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With us in the Fire
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2, NIV There is a popular worship song by Shane and Shane with a chorus: “Lord of Hosts, You’re with us, With us in the fire, With us as a shelter, With us in the storm.” This is a similar message to today’s verse in Isaiah 43:2, which gives us the wonderful reassurance that God will be with us when we pass through the waters or through the fire, or their equivalent. He does not say “if” we go through troubles – He says “when”. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not bow down to the image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3), the King looked and saw not just the three of them walking around in the fire, but also a fourth. The Lord was with them in the fire! Jesus never promised us a life without problems and difficulties. In fact He said that in this world we would have trouble (John 16:33), but He goes on to say, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” What the Lord does promise is that He will be with us whatever we are going through. Psalm 46:1-2 says that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” How wonderful that God has promised to be an ever-present help, especially when we are in trouble. Whatever storm you may be facing today, whether it is because of situations in your own life or vilification for being a Christian, be assured that God will never leave you or forsake you. He has promised to be with you in the fire, and He will uphold you and give you everything you need. He says: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Put your hand in His and trust Him! PRAYER: Lord, thank You that You have promised to be with me whatever I am going through. Thank You that You are with me today. I put my hand in Yours and trust that You will uphold me and give me the strength and peace that I need. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 
My Helper
However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].John 16:7 I saw a video clip, some time ago, of a man called Derek Redmond. He was a brilliant 400m athlete who had been identified as a potential candidate to win the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, but only 100m into his race, Derek tore his hamstring. He was in excruciating pain but tried to hop along to get to the finish line. Out of the stands an elderly man ran, jumped over the fence, and rushed towards him. It was his father. Derek’s father told his son that he had done so well, and that it would be okay to stop running, but Derek had tremendous grit, and was determined to finish his race. What caught my attention in this story was his father’s response. He put his son’s arm around his neck and became a support for Derek to lean on and to help take the weight off his injured leg. Together Derek and his father kept moving forward. Needless to say, when father and son crossed the finish line, the Olympic stadium exploded with applause for this brave man and his father. This story reminds me of another person who does exactly that and even more for us when we are ‘limping’ in our lives - the Holy Spirit. In John 16:7, He is described as the Comforter, Counsellor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby. When Jesus was preparing His disciples for the fact that He would soon be crucified, resurrected and then returning to His Father in Heaven, He told them that He would not leave them as orphans, but would send them ‘another Helper’ (John 14:16-18). This meant they would never need to run their earthly race without support. I too am His disciple. This means that, when I need someone to encourage and comfort me, He is the One. When I need someone to speak up for me and to defend me, He is the One. When I need someone to help me to be strong, He is the one. For every situation and season in this life, He is the one. How often do we battle along with some difficulty in our lives and try to lift our chin and be brave, only to find ourselves feeling completely overwhelmed by the weight of it? We try to cover up our hurts and wounds and wrap our own makeshift ‘bandages’ around them. And yet, all the while we have a Father, who did not leave us as orphans, but sent us a Helper, one who would lovingly catch us when we cannot walk another step. Deuteronomy 33:27 says, ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.’ Although we have a Helper sent by our loving Heavenly Father, we need to choose to trust Him, and to make Him the place we find rest and strength. Isaiah 30:15 tells us that we may need to repent of some of the ways we have tried to do things in our own strength and in our own way, perhaps even disobeying what God warned us about: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”’ We do not need to keep limping along life without support. All we need to do is to recognise our Helper, lean on His Everlasting arms, and choose to trust Him to carry us to the finish line. Prayer: Jesus, thank You for reminding me of the Helper You sent us when You returned to the Father. Holy Spirit, please forgive me for looking for comfort and strength in things that are temporal. Thank You for reminding me of this truth - that You are my Comforter, Counsellor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby in every season of my life. I choose to trust You. Amen
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Gifts To God That He Delights In
"Moreover because of what Christ has done, we have become gifts to God that He delights in, for as part of God’s sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be His and all things happen just as He decided long ago." Ephesians 1:11, NLB The Lord doesn’t want us to pretend any more, either to Him or to others. In His gentleness He wants us to realise the real worth He sets on us. As Jesus said `you are of more value than many sparrows, yet he takes care of them`. We`re so valuable that we`ve become gifts to God, because of what Christ has done for us on the cross, in making us clean. How incredibly great is His power to help those who trust in Him. He knows and understands our troubles, and so He can change and restore the real `me` deep inside. We can be transparent before Him without fear, as His gentleness and love are so great and His presence that He puts within us is a guarantee that He will give us all that He promises. And when He becomes that precious gift to us we realise that we`re His precious jewels, and our hearts begin to praise Him. This really delights and blesses Him. It says in Zephaniah 3:17 that it causes Him to sing over us with great rejoicing. This is God`s plan for His children. Although we`re weak, poor, and sinful, and we feel worthless, yet the truth is the Lord has made us strong, rich, clean, confident, beautiful, and genuine people. `I will change your name, you shall no longer be called, wounded, outcast, lonely or afraid. I will change your name, Your new name shall be confidence, joyfulness, overcoming one, faithfulness, friend of God, one who seeks my face` (D.J.Butler). Paul`s prayer: `I pray that your hearts be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future He has called you to share. I want you to realise that God has been made rich because we who are Christ`s have been given to Him` (Ephesians 1:18). 
