Tag: Faith

Faith, the Sparkplug Necessary to Activate the Word of God

God’s Word says, without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would come near to God must believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).  When we approach God to present our needs to Him, we must mix our faith with His word, so that His word will be affective in our prayer life. Asking without believing is without a doubt an insult to His attributes. It constitutes a serious spiritual problem in the sense of relationship with Him. How many times our prayers are not heard because our attitudes didn’t line up with faith in order for a harmonious relationship between us and our heavenly Father? Knowing our heart and its motives, knowing how wicked and faithless it is, our God will not be pleased with us. Our faithless life style finds no pleasure in our spiritual growth, because it is faith that connects us to Him. “Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered, let us be afraid [to distrust it], lest any of you should think he has come too late and has come short of reaching it. For indeed we have had the glad tidings proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness by those who heard it; neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe)” (Heb. 4:1-2).

The Word of God has been given to us thousands of years ago. While the message it displays remains quiet and ineffective for most of the time in the lives of Christians, its messages are powerful and strong. He said, “Is not My word like fire? Says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]?” (Jer. 23:29). “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and the spirit, and the joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Knowing these truths about the Word of God, shouldn’t we demonstrate honor and respect to it? Since it is the spoken words of God? Shouldn’t we desire to learn about God better and His commandments in order to have a closer relationship with Him, our heavenly Father? The Israelites missed the mark for not listening to His spoken and written word. Even though having experienced God’s presence at Mount Sinai and all throughout their pilgrimage to the Promised Land, miracles upon miracles, supernaturally fed and cared for. But Israel suffered from ATTENTION DEFICIT (ADHD). They did not have faith to mix with the Word of God and were left in the desert, without reaching the Promised Land. We read in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1-3 the following: “In many separate revelations and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets. [But] in the last of these days, He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, all by and through Whom of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time; He is the sole expression of the glory of God; nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power,. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.” To us He has given His precious words of warnings, teachings, sanctification in order for us to be more as He is. The effectiveness of God’s Word is based on faith that pleases Him. Faith that connects to His words, faith that assures us of our prayers answered. Experiencing a life of answered prayers is a confirmation that our faith is being mix with God’s word. It has been connected to Him in a relationship that unites us to Him, never again to doubt what He said.

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You Shall Have a Song as in the Night

A song in the night hours when the mind tries to rest, the body tries to relax is possible when there is peace within. But when the mind races with thoughts of the day that seemly not pleasant, the song disappears in the waves of anxiety. The Bible says that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5). It is at night that we are confronted with feelings of disappointments, anger, frustrations, and so on. While all sleep and we are left alone battling these feelings, the night seems long. However, it is in that time frame that we do need a song to pull us out of our struggles. The song in the night will lift up the burden we are carrying. It is a song that will be directed to God, a song of supplication, a song of praise and gratitude, for He promised to keep in perfect peace those whose mind stays on Him, because they trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3). Praises are weapons of warfare against our enemy. Job said, “But no one says, Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs of rejoicing in the night, Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?” (Job 35:11-12). Paul and Silas, after been struck with many blows, and thrown into prison, into dungeon, their feet fastened in the stocks, about mid-night, when they were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s shackles were unfastened (Acts 16:23-25). Lives were saved that night as a result. Songs in the night were echoed through the entire prison that night, in the midst of sorrow and pain, injustice applied to their bodies. Paul and Silas had a testimony to tell the world and a lesson to teach all of us today. How we move mountains through our struggles and pains, it is through a song in the night and not through our own strength. It is God Who gives us strength to perform, when we seek Him. This is faith, enduring faith, echoing through songs in the night.

