Faith

God is a miracle-working God! “Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee” (Jeremiah 32:17). Amazingly to me, however, is the fact that He allows us to have a part in the work He is doing. God could do things all by Himself as He did when He created the universe, but He desires to involve us in His miraculous works.

Often we read stories of great men of God in the Bible and wonder if we can ever be used of God in the way they were used. The truth is they were men, just like you and me. They faced the same battles that all men face.

In the second half of Genesis we are introduced to two primary figures—Jacob and Joseph. These men lived very colorful lives. Let’s look at them and the lessons their lives have for us.

Every morning brings fresh opportunities—and fresh challenges. Sometimes the challenges seem to outweigh the opportunities. Sometimes it’s difficult to see the opportunities embedded in the challenges. Sometimes—with or without challenges or opportunities—it’s just a rough day.

Hope is a noun and a verb. It is what we have, and it is what we do. We who know the Lord already have hope, but we must also choose hope. I recently did a Bible study on the word hope, and was amazed at what I found.

The Bible is filled with fascinating characters. From Exodus to Deuteronomy, Moses and Aaron are prominent figures. They have interaction with many different personalities.

John was in prison. It certainly was not a very cheerful place to be in, and it would be easy for us to understand his doubtful heart. “I don’t know fellows, this is not at all what I expected. Maybe you should go ask the Master if He is really the Messiah?”

The phrase by faith appears fourteen times in Hebrews 11—a chapter often described as the “Hall of faith.” This chapter briefly chronicles the testimonies of many Bible characters as they lived and walked by faith: Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Joseph, Noah, Joshua, even Rahab.

The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” It was a dark and difficult time for the children of Judah. They had been uprooted from their homes, separated from their families, and placed in a pagan land.

Fifteen years ago, a story began to unfold in Northern San Diego County as Coastline Baptist Church opened its doors for the first time. Though circumstances were not ideal, it soon became evident that this story was a testimony of God’s power and provision.

There are times in the Christian walk when the Lord seems far away. The dew of His conscious presence no longer saturates the contemplations of our heart. The clouds of unbelief hide the Son from us and we feel all alone.

The devil does have a plan for your life. And it can be expressed pretty fully with five words:doubt, discouragement, diversion, defeat, and delay—they’re temptations to all of us. The key is to recognize them for what they are, submit to God, and resist Satan.

Clouds do not extinguish the light of the sun; they simply cover it temporarily. No matter how dark it gets, beyond the clouds we find the sun unchanged in its radiance and warmth. Spiritually speaking, God allows the clouds of sickness and sorrow to roll into our lives. Our days become long and dark. Our spirits sink low. Our faith begins to waver.

The Apostle Paul wrote about dealing with great adversity in 2 Corinthians 1. In verse 8, he made this statement about his trouble, “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.”

Who is God using to bring you low today? Perhaps it is a proud Peninnah to taunt you along the way. How about a jealous Haman plotting to hang you out to dry, Or a disloyal Absalom cursing you like a Shimei?

Do you ever feel inadequate for the demands of the day? I do—every day! The longer I serve the Lord, the more I recognize my need for His power. Also, the longer I serve Him, the more I recognize my need to trust His power.

Christian discipleship is a vital subject in the New Testament, and the book of Luke is a fine source of information about it. In chapter 9, the call to discipleship is given and explained in verses 23 and 24 (as it is also in Matthew 16:24–25 and Mark 8:34–35), but then, beginning in verse 37, several serious problems that true disciples of Jesus Christ have are discussed.

Caleb was one of the two spies who believed God would give the promised land to the nation of Israel if they would just believe Him. It was said of Caleb that he followed God fully.

Have you ever realized God was leading you to do something, but you thought, “I don’t think I can do this”? I have often said that everything God has done in my life has surprised me. But, I have also learned that each time the Lord wants to accomplish something through our lives, we must submit in three important ways.

I remember, as a boy, the day my parents brought home our first television set. The picture was in black and white, and very “snowy” because the closest stations were fifty miles away. It was a huge technological jump, however, from listening to a religious broadcast or the news on the radio that sat in the corner of our kitchen.