God Supports & Sustains Each Believer

God blesses each and every follower and disciple of Jesus Christ daily. He supports us by giving us enabling and empowering grace to encourage us to endure trials and tests. He maintains [sustains] our very life, health, strength, and faith, as well. We may safely hope in Him.

When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. (Ps 94:18 NIV) He supports us by His unfailing love and mercy. Thank You, Jesus!

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (Ps 121:3 KJV) God, our Sustainer, never slumbers nor changes His will. He keeps us from stumbling.

A man’s steps are established by the Lord, and the Lord delights in his way. ²⁴Though he stumbles, he will not fall down flat, for the Lord will hold up his hand. (Ps 37:23-24 ISV) The delights in our lives, and establishes our steps. He holds us up with His hand so that we won’t fall down.

. . . but I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail; and you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Lk 22:32 NASB) Jesus prayed for us, that our faith would not fail. And we are encouraged to strengthen and support our fellow believers.

. . . who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Pet 1:5 NKJV) We are KEPT by the mighty power of God which means that we are preserved, sheltered, and kept separate unto God. He will not let us go, so long as we do not reject our Savior and Redeemer. He has given us such hope and assurance.

This is how valuable we are, individually, to God. Think about having such a Friend and supporter as the Living God. Hallelujah!

Have You Got It?

Have you received the thing for which you most recently and fervently prayed? The answer should always be YES! Why? Because the Bible says so!Let’s read these Scriptures:Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mk 11:24 NIV) Believe that you have already received what you need and faith operating in you will bring it to you! And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Mt 21:22 KJV) When we pray and ask the Lord to give us something based upon His Word, we must always mix our prayer with the faith that we have received at salvation. If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (Joh 15:7 NASB) Keeping God’s Word (the Bible) ‘before you’ means reading it regularly—daily—and memorizing and meditating upon it. As we make these habits a part of our Christian lives, we may ask WHATEVER we need, and it will be done. Hallelujah!Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 Joh 5:14-15 NKJV) Note first of all that this Scripture passage mentions our CONFIDENCE in God; this is crucial. Once, we have that confidence and we pray according to God’s Word—which is His will—then we are positive that we have received our prayer requests. Praise the Lord!But those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.. (Ps 34:10b CEB, emphasis added)Our Lord and our God, you are like the sun and also like a shield. You treat us with kindness and with honor, never denying any good thing to those who live right. (Ps 84:11 CEV, emphasis added)

Both of the verses above from Psalms say that we, as followers and disciples of Jesus Christ, will never be denied any good thing. What a joyous and blessed security our Savior has given to His children. God bless you!

Generosity Pleases God

Generosity teaches us to trust in God. When we are generous to others, we demonstrate the fact that we trust in God as our source and our Provider. We also follow the example of Jesus, who was generous with everything that He had.

You shall supply him liberally out of your flock, out of your floor, and out of your winepress. From that with which the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. (Deu 15:14 MEV)

From the good gifts with which the Lord has blessed us, giving to others is one of the numerous ways that we can give back to the Lord.

Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. (Pro 22:9 ESV)

When we give an offering to the poor, or when we give a donation to a ministry that helps the poor, then we are promised by God that we will be blessed.

In everything I showed you [by example] that by working hard in this way you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed [and brings greater joy] to give than to receive.’” (Ac 20:35 AMP)

The Lord says in His Word that ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This is another fine testimony in favor of generosity.

If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully. (Rom 12:8 CEV)

Here again, the Bible teaches us that ‘if we can give,’ our giving should be generous (substantial, lavish, plentiful, big-hearted).

Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Cor 9:7 ASV)

The above Bible verse reminds us that God loves a cheerful giver! What more do we need to know?

When we release our tight hold upon the things of this world, we instantly free ourselves from every kind of bondage and trap. As we look to the Lord—our Savior and Redeemer—as our Provider, He will prove Himself to be more than generous to us. For has the Bible not said: And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19 ESV) Praise the Lord!

