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But God

Have you ever had a “but God” moment! Joseph in the Old Testament certainly did (Gen 37-50)! We are all probably familiar with how he was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. Acts 7:9 tells us, “But God was with him” and Joseph wound up as the right-hand man to Pharoh. When his brothers came to him for food in a time of famine he said to them, “As for you, you thought evil of me, but God meant it for good” (Gen 50:20; AMPC). God so turned things around for Joseph that many lives were saved because of him. Then there is Noah, “But God remembered Noah” (Gen 8:1; NLT) and saved him and his family from the flood. Also, Jonah, “But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!” (Jonah 2:6; NLT), referring to God rescuing him from the great fish that swallowed him.
In the New Testament we have some more. “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Rom 5:8; NLT). Then in Acts 3:15, “You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead” (NLT; see also Acts 13:30). We have yet another “But God” in Eph 2:4,5 referring to God’s mercy and love in making us alive in Christ.
You may be going through a trial right now and greatly in need of a “But God”, keep in mind that Romans 8:28 says that God causes all things to “work together for good.” You may not get the “But God” right away but stay in faith and be expectant because, “But with God all things are possible” (Matt 19:26; ESV).

Prayer

It is written concerning the early church that, “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers “(Acts 2:42; NKJV). Prayer here refers to a solemn request directed to God. Jesus gave His disciples a model prayer on which to base their prayers (Matt 6:9-14). This prayer starts and ends with words of praise and worship. The prayer contains a request that we could live here on earth in God’s kingdom just like it is in heaven. We are to pray that our needs and those of others be met. Jesus also directed us to ask God for forgiveness as we forgive others. Finally, we are to ask God to protect us from temptation and all the evil attacks of the devil.
We can ask anything as long as it is in line with God’s will and the promises in His word (1 John 5:14-15). Our prayers are to be spoken to God in Jesus name (John 14:13) and must be asked in faith (Mark 11:24). James, the brother of Jesus, made it clear that there is no room for doubt in our prayers (James 1:6). It is good to have a specific time each day to pray in a private place, or the “secret place” as the apostle Matthew calls it (Matt 5:6). However, we are also encouraged to pray everywhere (1 Tim 2:8) and at all times (Luke 18:1, 1Thess 5:17). The apostle Luke recorded that Jesus prayed all night! (Luke 6:12). Praying in agreement with others is also powerful (Matt 18:19-20). God knows our needs before we ask Him (Matt 6:8), but He wants us to ask, let’s do it and see His kingdom established here on earth!

The Promises of God

“Not one word has failed of all His good promise” (1 Kings 8:56; AMPC). “For all the promises of God find their yes in Him” (! Cor 1:20; ESV). In 2 Peter 1:4 we are told that we have been given these promises in order that we may share in God’s nature. That in itself is a wonderful promise!
I understand that there are about 8,810 promises in the Bible. Whatever your need is today, I am sure you would be able to find a promise to take care of that need. In addition, we have the promise of eternal life (John 3:16; 1 John2:25), the promise of the return of Jesus (Acts 1:11), the promise of protection (Ps 121:7-8) and the list goes on and on.
Let’s look at a few specific promises today. In Acts 1:4,5 Jesus commanded His disciples to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 6:3 refers to the first commandment with a promise that if we honour our parents, “all will be well with you and you may live long on the earth” (Eph 6:3; AMPC). In Hebrews 4:1 we have the promise of “entering His rest.” One of the most all-encompassing promises is found in Philippians 4:19, “And My God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (AMPC). This could refer to any kind of need we might have.
God is reliable and faithful (Heb 10:23) so we can put our trust in all His promises. If you have a need today, find one of God’s promises that relate to your need and stand and keep on standing on that promise until you see the fulfillment.

Our Thoughts

As non-Christians our minds were blinded by the devil to the things of God (2 Cor 4:4) and in Mark’s gospel we read, “For from within out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts” (Mark 7:21; NKJV). Here the word “heart” refers to our soul or mind. It is a sober warning that God knows our thoughts! (Ps 94:11). King David cried out to God to search his heart for wickedness and help him lead a God dedicated life (Ps 139:23-24). We as Christians need to do the same, the battle to grow in our walk with God is in our minds. We must set our minds on the things of God (Col 3:14). In 2 Corinthians 10:6, the apostle Paul tells us to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” The writer of Romans wrote as follows, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:1-2; NKJV). Paul encouraged us to meditate on things that are noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy (Phil 4:8). There is no better way to do this than renewing our minds by reading and meditating on the word. God promises to reveal the word to our hearts and minds (Heb 10:16, 1 Cor 2:16) by the Holy Spirit that lives in all of us as Christians (John 16:2-15). As our minds are renewed and our thoughts brought in line with Christs, we will walk triumphantly in His peace, rest, fullness and abundance, shining as lights for Him. There are no shortcuts, but the results are amazing,

Superhuman Energy

“For this I labour (unto weariness), striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me” (Col 1:29; AMPC). Wow! If God could do that for Paul, He can do it for any one of us.
The Greek word translated “superhuman energy” is “energeia” and can be translated as power or strength. We also find this word used in Ephesians 1:19, it is part of Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians; he was praying that they would experience this supernatural power or strength in their lives. Then in verse 20 we are told that it is this same power that raised Jesus from the dead. (See also Col 2:12). We find this word again in Philippians 3:21, “He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control” (NLT). In this verse “energeia” is translated as power. I believe this is referring to the second coming when God will transform our bodies with His superhuman energy. However, we don’t have to wait for the second coming to have our bodies transformed, the process begins here on earth as we are transformed into His image. (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18).
I don’t know about you but I could definitely use some “energeia” right now! Like every other promise of God, we receive it by faith. Believing it, confessing it, receiving it.