“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”  2 Thessalonians 3:3

When life’s challenges surprise you, do you ever wonder why God did not protect you?

In this world, there are various forms of wickedness. Evil is unpleasant to talk about, but it’s real. Just because we have faith and expect pleasant things to happen, it doesn’t mean we won’t go through anything bad. Life happens. So, no matter how wonderful someone is, they’ll attract an opponent somewhere along the line.

When you face opposition, whether it’s when you’re trying to share the good news or doing something else, it’s important to have an umbrella. Ask God to protect you in your endeavors. That’s your umbrella—prayer.

Even if you’re hurting, pray for strength so you can overcome the pain. While you may think about your weaknesses, it’s better to focus on God’s faithfulness. The more you fix your eyes on God’s faithfulness, the more you will allow him to strengthen you so you can face the trials of life. Therefore, remember, God will not allow you to go through anything beyond the strength he supplies.

As you keep your faith in him and focus on his faithfulness, he may not remove everything you’re going through, but he will help you handle things with grace. God will defend you in his way and at the right time.

His ways are higher than our ways. So, your help may not come the way you imagine. The result may come in a way that surprises you or even humbles you. But the most important thing is that you can count on God’s faithfulness.

Father God, please protect me from evil and help me to face the world every day and everywhere I go. Strengthen me so I can overcome anything oppositional with grace. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

By Fab Batsakis
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

God’s Sufficiency Exceeds Our Need – by Sylvia Gunter

God Provides for His Own

God is Faithful

The post Opposition Happens appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

We can come to Jesus when we are hurting and He will soothe our pain.

We can come to Him when we are joyful and He will share our joy and multiply it many times over. In all things, at all times, we can come to Him, no matter what. He is all we need when we need it and our deepest desires find fulfillment in Him alone.

While the world says to be self-sufficient, confident and always “look out for number one,” true confidence comes from knowing that we are complete in Him. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.

The world has us looking for fulfillment and completion in all the wrong places for rewards that by comparison are minuscule compared to all he has to offer.

J. Wilbur Chapman often told of the testimony of a man in one of his evangelistic meetings. The man said

“I got off the Pennsylvania depot as a tramp. For a year I begged on the streets for a living. One day I touched a man on the shoulder and said ‘Hey Mister, can you give me a dime.’ As soon as I saw his face, I was shocked to realize that the man was my own father. I said, Father, Father, do you know me? Throwing his arm around me and with tears in his eyes, he said ‘Oh my son, at last I have found you! I’ve found you. You want a dime? Everything I have is yours.’ I was a tramp. I stood begging from my own father for ten cents, when for eighteen years he had been looking for me to give me all he had.”

That is a small picture of what God wants to do for His children. His supreme goal in bringing us to Himself is to make us like Himself by filling us with Himself, with all He is and has.

Without Him, we can do nothing, but the world tells us to look in all the wrong places for the things that ultimately do not matter. We go around begging for dimes while ignoring the riches He offers just a prayer away.

Turn to Jesus and reap riches that surpass anything on this broken and fallen world. Faith that makes a difference is faith that fixes its eyes on the ultimate rather than the immediate. We all need to learn to cultivate the eternal perspective.

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

The best way to get to know God is to invite Him into your life to be the director of your life.  He will take care of all your needs. Do you want to do that right now?  You can by sincerely praying this prayer.

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

Further Reading

•  Stepping Into a Personal Revival

•  Life’s Lessons can Come from Unexpected Places…

•  Salvation Explained

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The post Come to Him appeared first on Thoughts About God.