The Lord Saves His Servants

The Lord is committed to those of us who follow Him and serve Him. His Word testifies to this truth repeatedly.

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned. (Ps 34:22 NKJV) This is just one of the Lord’s promises to His people. NONE who trust in Him shall be condemned.

The poor can run to you because you are a fortress in times of trouble. ¹⁰Everyone who honors your name can trust you, because you are faithful to all who depend on you. (Ps 9:9-10 CEV) Our God is a fortress in times of trouble. He is faithful to ALL who depend upon Him. God cannot lie. (Tit 1:2)

. . . who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion . . . (Ps 103:4 NIV) Not only does the Lord redeem our lives from hell but He also crowns us with His love and compassion. Praise the Lord!

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom 8:31-32 ESV) If God is on our side, but no one can succeed or gain victory over the Lord. Since the Lord didn’t spare His own Son, it is certain that along with our salvation He freely gives us all that we need.

We are blessed to serve a faithful and loving God.

Blessed through Abraham

The followers and servants of Jesus Christ are blessed through Abraham. This includes all of us who are Christians.

Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. (Heb 11:12 NKJV) This verse is referring to Abraham, known as the “father of faith” and honored for his obedience to God.

I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed . . . (Gen 26:4 NIV) The Lord is speaking to Abraham in this verse.

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” (Hos 1:10 NIV) All who believe in Jesus Christ are considered to be spiritual children (offspring) of Abraham.

You also multiplied their children as the stars of heaven and brought them into the land
which You had told their fathers to go in and possess. (Neh 9:23 NKJV) God has fulfilled His many promises to multiply the descendants of Abraham exponentially.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ¹⁴that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Gal 3:13-14 NKJV) Every promise of blessing that was given to Abraham belongs to every follower of Jesus Christ. Christians are redeemed from every curse through Jesus.

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. (Gal 3:7 NIV) Those of us who have active faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord are called by the Lord “children of Abraham.” Yes, we are blessed!

Peace Must Rule

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Col 3:15)

Synonyms of RULE: govern, administrate, lead or control.

Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6) He is our Savior and Lord, and we must follow Him in all that we do. We must allow His peace to control and lead everything that we do and everything that we pursue in life and in ministry.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Ps 100:4)

Praise, thankfulness and blessing work in beautiful harmony with peace. As we exalt, praise and bless the Lord, thankfulness arises in our hearts. The overflow of that thankfulness will result in our being a blessing and a joy to other people as we minister God’s love to them. And peace will be the result.

. . . and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)

God’s peace exceeds and transcends any other definition of the word. His peace goes so far beyond and is so much better than any human concept of peace that it will always outperform the human version of peace!

Therefore, allow yourself to be ruled by God’s peace, so that your life will be blessed and others will be blessed in your presence. Glory to God!

Pay Attention to the Wisdom of God

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge; ¹⁸for it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; let them all be fixed upon your lips . . . (Pro 22:17-18)

Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. ³⁴Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. (Pro 8:33-34)

My son, pay attention to my wisdom; lend your ear to my understanding, ²that you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge. (Pro 5:1-2)

As we read these passages from the Bible shown above, we can clearly see one theme shining through which is that we need to pay attention to and obey the Wisdom of God.

The Bible is filled with the wisdom of God from the beginning to the end. As we fill our hearts and minds with God’s Word, we will learn about God’s nature and goodness as well as about His eternal wisdom.

As we choose to obey God’s will and to yield to His wisdom, we will experience God’s blessings and prosperity. As we continue to yield to His Word throughout the course of our life, we will acquire a merciful and loving heart toward others, and a deep desire to bless other people. This is truly the outworking of God’s life and Spirit within us.

Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24, 30), and in Him, this wisdom is available to us. Glory to God!

Lord of the Living & the Dead

As Christians, we belong to Jesus Christ. Once we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we became a member of His family. He remains our Lord from that moment on into and throughout all eternity. How blessed we are!

