Hope in Tribulation

 

Our trials have far-reaching effects; some that we never realized could happen, and some we will never know about until we get to heaven. Our attitude in them and through them will inspire other people in their walk with the Lord (Philippians 1:14).

 

Trials are not really obstacles, but opportunities to have faith in God’s faithfulness, and to uncover the seed for a miracle, which He plants within each issue that we face. They are truly blessings in disguise.

 

Our new life in Christ is a bed full of sweet smelling roses, but each stem of our walk is full of prickly thorns. Jesus exhorted us to expect tribulation in this world, but to be encouraged, because His presence in us helps us to overcome.

 

Jesus already overcame the world (John 16:33). His power and wisdom see us through every negative incident. Even Job received multiple blessings that far surpassed the horrid trials that he experienced.

 

The dear apostle Paul suffered shipwreck, beatings, jail cells, pursuit by persecutors who wanted to end his life, abuse, etc. (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). Paul endured his troubles by changing his focus from his miserable conditions to God’s promises (Romans 8:18).

 

Paul learned the secret of rejoicing through His tribulation. He even sang praises to God while chained in a Roman prison (Acts 16:16-40). His faith in and love for God barely waivered in the face of debilitating difficulties. He learned abiding contentment (Philippians 4:11-12).

 

Prayer:

Father God, Your Word teaches us that after Satan attempted to sift Peter like wheat, he would be able to strengthen the church by his testimony and the lessons he learned (Luke 22:31-32). Thank You for helping us to shift our focus from our trial to our testimony. We all know people whose lives are a witness to Your power in spite of their troubles.

 

Help us to change our attitude and our focus from the events in our life to Your provision in spite of them. We do not want our faith in You or our love for You to waiver in the face of difficulties. Teach us not to be discouraged when we encounter difficulties, because You use complications to test our faith, to strengthen us for future trials, and to prove that Your grace is sufficient to sustain us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

Thought for the Day:

Some people mistakenly believe that God promises never to give us more trials than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:12-13); however, this promise actually refers to temptations; God will allow us to experience overwhelming trials that force us to run to Him for our deliverance (John 16:33).

 

Led by God’s Peace

The peace of God transcends our human understanding, and often contradicts the norms of our world. If we love this world and the things of this world, God’s love is not in us (1 John 2:15). When circumstances cry out for our worry and control, God’s peace melts away all anxiety and fear in our soul (John 14:27). 

As we focus on God’s will for each moment of our day, He keeps us in His perfect peace, because we trust in Him alone (Isaiah 26:3). We are not conformed by or dictated to by the philosophy of this world, because God transforms and renews our mind with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

God’s peace enables us to discern what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God for us all throughout the day (Romans 12:2). When we prefer God’s will over our own desires and goals, and we shun the ways of the world, we walk in great peace (Psalm 119:165). 

Our Father God blesses us, keeps us, is gracious to us, makes His face to shine on us, and gives us His abundant peace (Numbers 6:24-26). The words of Jesus, recorded for us in all four Gospels, give us peace regardless of the trials we are experiencing at any given moment. 

Jesus already overcame the world, death, and the grave, and He abides within every authentic Believer (John 16:33). Therefore, we have no need to be afraid of any circumstance, because when we pray and appeal to Him with gratitude in our heart, He considers our requests.

Then He inundates our heart with His peace, love, and joy regardless of the direction our answered prayer takes (Philippians 4:6-7). He often answers our prayers in ways we did not expect or anticipate, but the result exceeds our finite desires, defies even our greatest imaginations, and always works out for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that we rest and sleep in Your peace and safety even in the most horrifying of trials (Psalm 4:8). Help us to promote Your peace in the lives of everyone in our sphere of influence (Colossians 3:13). Remind us not to speak evil or deceit, to do good, to seek Your peace, and to strictly follow it rather than our human understanding (1 Peter 3:10-11).

We want Your peace to rule in our heart, to dictate our thoughts, and to control our behavior as we walk in gratitude to You for who You are and all that You do for us each day (Colossians 3:15). When we seek Your will, You multiply Your mercy, peace and love in our life (Jude 1:2). It is only in Your peace within us that the fruit of righteousness can flourish (James 3:18).