Which Way Do I Go, Lord?
"And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left." Isaiah 30: 21, (Amp) It has been quite a time of readjustment for me recently. My husband died just over two years ago, after forty two years of marriage, and I know the Lord has a new direction for me. Very shortly after he died, I heard the Lord say in my spirit the words of Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome’, so I have been waiting – and waiting! I don’t want to give the impression that I am doing nothing, or that I am running around in all directions looking to see what I should be doing. I am learning, again, that the Lord doesn’t work in a hurry and that His time scale isn’t the same as ours. Life would be so simple if He lit up a huge neon sign over the right pathway, but it seldom happens like that. What I have been doing is waiting, trying to be patient, pushing gently at a few doors to see if they will open and then waiting some more. Nobody has come to view the house and friends keep asking if I am worried about that, but I can honestly say that I am not. Why would I want to leave this beautiful house where I have lived for 30 years in idyllic surroundings? I know that when the time comes it will be a huge wrench, but that too is in the Lord’s hands. Is it easy being in a sort of limbo? No, it isn’t, but I am beginning to sense that things aren’t going to remain like this for much longer and there is a feeling of gradual detachment as the roots are getting ready to be pulled up. Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your plans are best and You know the right time to put them into action. Please help me to wait patiently for Your perfect timing and to be ready for the new things You are doing in my life. Thank You that I can wait in trust, knowing that You know what is right for me. Amen. Today's Seed...The Repair Shop In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus, so after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10, NLT I enjoy watching a program on TV called ‘the Repair Shop’, where people bring along their treasured, but often battered, items to be repaired and brought back to life by master craftsmen. You see the most dilapidated items being brought in, but, in the craftsman’s hand, they are beautifully restored to their former glory. The process always seems to be one of stripping down, so that the restoration procedure can begin. It is painstaking and skilled work, and I’m sure it takes many hours of hidden work which we don’t see on screen, stripping, repairing, replacing and reassembling, before the hidden and distorted beauty is restored. It reminds me of what God wants to do in each one of our lives, if we give Him permission. Many of the items brought to the repair shop have been hidden away in attics and drawers for years, and the owners have had to make a conscious decision to bring them to the restorer. Some are rather fearful of what the end result will be, if they are particularly treasured items. How much more our Heavenly Father, the master craftsman, wants us to come to Him in His repair shop with all our brokenness, our damage, and our shame which we’ve kept hidden away! After years of heartbreak, hurt and pain, our shattered lives may feel broken into so many pieces that we’ve lost all hope of ever being restored. I have seen many items on the programme arrive in a bag of bits and fragments, and watched how they are lovingly cleaned, glued and restored. When the work is finished you cannot even see where all the damage was, and there’s no trace of the ugly glue marks. This is such a picture of how our loving Heavenly Father longs to restore us, however battered, crushed or damaged we may feel. Today, why not approach Him and give Him permission to heal any hurt and damaged places in your life and bring you back to the fullness of life that He desires for you? Perhaps you would like to pray the following prayer. Prayer: I thank You that You are the Master Craftsman, the One who knit me together in my mother’s womb. I release myself into Your loving arms today, for Your work of restoration in my life. Amen. Today's Seed...The God Who Sees You
