I Am Your God

"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."

Isaiah 41:10

I'm currently in a women's Bible study that requires homework every day. I like to work on mine in the early morning. One of this morning's tasks was to personalize a particular scripture. To put my name in place of  the pronouns in the verse. It's an exercise I've done before and its very effective in helping me make God's promises in the Bible mine. Isaiah 41:10 is such a great promise; one that I think we all need to personalize for those times when we are anxious and worried. So play along with me and let's personalize this one together. I'm using the Amplified Bible version so we really get a double whammy impact of this verse. Ready? Let's get started. Wherever there's a blank, put in your name. Say it aloud:

"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with ________; do not look around _______ in terror and be dismayed, for I am _______'s God. I will strengthen and harden ________  to difficulties, yes, I will help __________; yes, I will hold _______up and retain _________ with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice."

God loves you and wants you to see scripture as much more than words on a page. He wants you to recognize it as His truth and promise to you. He is faithful and will never forsake you. He says to you, "I am your God"

Real Hope

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures 

we might have hope."

Romans 15:4

Paul can only be speaking of the Old Testament here. He had just quoted from Psalm 69. What was written then was not just for that time, it was written for our instruction as well. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" (2 Timothy 3:16). When we study Scripture we see God's perspective on things and find wisdom to deal with the trials and challenges that come into our life. We learn how others persevered through hardship and persecution, and came out stronger in their faith and trust in God. This is the encouragement we need to give us hope in hopeless situations. "You won’t find any hope in the daily newspaper. You won’t find any hope in modern literature. Look at any field and see if you can find any hope. There is none whatsoever. It is dark and dismal when you look out at this world today. My friend, the only place you can find real hope is in the Word of God." (J. Vernon McGee)

I 

When We Struggle with Doubt

"I would have despaired unless I had believed 

that I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the LORD."

Psalm 27:13-14

When trials enter our lives, doubt often comes with them. The enemy loves it when we struggle with our faith and question God's goodness. The Bible is filled with verses that can help us during such times. As we turn to them and meditate on the words, the Holy Spirit encourages us to keep trusting. He reminds us not to despair, believe in the goodness of the Lord and wait for Him. Remain strong by the power of His Spirit and free your heart to be courageous. All this and so much more. Are you struggling today? What verses has God given you in the past that can help you now?

Know the Real Thing

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

1 John 4:1

One of the most effective ways to recognize a counterfeit is to be completely and intimately acquainted with the real thing. People who recognize counterfeit money are deeply familiar with real bills. The way they feel, the intricacy of the artwork, the weight of the paper and the way the ink bleeds into it. In John's day, false teachers were leaving the church and drawing others to come after them.Today there are many teachers claiming to be followers of Christ who are teaching heresy. They have "gone out into the world", giving their false messages not only through their churches, but through the internet, books and TV. Sadly, many people are being led astray. John told his readers to "test the spirits." Behind every teacher there is either the spirit of God or the spirit of evil. So, how can we recognize counterfeit teaching? By comparing everything we hear to the real thing -- the truth of scripture. For example, Jesus said He is the only way to God (John 14:6). If anyone says there are many ways to God, they are not teaching the truth. Scripture is clear on this point and does not contradict itself. Don't take anyone's teaching as truth -- not even the writer of Mountain Manna -- without first knowing the real truth of the Bible. 

Try This At Home

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" 
(2 Timothy 3:16). 

Warning. If you open the Bible and humbly ask the Holy Spirit to teach you, you will be transformed. The inspired words of God will penetrate your heart and mind. They'll convict you and show you where you are wrong. You will exhibit more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This will have a profound affect on your relationship with God, and others. In fact, your friends and family may comment on how much they like the new you. Kind of exciting, don't you think?


"If your creed and Scripture do not agree, cut your creed to pieces, but make it agree with this book. If there be anything in the church to which you belong which is contrary to the inspired word, leave that church. To the law and to the testimony here is the infallible chart of faith, follow it closely, and if you do, you need have no fear of coming short, for this book cannot lead you astray." -- Charles Spurgeon 

God's Love Letter

"How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
Who seek Him with all their heart."

Psalm 119:2

The Bible is God's testimony to us. It tells us of His love and faithfulness, of His desire to have a relationship with us and the ultimate sacrifice He made to make that possible. His word is the truth we need to combat Satan's lies that there is no God, or if there is -- that He doesn't care for us. There is no blessing like the blessing we receive when we read scripture and allow the Lord to speak to us through it. He instructs us and guides us with each verse. It's His love letter to us and He longs for us to read it. To seek Him there with all our heart.

Can You Relate?

"They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread." 

Luke 24:35

While Jesus walked with the two men on the road to Emmaus, they did not recognize Him. Later, after they invited Him to stay with them and they were reclining at a table, Jesus took bread, blessed it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Don't you wonder what it was about the breaking of the bread that caused them to recognize the Lord? Was it His authority in asking the blessing and giving them the bread to eat? Was that something they had seen Him do before? Or did they see His nail-scarred hands and realize then that this was the Savior? Whatever the reason, their hearts were on fire for Him (Luke 24:32). He had opened the scriptures to them, He had blessed their meal, and had graced them with His presence. Their response was to return to Jerusalem post-haste and tell others about Jesus. Studying scripture  and spending time with the Lord should give us a yearning in our hearts to relate what we have learned to others.

Powerful Words

"Your word I have treasured in my heart,
         That I may not sin against You."
Psalm 119:11

Those who love God want to live in obedience to Him.  God's word gives instructions on how to live in faithfulness to Him and has the power to transform us. When we value Bible verses and take them to heart, we are changed from the inside out.  As Christ was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He used scripture to defeat him. "It is written. . .", He said. If they were important for Jesus, God in the flesh, to use against the enemy, think how much more important they are for us.

Eager Learners

"And all the people would get up early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him." 

Luke 21:38

Jesus is in Jerusalem, teaching daily in the temple. The scribes and chief priests try to discredit Him, to no avail. The people rise early in the morning and flock to the synagogue to hear Him preach. They are eager to accept what He has to tell them. The Lord is still speaking to us today through scripture. I wonder if we are as anxious to learn from Him as those ancient people were.

A Light on My Path

"Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path" 

Psalm 119:105

It's so easy to become confused in this rapidly changing world we live in. Popular opinion drives the decisions of so many people. But what happens when views change? When what seemed wrong yesterday is now right simply because "everyone is doing it"? The path we are walking can suddenly become dark and indistinguishable.  But when we go to scripture for our answers instead of following the crowd, the verses we read shed light on our circumstances and show us the best way to go. In a world of uncertainty, we can be certain that God never changes, nor does His word.