Thoughts for the Day:
As we depart from evil, do good, seek God’s peace, and pursue it moment-by-moment (Psalm 34:14), we see God’s will and learn to follow His peace in every situation in our life (Hebrews 12:14). His peace also allows us to remain as a unified Body in the bond of His peace (Ephesians 4:3). The Lord of peace Himself gives us His peace in every way and is always available to us all (2 Thessalonians 3:16-18).

A Funny Trick

Last week, the Lord played a funny trick on me. I am still laughing about it today. You see, every day I use nose and eye drops when I first wake up to prepare my sinuses and eyes for allergens I will encounter that day – I am allergic to five different species of trees, as well as some plants and toxins in the environment.

Well, one morning last week, I could not find my eye drops. I searched the plastic box I usually keep them in, as well as the wire basket that the box is in, and the tissue box I keep next to the wire basket, and behind and under both items, and in the covers all around me, but to no avail.

I fell asleep again for a couple of hours, which is very unusual, and when I woke up, right there at my eye level was the tiny glass bottle of eye drops delicately perched on the top edge of the plastic box and the wire basket in my plain sight. 

It must have been hidden in the folds of my blanket and as I took that extra nap, the Lord flipped that bottle from the blanket to cause the drops to precariously tetter on the top edge of the box and basket right in the direction of my eyesight when I woke up. 

Of course, I started laughing at such a strange phenomenon and I felt the love of my Daddy God penetrating every fiber of my being. He is always doing things for me to remind me of His love for me – using things like the numbers on the clock, heart-shaped pebbles in a stone driveway or parking lot, or putting a song in my heart that brings me tears of joy for His redemption of my life.

My desperate prayer is that those who do not have this intimate unity with the Creator of the Universe, will humble themselves and turn away from their selfish lifestyle and embrace the salvation available to everyone in order to be part of His adopted family (John 3:16-18). 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You so much for Your active presence in our life, once we walk away from the sins that so easily tempt us in order to surrender control of our life to You. With each passing day of Your Spirit’s sanctification of our life, sin grieves us just as it does You. We find no joy in participating in any activity that robs You of Your glory and the praise and honor that You deserve.

We chase after more holiness in our choices, and we reap fewer trials and negative circumstances and emotions from the consequences of our decisions. You walk with us through every moment of our life, as we abandon the yoke of our own earthly goals and dreams, and instead take Your yoke upon our self, which is easy and light (Matthew 11:28-30). Eternity will not even give us enough time to give You all the praise and gratitude that You deserve.

Thoughts for the Day:

God became a man in the form of Jesus Christ in order to ransom the whole world, in every generation and nation starting with His creation of the whole universe, from Adam’s original sin of disobedience as well as our individual transgressions of His principles (John 1:1-14). As we hunger after Him and simplify our lifestyle in order to embrace His rightful place in our life, we find His peace, power, guidance, and joy each and every moment of our life.

A Good Marriage – Dwell with Understanding

God’s Word expects a man to dwell with his wife with understanding (1 Peter 3:7). Most men say that it is impossible to understand a woman, but this is simply because men and women usually think in dissimilar realms, as well as have different expectations and hopes and dreams of what marriage will mean to them. 

Listening to a wife’s words and closely watching her body language will often give a man a clue that enables him to dwell with her with understanding. However, if he filters her expressions through his male mind, he may miss the importance of her clues and reject them completely, or even despise or feel frustrated over what he hears and sees.

His dismissal discourages his wife, and makes her feel unloved, unappreciated, unimportant in her husband’s life, and discounted as a person with value. Yet, when a man takes his wife’s needs seriously and makes her feelings and opinions paramount in his priorities, he starts to dwell with her with understanding.

Actively listening to our spouse, supporting him/her in their concerns, and making the solution to their issues of vital importance in their own life will increase the flow of intimacy between both mates. A husband and wife draw closer and truly become “one flesh.”

If our spouse wants to talk to us at an inconvenient time due to our other responsibilities, we can quickly decide on a better time that will quietly provide us with conducive surroundings to give one another our complete attention. Fully listening and accept their thoughts as valid and important is better than interrupting them to offer a quick piece of advice.

