“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19 NIV)

Dealing with vicissitudes

I love the word vicissitudes! I first ran across it in an old TV guide when I was a teenager, explaining what a movie was about. It said, “This movie is about a young man dealing with vicissitudes.” I didn’t understand what that meant, so I looked it up in the dictionary: “Vicissitudes are changes that happen at different times during the life or development of someone or something, especially those that result in conditions being worse.” Simply put, vicissitudes are the ups and downs of life. The word pretty much describes everybody’s condition in the world we live in because everyone must deal with one thing or another in the normal course of life. There are no exceptions. That’s because we all live in a fallen world, in an imperfect body, filled with imperfect things and imperfect people, all as a result of sin. Jesus said it this way: “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ESV). He gives both the problem and the solution in the same statement, saying that yes, you will face problems in this world, but you can be happy that Jesus has taken care of them for you! And how does He do that, you may ask? He sent the Holy Spirit to help you, and He reminds you of His words and promises found throughout the Scriptures to help you (See John 14:26). 

This changed my life!

When I got ahold of the promises in the Bible many years ago, it changed everything for me. It was like winning the lottery because there are thousands of them in the Bible from cover to cover. No matter what happens in my life, there are multiple promises there to cover it. Therefore, I look them up every day and apply them by faith. The promise at the top, for instance, declares several remarkable truths about God: He does not lie; he is truthful. He does not change his mind; he is faithful. He always does what he says (takes action). And He does what he says (he fulfills his promises). In other words, He is faithful to His word and will help you through your vicissitudes!

 Therefore

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 29:23 ESV)

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly our under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver,” (2 Cor. 9:7)

As Christians, we can give cheerfully because we know that God will take care of us and reward us abundantly. But we’re not driven to give primarily because of an expectation to receive (2 Cor. 9:6) but because we have already received (John 3:16).

Some Bible examples to follow

·      Give more than just money: In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan who gave time, resources, and skill to meet the need of a man who had been left for dead at the side of the road — demonstrating the valuable gifts of mercy, kindness, and hospitality.

·      Give to see the impossible happen: In Matthew 14:14-21, a little boy gave his small lunch of a few loaves and fishes to Jesus, and He used it to feed over 5,000 people — demonstrating that gifts in God’s hands can be divinely multiplied to meet the demands of greater works.

·      Give out of substance, not size: In Luke 21:1-4, Jesus compares the widow’s mite to the rich man’s gift — demonstrating that all gifts are blessed by God and that He sees the significance of a gift even when others don’t.

Therefore

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8 ESV)

“Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” (Prov. 22:9 ESV)

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” (Prov. 11:25 NLT)

If you want God’s blessing in your family and in your business, then fulfill the premise of this promise at top and be generous with what your resources.

Do it first and honor the Lord

“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first and best part of all your income. Then your barns will be full, and your vats will overflow with fresh wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 (GW)

Therefore

“But since you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (2 Cor. 8:7)

“Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do.” (Deut. 15:10 NLT)

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help.” (Psalm 34:15 CSB)

When I was a little boy, our cook, Mrs. Cox, baked some cookies and put them in a jar on the kitchen counter. When I thought she wasn’t looking, I took one, hid under the table, and ate it. Later, she said to me, “Why did you take a cookie from the jar without asking me?” I said, How did you know?” And she said, “A little yellow bird told me.” I didn’t realize that she had probably seen me take that cookie. If I had known she was watching, I wouldn’t have taken it. There’s a lesson here.

God is ever-present

Knowing that God constantly has his eyes on you helps you stay out of trouble. And if something should happen to you anyway, you can immediately cry to Him for help.

Therefore

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13 ESV)

“The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12 NLT)

“I took my troubles to the LORD; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer..” (Psalm 120:1 NLT)

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24 NIV)

Someone has said, “There are three types of people: 1) Those who make things happen, 2) Those who watch things happen, and 3) Those who stand around and say, ‘What happened?’” I have often found myself in the third category because I didn’t anticipate a problem coming until it suddenly happened. This week, for instance, one of the faucets on the outside of my house was dripping water onto the ground, and no matter how hard I tried to turn off the spigot, it continued to leak profusely. It was beyond my skill level to repair, so I called my son, John, who had previously fixed pipes for me that had frozen and broken during a cold snap. As soon as he looked into it, he found that it had been leaking back into the wall for a while, doing damage. So, he replaced the bad facet, wet insulation, and repaired everything.

