Assurance For Your Need

In the Holy Bible, Romans 8:28  says……
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  

                                                             
                                                        

Many of you reading this today are hurting.  Some of you are hurting mentally and some physically. Some of you who are "believers" are having a difficult time understanding the "why's" of your circumstance.

Please be reminded…...God never said that we would not experience pain and hurt while residing on this earth.  But, He did tell us He would always be there with us.  When Jesus left this earth and went back to Heaven He left us the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter in the midst of hard times.

Today I encourage you to lay your hurting hearts at the feet of Jesus.  Trust Him!  I urge you to dry your tears, rise up and walk forward in the strength of Christ.  Be confident and know that He is in control,,,,although you may not see or feel it this moment. 

Let others help you.  Be honest about what you are going through.
Be assured that no matter how tragic your situation or circumstance, God can turn the tide of your suffering.  
The tide may have knocked you down, but,
you can and will get back up!
                                 

One final thought…….
Whatever type of difficulty or crisis is manifesting itself in your life, before it ever surfaced, God made sure you'd be able to endure it.  
Did you know that other people have gone through exactly what you're going through….and made it through?  
God promised a way of escape so that you could bear it and have strength to endure..  
(1 Corinthians 10:13)
Just remember - Satan does not want you to know that there is a way out.  Therefore, he will keep antagonizing you.  
Let that be your indication......the way out is just about to be revealed!  
Isn't that great news?

God Will Take Care of You

Effective immediately............

begin to eliminate the words 

"what if" from your vocabulary!

Why?

Because - God will take care of you!

God will always be one step ahead of you.

Deuteronomy 31:8

 "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.                                                            He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."

God has arranged every step of your journey 

according to His will.

 Jeremiah 29:11-14

If you are fearful of the future,

then you might want to check with the past.

Not one single word of all 

His good promises have ever failed!

Have faith in God.

Wait.

Time is an integral part of God's plan for your life.

Although it may seem He is

lingering long,

He NEVER comes too late.!

The Hammer, The File, and The Furnace

"It was the enraptured Rutherford who said in the midst of some very painful trials and heartaches:

Praise God for the

 hammer, the file, and the furnace!

"Let's think about that for a bit......

The hammer is a useful and handy instrument.  It is an essential and helpful tool, if nails are ever to be driven into place.  Each blow forces them to bite deeper as the hammer's head pounds and pounds.

But, if the nail had feelings and intelligence, it would give us another side of the story.  To the nail, it only knows the hammer as an opponent.  To the nail, the hammer is a brutal, relentless master - an enemy who loves to beat it into submission, to beat it down and out of sight and clinch it into place. That is the nail's view of the hammer.  It is correct.  Except for one thing.  The nail tends to forget that both it and the hammer are held by the same workman.  The workman decides whose "head" will be pounded out of sight.....and which hammer will be used to do the job.

This decision is the sovereign right of the carpenter. When the nail has surrendered to the will of the workman and has gotten a little glimpse of his benign plans for its future it will yield to the hammer and its resentment will fade as it also yields to the carpenter without complaint.

                                                  

The file is more painful still, for its business is to bite into the soft metal, scraping and eating away the edges till it has shaped the metal to its will.  Yet the file has, in truth, no real will in the matter, but serves another master, as the metal also does.  It is the master and not the file that decides how much shall be eaten away, what shape the metal shall take, and how long the painful file shall continue.  Let the metal accept the will of the master and it will not try to dictate when or how it shall be filed.

The metal endures the rasp of the file and the blast of the furnace.  If the metal forgets that it and the tools are objects of the same craftsman's care, it will build up hatred and resentment.  

The metal must keep in mind that the craftsman knows what he is doing.............and he is doing his best.

                                                  

                                                     

As for the furnace, it is the worst of all.  The furnace is ruthless and savage, it leaps at every combustible thing that enter it.  It never relaxes its fury until it has reduced it all to shapeless ashes.  All that refuses to burn is melted to a mass of helpless matter without will or purpose of its own.  When everything is melted that will melt and all is burned that will burn, then and not until then the furnace calms down and rest from its destructive fury.

Heartaches and disappointments are like the hammer, the file, and the furnace. They come in all shapes and sizes.  Sometimes they come on the scene suddenly and other times they appear over the passings of many months.  Sometimes God uses a hammer (at least it feels that way) and sometimes he uses a painful file.  Although not quite so often, yes, God may even allow the use of a furnace. 

As drawn out as suffering, heartaches and disappointments can be at time, one thing we must always remember......the Master, our Heavenly Father knows what He is doing.  He knows your breaking point. Though at times it may seem like He has abandoned you, He will never leave your side.  The bruising, crushing and melting process is designed and being allowed to reshape you, not to ruin you. 

                                                      

    

Stand fast!

 Has God brought a hammer into your life lately?  Is He working away with a file?  Do you feel like you are in the furnace right now?  God's hand is in your heartache!  Yes it is!  If you weren't important, do you think He would take this long and work this hard on your life?   Know that it is Christ Himself who is working out His great plan in your life so that you might be mature and complete, and that you in turn might enjoy a greater relationship with Him.  Remember - nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39). " 

                                                      

My Children Taught Me........

Some things my children taught me...........

If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse.

It is definitely more fun to color outside of the lines.

Keep asking "why" until you completely understand.

