This Lord's Day, Pastor Bob Cartwright was very concerned about the plan that God has for his people. In the last year, so many changes have made us very unsure of what will happen in the days to come. You see, our faith is being tested. Those who can stand will be granted victory.
Pastor took us to the book of Joshua, chapter 3, verse 1. Joshua was speaking to the people concerning the condition of their souls. He said, People, sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; the Lord will do wonders among you. In other words, we need to stay true to God and keep our hearts right and our eyes toward heaven. In doing this, we will increase in faith and knowledge.
Are we in the place that our Lord would have us to be? You see, God never changes but, unfortunately, we do. We have to make changes when we face things like covid-19. We are praying for the safety of our family and church family daily. We never know when we will be the next one stricken with this virus. God promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us and we can stand on the promise that he will carry us through whatever we face. Why do I know that? Because in Numbers, chapter 23, verse 19, we are told that God is not a man that he should lie. What he says is what he will do. We must believe that God has a plan for us on our walk with him. Are we willing to follow this plan?
In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are told that we were bought with a price. That price was the life Jesus gave on the cross. Our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which dwells within you. Do you ever wonder about Jesus' prayer life? You know there are several places in the Bible where Jesus was praying.
In John 17:12, Jesus was praying to the Father, asking that he would keep the people and sanctify them through the word of truth. In Hebrews 6:8, it warns us that if we bear thorns and briers instead of following the Lord, we will be rejected and are nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. Think about it. Do you want to follow God's plan or take a chance of being thrown into the lake of fire where there is gnashing of teeth and the pain of fire will never end?
In the 13th chapter of that book, we read scripture promising that God will never leave us. We often fear what man may think and stray from that plan God set before us. We should never fear man for he is only able to destroy the body but God can destroy both body and soul. Remember it is fearful things to fall into the hands of the living God. The days we are living in, we are in the crosshairs of the evil one at all times. He is trying to destroy your relationship with the Father. He wants to see you fall and turn from God, but the price you pay for that is too bad to even consider. So just trust in the Lord and meditate upon his word night and day. Increase in your ability to hear the voice of the Father. He is aware of every trial you face. You might say, "Well, this is not a burden that I can bear." Well, he said he would not put upon you more that you can bear.
Many times I find myself feeling weak and trodden down but just before I think I can't take anymore, God shows up and leads me out of my trouble. He lets us go through things oftentimes so we will grow and learn that we need more knowledge and wisdom to face the next day.
In closing, Pastor Bob again told us that you can spell faith more than one way. Faith is impossible to obtain unless you trust in God and obey his commandment. So let's try harder than ever before to trust the one who created us and increase our faith.
If you enjoyed this message and do not have a home church, we would love to invite you to come worship with us at the Cove in Lanagan. We are the white church at the top of the hill with the steeple pointing souls to a heavenly home. Services are at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays, and Bible study is at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. Come expecting to be blessed.
Opinions expressed are those of the author.