January 18 – He Will Not…

“The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”  Deuteronomy 31:8 (NASB)

So far, how is this year proving to be a new year for you? We look into each the new year not as one more day, week, or month on the calendar but as the starting point in a renewed transition. So it was Israel after more than 40 years wandering about in the Sinai wilderness, it was time for Moses to transition leadership to Joshua. We might still claim this new year with a verse that brings to us a wonderful promise. God promises over and over in His word that He will not fail us, not forsake us, not leave us. We have no reasons to fear or be dismayed. These words are spoken by Moses to Joshua in the presence of the people of Israel about to enter their Promised Land. These words we can take to heart and trust them. We believe that our Lord will be with us each day as we follow Him. He will not leave us or forget us. Let's be thankful to God for this assurance and for the promises we can trust. As a new year begins, we do not have to be discouraged – even when we are tempted to.  

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June 2 – Press On

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

This is the testimony of Asaph, the writer of this psalm.  He is expressing the promise that God's strength is his forever even in the face of extreme conditions.  This can also be our testimony as much as it was Asaph's testimony.  We will and we do face times in our life as Christians when we feel weak and we feel like giving up.  Our heart is no longer in the work we have been given and we are tired.  Some may call it 'reaching burnout' but our promise is that even in those times, we have from God the strength to we need to and we can take heart again.  And it is ours forever, as much as we need.  Reading the words in the previous verse is the affirmation we can declare, just as Asaph did.  “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.”  Today, lets remember this promise and if we are on the verge of tossing it all in because of fatigue and/or discouragement, God has promised us the strength to press on.  Press On in His strength. 

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March 28 – Whom Have We But God?

“My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”   Psalm 73:26 (NASB)

The verse we have selected was written by Asaph* and it is a remarkably honest in its words regarding our tendency to falter in our walk with God in this life.  It is true that living a Christian life is not an easy path.  But God is our path-maker and our guide.  In this verse the psalmist reminds us how the Lord was with him helping him through his life.  We believe that our Lord is also with us helping us in our Christian life.  We can recognize and admit as this psalmist does that there are times when things around us seem to be too much for us to handle.  Our troubles and failures cause us to question how we might make it through the day.  Those are the times we need to remember that our God has promised to be with us to help us and to strengthen our hearts.  As we put our trust in the Lord at times like this He will always be faithful.  We may fail but He never will for God will bring us all the way through.  We too can praise God for He is indeed the strength of our heart and He is all we ever need.  

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* Asaph the Psalmist