Christ Will Rescue You

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

The State of Your Intimacy with God

Psalm 147:3 (NLT)
“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.”

A close friend recently asked me what I would do if the person I loved the most betrayed me. She posed this question because it happened to her almost eleven years ago. While she has since recovered from the pain it caused, the memory remains a constant reminder of what was lost during the healing process and the price paid due to ignorance of the situation.

The sting of betrayal is something most people try to avoid at all costs. It's not just about the person who causes the hurt but also the struggle of picking up the pieces. Once our hearts have been broken, the pain makes an imprint upon our memories that we will never forget, but there is also a lesson in our heartbreak. This lesson sheds light on the state of our intimacy with God.

In his epistle to the believers in Corinth, the Apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 11:1-3 (MSG): “Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a moment. The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much—this is the passion of God burning inside me! I promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin to her husband. And now I’m afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth tongue, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ.”

Our Heavenly Father is the ultimate, the ‘Great I Am!’ Revelation 1:8 paints the picture perfectly—He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. His glory, intelligence, and perfection surpass all comprehension. No one can compare to our extraordinary, all-powerful, all-knowing God! He is Everything, and in Matthew 6:33, Jesus Christ commands us to prioritize seeking God and His Kingdom above all else. You see, God can never take second place. It's just not who He is. He is sovereign, and He reigns supremely. If we place anything or anyone above our Heavenly Father, it reflects a misunderstanding of His nature. In such a case, He holds us accountable for seeking Him out, for delving into His Word to grasp the truth.

A lot of women haven't really taken the time to understand and know God intimately. They often prioritize their relationships with guys over their relationship with our Heavenly Father, and this will not turn out well. It's like they're all in when it comes to romance, but not so much when it comes to God. That's not going to lead us on the right path. The psalmist said in Psalm 16:8(NIV): “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” This verse is conveying to us that if we stay focused on God, sure, heartbreak might hurt, but it won't knock us down completely. We won't be left devastated just because a mere mortal decides not to be loyal.

God wants us to put Him first, above everything else. This isn't a big ask, because He truly deserves our utmost devotion. He is our Creator and everything that we achieve and possess in this life is because of His grace. Sometimes, when we look back with a deeper understanding, we realize that we left ourselves open to hurt. Cheating happens, and it's up to us whether we want to stay in a relationship after betrayal. But here's the thing: if we don't change ourselves and place our focus on God, we might find ourselves in the same painful situation again.

When our relationship is tight with Heavenly Father, our thoughts and actions start to change; we’re no longer who we used to be. As our faith grows and gets stronger, we begin to understand how our words, feelings, thoughts, and actions can either make tough situations easier or harder to handle. Progressing spiritually means realizing that we can’t escape pain entirely in life.

Never forget that life, as designed by our Heavenly Father, requires us to confront our obstacles; otherwise, they'll hinder our progress. So, when someone hurts us, it's like holding up a mirror. It reflects something we need to address to move forward and live a richer, more purposeful life. Trusting in God, prioritizing Him and His righteousness, allows Jesus Christ to tend to your heart. He'll mend it, shield it, and transform it into one that forgives and empowers you.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“The State of Your Intimacy with God”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2024. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Trust God in All Your Storms

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT)
“9 Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Most folks aren't out there trying to prove how tough they are. If they're anything like me, they'd rather dodge any rough patches if they can. And when the tough stuff does roll around, we'd rather have someone to lean on, right? Well, truth be told, only God is consistently in our corner, and we must be deeply grateful for His faithfulness. Life will throw some serious curveballs to test our resilience. So, who are you when you've got to make those hard calls? Do you crumble under the weight, or has life taught you to trust and lean on God in the storm?

For those that haven’t experienced life’s full range of ups and downs, surprises can catch you off guard and hit you like a ton of bricks. But guess what? God's saying in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 that through it all, His grace is more than enough. Many of us have experienced firsthand that life is indeed full of ups and downs, right? But when your partner walks out, your job tanks, or your kids are driving you nuts, you don't have to fall apart. Why? Because when you're feeling weak, God is strong!

Isaiah 40:29 (NLT) states, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” As God's kids, He’s given us power and authority through Jesus Christ. With it, we can tackle anything the enemy throws our way. But here's the kicker, we’ve got to remain grounded in God’s Word. It keeps us steady when everything's up in the air.