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. (Rom 14:9 NIV)

But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. (1 Pet 4:5)

The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— (Ac 10:36)

Jesus Christ is the Lord of both the living and the dead—and there is no conflict in His role. He is Lord of ALL.

Jesus created everything that exists and because of that, no one can claim any authority over creation or over mankind other than Him. (See Exodus 19:5)

When the Scriptures speak of Jesus being the Lord of both the living and the dead, it is addressing the fact that Jesus is the Lord of all people:

Those who are spiritually dead and those who are spiritually alive;
Those who are physically dead and those who are physically alive.

Jesus’ perfect sacrifice reconciled us to our Father God, and brought peace between us and the Father. Jesus has established the ministry of reconciliation. Glory to God!

How much more do we (all born-again believers) belong to Jesus since He has ransomed us from sin and from satan?

There is a prophecy in Isaiah that reminds us that we have everlasting joy bestowed upon us:

So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isa 51:11) Glory to God!

Look Into the Law of Liberty

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he [she] does. (Jas 1:25, word in parenthesis added)

This passage of Scripture is full of meaning, wisdom, and insight if we’ll take the time to think about it and to study it.

Why does this verse refer to the law of liberty? I believe it’s because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news that sets people free. Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are liberated from sin, bondage, and condemnation. We experience a new birth in Christ and receive the promise of eternal life.

We find a law within the Good News of Jesus Christ, and it is a law of LIBERTY and not of slavery—life and not death! In Romans 3:27 it is referred to as the law of faith.

James 1:25 is referring to a devoted student of the Scriptures as he/she, in all humility of heart and mind, intently studies the Bible. This is done reverently and with a quality of examination, analysis, and recognition. We would be on our knees in a spiritual sense.

We can each be this type of student of the Word. How? We read the Word expecting the Holy Spirit to illuminate a passage in such a way that it changes us—soul and body. When it actually happens, our willingness to wait patiently on the Lord will give us even more insight as we glean how to apply it to our own lives and circumstances.

In this way, we have the privilege of fine tuning our lives to comply with and to obey the Bible in more detail and more holiness as we mature in our walk with Christ. This is an ongoing process, and it’s an exciting progression as well as a sobering one. It is a solemn and a holy process that occurs in our hearts and must be guarded constantly.

If we let down our guard and forget what God has patiently revealed to us and taught us, we do damage to our own heart and to our relationship with God. Our relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in our lives, having value for all eternity. It, alone, is the promise of eternal life.

It is the law of faith and the law of liberty. Value it, brothers and sisters!

Lips of Grace

Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. (Ps 45:2 KJV) This psalm is speaking of the coming Savior of the world, and pointing out that He had grace literally POURED out upon His lips. Did Jesus prove the truth of this verse? Yes, He did!

Jesus’ lips were anointed with such grace that it poured from His lips like streams of living water. His words blessed all those who heard and received them.

He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend. (Pro 22:11) Jesus was loved by all who came to Him and were touched by Him. We may also have this same blessing if we allow the Lord to use our lips to bless others.

So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. (Lk 4:22a) People who heard Jesus’ words were astonished, awed, and impressed by them—they had such an impact.

Charles Spurgeon, in his commentary on Psalm 45:2, had this to say:

“Imagination’s utmost stretch cannot conceive of anything more gracious; and the contemplation of the most devoted Christian cannot think of any words more majestic in goodness, more tender in sympathy, more full of honey, and more luscious in their sweetness, than the gracious words that proceeded out of the lips of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus, as our Savior and example, is our model for life and faith. As His words blessed the people who heard them, so also, should ours. As we spend time meditating upon the Bible, and time in worshiping the Lord, our words will become more and more like His. For Jesus’ words bestowed grace upon grace to all those who heard them.

Listen to and learn from Jesus’ words; meditate upon the Scriptures; obey the Holy Spirit; and then follow Jesus’ example of speaking grace-filled words.

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