This incident reminded me of sin, which often lurks unseen deep within our minds or hearts. The psalmist in the passage at the top recognizes this problem and asks God to “search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” When you seek God this way, He brings help to you where needed, often bringing the perfect Scriptures with solutions to your remembrance.  

Therefore

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” (2 Tim. 3:16)

“For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.” (Psalm 63:7)

“And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great.” (Job 8:7)

My how we’ve grown!

While getting together with our family during the recent holidays, Susan and I marveled at how large our family has grown—and is still growing—from just two of us over fifty years ago to having adult children with children who are also growing up with partners of their own to add to our numbers. We feel so blessed to watch it happen! All of this didn’t happen overnight, even though it does feel like it happened in a flash. Life is like that; little things eventually grow into bigger things if we simply keep at it and don’t quit.

New Year’s Resolutions

At the beginning of a new year, it's common to make resolutions such as losing weight, breaking bad habits, and resolving to accomplish big things. But it usually doesn't take long for reality to sink in and old habits to creep back in, and soon they’re abandoned out of discouragement.

It doesn't have to be that way with your relationship with God!

God promises to help you have a growing relationship with Him which will in turn affect every other area of your life in wonderful ways! Look what this verse says about God’s faithfulness to make it happen.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Phil. 1:6 NLT)

“God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.” (1 Thess. 5:24 NLT) 

Therefore

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (3 Peter 3:18 ESV)

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:19 ESV)

Happy New Year!

We just ended another year and are now starting a brand new one. Traditionally, the old year is depicted by artists as an old man wearing a banner from last year (he’s old and leaving) and a baby wearing a banner with the date of the new year (he’s new, innocent, and ready to grow into a productive future). Simply put, it’s time to let the past go and start a brand-new future.

No one knows the future accept God

Because God knows the future and what’s going to happen, the better you communicate with Him, the better your future will be! (See Matt. 6:33).

A future and a hope

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

New every morning

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lam. 3:22-24 ESV)

Therefore

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” (Isa. 43:18 ESV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17 ESV)

A Prayer for the New Year

Heavenly Father, praise your holy name. Thank you for the past year and for providing for my every need. As I begin this new year, help me to remember that your kingdom is coming soon and that I must be watching for it. Give me what I need for each day. Help me to have a forgiving attitude toward others in the same way that you have forgiven me. Help me to resist temptation and to be delivered from evil. Give me vision for the future in line with your perfect will. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. In Jesus name, amen.

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Gal. 6:9 NLT)

There’s an old story about a person who tried and failed many times to create a new lemon-lime-flavored drink. He called his first attempt 1 Up (it failed). And he called his second attempt 2 Up, and it too failed. And time and time again, he tried and failed, and finally, feeling completely defeated, he quit at 6 Up! He never knew how close he had come to success when he gave up. Although this story is obviously contrived, it does present a valid point. Many give up too soon. Thomas Edison, on the other hand, tried hundreds of times to find the right material that would work as a filament for the lightbulb, and he finally succeeded because he didn’t quit until he did. Another good example of perseverance was Babe Ruth, one of the best baseball players ever, who hit 714 home runs in his career, a record that stood for almost 40 years. But he also struck out 1,330 times. Among his many successes were twice as many failures, but he wasn’t defined by his failures but instead by his amazing successes. 

Therefore

As you end this year, do a personal survey of the successes you had this year and praise God for them. Also, as you see negative things that may have happened over the year, make a list of the good things you have learned from them. Finally, set your sights on the next year with a fresh determination to put God first in everything you do. 

“For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” (James 3:2 ESV)

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:31-33 ESV)

Continuing on from yesterday and our look at David’s Psalm 145 about endless praise we learn more about God’s character and why we should continuously offer up praises to Him.

The generous help and free gifts of God are always available to all his creatures.

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand;” (Psalms 145:13-16)

The Lord is near to all who call on Him

“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” (Psalms 145:17-20)

Therefore

All creation, and in particular his people, should bring him unending praise.

“My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21)