Driving along the highway, the following words on a huge billboard caught my attention: “We see you. We get you. We got you.” Thinking about this slogan, I realised that it describes what the Lord does for me. He sees me. He gets me. He’s got me! I am known by the One who created me! Hagar uttered these words in the wilderness after she had run away from her mistress, Sarai, who had treated her so harshly that she couldn’t take it anymore. She was alone and pregnant with no one to turn to. Why would anyone even notice her – a servant? She must have felt completely destitute and heartbroken. But then we read, in Genesis 16:7, that the angel of the Lord found her beside a spring of water along the road. The Lord saw her. He understood why she was in the wilderness all alone and He filled her with hope. He met her where she was at and in that moment, she knew that she was not alone. She knew that she belonged to the Lord and that He would care for her. This gave her the courage to return to Sarai and submit to her authority. The Lord had given her a promise: “Then”, He added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count” (Genesis 16:10). Her focus shifted with this realisation, and she was no longer completely caught up in her difficult circumstances. She was no longer only a servant to Sarai. She belonged to the Lord God. Psalm 3:3, in the Amplified version, describes it so beautifully: ‘But You, O Lord, are a shield for me. My glory [and my honor], and the One who lifts my head’. The Lord sees you too, wherever you may be in this season of your life. He understands you and makes sense of all the confusion going on in your heart, even when it feels as if no one else understands you. He gets you. And He has got you. ‘He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection’ (Psalms 91:4). The moment we realise that we are not forgotten and completely alone is the moment when hope springs forth in the midst of our situation. It may be the slightest glimmer of hope, but it’s real and it’s from Him. It doesn’t necessarily mean that my circumstances will suddenly change, but I can lift my eyes and look to the Lord who is my Help and my Hope. His promises are my armour and protection against the enemy’s lies. He will direct my steps and show me the way forward. ‘God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord’ (1 Corinthians 1:9, AMP). Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that You see me. You get me and You have got me. You understand me and where I am at. To realise that I am known by You fills me with hope. Please show me the way forward and teach me how to hold on to Your promises as my armour and protection. Amen. God is Able
Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Ruth 1:16, NIV However impossible a situation might seem; God is able to turn things around and make a glorious end. As a direct result of famine in the land and hoping to escape and give his family a better life, Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons moved from Bethlehem to the country of Moab. But this did not prove to be a good move for them, as Elimelech died, and following their marriages to two Moabite women, in due time both sons also died. Now, bereft, Naomi’s eyes turned again to the Lord’s land, and although Orpah, one of her daughters in-law returned to her gods and homeland, Ruth clung to Naomi, refusing to go back. In the direst of circumstances, a young girl’s lifetime plans were dashed, and Ruth’s hopes and dreams lay in the balance. But God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways (Isaiah 55:8) – God had greater plans for Ruth. During the time that Ruth had come to know this Hebrew family, she had seen, heard and learned enough about Naomi’s God, and the family’s way of life, to know that this was what she wanted. When the time came to decide, the dead gods of Moab held no attraction for her, and nothing else would do. She wanted the Living God of Israel. ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God’ (Ruth 1:16). So the two journeyed back, and as Ruth entered the land, not only did the Lord set her feet in the pathway of Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi, who later became her husband, but the greatest treasure of all lay ahead. In choosing Israel’s God, Ruth stepped into a path of blessing that she could never have imagined. In Matthew chapter 1, not only do we find that King David proceeded from her line, but in the plans of Almighty God, she had entered the ancestry of Christ, the Messiah, Himself! So today, no matter how difficult your past, or how uncertain your present pathway may seem to be, if you know of a certainty that the Lord has whispered ‘This is the way, walk ye in it’ (Isaiah 30:21), you can move forward with great assurance in your heart, knowing that with God nothing is impossible. For those who cling to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, belong to the King of kings, and have entered a new generational line of untold treasures and blessings. ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9). PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the author of life, our Redeemer and our hope. Help us like Ruth to cling to Thee, for Thou art able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Pain
