Storms in the Valley
II Chronicles 20:15 NKJV
"And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
We may not have to fight a huge enemy army as spoken of in 2 Chronicles 20, but every day we battle temptation, pressure, and the ever present enemy Satan, and that can feel just as overwhelming. The enemy wants us to lose every battle that we ever face. He wants us to rebel against God or at least throw in the towel on Him. But what he forgets and we must always remember is that as Believers in Christ, we have God's Spirit in us. If we ask for God's help when we face struggles, God will fight for us. And God always triumphs.
Storms in Life
Job 1:9-10 NKJV
"So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
Satan attacked Job's motives, saying that Job was blameless and had integrity only because he had no reason to turn against God. Satan wanted to prove that Job worshiped God not out of love but because God had given him so much. Satan is constantly and sadly; often accurately analyzing why many people trust in God. Many people are fair-weather believers, following God only when everything is going well or for what they think that they can get out of Him. Adversity destroys this kind of superficial faith. But adversity strengthens real faith by causing believers to dig their roots even deeper into God in order to withstand the storms that spring up from time to time.
How deep does your faith go?
Put the roots of your faith down deep into God so that you can withstand any storm that you may face. And then when hard times come - and come they will; the enemy will make sure of that- dig even deeper into God and trust the this very same God that pulled you through the last storm is more than capable of getting you through this one as well.
WHAT DOES THE HOLY WORD SAY?
Bible Word Study
If we will make certain that we study the Word every day, spend time in prayer and stay faithful in our lives, then we will naturally bear fruit. Our job is to stay connected to Jesus and allow His life and His love to flow out through our life towards others.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2
What is a requirement for stewardship?
Proverbs 28:20
What is promised to a faithful person?
1 Samuel 12:24
To become a faithful person, what are we told to consider, or think about?
FAITHFULNESS
STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" Matthew 25:21
SOMEONE TO COUNT ON
We often praise God for His faithfulness. We're thankful that we can always count on Him to be there for us. But we rarely consider the fact that He needs us to be faithful too.
God needs people He can count on. He needs wise and trusted servants He can entrust over His household. In these last days, He needs faithful men and women to team up with, so He can show His power and goodness to the world more than ever.
If there is any one characteristic or virtue that causes a person to stand out from the crowd and to receive God's undivided attention, it is faithfulness. When the Lord finds a faithful believer, He focuses His undivided attention upon him. Therefore, we believers should desire to develop the fruit of faithfulness because God is looking for this character quality in His people.
OUR AGENDA OR HIS?
So many times the reason Christians get into trouble and have unnecessary problems in life is that they don't want to spend time seeking the Lord. They want to make their own plans, and then they want God to bless their plans. But it doesn't work that way. Cultivating faithfulness in the smallest things will build the strength in you to stand through the big challenges of life.
Take inventory ...
Take an inventory as to where you are at. Check to see that you are moving in the direction of your calling and your priorities. Check your priorities to see that they are Word-focused and are aligned with the characteristics and examples set by Jesus, the author and the finisher of your faith.
... and trust Him ...
Be patient as you fulfill God's plan for your life step by step. Even when things don't happen the way you think they should or when you think they should, faithfulness is what will bring you through to victory in God.
... no matter what the circumstances.
There are times when it may seem so much easier to do something other than what God has said to do. But, oh, the rewards of faithfulness! When we say yes to God and we're faithful to do what He says to do, He is so faithful to us, and life works out so much better for us than we could ever have imagined. The answers may not come overnight, but if you will not be weary in well doing, in due season you shall reap, if you faint not.
WORD STUDY
1. Good
2. Faithful
3. Ruler
4. Servant
THOUGHTS TO PONDER ON
The Lord of Heaven wants to bring you into promotion, open doors of leadership and have you stand before kingdoms and declare God's greatness. Cultivating faithfulness in your life puts you in position to receive God's faithfulness to you in meeting your needs and brings protection from the attacks of the enemy.
Faithfulness to God produces a heart that is full of faith towards Him no matter what the circumstances. Determine to be the kind of person God can trust to follow through, no matter what the inconvenience or discomfort. Stand fast and show that you mean business with God. God never fails... and neither should you.
FAITHFULNESS
Scriptures
Matthew 25:21
1 Samuel 12:24
Proverbs 20:6; 28:20
Psalm 31:23; 101:6
Galatians 5:22-23
1 Corinthians 4:1-2
Matthew 24:45-47
Luke 16:10-12
1 Samuel 2:35
Further Scripture
1 Samuel 26:23
2 Chronicles 31:18
Psalm 5:9