Making our spouse feel supported and loved provides many rewards for us, because it encourages him/her to offer the same security for us. Together, we mature spiritually, and our unity grows deeper over the years. We encourage each other by our example (Proverbs 27:17).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for abiding within us and walking with us through all the challenges of life. Your presence in both of us will ensure our success as a couple. You increase our commitment to one another as we daily intensify our trust in You. Remind us to spend the bulk of our time only with other couples that share this mutual commitment and allow us to serve as an example of Your presence in a marriage.

Remind us that when we value one another’s assistance in our marriage, and we focus on our strengths as we exhibit compassion and understanding toward our weaknesses, we give Satan fewer opportunities to drive a wedge between us. Help us to cultivate the feelings of appreciation, kindness, and nurturing warmth toward one another. We look to Jesus’ love for His Bride as an example of the sacrificial love we need for our spouse.

Thoughts for the Day:

A fulfilling relationship starts with our choices, and our love increases in intimacy by the compassion and cherishing attitude we adopt toward one another. Satanic lies are always pecking away at our thoughts in an attempt to poison our mind against each other, but consulting the Holy Spirit about our mental and emotional outlook provides a long-lasting love that sees us through the rough patches of life. 

A Place of Plenty

God opens the windows of heaven for us and provides us with everything we need in its season as He also blesses the work of our hands. We feast on the abundance of His household, and He gives us drinks from the rivers of His delights (Psalm 36:8; Proverbs 3:10).

We give to those in need whom He brings our way (1 Timothy 5:8), but He reminds us not to borrow from or to lend money to anyone (Philippians 4:19; Deuteronomy 28:12; Proverbs 22:7; Romans 13:8). We give from the treasure that God plants in our heart and provides for our benefit (Luke 6:45).

We trust only in the Lord with our whole heart, rather than to rely on the human inclination, which we formerly used as our guide (Proverbs 3:5-6). Our God of Hope fills us with His joy and peace as we believe in Him; so that, by the power of His Spirit within us, we have an abundance of anticipation (Romans 15:13).

When we love the Lord with our whole heart (Matthew 22:37-40), and not just part of it, and when we keep His commandments (John 14:15-31), the Lord makes us prosper and He adds no sorrow with it (Proverbs 10:22). This prompts us to bless our God with praises that are not hidden but can be seen and heard by all.

He keeps our walk free from sin and tests us, so we can see what we are made of. At times, we get trapped by satanic snares, we carry a heavy burden, people triumph over us, and we go through floods and fire, but the Lord brings us out of these trials into a place of plenty (Psalm 66:8-12).

Prayer:

Father God, when we walk in Your ways, You abundantly give us provision like plentiful grain blowing in waves in the wind. You also bless those who live in the cities in the same way that You care for every blade of grass (Psalm 72:16). As we focus on You Lord, You give us the power to obtain everything we need (Deuteronomy 8:18; Ecclesiastes 5:19). If we are wise with our abundance, You give us more (Matthew 13:12). You decide while we still live on the earth what our financial and social status will be.

You allow us to die in Your timing and way, according to the boundaries You place around our life (Ecclesiastes 7:1). You send our body to the grave, but then You make our soul and spirit eternally alive in Your physical presence. You also give us a new incorruptible and immortal body. You consider the day of our death to be more special than the day of our birth because we arrive home to live with You for eternity (1 Samuel 2:6-7). 

Thought for the Day:

Jesus declared that He is the light of the world; and when we follow Him, we will never more be surrounded by darkness (John 8:12). His presence within us also allows us to function as the light of the world, like a city set high on a hill for all the earth to see. He reminds us not to allow His light within us to be hidden under a bushel basket (Matthew 5:14-16).

God’s Benefits for Believers

In today’s society there is an absence of respect for God, His Word, and His Saints. Unsaved people view themselves as a god unto themselves. They take verses they agree with from the Bible and ignore the rest. They make up their own rules for their life, and they create a designer God that fits their philosophy and world view. 

Actually, there are many benefits for us in giving reverence to the only true God. He instructs and confides in those who honor Him and provides abundantly for us (Psalm 25:12-14, 34:7-11). When we take our refuge in Him, He stores up His goodness for us (Psalm 31:19). 

