DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Father God, I commit myself to you today, draw near to me as I draw near to you. Lord there is no one like you and as the pants for the water, I long and thirst for you my living God. Forgive me when I sin against you. I praise you for your amazing grace and mercy and forgiveness. Today I ask you in your grace, purify my heart, cleanse me from all unrighteousness and help me to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that I may bring glory to you the one triune God. I now receive your forgiveness and mercy. Amen.

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise:  Psalm 100:1-3

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.” 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” 3 Know that the LORD is God.” It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Worship Song Sung or Said: Forever God is faithful (Martin Smith)

https://youtu.be/Dv7DIXfnhQE

Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King

His love endures forever,

For He is good,

He is above all things

His love endures forever,

sing praise, sing praise.

With a might hand and outstretched arm

His love endures forever,

For the life that's been reborn,

His love endures forever,

sing praise, sing praise,

sing praise, sing praise, 

Forever God is faithful,

Forever God is strong

Forever God is with us,

Forever and ever, forever,

From the rising to the setting sun,

His love endures forever.

By the grace of God, we will carry on,

His love endures forever

sing praise, sing praise,

sing praise, sing praise,

Forever God is faithful,

Forever God is strong,

Forever God is with us,

Forever and ever.

God’s Word for Today: 2 Thessalonians 3:3

"But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”

Devotional/Study:

Ever since the resurrection, followers of Christ have suffered and gone through all kinds of hardships in different ways. Persecution, illnesses, financial difficulties, family and even marriage issues. However, as followers of Jesus the certain hope we have is we believe that our God Is faithful and keeps his promises to be with and help us times of difficulties. Because God is faithful, we can always rely on and trust in Him and know deep in our hearts that He will never let us down. When Paul wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica who were going through persecution and hardships. 

He says to them in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” We believe in the faithfulness of God because we our-selves have over the years experienced His love, faithfulness, strength, and protection from the evil one.

However, while we are in this world as followers of Christ, we are not immune to sickness and diseases.  Two leaders I know one of them has just passed away after battling with cancer and another has just been diagnosed with cancer. Although it was difficult for my friend who died, I know he lived his life loving and believing in God’s faithfulness and knew that he would be going to a better place. 

And there is no place in life better than being in the presence of the one true God, Father, son, and Holy spirit. As followers of Christ, we must continue to pray for God healing upon those who need prayer, trusting and believing Gods will to be done and His kingdom come. 

When we look back at our lives, we all have had times of joy and times when life has been dark and full of storms. However, we know in the dark and stormy times we have experienced Gods love and faithfulness and therefore we can say sometimes with tears and a broken heart what the prophet Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:22-23.

"Because of the LORD’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Brothers and Sisters whatever is happening in our lives we need to believe, trust, and hold on our God and saviour Jesus Christ. 

The writer to the Hebrews who wrote to Christians who were struggling said to them in Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Whatever is happening in our lives we must hold on to the Lord remembering He is faithful and keeps His promises and will work out his purposes and plans in our lives for our good and for His glory. However, whilst God has shown His faithfulness in all the situations of our lives, there is times when the evil one will seek to cloud our minds and try to blot out the truth of God’s love and faithfulness. 

He will do this especially when we are experiencing difficulties, emotionally and physically. When life is difficult, we need remember three important things.

Firstly: The God who we believe in, Father Son and Holy Spirit is faithful to His promises and will do the right thing at the right time. When life is hard, we want God to sort it out as quickly as possible and if doesn’t, it’s so easy to end up in a place of doubt, despair, depression, and discouragement. However, because God is faithful, He promises to strength our hearts as we wait for Him during the hardships. In Psalm 27 when David was going through a very difficult time.

He says in v14 "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Brothers and Sisters sometimes waiting on God to help us may feel like forever, which can cause us to wonder whether God has forgotten us. It’s in these times we must not give up and believe and trust that he will do whatever He needs to do according to His purpose and plan.

If at this time you are going through a difficult time, whether its health issues, financial problems, or relationship issues, I encourage you to continue to trust in the lord because the prophet Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Let’s also keep in minds during the waiting God is shaping, testing, and conforming us into the image of His son. 

Secondly: We need to remember God’s word tells us that the people of God will suffer and go through hardships, especially those follow Jesus and refuse to conform to the pattern of this world. The early church consistently experienced suffering because they believed and followed and lived according to the teachings of their Saviour: Paul reminded Timothy and reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:12 "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Brothers and sisters, when we choose to live godly Christlike, we will experience all kinds of hostility. In light of what Jesus went through and the early church and Christians today we should not be surprised by suffering. 

Remember Peter said in 1 Peter 4:12 "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” 

When we are going through stormy times, we are encouraged by Peter to entrust our-selves to God.

He said in 1 Peter 4:19 "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” Jesus Himself said to His followers in John 16:33 "In this world you will have trouble.” But take heart! I have overcome the world.” So, we mustn’t be surprised by what is happening to our brothers and sisters around the world or the difficulties we experience.                   

Thirdly: we need to remember that because God is faithful, he keeps is promise that in the storms of life he will be with and help us through them. In Isaiah 43:2-3 God said to His people, and which applies to us today "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. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.” 

Brothers and Sisters As you wait on the Lord who loves us we always need to keep in our hearts that He is with us and keep our eyes of the storm and fix them on Jesus. 

When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we will find rest and peace above the waves and rest in His arms of love. No difficulty or hardship will overwhelm us because we know our Saviour is with us. Paul the apostle who suffered so much knew that in his life when he was going through difficult times God was with Him. Paul is a great example how to pray and deal when life is hard and difficult. 

In Acts 16 we are told Paul and Silas are put in prison for doing something which was good, setting a girl free from demonic powers. They are beaten and bruised and thrown in a dark cell. They could have gone into a place of despair and depression wondering where God was in their suffering. However instead of looking downward they looked upward to the God whom they knew and trusted. 

And during their pain, they praised and worshiped God. And in the darkness of this pris-on, during the suffering God used them bring the jailor of the prison to believe and be-come a follower of Jesus. If we are honest with ourselves, I think some of us would find it is very hard to pray let alone praise in that kind of situation. 

Brothers and Sisters when we are in dark place, we don’t always see what God is doing, buts in those time we have to believe and trust God and be able to say with Paul what he said in in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” As I think about the future, I envisage that life for followers of Christ is going to get harder day by day, and we are going to have to battle against the world, flesh, and the devil. But thanks be to God we are not alone for the Lord our father son and Holy spirit is with us. 

When we all look back at our lives, we can say with confidence that God has been faithful to His people and we can sing and say with confidence Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.” (Thomas O Chisholm)

Personal Prayer: