If…
Is hope just something you used to have a long time ago? Come talk to a mentor.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
If- it’s just two measly letters, yet they make a powerful word. When we hear or read the word “if”, we know a condition is coming. We must follow the condition in order to obtain a result. When we think “if only” or “what if” we are either regretting our past or fearing our future. For example, “If only I was not speeding I wouldn’t have gotten that ticket!” Or, “What If my cancer treatment does not work?”
In 2 Chronicles 7:13 God tells Solomon “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if…” God assures us that trials and tribulations will come. However, He in the same breath gives us the solutions to overcoming them!
Satan brings temptations. We can react with our emotions or we can act according to God’s instructions. We can react in fear, be anxious, or submit to the temptation. We can even blame God for our circumstances.
Nonetheless, God tells us explicitly how to act to get results. God responds to our prayers if we do our part according to His word. He says if we humble ourselves, seek His face, pray, and turn from our reactions He HEARS, FORGIVES AND HEALS. God promises to hold up his part of the bargain and He cannot lie! (Num: 23:19)
We need to:
- Humble ourselves – trust that all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28)
- Pray – our prayers are incense kept in bowls by God’s throne (Rev. 5:8)
- Seek His face – He may be found (Prov. 8:17)
- Turn from your ways – Change your non-working habits; give up your idols (Ezekiel 20:8)
When we do this, God hears your prayers (Psalm 65:2), forgives your sins (1 John 1:9), and heals you (Exodus 15).
When the storms, temptations and trials come remember you can trust God to do His part if you do yours! “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55: 11)
Father, when troubles arise, help me to humble myself, pray, seek your face, and turn from my ways. Amen
Question: Why isn’t trusting God our first response 100% of the time?
5 Responses to “If…”
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What Do You Fear?
What do you fear, and why? Is it holding you back from realizing your full potential?
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Dear Toddy,
In response to your Question: Why isn’t trusting God our first response 100% of the time?
1)I believe many people lack understanding of how God operates and works.
2)Doubtfulness & being double minded.
3)Often we want and expect immediate answers and/or results from God.
Toddy, I pray that God blesses you in all your endeavors that He is calling you to do for His kingdom purposes. I pray that God’s anointing Spirit be upon you as you reach out to help and bless His family of Believers and those He places in your pathway. Amen
Thank you ladies for your comments and observations… I thank God though that there are still people like us who desire to serve God and to discover ALL that He has for us. A couple months ago God asked me what Jesus meant when He told His new found disciples to “follow me”…I am convinced that He was not only setting an example for them to follow but for us also to emulate….where did He find the faith He had to trust God’s word? He obviously found it from His Father but if Jesus was our example He had to have left a viable example that we too can follow…so can we? Absolutely yes!
for me when i face a trial,or temptation,my first thought is how can I work around this? after much thinking in this small mind of mine,i search scripture for an answer – when all along Jesus is looking at me!
Toddy, I’ve thought about your question through the years and the answer I believe has two points. One is PRIDE. We don’t believe we need God – ’til trouble strikes. Then we’re ashamed. So it’s easier to keep on the way we’re going than to humble ourselves. The other is lack of knowledge of God and His Word. Folks, even church folks, don’t know enough of the Bible to really know and trust God. That’s why we’ve raised a generation of young adults and now they’re kids who don’t believe the Bible is without error. And that’s within the church. Think of it, people go to church Sunday after Sunday, take a tiny morsel of the Word to keep them from starving yet missing the deep truths that would nourish and grow them up spiritually. Sad, very, very sad. And that is the answer for those who see this to have their hearts broken enough to drive us to our knees to pray for the Church.
I think lack of faith, or emotions, like you say in your devotional. This is definitely the “aim” as a Christian, to become calm, kind, pure, admirable, gentle, loving,.. and to focus on what is right, noble, true, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy (Jesus)…In the midst of an evil every moment worLd. ~I see where young Christians (and old ones too) so desire to be here 100% of the time, where you say, where the “meat” is, rather then being immature infants, and still in the “milk”, but we need the baby steps to get “here” we need to grow and to keep growing. God gives His peace to us in the midst of our sorrows, because that’s how often God is with us -100% of the time. God is so good, so why would we not praise Him for this grace and mercy, and honor Him, and rise above this worLd. I believe we often feel like we’re not worthy, but because of Jesus, we are now (and we always have been from the beginning of time). He is our Savior…100% of the time. Thank you for reminding me this morning to imitate Jesus 100% of the time, and not allow fear and emotion get in the way of my heart.