Believe the Promise

Good morning. My name is Christy Smith, and welcome to day 16 of this 21 day devotional, Restart Your Heart, with the Pentecostals of Murfreesboro. And I've so enjoyed listening to each morning's devotional on my way to work. And if you've missed any, you definitely owe it to yourself to go back and catch up, because they've been awesome, and I look forward to them every morning. And the good news is, is that there's still five more to go.

So today's devotional is titled "Believe the Promise." And I know this one is for me, but I also it know that it's not just for me. Um, we are so very blessed, our generation, um, living here in the u.s. We're just — we're very blessed people. But life is still hard. There have been and will be times of pain, disappointment, failure, loss, and frustration. There will be suffering in this life. Jesus promised that we would have tribulation in this world. And the symbol for Christianity, for our faith, is the cross, which is a reminder of Jesus' suffering. You know, we're not gonna be without suffering, um.

But I love what Franklin says right off in this chapter. He says, "Here's what I can tell you: when you are in crisis, God is not. When you are under a wave of depression, God is not. When you are lost in a valley and have no idea what to do, God has not vanished. He is still the healer. He is still the deliverer. And he is still working out a plan for your life." She used to trust him. Choose to believe.

Um, you know, like Jeff said yesterday, our tea palm family has suffered a lot of loss this year. It's been a really hard year. And I think about the book of Job. And y'all would not have very first read the book of Job here's ago. You know, I heard the story growing up in sunday-school. I fully expected it to be like three chapters: chapter one, job is a rock star; chapter two, job losses every — chapter two, job loses everything; chapter three, God restores everything. Boom, the end. It's awesome. But it is not — it's not short or neat or tidy like that. And I remember thinking that this book would never end.

And it feels like that in real life, though, sometimes. You know, when we go through a tragedy, or a series of tragedy — series of tragedies — healing and understanding don't come like they don't come and tidy, buttoned up, neat packages. It's messy, and it probably always takes longer than we think it will or should. But God is good. It's so faithful. But he's given us his word, full of promises, his word full of instruction, and his spirit. And while his word does promises tribulation, and also includes other promises — he promises to meet all of our needs in Philippians 4:19. He promises that joy will come in the morning in Psalms 30 and 5. He promises to repay for the years the enemy has destroyed in Joel 2:25.

But here's the thing, though: it is a choice to believe them. We can read them all day long, but if we don't believe them, if we don't trust in the God who made them, it doesn't make a difference to read them. It's a choice to love God for who he is, and not just what he can do for us — to truly turn our eyes on him. And I think about that song that we sang growing up in church: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace." I believe that if we can do that — if we can truly seek God's face and not be deterred by our circumstances — and we will see him.

The book of Job does and finally, and it is with God remaining job of who he is. And job's response was so beautiful and simple, and I'm gonna read it. It's chapter 42, verses 1 through 6, and it says: "Then Jonah answered the Lord and said, 'I know that you could do all things, and there — and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have entered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I hear and I will speak. I will question you, and you will make it known to me. I had heard you by the hearing of my ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.'"

God restored devil to job, both in children and wealth. The Bible says that the Lord blessed the latter years of job more than the former in the beginning. And he was forever changed.

Taepung, we've been walking a really hard road this year — a really hard road of loss. And we've questioned God, and he's showing us who he is. Um, aw, Tozer said, "It is doubtful whether God can bless him and greatly until he has hurt him deeply." And when this season ends — if it will end — I'm believing that we will be a church that sees him like we've never seen him. I'm ready to rejoice with you in that new building, and worship our God who is faithful, and keeps his promises, who has never left us, who has not forgotten us, who knows right where we are. And he is mighty. We are gonna be a church that rejoices, and has been forever changed, who has held fast to the promises of God, both as individuals and as a body, and not choose to believe his promises. I choose to believe that he is as close as the mention of his name — that he's right here with me, and he's right here, right there, with you. And I know that there is no God like our God.

Let's pray. Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful spring day. Got this day of new beginnings, of new mercies. Lord, thank you that your word is faithful and true, and full of wisdom and promises for us. Help us to be a people that digs into your word to find you. Lord, I pray that you would help us to see you all around us, because you are here. And I ask that you would go with us today, Lord. Give us boldness to walk through this day, praising you, knowing that you are the God who creates all things, makes all things new. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Thank you so much for joining me today. If you haven't read today's devotional, you need to, because it is full of really good things that I didn't get to say. Um, join us live again tomorrow at 7 a.m. for day 17, "Pulling Down Strongholds." Have a great day.