God is With You and For You

Do you believe God is with you? And do you know He is for you?

Have you ever felt all alone? Whether we are physically alone in a particular moment, or we are in a crowded room, our hearts may feel alone.

Yet, these are promises in God’s Word. 

But if I’m honest, there are times that believing God is with me and for me proves difficult. Especially when hardships and hard situations come my way. 

And I’ve learned it is not “if” but “when” life turns topsy-turvy without any warning. 

Still, these promises never change and always remain true.

So let’s look at what the Bible says.

God Is With You

Even though it’s not easy to admit out loud, sometimes it doesn’t seem like God is really with me. Friend, this is a lie from the enemy of our souls. Because we belong to God.

The Lord promises He is with us. And it all started with prophecy that the virgin would bear a child, Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Isaiah 7:14) 

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (ESV)

There’s No Easy Road That Leads to Holiness

There’s no easy road that leads to holiness. Why? Because the road that leads to being holy is the way of a true follower of Jesus. It means seeking His face daily and growing in His image.

God calls us to holiness: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.'” 1 Peter 14-16 (ESV)

Yet, God knows, without Christ, it’s impossible. Our flesh battles against holiness, desiring to pursue the indulgences the world offers.

Holiness Forms Deep Inside Us

You see, holiness forms deep inside as we spend time with a Holy God, then shows up outwardly in how we live our lives.

Spending time with our Holy God includes: meditating on God’s Word, being in His holy presence in worship (Psalm 96:9) and prayer, keeping in step with the Spirit not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5), growing in the fruit of the Spirit, and becoming more and more like Jesus every day.

Also, let me note here that if you haven’t known Jesus long, having a strong Christian disciple and mentor you helps build you up in the faith. And a chuch community of other believers and Bible studies encourages you on the road to holiness.

Obedience Leads to Holiness

Our Job is Trusting God Instead of Worrying

Is trusting God difficult for you?

And have you ever wondered:

How will I get through this?

Where do I turn?

What are we going to do?

Several times in my life, it felt as if I were free-falling. Like an amusement park ride, the bottom fell out from under me.

Such as the times my husband or I lost a job, our livelihood. And when I miscarried our second baby and hoped to have another child. Also, when my father passed away.

In all those cases, insecurity locked arms with me as my unwelcome companion.

Trusting God Will Bring Good

And honestly, I struggled to believe God would get us through this and bring about our good in some way. Even though my trust waned in the past, we had indeed made it through the same hardship before.

After the miscarriage, the Lord blessed us with another child. But, if I never carried another baby to full term, would my trust in God seem futile? When a loved one passes away instead of receiving a healing, is trusting God still possible?

While we may desire to place our full trust in God’s care, power, control, purpose, plan, and believe He has our best interest at heart, it’s not an easy thing. In fact, it’s super hard.

So is it possible to fully trust our heavenly Father, no matter our circumstances?

Oh, sure, I trust God when life is going along without a hitch. But what about when life isn’t good?

I’m realizing the Lord grows my faith and trust in Him more when life seems unknown than when things are going as planned. 

Here’s what I’m learning.

Our Job is Trusting Instead of Worrying

Our job as a Christ-follower is to trust God’s power, ways, and purposes. 

And God’s job is everything else. He does the heavy-lifting. 

There’s Never Been a Day God Didn’t Love You

Have there been days you didn’t feel loved? Maybe days you didn’t love yourself? My hand’s raised.

Good news and God news: God lavished His love on you from the beginning. Even from day one in your mother’s womb, God loved you.

And there’s never been a day God didn’t love you. Not one single day. 

Because God’s love is past, present, and future tense.

He loved us while knitting us in the womb, He loves us with every breath we take, and He will love us every tomorrow.

So let’s look at how we know there’s never been a day God didn’t L-O-V-E us. 

L – Live loved by the Savior: never been a day

You are the beloved child of the Most High God. 

