" When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you. " Isaiah 43:2-3 NLT
Beloved, if most of us look back on 2015 or the previous years, I am sure you would have asked yourselves, how was I able to survive that situation, that storm, that trial! Well, I will tell you, It is because the Lord has already assured us that in the midst of the trials, the storms of life He will be with us. We will go through all these things but it will not drown us, it will not consume us as His word clearly states in Isaiah 43: 2-3. The year 2015 was a very trying year for my family and I but at the same time as the year was coming to an end, we began to see God's mighty move in our lives.. He was with us every step of the way through it all. The Lord Jesus also reminded us in John 16:33 that here on earth, we shall surely encounter many trials and sorrows, but we should remain calm, steadfast, take heart because He has overcome the world.
Praise Jesus beloved, that you and I have gone or are still going through trials because it makes us stronger, vigilant and matures us as believers. Facing trials and tribulations leads us to a higher level in our Christian journey, and scripture even reveals to us in 1 Peter 1:7 that when we endure many trials for a time, it shows our faith is genuine because it has passed through the fire, it has been tested and we can stand strong through any situation and come out victorious. Trials in a believers life can prove we are doing something right because a lot of times when we are facing some serious battles, it might be an attack from the enemy and it means the we are a threat to the powers of darkness. The devil will not bother a person who he believes is his already. We are Children of the Most High God and so therefore as long as we are on this earth, we shall continue to be his TARGET. Scripture reminds us in I Peter 5:8-9 to be mindful of our great enemy, the devil who runs around like a roaring lion, looking for whom he will devour. We (believers) are a big threat/problem to his kingdom and so he is constantly out to kill, steal and destroy our joy and peace. See also John 10:10.
In John 15: 18-19 it states" If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you." What does this mean? It means you and I belong to Jesus and anyone who belongs to the Lord and Savior will be hated by the enemy and by this world. Therefore although we are living in the world, we must remember that we are not of this world. So beloved, just as Brother James has stated in James 1:2-3, count it all joy when troubles/trials come your way because you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to mature and become perfected.
So in times of oppression, God has assured us in His word that we are not alone, He will be with us. Deut 31: 6 "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Do meditate on these scripture verses I have provided here and claim it each time you are passing through the storms or battles of life and I assure you that God's word will forever hold true in your life, It does not change..
I also leave you with two more crucial and encouraging scripture verses John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. "
AND one of my favorite verses
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28 NLT
Thank you Jesus....
SHALOM!
by Kemi O.
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