“My soul longs for You, (O Lord) in the night; my spirit seeks you earnestly” (Isa. 26:9a). When we sing songs to God in our trials, He opens heaven and peace will flow to us; things may not change at first, but for sure, He heard and accepted our song. Queen Esther, when heard of the danger concerning her people, she fasted and prayed. She didn’t panic, because she knew her God would give her a song of victory in her night. She sought the Lord first thing and her testimony lived forever, when God delivered her and her people from the hand of her enemy, Haman. King Jehoshaphat faced his giants with prayer and with praise as he was told to do. The Bible tells us that he and his people rose early and when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord saying, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, He set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir who had come against Judah and they were slaughtered” (II Chron. 20: 21-22). The battle becomes the Lord’s when we let Him fight for us. We will always face our nights sometimes in life. They are necessary to direct us to God in closer relationship. The song He gives us at that time is to call on His name in order to acknowledge Him as sovereign through songs of praises. King David had many nights in his life time. His psalms are filled with praises in his trials, believing that God was going to hear him, or had heard his prayers. He said in Psalm 40 1-3: “I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear and put their trust in the Lord”; and in psalm 42:1-3,5: “As the hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for your, O God. My inner self thirst for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?… Why are you cast down O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God…Yet, the Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”

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When My Faith Shall Be Sight

The thrill of that day will be loud and clear for all of us who know the Lord. The joy will be indescribable, when finally, after thousands of years, the promise will no longer be just a promise, but a reality. The sound of the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel, summering us up will awaken our deep feeling of joy, a feeling never felt before, leading us up to meet YAHSHUA, our bridegroom. This has been a lifelong preparation. From the time we enter in relationship with God, it starts the preparation for that day through the process of sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Without it we cannot see God (Heb. 12:14).  While following the world, many Christians are eager for that day, without realizing that unless he walks in faith and in sanctification, he will not experience the rapture. No matter what he does in church or outside church, missionary works or any other service in the name of YAHSHUA. First and above all, for us Christians is to have a relationship with God. That means to make time to stay in His Word, obeying what He commands us to do. Walking every day with Him, making Him part of our life in all its aspects. We are facing an unprecedented time in history, when we see the world turning its axis in the direction of distraction. What does it mean if not prophecy of long ago being fulfilled in its speed of time, while we marvel and fear the outcome ahead of us? There is no need to be glued to the news, for they know nothing that has been predicted by the Word of God. This is a time for readiness, for alertness with our lamp filled with oil, waiting for the middle-night call, Arise to meet the bridegroom! There will be no time left. The time will be now.

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Faith – the Source and Foundation of Our Strength

Faith is only seen in the calmness of the soul in the midst of a tempest.  The Bible tells us to be still to know God, being shod with shoes that will support and maintain us standing firmly on the ground. As a source and foundation of our strength, it needs to be cultivated daily, for it is by faith that victory is won. Faith sustains hope, hope in the promised future the Bible assures us. Practical faith is exercised every moment, as we move and accomplish the tasks of the day. Although challenging circumstances change and redirect our path, it is, without a doubt, the way to strengthen faith’s muscles. As the physical body’s muscles need to be exercised, so faith needs trials to be strengthened. Unpleasant as it might be, it carries a weight of reward at the end. In the physical world, it is faith that gets us out of bed, that carries us through the day, helping us to accomplish the things we need to do, without us thinking about it, for it is a natural way of life, part of being human. Faith eliminates fear and encourages power: “I can do all things, because YAHSHUA strengthens me.”  Believing it, empowers faith to be effective in all aspects of life. Proverbs 31 describes the virtuous woman as courageous in all the subjects of life; courageous, fearless, industrious. Faith, is without a doubt, the secret of her strength, the pillar and foundation of all she can accomplish. Today, is hard to find such woman, because the world is guided by gadgets. The woman of Proverbs 31 is non-existent in this life style of today. Technology has taken the human abilities away and replaced them with laziness. Robots clean the floors; washing machines and stoves are labor saving electrical devises, facilitating women’s work. Cooking has been replaced with prepared frozen foods; sowing is no longer a need, for clothes are bought ready to wear.  So, what’s there for women to do to show her virtuality as a virtuous woman?

