God's Promise: Watch Over

 

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you". Psalm 32:8

    The promise that God is watching over you is an impactful promise.  He is promising to give you instruction in life, teach you His way, guide you on your life path, and to give you counsel.  You find what you need in the Bible, but the promise that you will find it should be comforting.  It can take some of the stress out of your life because you know He is in control.  His control is not about breaking, conquering, or ruling over you.  It is loving you enough to correct you when you go in the wrong direction.

    This promise is given to everyone, but it is personal.  Your path with God is based on who you are, where you are when you get on it, and what God's purpose for your life.  It is divine in how He directs you and provides you with wisdom.  He shows up everyday to help you with all your decisions.  If you are tired of making all the decisions big or small, then remember you can always ask Him.  He has best answers.

    God's loving eye on you tells you how closely He is watching over you.  When you love someone you watch them for no reason.  You watch because you can't help yourself.  If you love someone that much, then imagine how much God loves you.  He is the good parent that wants to prevent you from any harm.  It is only when you are determined to put yourself in harms way that He will allow it.  Sometime it serves a bigger purpose, but it doesn't mean that He doesn't love you.

    Pray for understanding when life does not make sense.  When you don't understand what God is doing or have doubts, turn to His Word and pray for guidance.  Pray for wisdom and He will give it abundantly.  He will show up if you have an open heart.  If you insist on being stubborn, then He will leave you to your own way.  He will never force you to have a relationship with Him or to follow Jesus.  The promise sums up that if you have faith and follow, then you will find wisdom in life.

Psalm 23:3, 32:8, 48:14, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 48:17, & James 1:5

God's Promise: Stronghold

 

"The Lord is my light and my salvation-so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble" in fear (dread)? Psalm 27:1

    The promise that came from God to be your stronghold was recorded by David.  He recorded it because of his deep trust in God.  No matter how dire the circumstances, David knew that God was protecting him and would get him through it.  God was his stronghold.  God is your stronghold.  That means that God is your strength.  He supports you with His power and safety.  

    God is the light that reveals the way through.  He will remove the darkness so you can see the next step that you need to take in your journey with Him.  He may not reveal the whole path, but He does give you what you need each step of the way.  If you are a Christian, then He gave you salvation.  You  don't have to worry about eternity.  Your soul is safe from danger.  

    When you are afraid or need courage to face something that feel impossible, turn to God.  Pray over it.  Lean into the relationship.  Trust Him to protect and guide your through this.  Remember all the times He has kept you from failing or falling, so you can proceed in confidence.  When you embrace this promise you are able to praise God through what is going on.  The hard parts don't last forever.

    You can start using the benefits of your salvation now.  You don't need to wait until you get to Heaven.  You can be solid an secure in aspects of life.  Your faith will empower you to live like Jesus.  You can do more than you think you can.  You can help other people even when you don't think you have anything to give.  Trust God and He will direct you.  He is going through it all with you, so embrace the joy of life and live with integrity honoring God.  Follow Him in love and you will see victory.

Exodus 15:2, Psalm 27:1, 62:2-6, 84:11, 118:14-21, Isaiah 12:2, 60:19-20, & Micah 7:8 

God's Promise: Comforting Guide

 

""Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid for you are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me." Psalm 23:4

    This promise from God is to guide you in the darkest, scariest, and deepest darkness of life.  Hard times come.  Life has painful moments.  There is danger in life, but you do not have to be afraid.  God is with you.  He is fighting for you.  He will guide you through it to safety.  

    In this promise God is described as a shepherd.  A shepherd has a rod and staff to guide and protect his sheep.  People are often compared to sheep in the Bible because people are prone to make bad decision after bad decision.  God is good.  He is patient.  He keep saving your from yourself.

    When you are afraid and feel like darkness will overtake you remember that God is there. When you think death is knocking at your door you do not have to be afraid.  God can remove death's presence, but eventually everyone dies.  You do not have to be afraid of death.  Believe in Jesus, repent your sins, follow Jesus in devoted love and you will have eternal protection.  You will be with God when your body dies.  

