Please watch the video introduction to my message here:
Also, please consider my book of collected messages about your relationship with Jesus here:https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=k4w_oembed_qamQ8Xm0U7dsaW&asin=B092FRD6NQ&tag=kpembed-20
We must learn to approach Him with thanksgiving. A heart that can be thankful because it trusts is a life that is confident in the Father, even though circumstances may be challenging. To live knowing that there is light on the other side of darkness is a life that can’t help but honor God, a true bondservant. Such a heart cannot be defeated.
Psalms 95:1-8
O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
— In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
— The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice,
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Vida4U is interspersed with scriptures that deepen and support the point being made. The statements made are also intended to underscore God’s Word, which is the foundation of our confidence. Prayer and finding promises in scripture that aid us in our trials build our confidence and mature us. Problems become the “search engines” to discovering our diamonds, promises that are taken in the rough, scriptures that will refine us, providing hope and answers becoming our diamonds. Hence God fulfills His promise by working all things out for our good, for in so searching, answers are found, and strength is gained. Also, as soon as we let go of our need to understand and stop questioning God, God can be God. He’s not on trial; we are. How easily are we offended when things go in a direction that “we believe” is wrong? Can we not endure, can we not trust, are we not willing to “suffer” for Him( I almost hate using the word “suffer” for our circumstances compared to Paul’s circumstances).
Romans 8:17-18
And if children, heirs also: heirs of God, and Christ’s joint heirs; if indeed we suffer with [him], that we may also be glorified with him. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Amen).
Roman’s 8:28
But we *do* know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to ( His) purpose.
Ephesians 3:16-19
in order that he may give you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell( richly), through faith, in your inner man( I am using the Darby translation, it goes into a bit more detail than New King James but is also lacking with some verses, hence the parenthesis.
The challenge we face as believers are getting God in us. Save not for the Cross and faith; we would not have a chance. God mandates His Holy Spirit upon confession into our soul, but once there (Born Again), we must cooperate with Him and grow His Holy Spirit through obedience and time spent with Him in His Word, etc.
Without difficulty or need, we will not press into God. Being in need is a good thing, uncomfortable for sure, but it keeps you and me on the edge of our seats, like soldiers in battle. We take nothing for granted and daily seek to be with Him. If we do not use the circumstances of need and insecurity to press into God, we will be conquered by the same. Worry, fear, insecurity, depression, and possibly a sense of desperation are all feelings standing by to control us when we don’t press into God. All trials are to humble us, show us our needs, see how God is the answer to our need(s), and how peace and joy can be ours even in difficult circumstances. That’s the Christian walk in a nutshell.
So if that is the Christian walk, why do we fail, get stuck, or have difficulty maintaining a consistent walk with Christ? There are probably several answers to that question, but I want to deal with just one. Could it be we focus too much on ourselves? Our happiness, our needs, our plans, our goals. Do we not believe that the Lord has the best intentions for us. Do we think we can make a better life for ourselves than He? That would be a fool’s thought or a man or woman who has not contemplated the Cross deeply.
Jonathan Edwards once preached a sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God.” Nothing but damnation and hell fire was the righteous judgment of a Holy, Holy God that cannot tolerate sin and has every right to judge the sinner, yet He stays His hand; why? His love for us forbids Him to do so. Yet action is demanded, sin must be judged, so He placed our judgment on His Only Son, the Sacrificial Lamb, who bore the full wrath of His Father’s Holiness against the wickedness of our rebellious sin. He who knew no sin became an absolute offense to His Father who, for all of the Eternity prior, dwelt in perfect unity with Him. Yet, for our sake, He would be separated from His Father so that we could escape His righteous judgment by believing and accepting His atonement.
Through our tears and broken heartedness, repentance would purchase for us what was gifted at the Cross, Eternal Life, and union with the Triune God. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would be our daily aid enabling us to defeat the carnal man. Even when we lose the fight, His forgiveness and love help us to get back on our feet; his help is indispensable. This is the best news you will ever hear; for yesterday’s worries, today’s problems, and tomorrow’s fears, nothing is of greater comfort, hope, and strength. Amen
Meditate on what you just read if you grew up not feeling loved. Read all the gospel accounts of Jesus’ last days and understand that what He did, He did for you and me, then receive His love for you. Take any thought captive that makes you think that God is anything less than loving, patient and kind (deeply in love with you is another way to say it).
Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee (God’s drawstrings are trials that humble us and turn us to Him Luke 20:18
“Whosoever shall fall upon that stone (Jesus) shall be broken (humbled and saved); but on whomsoever, it shall fall on it will grind him to powder.” (judgment).
Often if we had a hard childhood, we subconsciously think He is like our parents or the family member that hurt us or, worse, abused us (there are many forms of abuse, not just sexual. Feeling disconnected, unloved or unworthy can also be a form of emotional neglect/abuse). You might even blame God for that though He is nothing like that. Bad stuff happens in this world all the time. He is so interested and wants to be connected to us that He seeks to live within us. The world belongs to man, God gave it to him to tend to and care for, but man rejected God just like we do today, making idols out of cars, homes, jobs, money, fame, each other, etc. The world, therefore, has become a place that God never intended it to be.
God, however, can take each heart that comes to Him, start reversing the effect of sin and give others through us a glimpse of how He intended life to be. He once showed me a picture of my heart. It was like a puzzle put together wrong. The pieces didn’t fit, and I could see that many pieces were forced into place; hence the picture of me was completely misshaped. I saw His hands as He pulled each piece apart, which hurt, some pieces more than others.
He held each piece seeking to correct the wrong, which depending upon the piece, meant forgiving people, or surrendering my right to how I thought I should have been treated, or two big ones for me were admitting that I was trying to earn His love by my actions as opposed to just receiving it and forgiving myself for my brother’s death.
These both were Huge hurdles for me. Once we dealt with the attitude that each piece represented, He then infused His love into each piece and, with much love and care, put it on His table. He did that repeatedly until He was done, and the picture looked like a new me. I saw all this; He wanted me to trust Him because there was still much work yet to be done. I know I won’t (we won’t) be completed until I (we) see Him, but at least I understand the reason for the struggles. With each surrender, my inner strength increases, my joy and confidence increase, and the inner pain lessen. It’s been a lifelong journey where what I had experienced as a child could have easily taken me down the wrong path. I’m sure many of you can relate to experiences as such that, save for the Grace of God, could have destroyed us. However, giving these painful events over to Him, they become the foundation He builds His life in us as promised in Romans 8:28.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Therefore a hard childhood and its pain surrendered to Him need not destroy us or cripple us. He can bring forth forgiveness, healing, and love. As we experience life’s hurts, the wrong thing to do is to blame Him. The right thing to do is to go to Him, to surrender it over to Him so the healing can begin. Be in the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us about our Father. A correct view of God is of a God who is loving, caring, forgiving, and wanting us. This is the correct view of God which is so important. Our motive to read His Word is to know Him intimately. Instead of reading it out of obligation (as I did) or ignoring it completely, we now read because we want to know Him. We can’t wait to spend time with it. It becomes our daily joy, our daily bread, and a time of being recharged and refocused. So with this change in our perspective of God, our old man and old woman (our carnal nature) are fatally wounded.
So with this profound change in us, it’s not about us and our needs; it’s about Him. A bondsman or bond woman’s identity is founded on the Master’s well-being, not its own. Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in jail for preaching Christ. In the middle of the night, they sang songs, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer a little of what Christ suffered for us. Where has this attitude of being a true bondman gone?
Acts 16:17-18
She, having followed Paul and us, cried, saying, These men are bondmen of the Highest God, who announce to you [the] way of salvation. And this she did many days. And Paul, being distressed, turned, and said to the spirit, I enjoin thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out at the same hour (interesting, this evil spirit was telling the truth).
Acts 16:19-21
And her masters, seeing that the hope of their gains was gone, having seized Paul and Silas, dragged [them] into the market before the magistrates; and having brought them up to the praetors, said, These men utterly trouble our city, being Jews, and announce customs which it is not lawful for us to receive nor practice, being Romans.
