“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
Isaiah 43:2 (NLT) This is a stressful and unsettled time. And you may feel like you’re going through it alone. But you’re not alone! God sees what you’re going through. God cares about what you’re going through. He’s right beside you, no matter the situation or circumstances you may be facing. There is nothing to fear when you know God is near. No matter what you face in the future, you will never face it alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (NLT). Satan will plant all kinds of seeds of doubt and fear in your mind like, “What if I get sick?” or “What if the economy tanks?” or “What if I lose my job?” And, you will undoubtably face anxiety from other sources too. Give those fears to Jesus and remember God promised to never abandon you. You don’t have to know what the future holds because you know who holds the future. God promises, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you . . . ” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT).
0 Comments
“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Colossians 3:13 (NLT) We forgive because we have been forgiven. God expects us to show grace to others because he showed grace to us. He demonstrated his love by sending Christ to die for us, even though we were still in rebellion to him (Romans 5:8). It’s easier sometimes to be selfish instead of gracious. You see the slow cashier in the grocery store line as a five-minute interruption to your day rather than somebody who might be struggling to keep his job, somebody who just got the worst news of his life a few minutes before. You see someone in your family who’s struggling as a drain on you rather than seeing her hopelessness over a desperate situation. You see the person who cut you off on the freeway as a villain instead of someone in need of God’s love. We’re all in need of God’s love. That’s why Jesus Christ came into this world. And to show people grace is to remember what God has done for us. The ultimate way God shows us grace is by forgiveness. And the ultimate way he asks us to show grace to others is also by forgiving them. People often ask, “How can I find the strength to forgive? I don’t have it in me.” The truth is, none of us do! The only place we find the strength to forgive is to remember how much Jesus has forgiven us. Through that reminder, he gives us the strength and grace to forgive others. There’s a story about a woman named Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross. A friend reminded her of a particularly cruel thing somebody had done to her years before. The friend asked, “Don’t you remember?” Her famous reply was, “No, I distinctly remember forgetting it.” Forgiveness doesn’t mean the person who wronged you was right. And it doesn’t make what that person did okay. When forgiving someone seems impossible, remember one thing: Jesus forgave you. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 15:1 (NIV) Here’s a common scenario: someone raises their voice against you, so you raise your voice in response. Then they raise their voice higher, then you raise your voice higher. And the situation keeps escalating. Some scientists suggest we do this because of mirror neurons in our brain meant to give us the ability to empathize with others and even mirror what they feel. But, unchecked, we can begin to mirror the anger and antagonism of someone in an argument. Let me give you a little tip that will save you a lot of heartache and conflict in your life: When other people raise their voice, lower yours—in your marriage, in your parenting, in your friendships, and at work. That’s called strength under control. The Bible says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV). Gentleness defuses conflict. It deescalates anger. When someone raises their voice in anger, instead of getting defensive, practice gentleness. Let your gentle answer disarm the other person and diffuse the situation. |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
All
Archives
July 2024
|