“So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to — the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.” (Eph. 4:22-24 NIV)

God grows us one step at a time

Even though God could work a miracle and change us quickly, He usually works with us slowly and changes us gradually, a little bit at a time. That’s how Jesus worked in developing the lives of His disciples and that’s how God allowed the Israelites to take over the Promised Land “little by little” so they wouldn’t be overwhelmed (Deut. 7:22).

Both negative and positive habits develop slowly over time

You don’t get out of shape instantly, physically or mentally, and you don’t get into good shape instantly either. I realized this fact when my doctor told me I was pre-diabetic and must lose weight. It had taken me a long time to gain the weight and to lose it would also take time. So, I developed a plan that took a year and a half to lose 60 lbs. It was slow and the changes were in small increments. But I accomplished it.

Good character habits take time to develop

To develop the habits of Christ like character you must practice them over a longtime. Your character is the sum-total of your habits. You can’t claim to be kind unless you are habitually kind. Your habits define your character. There are no instant habits. Paul urged Timothy, “Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress.” (1 Tim. 4:15)

Therefore…

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (Heb. 12:1 ESV)

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (1 Chron. 16:11 ESV)

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6 ESV)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Prov. 4:23 NIV)

The heart is regarded as the center of a person’s thoughts and emotions.

In both the Old Testament and the New Testament the word “heart” is used to refer to the whole of the innermost part of the human, NOT merely the emotions. The heart regarded as the center of a person’s thoughts and emotions, especially love or compassion.

The Biblical word “heart,” is the inner aspect of a man, made of three parts: mind, will, and emotions.

Everything you do flows from your heart

Believers are instructed to, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.” (Proverbs 4:23–26 NIV)

Guarding your heart

When Solomon, who wrote this passage, refers to guarding the heart, he really means the inner core of a person, the thoughts, feelings, desires, will, and choices that make that person who he/she is. The Bible tells us that our thoughts often dictate who we become (Proverbs 23:7; 27:19). The mind of a man reflects who he really is, not simply his actions or words. That is why God examines the heart of a man, not simply his outward appearance and what he appears to be (1 Samuel 16:7).

“For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.” (Psalm 37:28a)

I hear fellow Christians continue to pray something like, “Lord, go with us today,” even though He says clearly in His Word that he is always present with you, and that He will never leave or forsake you. Instead, I believe you should pray something like, “Thank you, Lord, for being always with me!”

Here are ten verses from God’s Word about His faithfulness to be always with you:

1) “‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.'”  (Deut. 31:6)

2) “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deut. 31:8)

3) “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)

4) “May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may He never leave us nor forsake us.” (1 Kings 8:57)

5) “David also said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.'” (1 Chronicles 28:20)

6) “For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.” (Psalm 37:28)

7) “For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.” (Psalm 94:14)

8) “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 41:17)

9) “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 42:16)

10) “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)

Therefore…

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16-23)

When you pray to receive Jesus, He comes to live inside of you. Everywhere you go, He is ever-present with you. That is a wonderful promise that should bring you great assurance and comfort.

“But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15 NIV)

Compassion: concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. It is pity, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, care, sensitivity, warmth, love, tenderness, mercy, leniency, tolerance, kindness, and charity.

Five important things 

It’s amazing to me how many people perceive God as angry and disconnected from humanity. Nothing could be further from the truth! According to the above verse you learn five important things about Him. 1) He is compassionate, 2) He is gracious, 3) He is slow to anger, 4) He is abounding in love and 5) He is abounding in faithfulness!

Now, that is the God I know and serve!

Therefore…

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” (Isa. 30:18 ESV)

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” (Col. 3:12 ESV)

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

Quotes:

“Remember that even Jesus' most scathing denunciation - a blistering diatribe against the religious leaders of Jerusalem in Matthew 23 - ends with Christ weeping over Jerusalem. Compassion colored everything He did.” - John MacArthur

“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” - George Washington Carver

“To keep the Golden Rule we must put ourselves in other people's places, but to do that consists in and depends upon picturing ourselves in their places.” - Harry Emerson Fosdick

“God is an ever-present help in the time of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 NIV)

He’s always with you! 

