Tag: NeverAlone

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Follow the Cloud

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt they were headed for the “Promised Land”. The questions were where and how. No GPS, no Garmin, no Atlas or road map.

God was asking them to follow, and He had a plan.

“Because of your great mercy, you never abandoned them in the desert. And you always guided them with a cloud by day and a fire at night. 20 Your gentle Spirit instructed them, and you gave them manna to eat and water to drink.” Nehemiah 9:17-18 CEV

God provided His own instructional mapping service. He was leading them to the land that He promised Abraham hundreds of years before. God had not forgotten His promise.

“ As soon as the sacred tent was set up a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. 17-19 The Lord used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there,” Numbers 9:15-19 CEV

That cloud was a constant reminder of God’s presence. He had promised to be their God and their provider.

“Moses said to the Lord, ‘I know that you have told me to lead these people to the land you promised them. But you have not said who will go along to help me. You have said that you are my friend and that you are pleased with me. 13 If this is true, let me know what your plans are, then I can obey and continue to please you. And don’t forget that you have chosen this nation to be your own.’ 14 The Lord said, ‘I will go with you and give you peace.’ 15 Then Moses replied, ‘If you aren’t going with us, please don’t make us leave this place. 16 But if you do go with us, everyone will know that you are pleased with your people and with me. That way, we will be different from the rest of the people on earth.’ 17 So the Lord told him, ‘I will do what you have asked, because I am your friend and I am pleased with you.'” Exodus 33:12-17 CEV

What an amazing promise but that was then, what about us in the here and now? The Israelites were on the road leading to the cross; we walk the road following the cross.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said, ‘I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” Hebrews 13:5 ERV

“ I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever. 17 The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you…I have told you all these things while I am with you. 26 But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name. 27 I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” John 14:16-27 ERV

God promised the Israelites His presence and His peace. Those are the same promises He has made us.

As we seek His presence and follow His peace, we find that our way also leads to the cross.

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Eating Worms

As a kid, I’m sure most of you said this little chant once or twice. “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I’ll go eat worms. Big fat juicy ones, little, tiny scrawny ones, oh, how they do squirm.”

Kids stuff right? Not so much – that feeling is all too prevalent in adults as well, but we just don’t sing the chant.

The feeling that we’re all alone and that nobody really understands, or loves us can be overwhelming. We’ve all had people let us down, turn against us or just ignore us as if we don’t exist.

It seems we are justified in our little chant. However, I’d like to give you a different perspective on that little song. I’m going to turn it upside down. Instead of seeing it as a declaration of self-pity, I’d like us to look at it as a jingle of provision.

A worm-eating bird is the perfect example of God’s provision. It doesn’t go out in the morning complaining that no one cares – it goes out singing, knowing that God will provide all it needs for the day.

“Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth much more than birds?” Matthew 6:26 CEV

That same Father is the One who promises to never leave us or forsake us.

“God has said, ‘I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.’” Hebrews 13:5b ERV

Now that’s good news but let’s read it from the Amplified version to get a greater understanding.

“for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5b-6 AMP

Please read that again. The Amplified version gives us the depth of the meaning of the words the way they were written in the original language. God, the Father, is intense and emphatic in declaring His love to us.

This is how God feels about us. This is how He feels about you! He’s there for you. He will not leave you. His love never fails.

Welcome the day with singing. Our Father is protecting and providing all we need and we’re never alone.

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Does God Know?

Sometimes I ask that question. Does God know? Does He know when my heart aches and when fear creeps in; does God know that I have concerns over what the future holds?

The answer: of course, He does!

After I finished writing yesterday’s blog, “Not Today”, I read about Joshua. Moses was 120 years old, and he knew he was going to die. Joshua was his God-chosen replacement and would be responsible for leading the Israelites into the land God promised them. The Israelites were not an easy people to lead.

They had a history of complaining, rebellion, and questioning God’s word. These are the people Joshua would lead; this is the group he needed to be united; these are the ones who would be the called to fight and would need to follow orders.

Did God know what He was asking of Joshua? Of course, He did. And this was the Lord’s word of encouragement:

“Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.

7 Then Moses called Joshua up in front of the crowd and said: Joshua, be brave and strong as you lead these people into their land. The Lord made a promise long ago to Israel’s ancestors that this land would someday belong to Israel. That time has now come, and you must divide up the land among the people. 8 The Lord will lead you into the land. He will always be with you and help you, so don’t ever be afraid of your enemies.” Deuteronomy 31:6-8 CEV

God knew! He gave Joshua an irrefutable promise! It was unconditional – the Lord will ALWAYS be at your side; He will NEVER abandon you.

Always, Never – it can’t be any more inclusive than that. I’m sure Joshua had his times of doubt, even fear, as he looked at some of the impossible situations they faced but he held on to God’s promises and went forward and the enemy was defeated.

We also have some ALWAYS and NEVER promises, they cover the small insignificant issues in our life as well as the larger ones which are life-threatening.

“I always remember that the Lord is with me. He is here, close by my side, so nothing can defeat me.” Psalm 16:8 ERV

“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need.” Psalm 23:1 ERV

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

“Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” Hebrews 13:5 ERV

“Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” Ephesians 6:18 ERV

Does God know? Yes. Does He care? Yes. He will always be with us, He will never leave us. That is for certain!

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Never Run Out

I found this image of Niagara Falls and it intrigued me. Although, I have never been there and seen it personally I know it’s there – it has never run dry, the waters have never run out.

Each day, all day long, the waters continue to flow – spring, summer, autumn and winter – seven days a week, three hundred sixty five days a year. There are other places where creeks, streams and even rivers have run dry but not Niagara Falls and certainly not an ocean.