A virtuous woman of today is still a woman of faith, when she performs her responsibilities in season and out of season. In the physical world, her work is diminished, however remains her spiritual duty to perform toward her household. When her goal is to please her Lord and Savior, her actions will show in the way of love toward her husband and children, in the way she cares for them. The family that is sustained by faith is a family that stays together. When the Lord returns, will He find faith on this earth? Was His question. We can understand His question, observing the easy life-style, in the absence of spiritual priority, in the lack of respect for God’s Word, in its interpretation to conform to our life style. We walk in a church and what do we see? A lack of respect for God’s house, it is as if a party is about to happen, not a worship service. Uttered sermons are, in many cases, means of entertaining the crowd with jokes and not conviction of sins. The church becomes then a platform for comedians. This environment offers no place for faith to be exercised, because it lacks the source and foundation of faith, from where our strength emanates. It is faith that compels us to do what is right in the sight of God and man. A life voided of faith shows to be weak and victim of circumstances. Looking at the lives of the heroes of faith is plain to see that they depended heavily on faith for their spiritual sustenance; they had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated- Men of whom the world was not worthy- roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth…(Heb. 11:36-38). And none of them gave up the faith to flee suffering of persecution.

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But God Will Receive Me

YAHSHUA said, Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him Who has sent Me, has everlasting life; he does not come before the judgment, but he passes from death to life (John 5:24). Passing from death to life is surely being transported from hell to the eternal home with YAHSHUA our Savior. In this natural world, we are very much preoccupied with things of no eternal value in a way that we become distracted from our most important future. It is this promise that keeps us free from fear of death. Our transitory and fleeting existence on this earth is but a dream that came and went in the course of the night. Death, therefore, is just a transition from earth to our eternal abode, called heaven. The process is painless and fast, depending where we are going.  Paul said, But I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; but to remain in my body is more needful and essential for your sake (Phil. 1:23-24). When we are attached to our heavenly home, nothing in this world should prioritize our mind, as YAHSHUA told to the disciples, Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I am going away to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-2).  The hope that He is preparing us a place in heaven is reason good enough to shift our attention and priority to it. The thief cried while facing death, Lord, remember me when you come into kingly glory! And YAHSHUA answered him, Truly, I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise (Luke 23:42-43). Today, we can cry to Him in repentance and He will change our destiny from death to life.

It is important for us to be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God. For it is not through the natural birth, but through the spiritual birth that we are connected to the promise of eternal life. YAHSHUA said, What is born of flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit… You must be born anew! (John 3: 6-7). This gift was given to us when at the cross YAHSHUA bought us with His precious blood. There, He reconciled us to the Father. As He was purchasing us from the power of Satan, He cried, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?  (Ps. 22:1). He suffered the pain of hell for us all who received His redemption. With that, He gave up His life and died. That was just the beginning of something of eternal value- men’s reconciliation to God. That’s when heaven’s door was opened for those whosoever will. A beautiful gift was presented to the world, sealed with YAHSHUA’S precious blood. That’s why at the end of our journey we can say, “God will receive me.” It is as the psalmist said, As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness; I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You] (Ps. 17:15). Imagine that! The future so beautiful, complete with joy, peace, not mentioning the breath-taking place itself. Just thinking about seeing YAHSHUA of Whom we heard so much; seeing His scarred hands and feet- the proof of the price He paid to purchase us, will give us strength to go through fires life brings us. Paul said, I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! (Rom. 8:17). The certainty of knowing where we are going after this life, is the reason why we are not afraid of death. The transfer of God’s saints to heaven is very precious in the sight of the Lord (Ps. 116:15). But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me (Ps. 49:15). How can a holy God care for such sinner as we are?  What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? (Ps.8:4) These are David’s words acknowledging God’s excellent name and power over the world. In a humble attitude, he uttered these words for the world to know, which have lasted and will last forever.

