So, I know--it has officially been forever since I have updated this. Volleyball and work got the best of me. :)
So yesterday, I read Isaiah 41 which is all about God encouraging Israel. It was so good and came at just the right time for me. I know that God is good and always will be so, but my tendency is that when I have been going through a long, tiring trial, I forget that He is still at work and He is still being faithful--even now. I hope that if you have been going through a long trial and you are weary and trying to keep your head above water that you find these verses as encouraging as I did. They are a good reminder that God is good, faithful, sovereign, and He continually provides for His people.
`Isaiah 41:4
Who has performed and accomplished it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, and the first, and the with last. I am He.
God existed before time and will exist after it. He is above all--He has planned everything--His plans are the best and nothing can thwart them. He is God, the only Un-Created One.
`Isaiah 41:9-10
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its remotest parts and said to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
God has chosen you and me before He ever uttered the words, "Let there be light." We are His people. When He had every right to throw us far from Him, instead He drew us near to Himself. And since we are His people, we do not need to fear. We have no reason to fear, because the God that created and sustains the whole universe is leading you in battle. We have absolutely no reason to fear. And we never need to be anxious about something because He has it all under control. He knows exactly what He is doing and we can trust Him, He will remain faithful. And on those days when we feel the pressure and weight of life crushing us down, we only need to remember the God we serve. He supplies the strength, not us. We have never had the strength to do it alone, even if at times we think we do. He provides the strength, He is our Helper in times of distress, and no matter what comes our way, God is holding us up--we are in His hand and nothing can snatch us out of our Father's hand. Rest in Him. Trust in Him today. He is being faithful. He was faithful throughout all of History and He's not going to stop now. :) Rest in Him and His promises. When you find yourself being swallowed up by the trials of this life, stop and hand them over to God. Once you do you will find that you can serve Him and others around you so much better, because you are not focusing on yourself or your situation. But instead you have handed your situation over to God and you can now be at peace and know that whatever happens will be in His plan and for His purpose and will bring Him more glory, which should bring us more joy.
~Praying that God is honored and worshiped more.