    Job is a great example of this promise.  He went through more than most people can comprehend, but he never rejected God.  Once he got through it he was blessed more than what he was before.  He found comfort for sticking with his convictions and never giving in to other people's opinions over the truth.  Same with David.  He started as a shepherd and became the greatest human king in history.  

    It is always darkest before the light comes.  When you are healing it always hurts most before you get better and normally stronger.  The darkness allow you to feel like you can do anything and no one will ever find out.  God sees all.  He knows all.  You are not doing anything in secret.  The darkness can also be scary.  God is there to bring the light.  You do not need to be scared.  Don't try to understand the darkness.  Seek to understand God, so you can find the light.

    When you embrace this promise of God, you are able to hold onto a carefree like attitude of gratitude for what God does in your life.  You get to embrace a piece of Heaven on Earth.  You do not need to doubt that God will provide for your needs here and now.  Your cup will overflow with blessings if you allow God to work in your life.  The best part is you will have a peaceful relationship with God because you are not fighting Him.  That relationship is an endless well of comfort and guidance.    

Jobs 3:5, 10:21-22, 24:17, Psalm 3:6, 23:4, 27:1, 44:19, 118:6, & Isaiah 43:2

God's Promise: Saves from Enemies

 

    The promise that God will save you from your enemies was recorded by David.  David relied on God and recorded some of his prayers.  Psalm 18 is a prayer during a time of trouble.  He praises God's power and control in the situation. He gives God the honor by declaring his trust that God would rescue him and deliver him to safety from his enemies.

    This promise gives you security to walk in life in confidence instead of fear.  You do not need to worry about revenge or retribution.  God will take care of justice.  He will protect you and that is enough for you.  He will handle people as He sees fit.  He knows them as well as He knows you.  I am not saying ignore crimes or anything that affects the safety of society.  I am talking about person conflict that causes you personal distress.  Allow God to take care of it.  

    God is your salvation.  No one can take that away from you.  The freedom He gives no one can take away, destroy, or control.  Satan and his demons can try to manipulate it to cause you to sin, but they can't take it away.  Salvation comes through Jesus.  If you walk in loving faith with Jesus, then Satan can't steal, kill, or destroy your salvation.

    Call on God.  Tell Him what you think you need.  He will provide what you need.  He will protect you because He loves you.  Address God directly with honor, respect, and confidence that He loves you.  He is the light that will direct your path to safety.

    

Psalm 18:3 & 76:4

God's Promise: Refuge

 

"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.  Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you."  Psalm 9 :9-10

    This promises is for anyone who is in need.  Pray to God and you know that He is there with you and working behind the scenes to help you.  You know this because He promised to be a secure refuge for you in your time of need.  He is the stronghold that no enemy can pass.  When you are in trouble or being oppressed, He is your safe place.  

    David wrote this Psalm in a Septuagint poem meaning he used the Hebrew alphabet to design the pattern in sequential letters.  It is a work of art that give s you a glimpse of the character and power of God.  David had an extraordinary life, but He still needed God.  He still faced impossible situations and depended on God to save him.  His poems and writings were his way of giving God the glory and worshiping Him.

    The Hebrew word for stronghold is "misgab".  It means secure height, lofty fortress, or a high cliff.  It indicates an intimidating fortress to represent God's power and magnificence.  It is meant to give you a since of safety.  When you are in God's refuge you do not have to worry about being abandoned.  He He there with you protecting your mind, heart, and soul.  

    Seek God and find what you need.  You find the ability to trust again.  The confusion goes away.  The noise in your head can be silenced.  You can find rest and discover peace.  He replaces trouble with joy of deliverance.  This trust goes beyond knowledge of who God is.  It comes from having a relationship with God who understands who you are and the deepest needs you hold.  He knows what hurts you and how to heal you.  You only have to trust Him and lean on Him so He can heal you and save you in your time of need.