When we hope in His unfailing love, He even delivers us from many trials that unbelievers face (Psalm 33:18-19). God provides for the needs of all of us that walk in His covenant forever, and He takes delight in us (Psalm 111:5, 147:11). No word from Him ever fails to come to pass, and He literally fulfills every prophesy in His Word. 

We are living proof that God keeps His promises (Psalm 33:8-9). The love of the Lord for his Saints is higher than the clouds, and He gives us a heritage (Psalm 61:5, 103:11, 17-18). Our joy in the Lord puts a new song in our mouth, which is a hymn of praise to our Provider and Sustainer. 

Others will see our faith in Him and come to Him for salvation, turn away from their iniquity, and put their trust in Him too (Psalm 40:3). He is our Help and our Shield in times of danger (Psalm 115:11). We eat the fruit of our labor, and His blessings and riches are ours (Psalm 128:1-4).

Prayer:

Father God, You are our help and our shield in times of danger (Psalm 115:11). When we honor You and walk in Your ways, we are blessed. We eat the fruit of our labor, and Your blessings and prosperity are ours. Even our extended family increases and is fruitful (Ps 128:1-4). Your mercy extends from generation to generation (Proverbs 1:50). Yet, You bring to everlasting ruin those who do not make You their refuge and stronghold. 

Instead, they trust in their earned wealth and attempt to grow strong by their own efforts. You snatch these people up, uproot them, and remove them from their homes (Psalm 52:5-7). Therefore, it does not make sense for us to be wise in our own eyes. Teach us to fear You and to shun evil, so You can bring health to our body and nourish our bones (Proverbs 3:7-8).

Thoughts for the Day:

Unbelievers in the saving power of Jesus Christ flatter themselves too much to repent of or to hate their sin, and they do not honor Jesus Christ with their life (Psalm 36:1-2). The wise will hear this message and learn from it (Matthew 7:24). The foolish will consider these words as useless and irrelevant, but they will reap the rewards of their own self—centeredness.

Our Deepening Prayer Life

Verses in God’s Word are alive, powerful, and divide between our soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). It just makes sense to use God’s truths in our prayer life. They lead us to request forgiveness for our sinful decisions, express appreciation to Him for His many blessings, cry out to Him for help in our times of need, and to praise Him for who He is as well as His provision in our life.

An example of praying God’s Word is Colossians 2:6-7: 

“Father God, thank You that You provided Your only begotten Son for our salvation, and for enabling us to humbly submit to Your plan of redemption. Teach us to walk in Your ways, to grow into spiritual maturity, and to express our gratitude to You for who You are and all that You do for us each moment of the day. In Jesus name and for Your glory. Amen.”

The book of Psalms is an excellent source for praying scripture. These are awesome verses that fit any prayer at any time: Psalm 103:8-17; Lamentations 3:22-24; Hebrews 13:5. They proclaim that God is always merciful to us, gracious in all His ways, steadfast in His love, and never leaves or forsakes us. 

Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 when He prayed on the cross (Matthew 27:46). When we read verses about abiding in the Vine as His branches, we can imagine our self hanging out as a branch connected to the Vine of Christ and swaying in the gentle breezes as we follow His example in life and allow Him to bear His fruit in us (John 15:1-14).

Praying about our needs is fine, but we do not end our prayer session once we spout a litany of concerns and then run out into our overly scheduled day of activity. God’s Word admonishes us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-28). This allows us to consult the Lord for His will for each moment of our day (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Prayer:

Father God, You weigh our thoughts, words, and deeds. You humble the proud and give Your strength to those who trust in You alone. If we attempt to meet our own needs, You stand back and give us space, but if we come to You in our emptiness, You satisfy our longing and fill our hungry soul with goodness (1 Samuel 2:3-5; Psalm 107:9).

You may allow us to depart from this world and send our body to the grave, but then You make our soul and spirit eternally alive in Your physical presence and give us an incorruptible and immortal body. You decide while we still live on the earth our financial and social status, as well as the boundaries around our life. You consider the day of our death to be more special than the day of our birth because we arrive home to live with You for eternity (1 Samuel 2:6-7; Ecclesiastes 7:1).

