Thoughts for another day

May 6, 2008

Today's verse: 1 Ch. 5:22. Many had fallen in battle, for victory is from God; and they took over their dwelling place until the time of the exile. (NAB)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

When your vision is focused on the Lord, no matter what the situation, the victory is yours. Many may be your difficulties and your trials. Many may be the situations of discomfort and intense pain. But surely, even as the sun peeks through the rough edges of the cloud on a rain day, so will the hope of restoration shine through the gloom of your adversity.

I have seen and heard countless people tell me of how they tasted God’s goodness right through the darkness and bitterness of their situations. People love to talk about the way God’s Grace poured out on them in retrospect. They love to testify of His mercy they met, when they were seeped in the dirty grease of life and He lifted them up and washed them clean. My friend, God’s hand never dithers when it comes to lifting up the worst from the worst. Our confidence has to be in Him. If you read two verses before our verse for today, you will see how the Reubenites , Gadites and part Manassehites were helped by Him in their wars of conquest. They were helped because the Bible says, ‘they put their trust in Him their God and Savior.’ And then their enemies fell in battling them because victory gushed from the Hand of God the Almighty.

Today too, the Hand of the Lord God is stretched forth in benediction towards His children. To everyone who believes in the Name of His Son, He gives power to be called His children and to His child, His Grace flows ceaselessly: sufficient for the battles of the day or the adversity of the soul. No matter what, believe in this my friend that if God is for you, who can be against you. And there is nothing that can come between you and God for His Grace and His Hand of protection can reach you even in the thickest smoke of despondency and decay.

Arise, today and call out to Him for He says, ‘I am with you to deliver you.’ Oh sure, He also says, ‘I will chastise you as you deserve, I will not let you go unpunished’; this because of the grievousness of our sins, but then I would say, far better it is that I be punished by the Lord; be put down by His hand, rather than stay away from Him for even a moment.