Rainbow Assurance

The promise God gave to Noah in the rainbow is one of the most well known in the Bible.  It is told to children with the story of Noah and the Ark and is one of the earliest promises we are taught.  Do you take this promise seriously?  Take a new look at what God promises in His rainbows and see if you can receive new insight from His Word today.

Blessings as you meditate on God’s Word.   Linda

Genesis 9:11-13, 16
            “I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.….When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”   (ESV)

Promise:   God promises to never again destroy the creatures of the earth by flood, and the rainbow will be our sign of His remembrances.

Don’t you love to see rainbows in the sky? Usually they occur after or during a storm and remind us of God’s faithfulness to his creation. Storms will come, but God promises that whatever storm comes it will not destroy us.   I think you can take this literally with storms of nature but it also applies to emotional storms that invade our lives. God’s rainbow gives us hope that he is eternally present and His Word is everlasting. We can depend upon him no matter what the storm may be because He is sovereign and greater than anything we can face. Like Noah, we can have faith in God as He keeps His promises.

Lessons and Truths:

1.     God’s covenant is eternal and will stand no matter what I do.
2.     I don’t need to fear destruction of the earth by flood as God keeps His promises.
3.     God wants me to be assured of His faithfulness and gave me a reminder sign in the rainbow.
4.     God’s word is eternal and everlasting, and He will not change his mind in the future.

Prayer:   Lord, help me to trust in your word and truly believe that you keep your promises. When you say something, it has eternal value as you do not change your mind. Thank you for being faithful to me even when I am not faithful to you. Hold me in the palm of your hand and show me ways to strengthen my faith and trust more fully in you. Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?

How have I experienced God’s faithfulness in my life?
Where am I experiencing fear that God may change his mind? (Example: Do I fear losing my salvation, grieving the Holy Spirit, not getting answers to prayer, doubting God’s plan for my life, etc.?)

Promise Confirmation:   Job 42:2, Psalm 86:15, Hebrews 6: 17-18 and 10:23, James 1:17, 2Peter 3:8-9.

This was taken at Niagara Falls and there is a faint rainbow in the mist.

Always Faithful

This week I have been stressed over situations in my life.  I cannot change the situations but I CAN change the stress level.  By focusing on God’s faithfulness, I can move forward and leave the stress with Him.  He is sovereign over all things, circumstances and people and He is forever faithful.  I pray this promise about God’s faithfulness speaks to you today as it has to me.
Blessing as you walk trusting in God’s faithfulness,
Linda

2 Timothy 2:11-13

The saying is trustworthy,  for:
      If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
      if we endure, we will also reign with him;
      if we deny him, he also will deny us;
     if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.    (ESV)    
         
Promise:   God promises that our actions towards him will be rewarded and that above all He is faithful.

      Have you ever felt your actions for good will go unrewarded or that the things you say when trying to witness have fallen on deaf ears? This promise calls us to account for our own actions towards both man and God. The thing that makes this doable is God’s faithfulness in spite of our failings. If we will cling to Him in faith, we will be victorious. Today if you are tempted to doubt doing what is right or struggle in professing faith in Jesus to others, call on God’s faithfulness to see you though.

Lessons and Truths:
1.     Giving my life to God and living sacrificially brings the assurance of eternal life with Christ.
2.     God rewards perseverance in faith filled living..
3.     Rejecting Christ will result in judgment for eternity.
4.     Stumbling in my walk with Christ and faltering in my faith does not mean Christ will lose faith or give up on me.
5.     God is faithful.

Prayer:   Lord, I am so thankful for your faithfulness. You are always with me and desire that I live for you. Help me to glorify you in my daily encounters and speak boldly about Jesus and the transformations You have performed in my life. Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?

How am I being faithless in my daily walk?
How am I being faithful?
Who do I need to speak to about Jesus?

Promise Confirmation: Proverbs 3:3-4, Colossians 3:23-25, James 1:2-4.

This picture was taken on my last trip to Bible Study Fellowship Headquarters. The banner proclaims God’s faithfulness to this wonderful Bible teaching organization. Volunteers are used to help prepare the materials for shipping, etc. that will be used in classes around the world. Check out their website at http://www.biblestudyfellowship.org

Need Courage??

This promise spoke to my heart today for as relaxing as summer is- there are times of stress with family, coming changes and pressures with expenses.  As I reflected on the courage we can receive from God’s abiding presence, I was encouraged.  I pray you will be too.

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (NIV)

Promise: God promises to be with me wherever I go and His presence will dispel fear and discouragement.

     God knows that I get fearful and discouraged as I face the trials of living each day. The people and circumstances that surround me often lead to discouragement, depression and fatigue. Without God to give me encouragement, direction and courage, I can become overwhelmed with despair. God faithfully reminds me that He is with me and His Spirit indwells me giving me His power to persevere. Praise God!