Thoughts for the Day:

Using Biblical verses as the basis of our prayers prevents our mind from drifting to other issues as we pray, gives us confidence that we are praying according to the will of God (1 John 5:14-15), as well as gives us His anointed words to meditate on and to pray all through the day. When we pray in the power of the blood of Jesus, and in His precious name, God will answer us in His timing and way (1 John 5:14; John 14:3-14).

A Christian’s Hope in God

Why is a Christian hopeful? To start with, we hope in our salvation through Jesus Christ. We do not have any physical proof that this occurs in our heart; however, hope that is seen is no hope at all. No one hopes for what he already has. God gives us this hope when we ask for His forgiveness (Romans 8: 24). 

God’s Holy Spirit comes to live in our Born Again spirit from the moment of our conversion. The hope that God gives us produces faith and love in us. It is stored up for us in Heaven and revealed to us in the word of truth, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ’s life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and eventual return to rule on the earth (Colossians 1:5).

Through Jesus, we also obtain access by faith to the grace of God which helps us to stand through the trials of life (Romans 5:2). We celebrate the hope of the glory of God being revealed in us (Romans 8:18). This hope allows us to rejoice in our suffering, knowing without a doubt that it produces endurance, character, and faith (Romans 5:3-4).

Hoping in God does not lead to shame, because shame is from Satan and is used by Him to demoralize us and to keep us trapped in a downward spiral. We do feel guilt when the Spirit convicts us of sin, however, because sin produces guilt. Guilt leads to conviction, and conviction leads us to conversion. 

Through His Holy Spirit, whom God gives to us at the moment of our conversion, God pours out His love into our heart (Romans 5:5). Our salvation gives us confidence, which draws us ever nearer to the heart of God (Hebrews 7:19). The Holy Spirit transforms our life to one of blessings and peace, regardless of our circumstances.

God gave us the hope of eternal life before time began and prior to the formation of the world. It begins for each one of us on the day we believe God for salvation and are converted, and it continues throughout infinity and beyond (Titus 1:2). 

Prayer: 

Father God, thank You for Jesus sacrifice on the cross that ensures that we can enjoy eternal life both now and throughout eternity. We hope in Your salvation and look forward to living with You in the new heaven and the new earth (2 Peter 3:13). This faith and love in our heart springs from the hope that is stored up for us by You in heaven. We are so grateful that You desire that no one should perish in eternal damnation, but that everyone can come and put their faith and trust in You alone (John 3:16-18).

You raised Christ from the dead and restored Him to His former glory on His throne in heaven. Soon, You will also raise us from the dead, or rapture us from the earth, as You bring us into Your glorious presence forever (1 Peter 1:21). We look forward to serving You for eternity in Your physical presence. You are our God and there is no one else like You. The power of Your Spirit in us makes us overflow with hope even as we continue to live in this scary world (Romans 15:13; Galatians 2:20). 

Thought for the Day:
We can trust God and hope in His salvation that He freely provides for anyone humble enough to admit their need for Him as our Savior from sin. God cares about everything in our life and encourages us to cast all our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). He is the God of our hope, and He fills us with all joy and peace, as we trust in Him alone (Romans 15:13-15). 

Our Help Comes from the Lord

King David served as a shepherd for many years in his childhood, and he wrote many songs inspired by God’s Spirit. He realized at a young age that God is our only sure refuge and strength. He is our ever-present help in any time of trouble. Therefore, we have nothing to fear (Psalm 46:1-3).

David’s son was granted wisdom from God at Solomon’s request. He did not selfishly ask for riches, fame, or health, but for wisdom to lead God’s people. He made many striking statements in the books he wrote that give us thoughts to ponder. 

During his lifetime, he realized that the swift does not always win a race, the strong do not always conquer in battle, the wise do not always have the most food, the brilliant and learned do not always obtain wealth, but seasons of time and opportunity determine our outcome (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

Success in life is not about us or our human efforts. We only achieve lasting triumph when we rely on God’s Spirit within us to guide and comfort us along our journey in life. The Lord is always close to the brokenhearted, or when we are so weary that we can barely take another breath. 