The psalmist's words in Psalm 23:4(NLT), "Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me," provide tremendous comfort. As children of God, there's no need to fear the future or what's lurking around the corner. We have the privilege and the responsibility to place all our trust in God, just as Psalm 23:4 says. Our Heavenly Father is always there for us, through thick and thin. When you need a shoulder to cry on and a shield for protection, He's right there, and He promises never to leave or forsake us.

1 John 4:4(NLT) declares, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” Most of us have heard this wonderful truth taught many times, but a lot of us still clam up when it comes to handling the unexpected. We need to make a shift and adopt a new strategy for tackling the hiccups of life. Rather than forgetting God’s promises when things heat up, let’s make a commitment to visualize the Lord’s kind but strong face as he holds our hands and never lets them go. Then, literally hear him speaking the commandment of Mark 11:22 to you: “Have faith in God.”

Even when you feel life’s struggles trying to pull you down, resist it and be determined to keep your mind and heart stayed on Jesus Christ. God spoke it, and it is our reality, as His kids: His grace is all we need. We might feel weak, but with God, weakness is a chance for joy, a chance to find strength in the Lord. When you're feeling down and out, when you're ready to throw in the towel, that's when you’ve got to press into the Father. He will bring us through the storm. Lean into Him, thank Him for seeing you through the rough patches. The power of Christ is within you, and don’t ever forget it. ■

“Trust God in All Your Storms”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2024. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

An Urgent Cry for Help

Psalm 86:1-7(NLT)
“1 A prayer of David. Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. 2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. 3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. 4 Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. 5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. 6 Listen closely to my prayer, O LORD; hear my urgent cry. 7 I will call to you whenever I'm in trouble, and you will answer me.”

Have your circumstances ever been so dire that you cried out to God like never before? You knew in the depths of your heart that only our Heavenly Father could come to your rescue? This is King David’s urgent cry for help in Psalm 86:1-7. He was the king of a great nation and had many problems and enemies. The situations were overwhelming, and David understood that mere mortals could not rescue him and a nation. It had to be God. This is where he placed his trust, and God never disappointed him.

1Peter 5:9(NLT) tells us, “9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” Standing firm against the devil is the charge God gives us in this verse, and the way to accomplish it is to be strong in our faith regarding God’s love and power. Many believers all over the world are suffering through really difficult times. All of us must pray for each other, and we must know that the only way we’re going to make it through is with God on our side.

Often, people come into the faith and become Christians because they think it means they won’t ever endure difficulty again. This isn’t true. Our Lord and Savior made it clear in John 16:33 that with life on earth, we will have troubles, but we should be courageous and brave when we face them. The reason we can be courageous and brave is because when Jesus Christ carried out God’s mission on earth, he overcame all the pressures, strife, and struggles that any of us will ever endure. He won the victory over those things, and because he did, we can live in his victory every moment of our lives.

1Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is the not the author of chaos and confusion. He is a God of order and peace. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t orchestrate the difficulties we face, but we have an enemy, the devil, and he causes all the evil and darkness in this world. In John 10:10(NLT), Jesus Christ said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” And in John 8:44(NLT), Jesus says about the devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” We are often deceived by the devil, and we make a huge mistake when we blame what he does on our Heavenly Father. This is exactly what the enemy wants. Coming between us and our relationship with God is his target, because he doesn’t want us to have faith in God. Instead, he wants us to be afraid of him. We should never give into his scare tactics.

Some are urgently crying out to God and saying they’ve never seen such heartache and despair in their lives. They are contemplating giving up on their relationship with Him altogether. This is something we must never do. Instead, we must understand that it is during our weakest and most vulnerable moments that the enemy tries to attack us, but God will always and forever have our backs. He tells us in 2Corinithans 12:9(NLT), “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

God’s grace is our strategy for embracing the victory of Jesus Christ! God’s grace is the favor that He gives us even though we can’t do anything to earn it. We simply must have faith in God’s power and have faith in His willingness to use it on our behaves. Be assured that believing wholeheartedly in God is the practice that pleases Him. He tells us this in Hebrews 11:6. All relationships take time to develop and deepen, and faith is the way to go to develop and deepen our relationship with our Heavenly Father. You and I must desire a better relationship with Him, and then we must begin to build our lives around this. God hears our urgent cries for help, and when we have the faith to take His hand, 1Corinthians 10:13 tells us that He will deliver us and lead us to a way of escape. ■