace that's upon my life and upon my family thank you for the blessing of Joy thank you for your protection your word in Ephesians 1: 3-8 says blessed to be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places even as he chose in him before the foundation of
the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption to himself as Sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious Grace with which he has blessed us in the Beloved in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace which he lavished Upon Us in all wisdom and insight your word Lord tells me that in Christ I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places heavenly father I
thank you and I praise you for such a great and merciful love if I look at my life father if I look at all of the times that I've fallen short and even turned my back on you I can only thank you for continually Loving Me For Always showing me mercy thank you Lord Jesus I thank you because your word tells me to seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you father my desire is you I'm not seeking to be healed I am seeking the Healer I'm not
seeking material things I'm seeking The Giver of ET turn on life I'm not seeking gifts or money or Earthly things but I am seeking you Lord Jesus The Giver of Life the one who restores the one who mends broken hearts you are all that I could ever want and need and in you I am blessed with you by my side I am blessed I than thank you for listening to this prayer I bless your name King Jesus amen God will send you help have you ever prayed for God to help you have you ever asked
God to intervene in your situation and assist you well I want you to look at these four areas which represent some of the seasons in life that may cause us to seek God for help there are times when we are weak there are times when things are cha chotic there are times when we feel isolated and there are times when we are confused on each of these occasions we want to cry out for help to the Lord but how does he help us well I believe God helps us in our weakness by giving us Divine
strength in times of weariness when our strength seems to falter God offers us his divine power as the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13 I I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me secondly God helps us during chaos by giving us inner peace when the storms of life rage around us and anxiety threatens to overwhelm our hearts God provides an inner peace that surpasses all understanding when we feel lonely and isolated God helps us by being our constant companion in times when we feel alone abandoned or isolated God reminds us that he will
never leave us nor forsake us and finally when we are uncertain and Confused God will give us wisdom and Clarity these examples are just a glimpse of the Myriad of ways God helps us today now on January 15th 2009 Captain solenberger was in command of US Airways flight 1549 an Airbus A320 with 155 passengers and crew crew on board shortly after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport the plane struck a flock of Canadian geese causing both engines to lose power facing a life-threatening emergency and with no engine power Captain solenberger had to make an instant
decision he assessed the situation and realized that it would be impossible to return to any nearby airport safely instead he made a heroic decision to attempt an emergency landing on the h River with remarkable skill and composure solenberger expertly guided the plane to land smoothly on the river surface the successful Landing known as The Miracle on the Hudson allowed all 155 passengers and crew to evacuate the aircraft onto the wings and into lifeboats where they were rescued by nearby boats and fairies now Fox News reported the following New York Waterway considers it the most successful
Marine rescue in aviation history according to its website many of the passengers could have died or suffered the effects of hypothermia if fairy crw had not responded as quickly as they did experts noted now I want you to see how help came and disaster was prevented and today I want to tell you that God will send you help there is a story in the Bible that illustrates the help that we have in the Lord and this story is found in 2 Kings 6 ver 8-23 now to summarize what happened in this passage of scripture one
morning Elisha servant woke up and saw a huge enemy Army surrounding the city he got really scared and ran to Elisha master we're in big trouble the enemy has us surrounded but Elisha was surprisingly calm he said don't worry there are more with us than with them the servant was confused thought Elijah had lost it because there were only two of them in the house so Elisha prayed Lord open his eyes so he may see suddenly the servant's eyes were opened and he saw something amazing the hills around the city were filled with horses and
Chariots of Fire sent by God to protect Elijah and his friend they were surrounded by a Heavenly Army God sent help to Elisha and his servant and I want you to know that God can send you help in the middle of your situation God is our protector in times of trouble and danger God stands as our everpresent Shield just as a loving parent would guard their child from harm our heavenly father keeps watch over us day and night God is our comforter in moments of sorrow and grief God tenderly wraps his arms around us offering
solid and peace he is the source of our strength when we are weak providing a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear to hear our prayers God is our guide amid life's uncertainties God acts as our faithful guide lighting our path and leading us towards righteousness God is our provider in times of need God graciously provides for his children ensuring that we lack no good thing in every aspect of life he stands as our protector comforter guide and provider when we feel lost afraid or uncertain we need only turn to him in prayer and
