“It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.” Psalm 74:17

My friend, as we begin this wintry month, begin it with God. The cold snows and the piercing winds all remind us that God keeps His covenant day and night, and assures us that He will also keep the glorious covenant which He made with us in the person of Christ Jesus. God, who remains true to His Word during the turning of the seasons in this poor sin-polluted world, will prove faithful in His dealings with His own well-beloved sons and daughters.

Winter in the soul is often an uncomfortable season. If now you are facing uncomfortable circumstances or discouraging experiences, it will feel very painful to you. But there is comfort in the fact that the Lord makes both summer and winter. He knows your pain. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds of expectation. He scatters the frost like ashes over the once lush meadows of our joy.

He does it all. He is the great Winter King, and rules the realms of frost. Therefore you should not murmur against Him. Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a thousand other ills can, if we choose, be turned into a blessing of the Lord, and such trials come to us with wise design. Frosts kill deadly insects, and restrains raging diseases. I truly hope that such good results would always flow from our winters of turmoil!

Let us wrap ourselves in the warm garments of His promises, and go forth to work for His glory during this season, for it those who slack off in their work during the winters often are forced to beg in summer due to their inactivity, and end up with nothing. Just as during winter we cherish a fire’s pleasant glow and warming heat, let us cherish our Lord, who is the constant source of warmth and comfort in every time of trouble. Let us draw near to Him, and in Him find joy and peace in believing.

Question: Regardless of the weather outside, how do you handle the winters of your soul?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon.
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Precious Promises
• Confident In God’s Promises
• You are Not Alone

The post God in the Winter appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Is God still good? Is He still in charge? Is He still working out a good plan for me?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you” Jeremiah, 29:11,12 (NIV).

On this broken planet we all experience unfairness. You don’t get the raise someone else did. You’re fired from your job for no reason. You’ve studied and worked very hard and, in the end, someone less qualified gets the position you want. You think, ‘I thought God was in this. And now? Nothing’s working out like I thought it would’.

Oswald Chambers says, “I don’t ask what is God doing? Rather, I ask “Who is God?”  That’s the important issue: Is God still good? Is He still in charge? Is He still working out a good plan for me?

Yes. We must look beyond the human element to the divine. It makes a great difference when we put God in the equation, like Joseph and Paul did when life was turning ugly.  Paul, imprisoned by Roman authorities for preaching the gospel, identified himself as a prisoner of the Lord, not a prisoner of Rome (Ephesians 3:1).

Joseph who had been sold into slavery by his brothers, said to them many years later when they came to Egypt to buy grain, “You sold me…but God sent me ahead (Genesis 45:4-8) You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:19,20).

“I hold onto the promises of God no matter what I see on the outside,” writes Nick Vujicic “I know that God is good. If He allows something bad to happen, I may not understand, but I can hold on to His goodness.”

Don’t miss out on a blessing because it isn’t packaged the way you want.

Father, I thank you that you are working all things together for good in my life.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•   How to Pray
•   Understanding the Holy Spirit
•  Salvation Explained

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The post I Can Trust Him Always appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah  40:8

Jesus made it clear that we would endure hardship in this life. But God gave His children amazing tools to keep trials from overwhelming us. For instance, He placed His Spirit inside each believer to guide and empower. In addition, He gave us prayer so we could not only communicate and stay connected with our Father but also bring Him our requests.

Today I want to focus on yet another one of His marvelous gifts: the Bible. Scripture is the actual Word of God Almighty. It is truth. It never changes. It enables us in all circumstances, so we have a sure foundation on which to base our lives and decisions.

There are thousands of promises in the Bible–countless assurances that we can rely on with perfect confidence. God wants us to learn them so we won’t miss out on blessings He wants to give. And wise believers will turn His promises into prayers and the cries of their hearts.

Let me give you an example that relates to difficult decisions. Psalms 32:8 states, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” We can pray God’s words back to Him, saying that we believe He will teach us and reveal His path, while remaining by our side as our caregiver through the entire situation.

When hardships arise, we need a solid foundation on which to stand. Otherwise, our emotions could easily lead us astray through faulty thinking. God is faithful and unchanging, so we can trust in His promises, which enable us to rest confidently and act boldly.

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Used by permission
https://www.intouch.org/

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