A promise is a covenant or declaration that one will do exactly what they say, or something will happen just as pledged. This excerpt is part of an article written by Max Lucado where he encourages us to hold on tight to these four lifelines – they can withstand the waves of worry and difficulty in our lives.
For more than 40 years now I have been studying the Bible, and it has drastically changed my life. It’s been the key to radical transformation in my perspectives and attitudes, and God has healed and restored my spirit, soul and body through the power of His Word. Even now, I’m still continually amazed by all of the benefits we have access to in God’s Word!
All of us face various kinds of battles in our lives. No one escapes problems and challenges, which we often call “the storms of life.” The good news is that God already knows what He will do when we face difficulties. He has a plan to bring us victory. Second Chronicles 20 tells us that we do not need to fight our own battles because our battles belong to the Lord, not to us. All we need to do is take our positions and remain in them until our breakthroughs come.
Fear is a tool the devil uses against us to make us miserable and destroy our lives. It begins as a thought and then creates emotions that can rule us. It often becomes a strong, intense feeling that tries to move us to make a foolish action or tries to prevent us from doing something that would be good for us. Simply put, fear is the opposite of faith. God wants us to walk by faith, and Satan wants us to walk by fear. When we learn to live by faith and not let fear rule our life, we can live a fulfilling, satisfying, peaceful and joyful life in Christ.
Today Max Lucado leads us to meditate on a man who had been ill for a long time.
We get overwhelmed by nervousness, anxiety, or fear when storms come up. We are generally caught by surprise when it happens. However, one thing we can be sure of is that storms are inevitable. And Max Lucado has a word for you who are facing one.
In Philippians 3:13, the apostle Paul says one thing he really made an effort in doing was “forgetting what lies behind” – letting go of what already has passed. I believe Paul tried fixing earlier mistakes and discovered how complicated and impossible it was to try and do that. There is only one thing we can do with the past – give it to God! When we let Him take our messes and turn them into miracle, God has the ability to use our mistakes for our great good if we trust Him to do so.
For years, I wanted my ministry to grow. When it didn’t, I became frustrated and dissatisfied. I fasted, prayed, and tried everything I knew to get more people to come to my meetings. I remember complaining when God wouldn’t give me the increase I wanted. Then I would leave the meeting questioning, What am I doing wrong, God? Why aren’t You blessing me? I’m fasting. I’m praying. I’m giving and believing. I was so frustrated. I even asked, “God! Why are You doing this to me?” He said, “Joyce, I am teaching you that man does not live by bread alone.”
According to Ecclesiastes 3:1, There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Didn’t Jesus know that taking longer where He was would prevent Him to see His friend Lazarus alive? Even though, He decided not to go there at the very moment He was asked to. Let’s consider Max Lucado’s reflection on this event.