Faith for he is ever ready to extend his loving hand you may have heard the saying life is a roller coaster it may sound a little cliche but there is truth to this phrase life is made up of good times and hard times we experience both its highs and lows as Christians we are not immune to the hardships of life and in fact many would argue that we face more hardships than non-christians after all the Bible does say many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all in Psalm
34: 19 take note there how the Bible says many are the afflictions now I'm telling you this not so that you would be discouraged but rather so that you would be grounded in your perspective loving Jesus Christ living for Jesus Christ doesn't mean you'll have a life free from any problems equally when You Face challenges or pain this doesn't mean the Lord loves you any less than someone else you see God doesn't promise us a life devoid of suffering pain problems or difficult situations as a matter of fact he tells us the opposite in John
16:33 Jesus tells us that in the world we will have troubles or tribulation and in many other passages throughout scripture we remember Ed by the apostles as well as Jesus himself that Christians will suffer be persecuted face many trials and so on they don't tell us this so that we could be miserable or feel anxious but to remind us of our reality and to encourage us to stay strong in our faith after Jesus warns us of the many troubles we are to face in the same verse He commands us to be of good cheer for
he has overcome the world and so I may not know what you're going through but be of good cheer because in Jesus you are an overcomer things may be tough right now but be of good cheer have faith in the Lord and He will see you through you may be in a dark place right now but be of good cheer keep holding on to Jesus there is light at the end of the tunnel not only does God want us to be of good cheer but he also wants us to turn to him in prayer during
difficult times in fact tough times can motivate us or prompt us to pursue God through prayer more passionately and desperately when we are in any kind of trouble we tend to become aware of how weak and limited we are on our own we feel helpless we realize how much we need the Lord to intervene when you're in a difficult place you will find that you are desperate for God's presence so that you can draw from his strength on the other hand we can sometimes be so weighed down by our burdens and problems that we don't
have the energy or motivation to approach the Lord in prayer but that is just Satan trying to do all that he possibly can to keep us miserable and without hope he doesn't want us to seek God and he doesn't want God to help us out of our dire situation don't be deceived by him when hardships come your way go to the one who can rescue you go back to your first love seek him through prayer James 5:13 gives us the best advice here the Apostle James gives this piece of advice is anyone among you suffering
then he must pray the Bible is filled with examples of God's people praying through very difficult times in their lives Hezekiah is one example Isaiah prophesied that Hezekiah was going to die soon he even asked him to prepare for his imminent death can you imagine how Hezekiah felt at that moment being told by a prophet that he was about to die if he were to tear his clothes and put ashes on his head nobody could even blame him but what did he do instead Isaiah 38 verse2 says that Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall
and prayed to the Lord you know what the Lord heard hezekiah's prayer the Lord saw his tears and extended his life by another 15 years another similar example is Hannah a woman who was Barren she desperately longed for a son to the point where she would weep continually and wouldn't eat for a long time even her husband noticed it and was very concerned for her one day in the bitterness of her soul she went to the temple and prayed to the Lord weeping in anguish she brought her request to the the Lord pouring her heart
out to him and asking him to Grant her a male child vowing that she would dedicate his whole life to serving the lord God heard her too and granted her petition a son named Samuel who became one of the greatest Prophets The Apostles had their fair share of sufferings and hardships too in Acts 16 Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for preaching about Jesus guess what they did they prayed and sang hymns to God while they were imprisoned the prisoners heard them and the Earth quaked underneath them loosing their chains all these events led
to the prison guard and his family believing in Jesus and therefore for finding salvation as well as the apostles later being released from prison what a testament to the power of prayer so if Hezekiah could pray after a death sentence and Hannah dared to ask God to open her womb and Paul and Silas praised God during their imprisonment after they had been beaten what's stopping us from praying when we Face difficult situations all these people were pushed to pray because of the trials they went through and the obstacles they faced let us be encouraged to
do the same when we encounter tough times let us not be so overwhelmed to the point where we feel hopeless and discouraged let us not run away from our problems but instead run to him let's run to Jesus Christ run to the one who has overcome the world the one who is our refuge and strength the one who tells us to call upon him in the day of trouble the one who rescues us the one who heals all our wounds and diseases we need to seek Him in all circumstances especially through life's hardships Jesus Christ
is our comforter and a very present help in times of trouble the only help that we would ever need yes as humans we still have feelings and emotions nobody can deny that God doesn't expect us to be laughing and dancing all the time but what he does want from us Is our commitment to him what God does want from us is Faith he wants us to be so invested in him that we run to him first when troubles come our way God shouldn't be our last resort but our first choice in all situations and all
those negative feelings and thoughts that we have when we are going through rough patches prayer helps to change them too Paul advises Us in Philippians 4:6-7 to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus the peace of God is above our understanding and we can rest assured knowing that whatever burdens hardships problems or troubles we face face we can lay them at the foot of the
cross lay them all down at Jesus's feet and watch all your worries begin to fade away and be replaced by his incredible peace now we all have that one Bible verse that one passage of scripture that speaks to us like no other and for me I find Psalm 16:8 to be that one Bible verse that I can always turn to and this verse says I have set the lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved many times when I have been afraid I have held on to this
word many times when I have been wrestling with uncertainty I have turned to Psalm 16:8 and this is how I apply the verse in my life I have set the lord always always before me in other words God orders my steps the Lord goes ahead of me to clear my path or rather God is in front of me he is already in my future and when it says because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved I claim and declare that the Lord is by my side I am Anchored In Jesus I
am rooted in Jesus I am joined with him and therefore I cannot be moved I will not be shaken not because of my own strength or might but because of the one who lives inside my heart so I would like to offer some advice to you today find your scripture find a passage in the Bible that speaks to your heart find a verse to hold on to Psalm 16:8 gives me hope because I can say whatever the future holds whatever is in store for me I have set the lord always before me if Tomorrow Comes
If Tomorrow Never Comes I have set the lord always before me if my friends leave me and abandon me in the near future if my boss at work doesn't honor his promises if my pastor Falls from Grace I will not be moved moved or shaken because I have set the lord always before me so I encourage you to do the same find your verse find the verse that will shift your focus from the problem in front of you to The God Who has promised to fight your battles the word of God is there to offer
us Direction it's there to inspire and strengthen our faith if you've ever seen someone with bad eyesight you'll find that the simplest of activities will become difficult now a Christian who hasn't got the word of God in them is like a person with bad eyesight without the word of God you have no idea the protection you've been given without the word of God you cannot see that you've been offered peace Beyond understanding the word of God reveals things to you you begin to see the devil for who and what he really is a deceiver and
the father of all lies you begin to see The Passion of Christ the love and passion that led him to be wounded for our transgressions to be bruised for our iniquities the chastisement for our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed the word of God reveals all of that the word of God is sight to a Christian this is why it's important that you obey Joshua 1:8 which says this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may
be careful to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success you must meditate on the word so that you can keep your eyes on the Lord when you have the word hidden in your heart you will always have a reason to say it is well with me if you're struggling and can't seem to find a way out of the mess you're in fix your sight keep your eyes on Jesus and on his word whether the economy is good or not
whether my friends are there or if they have abandoned me your eyes are to always be on on the word of the [Music] Lord if you were asked these three questions about the word of God how are you using it how well do you know it and how are you being changed by it what would your response be to those three questions when we make it a practice a routine to read the Bible we are spending quality time with our heavenly father we are in effect reading the letter he wrote for us the word of
God changes us it cuts through every thought and every attitude how do you know if you're doing something right hold it up against the word of God 2 Timothy 3:16 Says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness God speaks in his word for us to be corrected for us to know the ways of righteousness for us to know how to navigate this life the Bible tells us John 1 verse one in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God
and the Word was God the word of God has been there from the beginning of time as we know it and the Bible is very clear the word was with God and the Word was God and when you see the Bible as God's Own word then Hebrews 4:12 makes sense for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of Soul and Spirit and of joints and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and here's why we need to take
the word of God seriously in every aspect of Our Lives the characteristics of the word of God is that it is living it has has life it brings life and it is life to the believer God is the giver and Source of Life the source of eternal life therefore his word is just that so how do you say you're a Christian but not have the word of God in you you don't have life if it's not in you and I mean when it's really in you not just memorize but when it tells you no that's
fornication when it tells you no that's pride no that's stealing it corrects you when it's really in you just like fire his word can refine you of all impurities just like a hammer it destroys evil and build and strengthens a Godly character in your life just like a mirror it exposes our blemishes against the true likeness of Christ just like a lamp and a light that guides us and gives us Direction in life just like food it provides nourishment man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes from God the word of
God cleanses and washes over your life it helps you to renew your mindset let's be encouraged to take the word of the Lord more seriously apply it to your life so that you may have Direction nourishment and strength my brothers and sisters as Sons and Daughters of God we need to speak God's word over our lives Romans 15:13 says 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 so you and I should be speaking
