Nice & Wavy
Well-Known Member
Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
As we read the above passage, it is clear that God promises to be with us when we go through hard times. Of course that is comforting, but I want you to also notice that He doesn’t say He will necessarily take the hard times away! That’s because God will not always change our circumstances since sometimes He wants to use those difficult circumstances to change our lives as well.
In the past you have heard me say many times that rather than letting circumstances change you; you need to change your circumstances. That is true but I also want to add to that and say there are times when the circumstances just won’t change! That may sound like bad news but the good news is that God will change YOU so that you are equipped to meet those circumstances. That’s really what it means to live a life of faith. It requires faith to take the word of God and stand strong in circumstances that look totally contrary to what He promised in His word. It takes faith to be steadfast and remain faithful to His promises in the midst of a storm.
I think that it’s just our human nature to want to see our circumstances change, but if they always changed then we would never get the opportunity to develop our faith. We can’t have the victory of our faith without a battle and there can't be a battle without a war. So if our faith is going to grow stronger we’re going to have to fight to win some battles and not just try to circumvent or avoid them.
Jeremiah 12:5, "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?” I think the prophet Jeremiah described it well. He told the people that they need to be continually strengthened for their battles. If we don’t build up our faith enough to deal with our smaller problems, we won’t have the strength to get the victory in the big battles!
In the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego faced a terrible dilemma. They refused to compromise by bowing down to worship the king, even though it meant they would be bound and thrown into a fiery furnace. By faith they believed that God would somehow deliver them.
We know that God didn't change their circumstances; He let them enter the furnace, but He showed up in the midst of the fire and the only thing that got burned were the ropes that had kept them bound! Daniel 3:25, "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
If we have the faith to allow God to change us, even if He doesn't change our circumstances, we too can break free from the things that keep us bound! Like the young Hebrew boys, even though we have to endure the furnace of affliction; that is where the Lord will reveal Himself to us.
As we all allow God to change us so we can face our circumstances, we will gain a deeper revelation of who God is. Our victories help us to know when we face future battles that we can trust the God we serve. He is the same yesterday…. Today…. and forever!
So let’s not always try to change our circumstances (although that can happen at times) but let’s allow God to change us. We have to learn to meet the challenge of every one of our life’s circumstances. We need to live by faith and not by sight.
By: Gaspar Anastasi
http://wolm.net/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=category&category_id=1&Itemid=281&page=2
As we read the above passage, it is clear that God promises to be with us when we go through hard times. Of course that is comforting, but I want you to also notice that He doesn’t say He will necessarily take the hard times away! That’s because God will not always change our circumstances since sometimes He wants to use those difficult circumstances to change our lives as well.
In the past you have heard me say many times that rather than letting circumstances change you; you need to change your circumstances. That is true but I also want to add to that and say there are times when the circumstances just won’t change! That may sound like bad news but the good news is that God will change YOU so that you are equipped to meet those circumstances. That’s really what it means to live a life of faith. It requires faith to take the word of God and stand strong in circumstances that look totally contrary to what He promised in His word. It takes faith to be steadfast and remain faithful to His promises in the midst of a storm.
I think that it’s just our human nature to want to see our circumstances change, but if they always changed then we would never get the opportunity to develop our faith. We can’t have the victory of our faith without a battle and there can't be a battle without a war. So if our faith is going to grow stronger we’re going to have to fight to win some battles and not just try to circumvent or avoid them.
Jeremiah 12:5, "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?” I think the prophet Jeremiah described it well. He told the people that they need to be continually strengthened for their battles. If we don’t build up our faith enough to deal with our smaller problems, we won’t have the strength to get the victory in the big battles!
In the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego faced a terrible dilemma. They refused to compromise by bowing down to worship the king, even though it meant they would be bound and thrown into a fiery furnace. By faith they believed that God would somehow deliver them.
We know that God didn't change their circumstances; He let them enter the furnace, but He showed up in the midst of the fire and the only thing that got burned were the ropes that had kept them bound! Daniel 3:25, "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
If we have the faith to allow God to change us, even if He doesn't change our circumstances, we too can break free from the things that keep us bound! Like the young Hebrew boys, even though we have to endure the furnace of affliction; that is where the Lord will reveal Himself to us.
As we all allow God to change us so we can face our circumstances, we will gain a deeper revelation of who God is. Our victories help us to know when we face future battles that we can trust the God we serve. He is the same yesterday…. Today…. and forever!
So let’s not always try to change our circumstances (although that can happen at times) but let’s allow God to change us. We have to learn to meet the challenge of every one of our life’s circumstances. We need to live by faith and not by sight.
By: Gaspar Anastasi
http://wolm.net/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=category&category_id=1&Itemid=281&page=2