That’s the way it is with the ever-present, power and love of God. He brings aid and comfort, peace and goodness, even in our darkest and loneliest days.

“Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] 6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 AMP

Did you see that – He will not, He WILL not, HE WLL NOT fail us or leave us without support? Our Father is a 24/7, 365 day a year God of support and comfort! We cannot exhaust or deplete His loving care anymore that we can drain Niagara Falls by taking a cup of water from its flow.

Some people get hung up on the first part of verse 5 and lose the impact of the second half of the verse. Let me put it to you this way.

I have two gifts. The first is limited, it’s temporary, it will run out and be used up. The second is limitless, eternal, inexhaustible, constantly renewable. Which one do you choose? Moses said to the children of Israel,” I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life”!

What this verse is saying is don’t go running after riches. Instead choose God who promises to never leave you because in Him is an infinite supply of whatever we need. God is better than earthly riches, although He does promise to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.

Now, let’s ask and answer the question in verse six. What can man do to me?

With God on our side as our comfort, our encourager, our helper we have a flow of grace that makes man’s attacks incomparable to God’s power.

The grace of God will never run out!

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Too Many To Count

When our youngest daughter was in first grade I had a job where I had to be clocked in my 5:30 a.m. That, of course, was way to early for her to be up getting ready for school so Dave would get her off to school each morning.

I would have her clothes laid out and her lunch made but he had to make sure she had breakfast and her hair brushed before he took her to school. Breakfast was no problem but the hair brushing was something entirely different. She had long blonde hair, almost to the middle of her back and she liked to wear it in a pony tail or a single braid.

The hair brushing routine is something they still laugh about to this day. Dave’s big hands were clumsy as he tried to pulled up all that hair and smooth it into a pont tail with no lumps or bumps. They finally fell upon a plan that worked for them both. Our daughter would lay down on the dining room table bench, hair hanging over the edge. He brushed it, gathered it together and got the pony tail holder in place.

Success!

A labor of love! A time a father and daughter will never forget. Something special for just the two of them.

Did you know that our heavenly Father wants times like that with us? Special times – initimate times – times that only the two of us can share. He knows the very number of hairs on our head; He saw us as we were being formed in our mother’s womb and considered us perfect. He has been there every day of our lives and has been as intimately involved as we have allowed Him to be.

“But now the Lord Who made you, O Jacob, and He Who made you, O Israel, says, “Do not be afraid. For I have bought you and made you free. I have called you by name. You are Mine! 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not flow over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The fire will not destroy you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, Who saves you. I have given Egypt as pay for your life, and have traded Cush and Seba for you. Isaiah 43:1-3 NLV

“but with your own eyes you saw my body being formed. Even before I was born, you had written in your book  everything I would do. 17 Your thoughts are far beyond my understanding, much more than I could ever imagine. 18 I try to count your thoughts, but they outnumber the grains of sand on the beach. And when I awake, I will find you nearby.” Psalm 139:16-18 CEV

A friend and I were talking at breakfast yesterday morning about the goodness of God. Our Father is always working on our behalf, even when we don’t see it. His plan is for our good and our benefit. We can trust Him!

We don’t need to be looking at others and wishing we had what they have because we have our Father’s promise. He will never leave us or forsake us. Our help comes from the Lord so we should be “fear free”; our God is greater than any man.

When we ask the question “where is God now, does He know what I’m going through?”, the answer rings clear.

“I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!” Psalm 139:7 NLT

What is your situation today? Are your eyes filled with tears? Is your heart breaking? Do you feel lost and alone? Your Father knows the number of hairs on your head and He is with you in every situation. He has good thoughts of you – so many that they are to numerable to count!

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Building a Life

Our life has taken some interesting turns recently. I’m not able to share the details yet but I will later. It has been challenging to say the least. I have pulled into the Lord for His strength and direction. I have certainly learned alot about my relationship with the Father and found, once again, that He is always faithful!

Some of you are dealing with some pretty heavy stuff right now. Maybe to those looking in it might not appear to be that big of a deal or maybe it’s so big that people are telling you anyone would crumble if they were in your shoes. Friends and their words can be an encouragement and strength but they can also add to your burden and not realize it, so let’s look at what God’s word has to say about His faithfulness during difficult times.

The message is strong – “I will NEVER leave you”!

The writer of Hebrews tells us to put our faith, our hope, our perspective on the Lord and His faithfulness, not on money or circumstances. Nothing wrong with money but it cannot buy peace or be our source of strength.

Then he tells us to look at our rulers (spiritual leaders) and see how God has been faithful and moved in their lives. Their testimonies are an encouragement of the Father’s faithfulness and love. The writer of Hebrews ends with this thought. He tells us that Jesus set a precedent for moving in our lives because He IS the same – yesterday, today and forever!

“Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said,“I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” 6 So we can feel sure and say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. People can do nothing to me.” 7 Remember your leaders. They taught God’s message to you. Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:5-8 ERV

Every time I woke last night, and there were many, the words to this song came rushing into my heart. In fact, I laid there for over an hour just singing this anthem from the depths of my being. “Build My Life” by Songwriters: Matt Redman, Pat Barrett, Brett Younker, Karl Martin, Kirby Kaple, Karl Andrew Martin

And I will build my life upon your love, it is a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in you alone
And I will not be shaken
And I will build my life upon your love, it is a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in you alone
And I will not be shaken (Holy)

Holy, there is no one like you
There is none beside you
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who you are and fill me
With your heart and lead me
In your love to those around me (repeat)

The building blocks for my life are built on a firm foundation of God’s love for me. He will never abandon me – He will never leave me alone – I will not be deserted by my loving heavenly Father!

Don’t give up – Don’t quit! God is going through this with you and He will bring you out victorious!!!

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