Posted on 06/16/2012 12:05:26 AM PDT by Frank Broom
You might be going through a tough time right now, but taken from the life of Isaac God is able to shower you with his goodness even in the middle of your circumstance and have everyone around you amazed. And that should be normal because we serve a supernatural God that doesn't need circumstances to line up for people to see his goodness, but right where you are right now. I was reading through Genesis and how Isaac was traveling and God told him don't go down to Egypt because there was a famine in the land and he pitched his tent in the land of the Philistines. And it says Isaac sowed and reaped an hundredfold in that same year. And he waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great. He became so great that the people asked him to depart from them. What's so supernatural about that, because he sowed and reaped an hundredfold with no water. There was no rain and the Philistines stopped up the wells of his father Abraham after his death. So, you could say God made a way out of no way. And after he departed they came to him to make a covenant with him because they saw certainly that the Lord was with him. They saw that the Lord was with him because they saw the goodness of God manifested in his life. And God can do the same thing for you, and have people wonder how in the world did that happen. The goodness of God can manifest in your situation at any given moment.
Even his son Jacob after he had deceived his father Isaac and stole his brother's blessing and his mother told him to flee to her brother's house unless his brother kills him. And he fled and during his journey he fell asleep one night and had a dream where he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven and angels ascending and descending on it and the Lord stood above it and told him that he would be with him wherever he went and Jacob woke up and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not." I know sometimes the way might get rough, but God is there. And he will never leave you nor foresake you. Put your trust in him and line yourself up with his word. Think, speak, and act in line with his word and people will say the same about you, "We saw certainly that the Lord was with you." (Taken from Genesis 26 & 27)
And if you want the assurance that God the father is with you I urge you to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. It's not hard all you have to do is believe God raised Jesus from the dead and confess him as your Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9,10). "Dear God I confess that I have sinned, but I receive what Jesus did for me on the cross. He took my sins that I can be forgiven. And I believe that you raised him from the dead and I confess Jesus is my Lord and Savior." Amen!
I became a Christian when I was 10 years old but I have to say that the past 12 years have been a crescendo of duress so I was grateful to come across your sweet post. Thank you.
Thank you, Frank Broom!
What an absolutely wonderful post. Thank you, Frank!
Funny. I don’t see anyone else sitting here?
God is with us all. If we so choose.
But we can choose to walk alone. He gives us that freedom. He gave it to Lucifer. And he gave it in the Garden. He has given that to every human every day since.
It’s a BAD choice. Choose wisely...
Thank you.
I went through tough times last winter. Bad health, family, bureaucratic problems - but felt God real close to me.
Now everything is settled and improved - I miss it.
Um, I’m confused. How did the word “supernatural” come up? (Except by you raising it, while saying you don’t.)
Seriously, I’m confused by your post.
I try to be a good person but fail every time. I am full of anger, hostility, anxiety, fear, depression and sin and I constantly fail to be worthy of God’s love, blessing and forgiveness.
If God does love me, I don’t know why or how He could.
I say I believe in God, I say I believe in Jesus and believe he is the lord and savior, but I don’t think I truly have accepted Jesus yet, because if I did I wouldn’t be such a terrible person who constantly chooses Godlessness over what is right.
I believe the miserable state I have been in for a long time is my punishment for failing God constantly. I hope God hasn’t given up on me even though I have given Him no reason to have faith or confidence in me. Maybe one day I will get it right.
It is what was in the article.
“What’s so supernatural about that, because he sowed and reaped an hundredfold with no water....”
I can see where Bellflower is coming from - but don’t think it is that large of a point of contention.
Thanks for clarifying. I missed that.
Have no issue with Bellflower’s post. Like I said, it just confused me that it was sent my way.
“I believe the miserable state I have been in for a long time is my punishment for failing God constantly.”
I have been a Christian all of my life. And have said the same as you often, and have also wondered if I was saved. A friend once assured me that I was saved, and reminded me of the verse that says “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for they shall inherit eternal life.”
And though it is perhaps a bit trite, as our preacher says “Nothing you do will make God love you any more. And nothing you do will make God love you any less.” (The whole “hate the sin, not the sinner” thing”)
One thing that I became more aware of at our new church was how the Commandments, and the teachings of Christ are instructions on how to be happy. If we don’t follow those wise instructions, we are put back into bondage and punishments of our own making.
Although I do think that God does chastise us in order for us to change direction (many don’t agree with me on that - but I have seen it in my own life). But I think most of the time we do well enough on our own in punishing ourselves.
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I found the following after a quick search on “Grace”:
http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/20-inspirational-bible-verses-about-grace/
Grace means to get something that you do not deserve; unmerited favor. Mercy means you do not get a punishment that you deserve; compassion, forbearance. God is abundant in grace and mercy and we can read about it in the Bible. His greatest act of grace is the gift of salvation that is available for all people through faith (Eph 2:8-9).
Ephesians 2:4-9 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Christian Quotes About Grace
“Just as the sinner’s despair of any hope from himself is the first prerequisite of a sound conversion, so the loss of all confidence in himself is the first essential in the believer’s growth in grace.” ~ A. W. Pink
Turn around FRiend, and look back. He is still there, beside you. Just taking the time to count those blessings and thank Him keeps you closer.
Needed to read this right at this very moment.
Thank you and God bless.
Amen!
Thanks FRiend. :)
Last November we lost all our life savings and retirement to a Ponzi scheme. Over $1 million dollars. We now live on Social Security. If God had not been with us I could not have endured it.
Do not become discouraged that you are human. Human nature may tend toward evil, but is not inherently sinful. Be not downcast by your failure wholly to forget some of your regrettable experiences. The mistakes which you fail to forget in time will be forgotten in eternity. Lighten your burdens of soul by speedily acquiring a long-distance view of your destiny, a universe expansion of your career. UB 1739
When man gives everything he has to God then does God make man more than he is.
I say I believe in God, I say I believe in Jesus and believe he is the lord and savior, but I don’t think I truly have accepted Jesus yet, because if I did I wouldn’t be such a terrible person who constantly chooses Godlessness over what is right.
We've all got some advice...Here's mine...
You're no different that the rest of us in that we stumble and fall on a regular basis...
We have an old nature that loves to go against God...So how do we get nearer to God???
God gave us an instruction book...The bible...Our old nature hates that book...
Get into that book...Don't worry about understanding it...Just believe it...As you believe, God will provide the understanding...
Follow the threads on the religion forum on FR...Those who know God constantly post scripture and pay particular attention to the posts of metmom, boatbums and many others who always back up what they say with scripture...
There's an old saying that 'sin will keep you from that book, and that book will keep you from sin...Speaking of the bible of course...
And stay in constant contact with God thru prayer...Talk to Him...Keep on talking to Him...
Let yesterday go...Start every day anew...Like they say, today is the fisrt day of the rest of your life...
Any time. Things have been better for us in the last few years, after a layoff, and starting my own business on a shoestring. Not perfect yet (are they ever?), but much better, and I know the feeling of a growing sense of distance with the hubbub and mayhem of prosperity. Then I realized God hadn’t gone anywhere, that He was still with me. All I had to do was take some time and look. It seems like we make more time to pray when times are tough. Now, I think it is every bit as important to spend time giving Him thanks when they are good.
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