Tag: God is faithful

Blessing in Disguise

Could It Be a Blessing in Disguise?

Blessing in disguise

When you look back at the past year, was 2025 everything you had hoped it would be?

Were there any disappointments?

Who hasn’t had some, right?

We know that disappointments are just a part of life.

They just . . . happen.

But, have you ever considered that what you perceive as a “setback” may actually be something totally different?

Could your disappointment actually have been a blessing in disguise?

God works in ways behind the scenes that we will never fully know and understand.

That troublesome setback in your life could be a stepping stone to something greater – a deeper more trusting relationship with the Heavenly Father.

You may feel like a trouble-magnet at times, but please don’t ever forget that you are a deeply-loved child of the King.

We can rely on His goodness and mercy to always be there to carry us through any trial.

He has done it before, and He will do it again.

God is faithful.

Look to His Son Jesus, the most perfect embodiment of compassion reflecting the love of our Father.

This love the Father has for us is eternal, just as our praise and worship of Him should be.

David echoes this devotion in Psalm 145. This psalm is a powerful reminder to share our blessings with each other and with the generations to come. 

5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
6 People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.
7 They will burst forth in speaking of Your abundant goodness,
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. – Psalm 145:5-7, (NASB).1

Pondering God’s Blessing in Disguise

In a recent blog post I mentioned that I followed the yearlong LIFT Daily Prayer from Pastor Jack Hibbs.

The introduction to the podcast for December 30 really struck a chord with me and I’m happy to share this as an encouragement for you for the year ahead.

As we stand at the end of another year, God invites us to step back from whatever is right in front of our noses and remember His wonders. Over the course of these months, there have been answers to prayer, protections we never saw, “coincidences” that were really His hand, closed doors that later proved to be mercy, and even painful seasons where He was present in ways we only now begin to recognize.
If we were to sit with a blank page and start listing His deeds toward us this year, we might think of a few at first—but the longer we linger, the more we remember, and we soon realize we will never come to the end of them. The problem is not that God has done too little, but that we too rarely stop to see, to name, and to thank Him for what He has done. – Pastor Jack Hibbs2

Thank you Lord for all of your blessings!

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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 From Hibbs, Pastor Jack, “Lift Daily Prayer: Too Many Wonders to Number | December 30, 2035. YouTube Podcast.” Web. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/eSXzUDh7o60

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Listen . . .

Do you hear what I hear?

I’m talking about that beautiful sound in your soul that rises above all the noise of this world – a sound straight from Heaven.

It’s the sound of God calling you to trust Him, no matter what happens.

As the Apostle Paul assured the Corinthian church in his letter, God is faithful.

God is faithful

God “is” faithful.

If you love Him completely, have a repentant heart, and trust that your salvation comes through His Son, Jesus Christ, you are saved.

All glory to God!

Can we even fathom how amazing that is?

do you hear what I hear

Known and Loved

What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him? – Psalm 8:4, (NASB).2

The Almighty knows yours and my name.

We have countless reasons to let our lights shine – a reflection of His goodness.

Those that wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be kept by him, and confirmed to the end; and those that are so will be blameless in the day of Christ: not upon the principle of strict justice, but gracious absolution; not in rigour of law, but from rich and free grace. How desirable is it to be confirmed and kept of Christ for such a purpose as this! How glorious are the hopes of such a privilege, whether for ourselves or others! To be kept by the power of Christ from the power of our own corruption and Satan’s temptation, that we may appear without blame in the great day! O glorious expectation, especially when the faithfulness of God comes in to support our hopes!  – Matthew Henry, Christian minister and author.3

Do you hear what I hear?

It’s God’s call for His children to come to Him.

We can’t earn our salvation through our deeds.

We simply need to open our hearts and respond to His amazing free gift of grace.

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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

3 Matthew Henry quotation, “Bible Commentaries”. [1706.] Courtesy of Studylight.org., https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhm/1-corinthians-1.html, n.d. para. 6. Public Domain. Web. Accessed 29 March, 2022.

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Testing “Positive” For Faith

There’s Power On Our Knees

faith testing

There’s something so powerful about getting on our knees to pray.

As COVID-19 continues to dominate the headlines, urgent prayer requests for God’s mercy and healing continue to ring out across America.

 Lord, please stop this virus in its tracks

Keep my loved ones safe and healthy

Have mercy on America, Lord

I am so thankful that we have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Aren’t you?

“For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” – 1 Peter 3:12, (NASB).1

Testing Positive For Faith

If we’re going to test “positive” for anything, may it be our unwavering faith.

By His grace and providential will, I believe there will be an end to COVID-19.

An arrogant governor and other pompous politicians know nothing about the power of our faith and our God who hears us.

The real power over all of this lies at the feet of Jesus.

As we pray, and I’m including myself in this gentle reminder, we can’t forget to be thankful – as odd as that may sound during a time like this pandemic.

testing positive for faith

While the future may seem hopeless, God is faithful. Psalm 77:11-12

Knowing Him, we can face tomorrow with the confidence that He will work everything for our good.

So I want to leave us all with a Matt Maher song, covered beautifully by the West Baptist College Choir.

Remember: We, not the politicians, know Who holds the future.

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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. 

2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
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