"God Is With Us Always"

 

God's Goodness In 25 Verses

1. "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” - Psalm‬ ‭145:17-18‬ 

2. "The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit" ‭‭- Psalm 34:18‬ ‭

3. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield.” - Psalms‬ ‭91:4‬ ‭

4. "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him." - Lamentations 3:25 

5. "Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him!" ‭‭- Hebrews 11:6‬ ‭

6. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10 

Does God Truly Care?

Would it bring you comfort to know that for thousands of years man has asked the following question, “If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13)

Gideon asked the question thousands of years ago, and we’ve been asking it ever since. 

Looking at his circumstances, Gideon saw no evidence that God cared. And if we are not careful, we can also fall into that same mindset. In the circumstances facing Gideon, the children of Israel had been warned that their worship of pagan gods would result in judgement, and that was the primary reason God was allowing His people to be disciplined. 

But that is not the only reason that God will allow us to walk through seasons of trials and pain. Jesus, He who was without sin, also suffered many trials and pain beyond our imaginations. And He told His disciples, "If they hate me they will also hate you." So sometimes suffering can be the result of persecution for our faith in God. 

But there is another type of suffering that honestly might be tougher to understand then the examples above, and that is where people, through no fault of their own, are allowed by God to undergo trials and tribulations. And that is where we have to trust in the character and love of God and take refugee in the fact that He is with us, through all circumstances in our lives, and there are mysteries in God's sovereign rulership that escapes our finite capabilities to understand. Yet, even in those situations, God gives us a clue in John 9: “that the works of God might be displayed”.

The Jackson Five

I came upon this clip on YouTube and it reminded me that the first time I heard of this group was their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Looking back its pretty amazing how many legendary artists made their USA TV debut on that show. 

I mean, check this out, here are just a few of the artists that made their debut on the Ed Sullivan Show: Elvis, The Beatles, The Jackson Five, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Supremes, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Dusty Springfield, The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Buddy Holly, Janis Joplin, The Mamas and the Papas, The Lovin' Spoonful, Herman's Hermits, Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand and many more! All of this broadcast on a variety show that aired on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971 from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. 

My Flesh and My Heart May Fail . . .

"Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.

For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.

They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.

Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment . . .