I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
God is Faithful
We all have to face hard things. It’s not if you will face them, but when. But when those challenges come, you can know you’re not alone.
In Isaiah 43:2, God reminds Israel that His faithfulness doesn’t change with their circumstances. He was faithful in the past, and He would continue to protect and provide for them…
“When you pass through the waters…”
After 400 years of slavery, God empowered Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity. Just as the opposing army was closing in and all seemed lost, God made a way—right through the Red Sea. (See Exodus 14.) This is probably what the book of Isaiah is referencing to remind the Israelites of God’s power.
“When you pass through the rivers…”
Isaiah’s readers would have likely been reminded of the time God dried up the Jordan River for the Israelites when they were crossing over with the ark of the Lord. They even built a memorial, so that generations to come would remember God’s presence. (You can find this story in Joshua 3.)
“When you walk through the fire…”
In the book of Daniel, three men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were thrown into the fiery furnace after refusing to obey the king’s decree to bow down to an idol, instead of to God. They were miraculously delivered, and didn’t even smell like smoke. (This story is in Daniel 3.)
Even though this event probably hadn’t happened when Isaiah was writing, God’s words still came to pass. And today, when we look at His faithfulness to the men in the fiery furnace, we can reflect on His promise in Isaiah, and remember that God is faithful to protect His people.
Recalling God’s faithfulness in the past helps us trust Him with the future.
Even when faced with worst-case scenarios, God is not surprised. He’s already gone before you. No matter what happens, life’s trials and difficulties will not get the final say. God is still powerful, still providing, and still protecting you … and nothing can stand against our God.
So today, as you think back on your life, how have you seen God’s faithfulness? And how can those memories help you trust Him with your future?
Luke 11
“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity...
Remember What God Has Done
Remembering what God has done is an important part of Jewish worship...
After God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, He instructed the people to remember His words. He told them to diligently teach His commands, and to talk about them in their houses, when they walked, when they were lying down, and when they got up in the morning (Deuteronomy 6:7).
The Israelites were told to constantly remember what God had done, who God was, and what He had said.
And so, in Psalm 85:2, the Psalmist engages in an act of remembrance by reflecting on God’s forgiveness:
“You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin.” (ESV)
The Israelites had sinned against God many times, and many times over God forgave them. The author of Psalm 85 didn’t want Israel to forget God’s great kindness, so he crafted a Psalm that would remind anyone who repeated it of God’s mercy, forgiveness, power, and love.
The Psalmist appeared to know that purposefully remembering what...