But I am in pain and despair; lift me up, O God, and save me! Psalm 69:29, GNB Pain is a God-given discomfort resulting from wounding. It’s intended to lead to rightful treatment. Wounding may be in the physical body, the human soul, or the human spirit. Each of these locations within us can experience profound pain, telling us that there’s something unresolved in our being. The fact that something hurts is essential. It means we can begin the process of acknowledging there’s a problem and finding the solution. The writer C. S. Lewis made an interesting comment about this: ‘pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains’. From the beginning of human life on earth we’ve experienced pain from wounds to the body and have looked for relief. We’ve discovered substances such as opium which acts as an analgesic, a powerful way of suppressing pain. It may bring a temporary relief but, unless the wound is healed, the pain will return, often more intensely, once the means of chemical suppression has worn off. Something similar happens with pain felt in the heart. If we’ve experienced the wounding of loss, rejection or abuse, there’ll be strong feelings, such as despair, grief or loneliness, all of which are painful. It’s common for people to develop coping mechanisms to suppress this pain, and defense mechanisms to protect the wounded place. Our ways of coping may include drug abuse, alcohol, over-eating, obsessive exercise or work, pornography, denial, dissociation, or even self-harming to over-ride the inner pain, just like the Gerasene demoniac. ‘Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains and gashing himself with stones’ (Mark 5:5). Suppressing inner pain may give temporary relief, but only adds to the problem, as it denies the healing that comes through the release of emotions. Pushing away the underlying issue just causes further distress. God wants us to come to Him to find true healing for the hurting place, and, in exchange for our pain, to find His comfort (Isaiah 61:2-3). This may all take some time. Shedding tears is very restorative, when we give the tears to Jesus (Luke 7:44). Through forgiveness of those who’ve caused the pain, and confession of our wrongful ways in trying to deal with it, God can restore our lives to a place of peace. He’s ready, at any time, to hear the cry of our hearts. PRAYER Father, I don’t like pain, but I realize that You want to bring healing to the wounds that have caused it. I choose to trust You to search my heart and lead me on a path of true restoration. Amen. The ‘Certainty Principle’For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
John 17:8, NIV In life, not that many things are certain. We’re not guaranteed an easy time, prosperous blessing or success in all our plans. We don’t even know what will happen tomorrow, or how many days are allotted to us. Even the weather can be unpredictable! How, with so many uncertainties, are we to find solid ground on which to build our lives? I remember a day; before I personally knew the Lord, when I learnt about what physicists call ‘the uncertainty principle’. This interesting and, by now, fully accepted premise, developed by German physicist Heisenberg, states that one can’t know for certain the exact place as well as the exact speed of an object. This observation really threw me! If we can’t know this for certain, what then can we be certain of? Silly though it may seem, it shook my foundational understanding of life’s observations itself. As I pondered this recently, I realized that now I know the Person who does know absolutely everything there is to know. That includes the place and speed of each individual object (including sub-atomic particles!). God knows. I can be certain of the most important facts of life because I know the Person who knows. It’s not what you know but who you know that truly matters most! We may at times go through periods of darkness, confusion and struggle. Sometimes it might even feel as if God has withdrawn His Presence from us. It is in these times that I believe we can stand on what I now like to call ‘the certainty principle’. We may now know exactly what is happening to us, but we know that there is One who knows. We can find rest. It’s in these times of darkness that we learn to live by faith and not by sight. We get to exercise faith and really please God, for it says that ‘without faith it is impossible to please Him’ (Hebrews 11:6). When we put our trust in Him, even when we can’t make sense of the situation ourselves, we really do please God. Be encouraged to remember God’s ‘certainty principle’! It can help us to turn dark times into times where we grow in faith, and into opportunities to please our Father in heaven, who sees, knows and understands absolutely everything that goes on in this universe. PRAYER Thank You, Father, that I know You, and that You know everything. Please help me put my hand in Your hand when I don’t understand, when I struggle or get confused. I choose to trust You now with all the things I don’t know. Thank You that You are my God. Amen. |
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