Acts 16:23-26
And having laid many stripes upon them, they cast [them] into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely; who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison and secured their feet to the stocks. And at midnight, Paul and Silas, in praying, were praising God by singing (praising Him for they were counted worthy to suffer for Him), and the prisoners listened to them (what a testimony). And suddenly, there was a great earthquake (God answering the praises of His sons) so that the foundations of the prison shook, and all the doors were immediately opened, and the bonds of all loosed.
Paul and Silas’ response to their punishment was praise through song because of their relationship to Christ. Humbled by what Christ did for them, they were more than willing to suffer for Him. Can we also find it in us to suffer for Him?
In establishing a new landscape during spring and fall, I purposely hold back a little water to make the plants search for water. It causes them to develop deeper roots which makes them stronger plants. It’s the same with us; going through tough times introduces me to me and to what degree I am willing to serve my Lord. There is no knowing Him or me without hardship. Trials are the bondman and bondwoman school of deepening faith.
In weight lifting, there is an adage that says, “no pain, no gain,” and this is true in our walks with Christ. When do we intently seek Him when we are in pain. When do we read the scriptures with more earnestness and hunger when we are in pain. Pain is like a coach. If dealt with correctly, it should point us to Christ, not away from Him. If we are willing to be trained by it, the pain will prosper us and bring us closer to Christ. Otherwise, self-pity and pride are more than willing to step in and be our coach with disastrous effects. No gain will come from it. Things will get worse. Remember, satan plans to steal, kill and destroy and self-pity and pride follow his plan. Do we want any part of that?
John 10:10-11
The thief comes not but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I am come that they might have life, and might have [it] abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep(and having sacrificed so much will He not also care for His flock?).
So knowing that the “abundant life” is not found in possessions, money, the size of our bank account, stocks, or the job we have, though these things are aspects of our earthly life, they do not grant us Eternal Life, love or joy. Nor do they grant us inner peace or change us into more gracious and wise people. We must remind ourselves that we truly have it all in having Him. We do not need to seek that thing or a specific situation outside what He provides. He shows us His heart, and we know that it is to prosper us and give us a specific end….”
Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you in your latter end a hope. And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you; and ye shall seek me and find me, for ye shall search for me with all your heart,
The Good Shepherd of our life will always seek our best. We can have this confidence; that is why being His bondman or bondwoman is the most secure place to be. When we are lukewarm, not fully committed to Him, then the mess-ups we create, He has to fix or go through it with us. He uses our mess-ups to teach us, but learning that way is unnecessary. That’s the hard way to learn; obedience is always better. It’s like the Jews in the wilderness; they didn’t need to travel to the Promise Land for forty years. The Promised Land was reachable in 3 weeks, but disobedience and lack of faith cost them big time! One of our daughters, growing up, always had to do things the hard way. I always asked her, “why do you have to reinvent the wheel, just learn from your mother and I. Take advantage of what we learned,” she just couldn’t, so we suffered with her as God suffers with us. Ultimately, He works it out for our good and His Glory as only He can do, and our daughter has grown into a very responsible woman.
Therefore, if we seek to be His bondman or bondwoman, we can rejoice, for that is the safest and quickest road to faith and glory. If we cannot be at peace in this relationship, it is a clear message to us that we still have much carnality that needs repentance and purging.
Ephesians 3:20 – 4:2
But to him that is able to do far exceedingly above all which we ask or think, according to the power which works in us, to him be glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus unto all generations of the age of ages. Amen). *I*, the prisoner in [the] Lord, exhort you therefore to walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love;
Without the humbling of our carnal nature, which happens through various trials of pain, pressures and failures, we will never come to know the sweetness and calming assurance found in Christ. Until we are pressed to know Him, we will not know Him.
Father God,
Thank You for these great stories and Your promises. Let they mold us as we put our faith in them. Develop an army of faithful believers who, through everyday situations, we present You to those around us. Let our actions and words glorify the Only One Worthy of Glory and Praise. Amen
Your sons and daughters,
Enjoy – Arthur Navarrette