If there ever was a time when God’s people should be plugged in and growing in our faith, it is now! However, throughout history, God’s people have always been challenged. But, we face a great challenge in 2009. Who is going to come to my rescue? Who will bail me out? What about me? All around us we see friends and family that are hurting. We see people who are suffering, hurting, and feeling all alone.
Unemployment – Down Sizing – Foreclosures – Taxes – Cost of Living – Divorce / Separation – Drugs Alcohol Abuse – Cancer – Brokenhearted – Alone – Depression – Corruption – Death
We must become determined to put our trust in God as we journey through life in 2009. As I talk with people from day to day I am often asked the question: “What do I do”? I wish I had the answers. This one thing I do know. We can put our faith and trust in God. In Isaiah it says…
Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters and great trouble,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
You will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
You will not be burned up;
The flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior
Isaiah 43:1-3 NLT
When you go through deep waters and great trouble,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
You will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
You will not be burned up;
The flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior
Isaiah 43:1-3 NLT
God has a stimulus package for us. He said in Isaiah 41, “Do not be afraid, I am here to help you.” I am convinced that God is the only one who can rescue us from our troubles. One day at a time we must learn to put our trust and confidence in Him. I want to encourage you today to get into God’s Word. Establish and build your faith. Work on it! Determine a time for you to be alone with God. Personal quiet time. We can’t face the challenges of life alone. The battles that we fight are too big for us. We need the Lord.
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.
Be careful! Watch out for the attacks from the Devil, your great enemy.
He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.
Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith.
1 Peter 5:6-9a
Larry Evans
Pastoral Care Pastor