God is always present whether you see Him or not! The verse above says that He is “ever-present.” No matter where you go, He is there with you. And no matter what you find yourself going through, He is aware of it. So, do not fear! Claim this promise and go to Him immediately whenever anything happens. He will strengthen and help you!

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

And, it’s because of God’s wonderful love for you! The following verses say it best

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?  Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39 NLT)

Therefore…

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8 ESV)

“But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” (Psalm 73:28 ESV)

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

 Quotes:

“The most holy and necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means finding constant pleasure in His divine company, speaking humbly and lovingly with him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way.” - Brother Lawrence

“We (Christians) are always in the presence of God. There is never a non-sacred moment! His presence never diminishes. Our awareness of His presence may falter, but the reality of His presence never changes.” - Max Lucado

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.” - C. S. Lewis

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” (Deut. 7:9 NIV)

God is Faithful! Always!

People will and do fail you sometimes. It’s just the way it is and if you aren’t careful, you could believe God will somehow fail you, too! But, God cannot fail, ever! It’s just impossible because God is God and He is always 100% faithful and He must always be 100% faithful to His Word. “If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Tim. 2:13 ESV)

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Num. 23:19 ESV)

All God’s work is done in faithfulness

“For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.” (Psalm 33:4)

His faithfulness establishes and guards you!

“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” (2 Thes. 3:3)

His faithfulness protects you against extreme temptation

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

Therefore…

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22-23)

Quotes:

“All God's giants have been weak men and women who have gotten hold of God's faithfulness.” - Hudson Taylor

“God cannot change. He cannot be anything other than who He is. Out of His love and His promises, you were selected as His treasure. God's faithfulness has been the bedrock of His dealings with humanity throughout time.” - Graham Cooke

“The same yesterday, today, and forever” -. John Bunyan

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.” (Psalm 86:5 NIV)

God is the embodiment of perfect goodness, and is kind, benevolent, and full of good will toward all creation

“O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)

“Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me.” (Psalm 69:16)

“For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

“The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17)

Therefore…

“Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.” (Psalm 25:8)

“O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (1 Chr. 16:34)

Quotes:

“The goodness of God is infinitely more wonderful than we will ever be able to comprehend.” - Aiden Wilson Tozer

“Remember the goodness of God in the frost of adversity.” - Charles Spurgeon

“Joy is a quiet gladness of heart as one contemplates the goodness of God's saving grace in Christ Jesus.”  - John Calvin

“What is sin? It is the glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The power of God not praised. The truth of God not sought. The wisdom of God not esteemed. The beauty of God not treasured. The goodness of God not savored. The faithfulness of God not trusted. The commandments of God not obeyed. The justice of God not respected. The wrath of God not feared. The grace of God not cherished. The presence of God not prized. The person of God not loved. That is sin.” – John Piper 

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us.” (Eph. 2:4 NIV)

Mercy: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. It is leniency, clemency, compassion, grace, pity, charity, forgiveness, forbearance, soft-heartedness, tenderheartedness, kindness, sympathy, liberality, indulgence, tolerance, and generosity.

God is plenteous in mercy!

We have a powerful and merciful God. He knows we have all fallen short of His glory, but His mercy is incredible.

“For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy to all them that call on you.” (Psalm 86:5)

Therefore…

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3)

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” (Titus 2:11 NIV)

Grace is God’s unmerited favor and blessings

Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowing of blessings. It is unmerited mercy (favor) that God gave to humanity by sending his son to die on a cross, thus delivering eternal salvation.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)

It is given through faith

“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-24)

You have been saved through faith

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Grace and truth through Jesus

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

Therefore…

“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17)

Quotes:

“Grace is the free, undeserved goodness and favor of God to mankind.” - Matthew Henry

“Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon.” - John Piper

“ I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I hope to be. But still, I am not what I used to be. And by the grace of God, I am what I am.” - John Newton