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Those Who Are People of Faith Are Blessed

Faith is the substance, the proof, the certainty, the conviction of reality of things not seen. It was by faith that the patriarchs were sustained and served the Lord. Faith walks on water, it moves mountains, no matter the size. It brought life to lifeless bodies as in their resurrection from the dead. Few have experienced the reality of faith that way. Although not manifested often, it happens to those people of faith. It goes to the extreme between death and life and conquers the physical death. Although, death will come to all when life comes to its end. Faith smiles at any problem with confidence of its strength, for those who are people of faith are truly blessed with the reality of things they hoped and prayed for. In faith. Arise and shine, the Lord tells us even in times of trouble, because the victory has been won, when on the cross YAHSHUA declared, It is finished! O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? (I Cor. 15:55). This is a song of victory echoed through eternity from the time YAHSHUA fought it with His own life.

What does the word of God says concerning faith in relationship to Him? “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Without faith man is alienated from God, for it is by faith that he can come near to God, for whoever comes near to Him must believe that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). Many of us are guilty of that and as a result, we live a life without experiencing God’s blessings that come from exercising faith. Faith in action is like walking on water facing the storm raging against us without fear and anxiety, because we have been made perfect in the love of God and are protected from these tormenting spirits. Where there is fear, faith is non-existent in one’s life in whatever circumstance we are facing. Fear does not bring us blessings, but torment according to the Bible:  There is no fear in love, but full- grown love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror. For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (I John 4:18).

Today’s people of faith are those who have little of this world and yet are content with what they have, for they are spiritually blessed with peace, joy, hope – a hope based on the promise from God Himself. They have what the world is looking for, but are empty of it, for these blessings are not found in riches, but in faith that springs up from the love of YAHSHUA shed on the cross, when He gave up His life to give the world life, although rejected by the majority. YAHSHUA offered us peace, the peace that emanates from Him, not from the world, from the things that the world offers. He said, Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I am going away to prepare a place for you. And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also…Peace I leave with you; My peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14: 1-3,27).

The secret for peace in the heart of man is found in the belief and practices of God’s word. The strength of faith clears the mind and establishes peace in times of trouble we all face. When we embrace fear instead of faith, the consequences are detrimental to the physical body. God has never promised us an easy life, but He promised to be with us. He said, In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer! For I have overcome the world (John16:31b). Paul said, Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds (Phil. 4:6-7). What does anxiety do to a troubled heart? Separates it from faith and from the blessing of peace. YAHSHUA said, Do not worry, but instead, seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness, and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So, do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own sufficient for each day is its own trouble. We are not to take our burdens on ourself, but cast the whole of your care on Him, for He cares for you (Matt. 6:25-34; I Pet. 5:7).

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Not Everybody Has Faith and Is Held By It

We can have saving faith, but not the practical faith we need to hold unto it in our troubled times; that faith that casts out worries, anxiety and fear, when the storm is above our heads; when the mountain in front of us seemly hard to climb; when left at the mercy of circumstances with no visible way out. The disciples showed this lack of faith, when faced with a storm of great proportion, even when YAHSHUA was in the boat with them, in spite of all the power He had demonstrated through miracles He performed. He mentioned that faith, as small as a grain of mustard, can do wonders, if we had it. There would not be mental or physical illnesses, because there would not be worries, anxieties and fear in the presence of faith. These three spirits affect the mind and body in ways that we are kept prisoners unto death. Slaves to the power of drugs, we become dependent of them to survive, day by day, year by year and finally unto the grave. When we are held by these spirits, faith is non-existent to perform miracles in our bed of sickness. The reality of God’s promises is voided and doubt takes over the mind, making us even more prone to the power of sickness. “By His strikes we are healed,” are the words frequently used in our prayers for healing. Why they are not doing what they are supposed to do? Because they are not mixed with faith. We have uttered them over and over, but they stay in our head, never coming down to the heart – the soul, where the emotion, the will, and the intellect are working together to bring them into reality. We repeat them as a parrot repeats words without understanding their meanings. Practical faith depends very much on our believing from the heart.