Lessons and Truths
1.     God is greater than anything or anyone that I might fear.
2.     God’s presence dispels fear.
3.     God is omnipresent.
4.     God is sovereign.

Prayer:   Lord, help me to live each day with the assurance of your presence. Give me the encouragement and courage to claim this promise and keep it near to my heart and mind. Thank you that you are greater than anything I will face today and that You are in control of all things.   Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?
Today will I strive to walk with God and rely upon Him.   What fears do I face today that I need to give to Him?
How can I practice living in God’s presence?

Here are a couple of practical tips that may help you to live in God’s presence today:   
   Pray in the moment– arrow prayers of needs as you see them.  
        Memorize Joshua 1:8-9 so that you can say it when you need assurance of God’s presence.  
              Ask God for assurance of His presence during your day.

Promise Confirmation:    Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 139: 7-10, Matthew 28:19-20

Blessings as you let this promise live in you today.

Linda

A picture of earthly peace and serenity in the gardens of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

Life's Perfect Manual

Psalm 119:9, 160
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…..All your words are true: all your righteous laws are eternal.”  (NIV)

Promise: God promises that His Word is eternal, righteous and a guide to godly living.

        When you get new appliances they come with a manual for operation or installation. Once I purchased a new sewing machine. The purchase came with 2 introductory classes to learn about the machine and the things you could make it do. When I got to the class I sat down, set up and threaded my machine in preparation for our work. The instructor came around and asked me, “How did you get the machine threaded?” He was shocked that I had accomplished that task without his assistance. I replied, “I followed the directions in the manual.”   In today’s world Google and U-Tube have become our convenient manuals for resolving questions about how things work.  What about in the area of godly living? Where do you go for guidance when you have problems with people, money, jobs, stress, etc? God tells us that all we need is in His Word. We do not need to worry that God’s manual will become out of date, have misleading information or lead us into wrong actions as He says His Word is true, eternal and righteous. His Word is our perfect manual for living our lives His way. Be sure to consult your manual often. You can depend on it!

Lessons and Truths:

1.     Following God’s Word leads to purity in our lives.
2.     God’s Word is true, pure, righteous and eternal.

Prayer:   Lord, instead of consulting friends, Google, or other worldly advice, cause me to look to you and your Word for wisdom. I know that You and You alone have the perfect answer. Give me patience as I wait for your answers and increase my trust in you.  Cause me to hunger after your righteous, eternal Word.  Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?

How is my life reflecting the truths of God’s Word?

How am I allowing God to lead me towards truth, purity and righteousness?

Promise Confirmation: Psalm 119: 11,105, Proverbs 30:5, Matthew 24:35, John 6:68 and 17:17, Hebrews 4:12, James 1:22-25

The Dead Sea scrolls found at Qumran confirmed the ancient writings of the Old Testament. God preserved them as an encouragement to our faith of the truth of His Word.

True Freedom

I thought this promise was appropriate for the week of the Fourth of July.  Enjoy the holiday and cherish your freedoms.

John 8:31-32, 36
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’…’So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,’”

Promise: God promises freedom, truth and discipleship in Christ.

     Where and when do you feel truly free? As Americans, we pride ourselves on our independence, self-initiative and having freedoms to claim and practice in our daily lives. As we know our freedoms are defined and limited by the society in which we live. Sometimes we agree with these limitations and sometimes we don’t. We struggle each day to survive and maintain our freedoms within our family, neighborhoods and society.

       The freedom that God promises is dependent upon Christ not us. We just need to believe and accept the true freedom and then live a life dependent upon God. We need to accept the truth that God provides in His Word and the truth of who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross. We need to accept our place in His family and take up the job of living for Him as His disciple. Working for God’s truth in our world will bring greater freedom than anything we think we can obtain or receive here on Earth. So do as Jesus commands, accept His freedom and be free indeed!

Lessons and Truths:
1.     Belief in God involves action.
2.     God is Truth.
3.     Knowing Christ, brings truth into my life.
4.     God gives freedom, true freedom through Christ.

Prayer: Lord, you are truth. Open my eyes to the true freedoms I have in Christ. Guide me to make choices that are glorifying to you and show my willingness to be a disciple of Jesus. Open ways to tell others about Jesus and the freedom you offer in Him. Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?

How am I experiencing God’s freedom and truth in my life?

As a disciple of Jesus, how am I holding to my faith and living by His Word?

Promise Confirmation: Psalm 31:5 and 86:11-13, Luke 14:26-27, John 14:6, Romans 8:1-2, Galatians 5:1, Revelation 1:4-5

Be free indeed through Christ,
Linda