this verse over our lives and saying the god of Hope fills me with all joy and peace because I trust in him and I declare that my life overflows with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit Isaiah 26:3 says you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you make that verse yours and apply it to your own life I am steadfast of mine God does keep me in perfect peace because I trust in him Psalms 103: 1-5 says praise the Lord my soul all my inmost being praise
His holy name praise the Lord my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the Eagles have you ever felt invisible have you ever felt as though no one can see you no one can hear you you could be the person who feels underappreciated undervalued and underpaid at your workplace or you could be the one who feels overlooked ignored and
perhaps despised many people in this world have felt this way many people do feel this way and perhaps this message resonates with you maybe you're listening right now and you're nodding your head saying I know exactly what you're talking about well let me just remind you that although the people around you may not take the time to ask you something simple like how are you doing let me tell you that God sees you it may be that the people you once relied on seem to now have you at the back of their minds hear me
as I say this God sees you rather than beating yourself up about your imperfections your weakness your shortcomings I want you to see yourself Through The Eyes Of God God sees you and considers you to be precious so precious that he sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ to die for all of your sins so that you would be given life instead of death so that you would be blessed and no longer cursed Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again so that you would live in Victory and not in defeat I would
like to share with you a few quotes from Charles Spurgeon about depression the first reads as follows I know perhaps as well as anyone what depression means and what it is to feel myself sinking lower and lower yet at the worst when I reach the lowest depths I have an inward peace which no pain or depression can in the least disturb trusting in Jesus Christ my savior there is still a blessed quietness in the Deep caverns of my soul and the second reads I find myself frequently depressed perhaps more so than any other person here
and I find no better cure for that depression than to trust in the Lord with all my heart and seek to realize aresh the power of the peace seeking blood of Jesus and His Infinite love and dying upon the cross to put away all my transgressions for those low moments in life moments where you feel broken there is only one answer and it's Jesus Christ in Jesus you should see yourself living free of guilt and shame from the enemy free from condemnation in Jesus you should see yourself living free from confusion anger and fear but
instead live in peace with boldness and self-control the Bible says he makes the Brokenhearted well and puts oil on their wounds there's no pit so deep that God can't lift you out of it and dust you off there's nothing so dark that God's light can't shine into our identities are based in Christ and not on our issues so remember who you are in God you are not your issues you are his child you are loved and although you may feel invisible to this world there is a God in heaven who sees you we desperately need
to be filled with the Holy Spirit we desperately need to get the word of God in our hearts we desperately need to get on our knees in prayer that's how you'll learn your gifts and know what it is that God has placed inside you if you want to live out your calling if you want to walk effectively in your assignment you have to know you need to know what it is he placed in you and if you're wondering what these so-called gifts are 1 Corinthians 12:7 to11 says to each is given the manifestation of the
spirit for the common good for to one is given through the spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the Same Spirit to another Faith by The Same Spirit to another Gifts of healing by the one Spirit to another the working of Miracles to another prophecy to another the ability to distinguish between spirits to another various kinds of tongues to another the interpret ation of tongues all these empowered by one and the Same Spirit who a portions to each one individually as he Wills the Bible is clear that to
each there are spiritual gifts but the devil doesn't care that you have gifts as long as he can keep you from activating them if he can keep you in the dark if he can discourage you then his job is done this is why wisdom and knowledge is so important for the believer the devil is after you because of the gift inside of you and some of you will keep finding yourself under attack one after the other one battle followed by another constant opposition but hear me it's like this you're attacked like this because as you
are making strides in your spiritual life as you are growing in faith he knows that sooner or later later you're going to break through and realize or recognize your gifts that's why the attacks are launched but during that time during a season of Attack as a child of God you should be persistent a thief doesn't break into an empty house they don't there's nothing of value in a house that's empty there's nothing to steal but when you find the devil trying to break into your life it's because he knows he knows what's inside you he
knows the heights you can reach he knows the value the gift inside of you and that's what he wants the enemy hates the Christian man or woman who is walking in their calling operating in their gift with power with humility and with Integrity all for the glory of God that's what the enemy hates to see no matter what your hardship might be be strong in faith don't allow yourself to be moved because as soon as you let go of God's sure promises you are bound to get swept up into the madness of this world Jesus