Psalm 9:9-10, 32:6-7, 37:39-40, 46:1, & 91:14-92:2

God's Promise: Spiritual Stability

 

"How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!  Instead, his delight i in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.  He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers."  Psalm 1:1-3

    This is a conditional promise.  It is a promised made by God about the quality of life you can have.  He allows you to make it your choice to be blessed or cursed.  You will be blessed if you do not allow evil people into your inner circle.  If you choose wise counsel, then you will become wise.  If you choose the influence of wicked people, then you will become wicked.

    The condition of this promise is if you reject the ways of the world to focus on your relationship with God, then you will have spiritual stability.  Your faith will grow and become bold and strong.  You will follow God's path for your life, so you will succeed in your endeavors. 

    To have the blessing of being spiritually stable you need to avoid bad influences that want to divide or destroy your focus from your relationship with God.  You want to find people that will give wise counsel and point you to God's Word to support what they tell you.  These people love you enough not to lie to you or just tell you what you want to hear.

    You want to spend time in God's Word to understand His character better.  He knows you can't read His Word 24/7, but you can think about it and pray over it when you are not in it.  When you put your relationship with God first, then He will place people in your life that will help you grow.  

    God will help you become more resilient in life.  Your faith will give you strength to face what life throws at you.  God does not promise prospering financially, but He does promise that you will succeed.  That means you may prosper spiritually, relationally, in work, in your gifts, financially, and more.  You may prosper in many or every area in the right seasons.  The point is not to think you are not doing well if you are not rich.  What God values becomes what you value and find joy in doing.

    God will allow you to prosper for many reasons, but this particular promise and blessing is based on your choices.  Your conduct is based on your choices.  You chose to have a relationship with Him or not.  It is your choice to have spiritual and emotional joy that comes from the contentment of having a relationship with God.  He is where you find your blessings.  He has laid them out for the taking.  You need to know what they are and who He is to be able to have them.  Loving God leads to obedience which produces blessings and stability.

Genesis 39:3-4, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-3, 26:4-5, 119:35, 128:2, Proverbs 4:13-19, Isaiah 3:10, Jeremiah 15:17, 17:8, & Ezekiel 47:12

God's Promise: To Hear

 

"The if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and restore their land."  2 Chronicles 7:14

    The promise to be heard by God comes with some regulations. The way I imagine it in my head is a child wanting something from their parent.  The child is acting like a complete entitled brat.  God being the good parent hears the child, but ignores the child until the child can behave with respect.  It is a teaching moment.  God is teaching His people how to approach Him.

    God's people forgot all He had done for them.  It did not take long at all.  They turned to all the wicked things that they vowed never to do.  They they are surprised with everything falls apart and want God to fix it.  God has every intention on fixing things, but He is telling them what they have to do first.  He wanted them to have their promised land.  He never wanted to take it away, but the relationship with Him is more important than the things in this world.

    Christians today are no different.  Your forget everything God has brought you out of until you need Him.  You may remember and be grateful, but in the good times you forget all the little things.  You start neglecting the relationship.  You may not turn to evil things, but you are not pursuing God like you did when you felt like your life depended on it.  How God responds to you depend on your attitude and willingness to repent when you have sinned. 

    God is asking you to not forget.  Humble your heart to pursue God in the good times too.  Pray over every aspect in life so not to neglect your relationship with Him.  Go to His Word seeking to know Him better.  You are able to see it differently in the good times and have the ability to grow in a new way as a Christian.  If you have fallen into sinful habits, then repent and turn away from them before He has to correct you.  

    God wants to bless you.  He wants to hear all you have to say.  He wants to be close to you.  It is your call on what kind of relationship you will have with God.  Will you approach Him with respect, humility, and love?  Or will you act entitled, spoiled, and over in an unworthy manner?  He will respond according to how you approach Him.  Follow His regulations and He will hear you from Heaven.  He will forgive your sins.  He will heal the wounds caused by your sin.  You know this is true because He promised that He would.

2 Chronicles 6:27-30, 7:14, James 4:10