We have many spiritual, mental, emotional, financial, and physical troubles in our lifetime, but God delivers us through them all (Psalm 34:18-19). He is a refuge for the oppressed, and our stronghold during times of suffering (Psalm 9:9). We can always run to Him and be saved (Psalm 37:39-40).

The apostle Paul prayed before beginning each day of ministry. He lived in the moment and did not worry about tomorrow. Jesus did too. He listened to our Father and followed His will in every word and deed. Their focus stayed on God’s Kingdom rather than on amassing worldly goods and fame. 

Prayer: 
Father God, as we walk the tightrope of life, rather than focusing on the dizzying details of our negative circumstances, help us to focus on the equilibrium Jesus achieved within each moment that He lived. Life wavers like the ocean, with a continuous ebb and flow, but Your Son gave us the words of the prayer that never fails: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42-43 NIV).

Ultimately, He humbled Himself, even to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). When we trust You more and strive less, serenity seeps into every area of our life, no matter how the circumstances play out around us. Teach us to rejoice in You, and to find our joy in Your presence in our life (Habakkuk 3:18). We give You all the praise and glory for who we are, what we earn, the success we achieve, and the financial stability we enjoy. 

Thought for the Day: 

Let us not consider our self as self-sufficient or to boast in our wisdom, strength, or riches. As Solomon realized, the swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, the warrior will not save his own life, the archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his own life. It is only in God that we find our safety, our provision, our strength, and our salvation.

The Bible is True

My Ph.D. husband likes to prove that the Bible is true by showing that its prophecies are true. 300 of them were fulfilled in Jesus’ life alone. 

Some are listed here: 

• Consider His life (Isaiah 7:14–Matthew 1:18; Micah 5:2–Matthew 2:1; Isaiah 35:5–6–Matthew 11:5), 
• His death (Isaiah 50:6–Mark 14:65; Isaiah 53:12– Mark 14:65; Isaiah 53:9–Matthew 27:57–60), 
• His resurrection (Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6)
• His ascension into heaven (Psalm 68:18; Mark 16:19) and 
• His exaltation at God’s right hand (Psalm 110:1; 1 Peter 3:22).

More prophecies were fulfilled, when around 1948 Israel once more became a sovereign nation, the revised Roman Empire was created, and the World Council of Churches was formed (2 Timothy 3:3-17; Ezekiel 35-39). 

Many people believe that these prophecies were self-fulfilling. This is a satanic lie to lead people away from believing Biblical truth. A self-fulfilling prophecy is considered a psychological incidence that occurs when people predict or expect something to occur, and the resulting fulfillment is caused by human behavior.

I find it hard to believe that a tiny baby, born in a stable in Bethlehem, fulfilled His prophesied events on his own. I am sure that Mary would not have chosen to give birth in a stable, and shepherds could not summon angels to inform them of the birth of a Christ child. Yet, people resist God’s truth and prefer to believe in satanic lies instead.

No amount of human belief and hope can produce the results of so many Biblical prophecies actually happening exactly as the writers of them inscribed. These are all inspired by the Spirit of God, and no amount of “explaining” them away will change that fact.

The sad result of believing this lie is that so many people will end up in eternal damnation for not trusting their life and eternity to the call of God to come to Him when they are weary and heavy laden (John 3:16-18). They attempt to solve their problems on the own using human resources, rather than to submit their life to God.

Our eternal Father wants to bless their life and relieve their suffering, but their “stiff neck” and “hard heart” stands in their way (Acts 7:51-52). Their pride and rebellion prevent them from bowing to King Jesus now. Yet, when King Jesus takes His throne, every knee in Heaven, on the earth, and below the earth will bow before Him (Philippians 2:10).

Prayer: 

Father God, please open the eyes of the heart of every unbeliever to realize that Biblical truth is not dependent on a person’s expectation or belief or prior knowledge, but on Your inspiration and fulfillment in Your timing and way. We count it a joyful experience when we go through various trials (James 1:2-3), because Jesus already overcame sin, death, and the grave.

