Troubled waters.

Isaiah 43:2 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.

The disappointments of life can often feel as though we may be drowning, going real under without any possible sign of being rescued. Sometimes, we may find ourselves on lonely paths where we seem to be standing alone, forsaken by men, and God seemingly far away. There are times that you may be persecuted for even the right thing, and all fingers may point at you as though you were the evil, wrong one.

Do not be disheartened, Daniel was accused of wrong, and punished for praying to God. Jesus died on a cross for speaking the truth. Job lost all he had because of his righteousness. The early Christians suffered lashings, imprisonments and death, because of their faith. There is therefore nothing wrong with you. Whatever, you may be facing now must encourage you to know you are a friend of God.

In this world, lovers and haters of God both face problems. Bad things can happen to anyone, but Matthew 5:10-12 comforts those who suffer in Christ - "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Stand firm, firm in faith, and on Christ your rock. Stand and waver not. When you have done all you know to do, simply stand! Ephesians 6:10-11;13-18  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your STAND against the devil’s schemes.  Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to STAND your ground, and after you have done everything, to STAND. 
STAND firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

We stand when we exercise our faith by trusting in God's Word, praying and staying put in His righteousness. Even when contrary winds and results stare at us, we are encouraged to stand. God is with you in whatever you are going through, and therefore you shall not drown. Stay encouraged!




















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