Because love is not only something God does, but also who He is. In fact, God cannot not love. God loved us so much, He gave His only Son to give us eternal life.

When we know God loves us, we live differently. 

We choose to live loved by the Savior and walk in freedom. Then we won’t waste another minute believing something about love God didn’t say. Whatever the world or culture or people tell you about love, God is the true definition of love.

There’s never been a day God didn’t love you.

O – Open your eyes and heart to God’s love

With humans, love sometimes has a beginning and an end. But this is not the case with God. His love is eternal and never-failing. It has no end. 

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3b (ESV)

How God Moves and Acts in Our Lives

Do you believe God moves and acts on your behalf? 

Often, we find it difficult to believe something is happening, especially when we don’t see it. 

Yet, believing without seeing is the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1. 

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (ESV)

Years ago, I told the Lord I do not like it when I can’t see what He’s doing or how He’s moving. But that wouldn’t be faith. 

Instead, we rest assured that God is working and moving in the heavenly realm and in the world and our lives—no matter what we see or can’t see.

Let’s look at 3 assuring ways God moves and acts.

(1.) God moves and acts through prayer.

Many times we underestimate the power of prayer to change situations and people…to change us. 

Because we move the spiritual world when we praise the Lord, recognize who God is, petition the Almighty, intercede for others, and speak God’s Word in prayer.

But sometimes our own thoughts, the enemy, or other people trick our heart into thinking God is holding out on us. 

Maybe a prayer went unanswered in how we wanted the situation to turn out. Perhaps we feel God didn’t come through for us in what we wanted to happen. Or, we’ve prayed for something so long, it seems impossible. 

Remind your heart: God. Is. Not. Holding. Out. On. Me. 

God moves and acts to work out His best for me. God continues to remind me that His timing really is perfect; His plans for me are always for my good and His glory. 

So we don’t stop praying, we pray on. I’m thankful for the power of prayer: mountains still move, seas still part, mana still rains from heaven, and because God can raise the dead, ashes turn to beauty again.

(2.) The God of the impossible moves mountians.

“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Luke 18:27b (ESV)

The Nail-Scarred Hands That Hold You

The same hands that created the world and hold it in the palms of His hands, also hold you with His holy nail-scarred hands.

Most of us are familiar with the song, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. 

I’ve always loved the melody and celebrated the powerful lyrics. Because I believe He does indeed hold the world in His hands.

And the Bible confirms this.

“In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.” Psalm 95:4 (ESV)

“My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens.” Isaiah 48:13a (NIV) 

“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” Psalm 102:25 (ESV)

And on a more personal level, the Lord’s nail-scarred hands hold us. 

Even if the world seems to stop spinning. Even if dark clouds seem to hijack sunny days. And even if life seems void of another sunrise or sunset. The Son holds the world and me in His hands.

So let’s look at how Jesus’ hands H-O-L-D His people.

H – Helping Hands Hold You

“For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:13 (ESV)

The Lord cares, protects, and supports us. 

Like a warm hug from a family member or a supporting embrace during hard times from a friend, His nail-scarred hands hold me and you.

We have nothing to fear. Instead, the Lord assures us His helping hands hold onto us. This truth brings me comfort and peace.

10 Wonderful Reasons to Follow Jesus

Have you ever thought about the wonderful reasons to follow Jesus?

Following Jesus has great reward. Sure, we know there are costs. Such as the call to deny our desires and pick up our cross. 

Family and friends may disown us.

Or, we can suffer persecution and ridicule.

Still, let’s not forget the wonderful reasons. And one is the greatest reason of all. I list ten here and save the best for last.

(1.)  Wonderful Reasons: Eternal and Abundant Life

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

(2.)  Reason of Righteousness

“If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.” (1 John 2:29)

We follow Jesus in a foreign culture of unrighteousness. And those who refuse to follow Him have destruction as their end. 