Noah built an ark without seeing rain falling on the earth before. He heeded to God’s command and performed it as he was told to do and behold, his salvation! (Gen. 6) Abraham took his son to be sacrificed at the command of the Lord. Behold, he became the father of all nations; YAHSHUA came from his descendants and through Him the world was blessed. (Gen. 22) Daniel and his friends were saved from the lion’s mouth and from fire, because their faith overwrote worry, anxiety and fear. They cared not for their lives, but to obey God’s commandments. (Daniel 3,6).  King Jehosaphat did what the Lord commanded him to do to be saved from his enemies and Jerusalem was saved, without them having to fight them. He believed that the battle belonged to the Lord, and behold, the Lord God performed His promise (II Chron. 20). Moses stood in awe facing the Red Sea; the enemies were approaching him and his people to destroy them; mountains stood on the other side. Moses, however standing firmly in his faith said, Fear not; stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest. The Lord told Moses, Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the Israelites shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea (Ex. 14). So, it was that held by faith, Moses obeyed the words of the Lord; they were saved, but their enemies were left buried in the depth of the Red Sea. Not yet knowing Who YAHSHUA was, at His command, Peter and his partners were told to put their net out into the deep water and lower their nets for a haul; Peter, after toiled all night, catching nothing, said, On the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets. Held by his faith, Peter and his friends caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they signaled to their partners in the other boats to come and take hold with them. They came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink (Luke 5).

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Job Walked With God and Was Tried

The life of the Patriarch Job is one of fear of God. Described by God Himself as His servant, a man with no equal on earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and abstains from and shuns evil (Job 1:8). Often, we mention Job as an example of patience, as in “The patience of Job.” There is much to consider in what God described Job. His life brings to mind Paul’s spiritual guidelines in his letters. In the letter to the Romans. He said, “I appeal to you therefore, brethren and beg of you in view of the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and well pleasing to God which is your reasonable service and spiritual worship; love one another with brotherly affection, giving precedence and showing honor to one another, never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord” (12:1,10,11). Job walked with God, shinning the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). One very important fact in Job’s life was that God, the all- knowing God, knew that Job would be faithful to Him, when challenged with temptation to forsake Him. Job, in his unweaving integrity, was a man God trusted with a tremendous trial. One that we surely would fail, for where there is no understanding, ignorance dominates the feeling of man with doubt and fear and despair. When Job had lost most of his precious belongings, including his children, in perseverance of faith, he arose and rent his robe and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshiped and said, “Naked came I from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord! In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:20-22). That was a true faith in God.

Job’s faith shone in the midst of his trials. His words of hope kept him secured in his faith when he uttered, “For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, and at last He will stand upon the earth and after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God, Whom I, even I shall see for myself and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him and not as a stranger!” (Job 19:25-27a). Job, in His utterance, spoke of the present and of the future concerning the resurrection of the saints. “One way or another, I will be healed here on earth and if I die now, I will be rewarded with life eternal when in heaven, I shall behold my Redeemer. For He knows the way that I take. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold.” (Job 23:10). “I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. But He is unchangeable, and who can turn Him? And what He wants to do, that He does” (vs.10,14). In short, Job confessed his enduring faith in God even amidst circumstances he himself did not understand. For while he was walking with God in communion with Him, this trial fell on him, for reason unknown. His wife told him to “Do you still hold fast your blameless, uprightness? Renounce God and die! But he said to her, You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak What? Shall we accept only good at the hand of God and shall we not accept misfortune and what is of a bad nature? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips” (Job2:9-10). His unwavering love for God even in the midst of his trial, showed him to be genuine and steadfast in his faith. To him, God was God, unchangeable in ways Job could not comprehend. The wall of anguish and despair did not separate him from His Redeemer, Who was going to reward him in His time.