Christ is the only sure foundation in this fickle and everchanging world he is our steadfast anchor circumstances change people change social norms and public perceptions change but the word of God remains true forever in the Book of Matthew Jesus says Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will not pass away that's why we can stand confidently in him that's why we can cling to him when we feel like we're slipping away into the chaos of life he will rescue us and place our feet back on Solid Ground what does it mean to be
unshakable in your faith it doesn't mean never having doubts it doesn't mean never being afraid it simply means that when Trouble Comes our way we don't panic we don't lose hope we don't turn to the world or to ourselves for answers instead we are able to rest in the promises of God have you ever seen someone who's broken a broken person is one who's been defeated overwhelmed overpowered it's a sad sight to see a broken man or a woman crushed by life crushed by tragedy are crushed by their own mistakes and the thing about it
is when a person is truly broken they have given up there is no hope however a Believer who has their heart in the Lord can never be broken you simply cannot break someone who is truly in Jesus Christ and what I mean by that is Paul said in the book of Philippians for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain meaning if there's a breath in his body it's because Jesus sustains me it's because Jesus Christ strengthens me and if I'm absent from this body then I am present in eternity with Christ
God will dry your tears he will be a bridge over troubled water he will be sunshine on a rainy day your strength in the moments that you feel weak so raise your head and don't slump your shoulders you're God's child you have been bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ there ain't a devil that can break you there isn't a situation that can break you because greater is he who was in you than he who was in the world the Amplified translation for Psalm 34: 19 says many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous
but the Lord rescues him from them all this is really a remarkable passage of scripture and it's one that is often overlooked as Christians we have not been promised a life free from hardships we have not been promised a trouble-free life on the contrary God has promised to be our rescue now hardship in life can come in many forms and so long as you are living in this world trouble and hardships are simply a part of life I would even say this is the case more so if you are a Christian because Jesus said in
John 15: 18- 21 if the world hates you keep in mind that it hated me first if you belong to the world it would love you as its own as it is you do not belong to this world but I have chosen you out of the world that is why the world hate you remember what I told you a servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me they will persecute you also if they obeyed my teaching they will obey yours also they will treat you this way because of my name for they
do not know the one who sent me now the question for us is how do we handle being hated by the world how do we handle being persecuted by the world well I have one passage of scripture to help you in this area 1 Peter 4: 13-16 says but rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed if you are insulted because of the name of Christ you are blessed for the spirit of glory and God rests on you if you suffer
it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal or even a meddler however if you suffer as a Christian do not be ashamed but praise God that you bear that name when you suffer because you are a Christian when you suffer because of your belief in the Lord be strengthened by the word of God because the Bible says you are blessed for the spirit of Glory glory and of God rests on you so let me encourage you and tell you should you face the hardships of life because you are
a Christian you're blessed because as you partake in the suffering because of Christ you will be overjoyed in glory when the Lord returns you will be rewarded for your faithfulness and should you face the hardships of life should you encounter the many afflictions that we all face in life then we have a promise to hold on to and that promise is that many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all regardless of the type of trouble you face or the form it comes in so long as you are
in the Lord you will overcome should you need healing submit to the Lord's will and if you receive healing that's wonderful if you don't then do not be disheartened because perhaps there is a purpose for you to go through what you're going through have an attitude that says Lord whatever your decision may be I'm going to trust in you may your will be done may your will take precedence over my life healing is something that we all need in our lives physical healing emotional healing or mental healing whatever it may be Jesus Christ still heals
today he still makes people whole today Jesus Christ still men's broken hearts he can divinely rehabilitate you he can revive the dead things in your life Jesus Christ can soothe every painful scar in your life he is the master physician he's a chief Doctor Who is able to treat every visible and invisible visible wound in your life but here's the key here's the key for us we have to be submitted to his will praise him if he heals you in a sudden and miraculous way but also praise him if he doesn't heal you but instead
gives you the grace and strength to endure the grace and strength to keep going regardless put the Lord's will above your will in this very moment you could be feeling as though you've lost everything let me tell you that you haven't if you're a child of God you still have Jesus and Jesus plus nothing equals everything you see God's presence is wonderful when his presence surrounds you you're surrounded by pure love when his presence surrounds you you're covered in safety and there's nothing from the enemy that can touch you in his presence there is power
