August 28, 2007

 

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.

--Isaiah 41:10

 

Perhaps today, you look at your life and ask yourself the question, “How did I get here?” Maybe life hasn’t turned out the way you planned. Or maybe you’re enslaved to your past and you wonder, “What do I do now?”

 

If this describes you or someone you love today, I want to remind you that God always preserves His own. Even in Genesis 39:2, we read, “The LORD was with Joseph.” Now, remember—Joseph wasn’t preserved from his circumstances. He was preserved in and through his circumstances.

 

The fact is we can’t change our circumstances. We can’t affect what happens to us at all times. But you know what? We can change how we respond to the circumstances of life. And that attitude is what God expects us to work on.

 

You know, God often allows winds of difficult circumstances to blow against us in order to knock the rough edges off of our lives. Kind of like how sandpaper knocks the rough edges off of wood. God uses the circumstances of our lives in order to polish us and make us more like the Master.

 

For example, perhaps God had to deal with Joseph’s pride and ego before He could ultimately use him for His glory. So God allowed him to be sold into slavery and sent into Egypt. But remember this: While Joseph left his father back in Canaan, his heavenly Father went with him to Egypt.

 

If you find yourself in a difficult circumstance that you never imagined or never dreamed of, claim the promise from the Lord found in Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

 

When you claim that promise, you can be joyful in any circumstance, knowing that God is protecting you, preserving you, and holding His almighty hand upon you.

 

praise god he is using your circumstances to grow your faith