Good day
My friend, I want you to know that God is with you. I don't know specifically which challenges you may be faced with, but I want you to know that through it all - God is still God! .. and He is ALWAYS WITH YOU!
You need not fear nor be afraid - for He is with you
You need not be anxious about anything (whether it's decisions that have to be made or difficult circumstances you may be in) - for He is with you!
You can be bold and courageous - for He is with you!
Be at peace - for He is with you!
Recently God encouraged me with the above words during a quiet time with Him. In a moment where I felt weak and frustrated with a few things happening in my life, He encouraged me by saying that He is with me. It didn't matter what the situation was, because He was with me, I could be at peace.
The storms come to unsettle us, to shake us, to throw us off course - but in all things, we should remain at peace, for He is with us!
He is with us in the storm; with us in our challenge or difficulty; with us whether times are good or when they seem bad. Nothing can change His love towards us for He is always there for us and will continue to be there for us! So I don't know what your particular challenge or storm may be - but I know one thing - you have a God who is by your side!
And ...
He's not a small God - He's a Big God! (Psalm 33:6-9, Psalm 148:1-6, Psalm 89:11)
He's not a weak God - He's all powerful! (Ephesians 1:19, Psalm 63:2, Luke 8:46, Ephesians 3:20, John 10:18)
He's not a careless God - He cares about us! (1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 6:25-33)
He's not a cruel God - He's a God of love! (Psalm 103:11, 1 John 4:17 - 19, John 3:16, John 17:23, 1 John 3:1)
Whatever you need - you'll find in Him!
One thing about God - He is faithful to the end (Lamentations 3:22). He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He is always with us (Matthew 28:20)
Recently I found myself in a position where, in my eyes, the challenges seemed bigger than my faith in God, and it left me feeling frustrated, discouraged and distracted. The reason I say distracted is because when things seem like it's becoming too much, and everything requires your attention, then the busyness of it all occupies your mind, so much so, that it distracts you from focusing on God and spending time strengthen yourself in Him. Not a good position to be in.
Then one day I felt fed up and the thought crossed my mind to say that surely God never intended life to be this busy, where it feels like you're carrying a weight on your shoulders, a weight of responsibility towards everything in your life, where even the simplest of things requiring your attention can seem burdensome. (Jesus said His burden is easy and His yoke is light). And in that moment, I knew that God wanted me to be in a state of peace. That my soul must be at peace.
That the enemy comes to steal that peace by bombarding our thoughts with various areas of life where it eventually leaves us feeling anxious and stressed out. God never intended for this. (Read Matthew 6:25-33 ... sometimes it's because our focus is in the wrong place).
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (AMP) says that even though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before (in) God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds.
In other words, we solve our problems doing it God's way; not relying upon our abilities - but His.
The bible says He keeps Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3).
It also says in Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I had to realign my thinking: in my state of feeling frustrated about things, I found myself complaining about those things, whereas I should've been praying about those things!
It made me ask myself, do I complain more than what I pray? ...
If that is the case, then do I have a right to complain if I haven't prayed?
Complaining doesn't change anything ... but prayer does.
So two things stood out for me from this experience that I want to share with you:
1. Have I been praying about the challenges I've been faced with?
2. In the midst of the challenge - I must know and remember that God is with me, therefore I need not be anxious or have any worries or fears about the challenge, but know that He wants me to remain at peace at all times, and in all circumstances, for He is with me.
Be at peace my friend. Make your request known to God in prayer and be at peace, knowing that He's got your back and is with you at all times. You're never alone, for God is by, and on, your side!
Amen.