so much power that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you so much power that there is nothing impossible it's only in the arms of the Lord that you can find Divine [Music] strength it's only in God that you will find strength in your weakness it's only in him that you can do all things because he strengthens you to fully trust in God we have to relinquish full control to put it another way it's to abandon trust in yourself or another human you stop trying to fix it yourself and you allow God you
yield to God you surrender all control to him and in all aspects of your life you need to accept that in the grand scheme of things your control is limited this is why we trust in An Almighty God this is why we trust in an all powerful God because we are limited but he isn't I'm sure that each of us when we've gone through certain things in life when we Face difficulties or challenges if you're anything like me then you will go through that situation trying to figure out how will this work for my good
when we are in trouble how many of us want details from God how many of us ask God why am I going through this how many of us ask God questions like God if you're going to make a way out for me how exactly are you going to do it at precisely what time will you come to my rescue how long will I have to go through this before things actually start turning around for my good but God doesn't always give us answers while we are in the fire all we can do is have faith
in his promises promises like those found in NM 1:7 which says the Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knows those who trust in him we ought to hold on to the promises like those found in psalm 55:22 which says cast your burden on the Lord and He Shall sustain you he shall never permit the righteous to be moved you see in times of difficulty we have to remember God's nature and his nature can be found in his word word in the Bible God is described as a refuge and a
deliverer he is described as faithful he is described as Alpha and Omega he is the beginning and the end he is patient caring and loving and so I encourage you to put your trust in the Lord regardless of what you are facing whether you are in a valley or on top of the mountain we should be seeking the Lord always we need him to lead and guide us we need his grace we need his Mercy we need his protection to keep us safe as we go about our business and above all we need God's presence
you see God's presence is extraordinary when his presence surrounds you you're surrounded by pure love when his presence surrounds you you're covered in safety and there is nothing from the enemy that can touch you in his presence there is power so much power that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you so much power that there is nothing impossible it's only in the arms of the Lord that you can find Divine strength strength it's only in God that you will find strength in your weakness it's only in him that you can do all
things because he strengthens you the Bible in Hebrews 12 verse1 15 says see to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no Bitter Root grows up to cause trouble and defile many the Bible here is clearly telling us that when bitterness takes root in a person that root of bitterness grows and it bears fruit now perhaps you've been heard by someone who's close to you and maybe it was deliberate maybe there was malicious intent behind that person's actions and to top it off you've never received an apology but here's
the thing we need to be on guard not to let that hurt take root in our hearts and become bitterness whatever it is that may have happened to you or against you you better be quick to let it go be quick to forgive you must be quick to move on as much as it depends on you be quick to seek peace don't even give an opportunity for bitterness to grow in your heart don't give opportunity for the devil to work in your life you must realize that the reason bitterness is so destructive is because it
does not just affect the person who's bitter it affects everyone they come into contact with a bitter person hurts people because they feel as though the world deserves to be Hur because of what they went through now on the opposite side when you see someone who has the genuine love of God in their heart you see someone who welcomes anyone regardless of what they've done what they look like or who they are the love of God is what causes you to lead others to Christ the love of God that's in your heart leads you to
have a burden for unbelievers so let me tell you this as Born Again Believers we are to love others because Jesus Christ first loved us and he did it even while we were still Sinners we are to forgive because we are forgiven people of God do away with bitterness Jesus Christ has loved us even as we are he has forgiven us despite the many many times that we've fallen into sin Jesus Christ has and still does show us kindness he shows us Mercy he shows us compassion and in his word he has given us the
Commandment to love your neighbor as you love yourself and let me tell you it's in your best interest to forgive and move on just forgive and let it go because Matthew 6:15 says but if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespass passes bitterness and unforgiveness those are inseparable emotions you can't be bitter about something you forgiven and let go of so I encourage each and everyone listening right now learn to forgive quickly and strive to imitate Jesus Christ let's be people who are full of the love of God
in our hearts let's do away with arguments IND divisions and let's be kind let's be helpful to one another let's encourage each other in the faith be tenderhearted compassionate and willing to advance the kingdom of God over our own [Music] self-interest it's only in the arms of the Lord that you can find Divine strength it's only in God that you will find strength in your weakness it's only in him that you can do all things because he strengthens you [Music]