Job walked with God and He trusted him to walk through the fire, so to prove his faithfulness to Him. Satan, who so much wanted to destroy Job and disprove God’s All-knowing attribute, suffered major defeat. Job was in the battlefield without knowing it. Living as a Christian should live, under God’s grace, Job excelled. For he did not have a Bible in those days to guide him. But Job had the fear of God guided by his faith in Him. Strong in his beliefs, he stood the test of time. Wrestling against the despotisms, against the powers, against rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere, he was properly dressed with God’s armor. He resisted and stood his ground on those evil days; he had the belt of truth around his waist, the breastplate on his chest, his feet shod to stand firmly and ready against the enemy; he quenched the flaming missiles from the enemy through the shield of faith; and wore the helmet of salvation, which protected his mind; and he fought with the sword of the Spirit which was his knowledge of God. Job’s prayers came up to God as part of the battle in his battlefield, for the battle was not his, but God’s (personalized from the book of Ephesians 6).

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When You Walk through the Waters and Fire

When Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt by God, she experienced wonders and miracles. Not yet a nation, the sons and daughters of Jacob moved to Egypt seventy people in all. They prospered while Joseph was alive; but after his death in time another king aroused who did not know the background history of Joseph and his family. While made to work hard, Israel did not faint and continued progressing and multiplying to the point that Egyptians feared their growth and tried to kill their babes. But God saved their babes, including a specific one called Moses, found in the river and adopted by an Egyptian princess. Moses, grew up in the palace, and was considered a prince. But his heart was never leaned toward the life style of an Egyptian prince. He much preferred to be suffering with his own people. At forty years old, he killed an Egyptian who was mistreating an Israelite and had to flee for his life from Pharao. He found refuge in the land of Midian, where he met his future wife and lived there for another forty years, when God appeared to him in a burning bush and called him for a specific task, that of Israel’s liberator from bondage from Egypt. As he was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, he came to Horeb, or Sinai, the mountain of God. The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush… God called Moses out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, do not come near; put your shoes off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground…also he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, and moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters and oppressors; for I know their sorrows and sufferings and trials. And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand and power of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a land good and large, a land flowing with milk and honey… Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth My people, the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 1). Moses then asked Him, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? (Exodus 3:11).

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Valleys, Places of Reflection

Solitude, the master of a valley, predominates the silence of the place. No outside voices, noises, only the mind working the past and dreaming the future. It is the place to get near our God. In prayer and anguish of the soul, we very much depend on Him to alleviate the heavy burden that took us over there. However, it is transient or impermanent as we must go through it to reach our final destination. Many of us give up, without the strength to go on, because our spiritual and mental situations are rachitic and in need of help from above, where our help comes from. But it is precisely in the valley that we receive our strength. It is there that we are broken and more willing to listen. If you and I want to know our God, the valley is a good place to be.

When David was in the wilderness of Judah, he wrote Psalm 63, which reads, God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is… My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me… (verses 1,8). Many of David’s psalms are based on his experiences in the wilderness or valley. Painful as it was, he never forsook God. His beliefs were firmed on his faith that God existed and that He answers prayers. He understood the benefits of suffering, as he reflected while facing the wilderness or valley. He said, It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statute; before I was afflicted I went astray, but now Your word do I keep (Ps. 119:67,71). He used the challenges before him to acknowledge God’s faithfulness and love. His life was a testimony of endurance in his faith in all the psalms we read. God’s purpose for every believer in suffering is to equip each of us to get to know Him. Without the valleys and wildernesses of life, we would not know our God’s faithfulness, His compassion, and all that that His attributes denote. It is said, “No pain, no gain.” A Christian that has had all without going through deserts and valleys, it is a Christian that does not know God. Or better yet, he is not a Christian at all. The valleys have their twists and uncertainties, they have a way to change and break us; it is in the valley that we are molded, fulfilling God’s purpose for our life.

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