Week 17 of 52 Prayers of Faith - Faith is knowing that nothing can separate us from the Love of God

Faith is knowing that nothing can separate us from the Love of God - Lord increase our faith

I would like to remind you that this is not just a quick read, but an exercise to be practiced throughout the week.  Daily remind yourself of this biblical truth, converse with God about it and record this in a journal.

The evangelist responsible for the Gospel of John reminds us of God's love for us in Jesus' words, "For God so loved the world that He gave is only begotten Son..."  God loves humanity.  Which means that God loves you personally.  Christ didn't die on the cross just to satisfy the Father's need for vengeance.  Christ died on the Cross for our sins regardless of the gravity of our sins.  He didn't die for just the nice people, he died for everyone.  He died for sinners.  He died for those in jail.  He died for those living in sin.  He died to save us because we cannot save ourselves.  We can never be "good enough" to meet the requirements of God's Word, but God's Grace, the manifestation of God's love saves us from ourselves.

God loves us and hates our sin.  There is always the temptation on our part to think that God's love is conditional.  That somehow we can undo or we can cancel his love by our sinful choices.  We think this because this is how we treat others and/or this is how we have been treated.  But God is not like us.  He isn't petty or unforgiving.  While we tend to never let people forget how they failed us, God in his grace and mercy never reminds us of our sin, in fact God himself chooses not to remember our sin.

The Apostle Paul was so convinced of all of this that in his letter to Romans he tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God.  Now this doesn't mean we will be freed from the consequences of bad choices, but it does mean that we can never disappoint God so much that He will stop loving us.  God doesn't wink at our sin.  He is grieved by it.  But God loves us more than He hates sin.  So the next time you think you have failed God, confess it and run back to him.  Don't hold yourself away from him in shame, run back into his loving arms.  

Lord, thank you for your Love that never ends and transcends our shortcomings - Lord increase our Faith. 

Week 12 of 52 Faith is knowing that trials and temptations can only make us stronger if we trust in Him

Faith is knowing that trials and temptations can only make us stronger if we trust in Him - Lord increase our faith

The Word of God talks about this topic from two sides. In the Lord's Prayer we ask God the Father to keep us from falling into temptation. Jesus tells us that He has given us his peace, yet blessed are those who face all kinds of trials and attacks from people. The Apostle Paul tells us in one of his letters to the Corinthian church that the temptations that we face are merely common to humans, but we are to persevere and He will give us a way out of it. We are also encouraged in the Word of God that when we face all kinds of trails and temptations that this builds our patience, but we are also encourage that the trials we face will not be eternal, they are just part of life.

When we face trials and temptations, we can either complain or petition God and believe for His help. God's desire is for us to become more and more like him. He wants us to put off the old person corrupted with its evil desires and put on a new persona - one like Him in Righteousness and Truth. Further, God has give us his Holy Spirit to both help us and remind us of God's Truth.

But this isn't quite like lifting weights where we make our self stronger through repeated excising of our muscles. rather it is accomplish by our surrendering to God, embracing the circumstances and obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes that means "Stand," girded in God's armor and sometimes it means flee from temptation. The end result is that we gain strength in that we become more dependent upon God.

I know that I am human and prone to failure but God is eternal and perfect. The more I have of Him in me and the more I trust in Him, and the more I am capable of doing through Him. The Apostle Paul says, "When I am weak, He is strong". As a Christian our strength comes from God and not just personal resolve or fortitude. We are fallible, while God is infallible. When we face these difficult situations and listen to his Holy Spirit, we are made strong IN HIM.

Lord, we know that you cause all things to work to the good of those called by You and who love You. Lord, may the trials and temptations we face make us more dependent and thereby stronger in You Lord Increase our faith.