The Souls Remedy: Grace and Mercy

Showing posts with label Grace and Mercy. Show all posts

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Stop Testing God, Stop .

Read: Numbers 14:1-10

the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct according to what their deeds deserve. Jeremiah 17:10

Good Morning!

When things do not go according to plan or expectation, we often test God, even though we do not intend to. We disregard previous experiences of receiving God's blessings. When He rescued us from our depths of shame or fulfilled our heartfelt prayers.

Contrasting to that, we behave similarly to children on Christmas day who, despite receiving their desired toy, ask "Is that all?" before the day is over.

The Children of Israel were not any different. Even though God rescued them from slavery, split the Red Sea, took care of them during their journey, and promised them a better future, they still chose to doubt God's abilities, constantly complain, and show ingratitude.

What leads to our testing or doubting God? If things are going well, we express our beliefs verbally and put them into practice by exercising our faith.

It is when prayers are not answered or do not occur in the way we expect, our natural tendency is to begin complaining and attributing blame to God. Psalms 106:11-15 reminds us of how easily we forget God's works and decide not to wait for His counsel.

Do our doubts arise from concepts or experiences we cannot visually grasp or perceive, or from a lack of faith or absence altogether? Is it now the right time for us to depend on our own understanding or continue to have faith in God?

God does not abandon us, despite our complaints. He looks into our hearts and evaluates our thoughts, then gives us rewards based on our behavior and the consequences of our actions. During the good times and the bad times, give thanks to the Lord for he is good, in all things. His mercy endures forever. Stop Testing God.

Subscribe in a reader

Saturday, July 2, 2022

God’s Sovereignty

Naomi had it all; a husband, two sons, and wealth. Inflation hit the land causing Naomi and her family to move, and as opposed to things getting better, they got worse. During turmoil, Naomi's husband and two sons die.

When tragedy strikes, the feeling of hopelessness and doubt creeps in. We look for answers, worry, and even blame God for the calamity.

In the book of Ruth, Naomi was no different. She had reached the point of hopelessness. Naomi felt that the hand of God was against her (Ruth 1:13). Naomi could not see any way out. Naomi's anguish was so bad she changed her name to Mara, which means 'bitter' (Ruth 1:20).

Naomi's story can happen to anyone of us at any given moment. One day you are on top of the world, the next you lose it all - health, wealth, and even family.

How we deal with life situations is entirely up to us. Like Naomi, when tragedy struck, she focused on the situation and did not recognize God's Sovereignty. God provided a friend named Ruth and her relative Boaz (Ruth 2).

Through Ruth's genuine love and friendship, Naomi’s eyes and heart were opened to see and receive God's compassion. Naomi begins to understand God's sovereignty - His love, kindness, and mercy towards her.

No matter how painful your hardship may be, pay attention to the friends who encircle you during your tragedy. These friends could be your Ruth or Boaz working on behalf of God.

Subscribe in a reader

Sunday, August 16, 2020

The favor of God

God’s favor can be described as divine kindness. Many correlate material blessings such as cars, homes, and jobs as Favor from God. I see Favor as protection. An undeserving act of kindness which saved one from a calamity. What has God protected you from? The story of Joseph is an example of God’s favor (Gen. 37:18-36). In spite of all of Joseph’s circumstances and encounters; from near death, to being sold as a slave to prisoner, God was with him and rescued him. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. That is favor. I can look back over my life and count many times how God’s favor protected me. I should not be here. Favor toward unworthy men or women is also referred to as God’s “grace” – which means “the unmerited favor of God.” What has God protected you from? Why did God let it happen to you in the first place? God don’t get glory from what don’t happen. His favor allows you to glorify and testify of what God did. If it had not been for the Lord’s favor where would you be?

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Be a testimony for God

God has a way of getting our attention. And when he does the experience can be life changing. A young man I see often in passing told he had been shot five times - three times in the arm and twice in the back. For the young man The ordeal, only a week old and still impressionable, kept thanking God for saving him. For this young man, it took a near fatal encounter to recognize God’s grace and mercy. The young man’s blessing was he lived another day to tell me of how God blessed and saved his life. It should not take a tragic moment before you testify of God’s goodness. Every testimony given becomes a blessing for someone. Go and tell the good news. Allow God to use

you as a testimony for others.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The master of deception

The trickery of Satan will have you on a guilt trip. Focusing on past mistakes and sins. Forgetting God’s promise, when we confess our sins he will forgive and cleanse the unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Though committed, our mistakes and sins have purpose. Sins can become testimonies to help others. God can take all events, good & bad and use for his purpose. Your sin that was intended to destroy can be transformed to good. All things God works for the good For those who love the Lord (Rom. 8:28). Stop letting Satan trick you.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Be humble

For most people it’s easier to say I’m humble than to implement. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector can be misconstrued if not careful (Lk 18:9-14). We read of the “humble” Pharisee who prays to God thanking him for what he is not- evildoer, robber, adulterer, and not like him 👇🏾, the tax collector. The “humility” of the tax collector appears genuine, he asked for God’s mercy for he is a sinner. So what’s the issue? God wants us to be humble, acknowledge our sins, and pray for his Grace & Mercy. The dilemma is this, Humility is like trying to stand and balance yourself on a ball. If you sway too far either side you will fall into focusing more on you than God. The key to true humility is to focus more of our time and thoughts on almighty God, rather than boasting of not being like Pharisees or tax collectors.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

You cannot hide from God

Read: Psalm 139

there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13

Good Morning!

All things are seen by God. He knows when we sleep and when we are awake. The Lord knows what is on our tongue before we even speak it (Psalm 139:4). If God is capable of doing all these things, shouldn't it prevent man from sinning?

For some inexplicable reason, we delude ourselves into thinking we can deceive God. "Where can I go from Your Spirit, and where can I flee from Your presence?" asks David.

We justify our actions based on the fact that no one saw us. Don't you realize that God sees and knows everything? Everything about us is known by God. He is aware of our personalities, secret fantasies, and concealed motivations.

God’s words are more than just letters on a page; they come alive. Its sharpness surpasses that of any double-edged sword, and it can even penetrate down to the deepest depths of the soul and spirit.

If God marked all our iniquities, we would not still be standing. How good and sweet it would be if everyone were free of sin. But we know that is not true. God does witness every word, action, and deed, but there is forgiveness for those who repent and fear the Lord. Let us think before we act in all things. Seek God in all things and repent.