I pray that those I love will not wait until it is too late to realize that the gods they pray to are futile, and the name that is given above every name, Jesus Christ, is their only true source of blessing and eternal salvation (Philippians 2:9). Thank You that authentic Believers do go through trials, but Christ in us traverses every one of them with us. We take His yoke on our shoulders because He makes our trials easy and light (Matthew 11:29-30).

Thoughts for the Day:

The Bible is filled with truth, which scientists took thousands of years to discover and some are only now proving:

• Columbus helped to confirm that the earth is round and that it is supported by nothing but gravity from the sun (Job 26:7; Isaiah 40:22; Psalm 103:12). 
• Astronomers are proving what the Bible also states: that the stars are innumerable (Jeremiah 33:22; Genesis 22:17), differ in their brilliancy and life span (1 Corinthians 15:41), follow a predictable course, and cluster in constellations and galaxies (Jeremiah 31:35; Job 9:9). 

• For years, anthropologists debated whether the human race originated from one source. Today, DNA and genetics authenticate what the Bible claimed all along, that we came from one man and one woman (Genesis 3:20; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Acts 17:26). The various races came when God scattered the inhabitants of the known world across the whole earth (Genesis 11:1-9).

• Evolution claims that all of life came from a single cell. However, the Bible claims that God created everything “after its own kind.” Biology confirmed that blood circulation, complex protein sequences in DNA – which are unique with each individual, fossil records and the lack of proof of evolutionary links in any discovery to date, all of this substantiates that God created each species as uniquely special (Leviticus 17:11). 

• The study of geology, with today’s scientific methods, corroborate that fossil records validate the Biblical claim that a catastrophic flood annihilated life and petrified life forms at that time. This confirms scripture found in Ecclesiastes 1:7, Isaiah 55:10, Psalm 8:8 and Genesis 7:11. God gives us accurate predictions of future events, so that we do not fear the future.

A Good Marriage – Validation and Respect

Once we are married, we often forget the attitude and gestures that drew us together in the first place. We take each other for granted and fail to be courteous, forgiving, and patient. We lower our spouse on our list of priorities and expect the same fervor from them that we enjoyed during courtship. This simply will not happen.

No one likes to be overlooked, taken for granted, “loved” in ways that do not meet our needs, etc. Marriage takes hard work, dedication, compromising our opinions and choices, and putting each other first except for our love for the Lord. In fact, our love for God increases our love for each other.

In times of difficult trials and conditions, we can draw together to solve them rather than allowing the event to push us apart. We respect one another’s needs, thoughts, and opinions and we take the time to examine the issues together. This way our love and respect for each other increases over the years, rather than diminishes. 

Life has a way of changing us in beneficial ways as well as harmful ways. We need to openly share our changing thoughts and needs, adjust to these changes in our self, and to discuss ways to meld together in them, so we do not resent our mate and grow bitter. More loving patience with each other is needed during these times.

Admitting to our mistakes, poor choices, and negative words and behavior can be daunting if we have low self-esteem, but God’s Spirit can teach us to laugh at our self and our behavior, consider our spouse’s point of view, and easily forgive slights and broken promises. The Holy Spirit of God is always in the process of sanctifying us.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for the fruit of Your Spirit replacing the insecurities and negative aspects of our personality (Galatians 5:22-23). We can do all things because You abide in our spirit and never leave or forsake us (Philippians 4:11-13; Hebrews 13:5). Teach us to humble our self enough to apologize when we hurt our spouse, even if we do not see the importance of their reaction to our words or behavior.

Flood our soul with Your compassion for our self, our spouse, our children, and our extended family, as well as our friends and acquaintances. Pride, which is often caused by our insecurities, goes before a fall, and we do not want to fail in our relationships, but to thrive and grow in the fruit of Your Spirit. Remind us that mutual submission, trust, respect, and support will allow our spouse to feel secure in our relationship.

Thoughts for the Day:

We invalidate each other when we criticize or discount each other’s emotions, needs, opinions, and issues. We all need validation, especially from those that are closest to us. Our own insecurities and weaknesses may prevent us from giving this needed support for one another; but if we take the time to consult the Lord when we feel angry or irritated, He can give us the power and words that are needed in each situation.