How do we have faith in hard times? You may feel like the world is falling down around you. God never promised us we would never go through hard times. He did promise us that He would be with us always.
Take for example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the book of Daniel. They would not worship the gold statue the King Nebuchadnezzar set up, so they were thrown into a fiery furnace. They had faith that God would take care of them. “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up” (Daniel 3. 14-16). Wow, that took some faith. When the king checked on the three men in the furnace, he saw four. Can you imagine his shock to see that there were four men in the fiery furnace, and they were walking around freely?
We can be encouraged today that we are overcomers because Jesus Christ has overcome the world. So, keep the faith and do not fear. Keep your eyes on God and start your day off right by reading His word. “So, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41.10).
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaves:” (Ecclesiastes 3: 1). We are nearing the end of the year. Now is the time when we are thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. I make a New Year’s Resolution every year. For example, one of which includes losing some weight. I can remember a time in my life when I could not gain weight but now it is quite the opposite. The main problem; I like food! I love sweets especially chocolate. I digress!
We make resolutions but do we follow through? We have great intentions and maybe we do follow through but is this really what we need to focus on?
One resolution that is definitely the most important one of all is to draw closer to God. How do we this? For one, I believe God calls us to stay in His word, which is a struggle when we live in a world full of distractions. I can tell you that the rewards are great! Another way to draw closer to God is to spend time in prayer. Prayer time does not have to be a time on our knees although that is not a bad idea, it can be a time when we say a prayer under our breath or a time in the morning where we say a quick prayer of thanksgiving. I don’t know about you, but I need to talk to God throughout the day. I cannot make it without Him.
Make God the main focus of your mind and heart in the New Year! Take a few minutes to listen to “King of My Heart” by Steffany Gretzinger.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that you may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14:16).
As a young girl, I loved driving around with my parents looking at Christmas lights. I wanted to share my love for Christmas with my boys so when they were younger, I drove them around the neighborhoods so they could see the wonderful displays of lights. I love Christmas lights especially the twinkling ones.
We live in a dark world. It seems everywhere we turn, there is turmoil. I can’t even turn on the television without hearing something negative. The scriptures say, “we are the light of the world”. Which means once we are plugged into the ultimate power source, our light will shine even brighter than the twinkling lights. So, as we head into the New Year, think about how you will stay plugged in. Spend time with the ultimate power source so your light will continue to shine!
Turn the light on!