Don't pop other people's bubble!

Toads aren't ugly.....they are just toads.

Flexibility is important!  Sure - go ahead - cake for breakfast.

Save a place in line for your friends.

Don't ask to start over just because you're losing the game.

We all have the potential to do amazing things.

Smile!

Be excited about life!

Life is a process....today's failures = tomorrow's growth.

Don't forget to tell your children..........

God loves you!

God is your Creator and your Heavenly Father.

God wants you to learn and to be happy.

God has an open door policy.  You are always welcome.

Life isn't always easy - but God will never leave you.

A Lesson From A Pebble

Drop a pebble in the water and with just a splash it is gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.

And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water and in a minute you forget,

But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,

And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;

You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind or careless word and in a minute it is gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.

They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,

And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.

Drop an unkind or careless word and in a minute you forget;

But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,

And perhaps in some sad heart a might wave of tears you've stirred,

And disturbed a life that was happy ere you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness and in just a flash it is gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave

Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness and in a minute you forget;

But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's you circling yet,

And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard

Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

Author Unknown

General Douglas MacArthur's Prayer For His Only Son

Editor’s note: While General Douglas MacArthur was stationed in Australia and acting as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area, he penned this prayer for his only son, Arthur.

                                                                 

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee—and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the weakness of true strength.

Then I, his father will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain. ”

The Story Of Esther - The Conclusion

Esther 9-10New International Version (NIV)

9 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. 2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. 3 And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them.4 Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.       

5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”

13 “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.”

14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

16 Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

18 The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

19 That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.

20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. 25 But when the plot came to the king’s attention,[a] he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles.26 (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed.28 These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.

29 So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance— 31 to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.32 Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

10 King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. ² And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? ³ Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

                                                                    

Remembering and Celebrating

While the Jews carried out the task of defending themselves and killing their enemies, we must remember that behind the scenes is God Who the Avenger. Through a series of coincidences He had orchestrated this final lethal blow at Haman's evil plan of extermination. And yet we must always remember Paul's words of warning and not seek revenge for wrongs committed against us...

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

                                                                         

God is the Avenger and unless extraordinary circumstances occur in our lives as did in the Book of Esther, we are to leave it to God to extract the appropriate retribution at the perfect time.  In the meantime we must pray for those who persecute us. 

                                                                             

A side note......don't try to obey this command from Jesus in your own strength! You cannot do it! 

After the battle, came the rest.

After the victory came the celebration! 

Finally, after all the anguish, fear and battle that had gone on in the land, we see that God’s people could finally celebrate. The enemy had been defeated and there was freedom at last. 

The sentence of death that hung over their necks had been replaced with unrelenting joy and the spirit of heaviness had been replaced by the garments of praise! 

Yes, it was a day to be remembered, that is for sure... and a day to be celebrated. 

It was also a day to give presents to another in thanksgiving of the wonderful victory and deliverance by God. So Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews instructing them to celebrate this victory each year on the 14^th and 15^th of Adar. 

To this day, even 2500 years later, this celebration and feast is still kept every year by the Jews. 

It is called the feast of Purim and is celebrated in the month of March. 

So what can we, as God’s people today, take from this for our lives? 

Well, this celebration is a reminder of the hope, joy and thanksgiving that should be ours due to the ultimate victory that was achieved for us on the cross.

We can look back on that day when God ‘turned the tables’ on the enemy and purchased life out of death. It is also a reminder of the day coming when all of our battles will be over and the fullness of joy shall be our lot.

We should also experience God’s ‘rest’ that is ours as we walk in faith.

 And this rest is not one that only occurs once the battle is over. God’s rest is available in the midst of the difficulty and He commands us to take hold of that peace and rest ‘today’.

                                                                         

Finally, in this last chapter in The Book of Esther we are given a quick recap on the whole story.

What a story it has been!

A nasty villain and a wicked plan... a beautiful queen and position of power... a decree of death and a city perplexed... a sleepless night and an enemy exposed... an annihilation averted and a victory gained. In it all we have seen the hand of the invisible God moving providentially on behalf of His people. 

Queen Esther sent a second letter out to the Jews in all 127 provinces of the Medo-Perisan kingdom reconfirming the importance to always remember the days of Purim for all generations to come. 

Do you  remember what the Lord has done for you..... the many different areas in which the Lord helps you and I?

As the Psalmist said: 

 "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalms 103:2-5)

The Book of Esther finishes with a tiny little chapter of three verses. 

In it we read of the ongoing fame of Mordecai, for he was held in high esteem throughout the kingdom and was second in rank to King Xerxes only. He worked on behalf of his people and not for his own gain.  He spoke ‘peace to all his countrymen’. 

In his fame and his actions, in his words and establishment of peace, we see that Mordecai is a picture of the Lord Jesus who shall one day rule over the entire world. His fame will be great, His work selfless and His peace never-ending! 

Final thought.......

"Life can be hard!

Difficult times happen, and pain cannot be avoided!

When life doesn’t make sense, do you turn to God or away from Him? 

Let the book of Esther encourage you that God is always present. Jesus called us “friends” ( John 15:15), and the Spirit is our “Helper” (14:26). 

Trust and obey, as Esther did. 

Then, watch God silently weave all events for His glory . . . and for our good."

Chuck Swindoll