Because “enemies of the cross” make their belly a god and glory in shame. Since their minds are set on earthly things. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (See Philippians 3:18-20)

Do we desire to follow Christ and His righteousness, Sunday through Saturday, 24/7?

True disciples not only want to follow Jesus, but also follow through by seeking to stay on the path of righteousness.

(3.)  Wonderful Reasons: A Good Shepherd

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

Know Jesus Better With The Whole Bible Devotional

I’m so happy to introduce my writing friend, Melissa McLaughlin. We are in an online Facebook Group together for authors and bloggers. Her writing is heartfelt and all about how to know Jesus better.

By Melissa McLaughlin

The yarn lay in a mess on the floor. Our cats had seized it during their midnight marauding. My scarf-in-progress now drooped in an unraveled heap.

With a deep exhale, I leaned down to pick up the tangled mound. My hands tugged and twisted this way and that. To no avail. I could not unknot the giant yarn blob.

Finally, I found a loose end and pulled gently. Bit by bit, the chaos unwound until I discovered one long, uninterrupted fuzzy thread. Thankfully, I could begin again. Stitch by stitch, my crochet needle knitted. 

With the untangled yarn re-woven and intertwined, the once mottled mass now took on its proper shape. A winter scarf soon warmed and wrapped me close. 

When we look back over our lives, most of us can remember situations that became a disordered wreck. What a relief when things got sorted out.  

Know Jesus Better

At times, reading through the Bible can feel like we are left with too many knots or loose ends. We want to know Jesus more, but how does He fit in all the books of the Bible?

I remember the first time I read through the Bible from beginning to end.

10 Things I Want You to Know About Jesus

I love to talk about Jesus and share important things to know about Jesus.

Because He changes lives.

Jesus transforms people from the inside out.

And Jesus embodies God.

Whether I’m talking to fellow believers or those who don’t know much about Jesus, these 10 things are what I want everyone to know.

(1.) Know About Jesus: He is Love

True Love defined means, Jesus. 

Our lack of love from people never makes the Love of Christ less true. 

Instead, we are loved the way He says we are loved.

Love lays down His life for me (John 15:13); perfect Love drives out my fear (1 John 4:18-19), and He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with Love (Psalm 103:4).

(2.) Jesus is merciful

Spiritual Vision That Sees God’s Faithfulness

Growing up, my vision was always great, until it wasn’t. Years ago, I lost distance vision from working at a computer for my job. An eye doctor explained how vision we no longer use, we lose.

Our eyes make the adjustment, Oh this is the distance you’re going to see. Now I’m near sighted and have glasses for when I need to see far away. 

Often, the same holds true in spiritual vision. We wish we could see what God’s doing in our life—how He’s working for our good. And like the saying goes, Hindsight is 20/20.

So we lose spiritual vision because we fail to use it, we fail to trust God is God and on His throne.

And we become near sighted, only putting our faith in God when we can actually see His works come to fruition. 

But the people mentioned in the Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11, believed God would fulfill His promises even though many of them never “saw” these promises come to pass. 

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

“Assurance about what we do not see” is the hardest part. 

Maybe I can’t see things at a distance, but my faith eyes can have full assurance in God for on down the road and into the future.

Spiritual Vision Helps Us Trust God

Spiritual hindsight is how I’ve learned to trust God. And it’s always 20/20.

“If you have 20/100 vision, it means that you must be as close as 20 feet to see what a person with normal vision can see at 100 feet. Having 20/20 vision does not necessarily mean you have perfect vision. 20/20 vision only indicates the sharpness or clarity of vision at a distance.” (Google) 

Even though I’ve lost my vision at a distance, I pray not to lose my spiritual vision at a distance. I want to believe in the Lord’s ability and power and goodness for me.

Because in spiritual hindsight, my faith vision grows to sharper clarity. Since I’m now at a distance where I can see God’s faithfulness through the entire process. 

Spiritual hindsight is 20/20 when we stop and take the time to look back at what God has done and these steps for V-I-S-I-O-N.