IF GOD BE FOR US

It is sad that a lot of people don't know God loves them nor have they experienced that love. They see Him as a God of judgment, yet it was because of His great love for them that He sent Jesus to die on the cross. He is a God of love and it was His idea to save mankind from sin and destruction. Jesus came to reveal to the world the Father's love. He is "Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15) and this is the most intimate way you can address a father. If you don't see Him as "Daddy" then you won't draw near to Him as He'd like you to. You'll fear Him like they did in the Old testament and this will bring you into bondage. Jesus prayed in John 17:11, "Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are one." In Greek the word "keep" means 'protect' and Jesus is saying that the Father will protect you when He becomes your Daddy. In the four gospels there is no record of the Lord's disciples ever getting sick or having a need. Jesus said in vs. 12, "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name."

Jesus said you are to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37) but never forget what true love really is. 1 John 4:10 says, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." True love is not defined by how much you love God but rather how much He loves you. Allow His grace to open your eyes to this vital truth. God loves you and He is for you and not against you. John then writes in vs. 19, "We love Him because He first loved us." Your love for God gives you the assurance that God first loved you. The more you believe He loves you, the more you will love Him back. Stand amazed that He would invite you to partake of those salvation promises and become part of His holy family. Stand in awe that you are the disciple whom Jesus loved. Take your eyes off of your works and how much you love God and place them on how much He loves you. You are precious in His sight and nothing can take His great love away from you.

Never be afraid to boast of God's great love for you. At the last supper Peter boasted of how much he loved Jesus (Matt. 26:35) whereas John leaned on the bosom of Jesus and by doing so was boasting of the Lord's love for him. Scripture goes on to say that Peter denied Jesus three times but John was the only disciple who was at the cross when Jesus died. When you lean on Jesus and boast of His love for you instead of your love for Him, you will hear the heartbeat of God. He will tell you things that He tells no one else. You will see things that nobody else can see. Never see yourself as just a face in a big crowd, see yourself as the Lord's beloved, the one whom He deeply loves. Ps. 34:8 says, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him." Feed on His goodness, the very fact that His light is shining on you. Feel special because you are special. Hear your Daddy saying to you the same thing He said to Jesus at His baptism, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17).

Immediately after the Lord's baptism He went into the wilderness where He was tempted by the devil three times. Twice the devil began his temptation by saying, "If you are the Son of God" (Matt. 4:3,6). Notice that the Father called Jesus "My beloved Son" but the devil called Him "the Son of God." Why didn't the devil say, "If you are God's beloved Son, command that these stones become bread"? The devil left out the word "beloved" because he knows temptation against a child of God cannot succeed if they realize they are God's beloved. God wraps His arms around those who are His beloved and the devil can't touch them. When you are God's beloved the opinions of other people don't matter. The reason people give away their virtue and morality is because they've forgotten how precious and beloved they are. They think God is angry at them for falling into sin but there is no verse in the New testament that says God is mad at a believer. Jesus took upon Himself all of God's anger on the cross and because of that you can be sure that your Daddy will never be mad at you.

You will never know how much God loves you until you know how much He loves Jesus. The Father called Jesus His beloved Son, yet it was this same Son that He gave up for you. Open up your heart and receive God's love for you. When you do that, Paul says you will be "more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37). Say farewell to poverty and lack, sickness and disease, fear and doubt. Song of Solomon 6:3 says, "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies." God takes care of His beloved, He delights in His beloved, and He spends time with His beloved. Declaring that you are God's beloved declares the greatness and strength of your faith, it's the glory and excellence of the very thing God has called you to do. Faith works through love (Gal. 5:6). It works through the revelation of God's love for you and this is what allows you to love others as you love yourself. 1 John 4:17 says, "As He is, so are we in this world." Jesus is the Father's beloved and so are you.

Your Daddy loves you and forever wants what's best for you. In fact, He was for you even when you were against Him. Rom. 5:8 (NLT) says, "But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." God has set His heart on you and He has mercies you never dreamed of. Day by day He is pouring His Spirit out on all flesh in hopes of drawing people to His bosom so they can live a life filled with meaning and purpose. He wants your life to be founded on truth and power and on the authority of the Word of God. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." God is on your side and daily He is directing your steps. When difficulties come you can have confidence knowing that God is for you. You know that what the enemy meant for evil, God can turn around for your good. No weapon formed against you will prosper and knowing this gives you the boldness to march into the enemy's camp and take back what he stole from you.

God has a wonderful plan and purpose for your life. He is thinking about you all the time with "thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jer. 29:11). Setbacks may come but God can use those trials to light a fire on the inside of you that can't be put out. Times of adversity will cause you to pray bold prayers and to openly declare that God's favor is on your life. With reckless abandon you will rise up and confess out loud Ps. 118:6, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Don't get mad at people who do you wrong. Trust God and allow Him to help you show the devil he picked the wrong person to mess with. If the devil had known what he was doing when he crucified Jesus on the cross, he never would have done it (1 Cor. 2:8). He thought the crucifixion was his greatest victory but three days later it became his biggest defeat. When the devil attacks you he thinks he is doing some terrible thing that will finish you off. Little does he know that God has another plan entirely.

Trust God and never doubt His great love for you. He would never let something happen to you if He didn't know it would help lead you to your destiny. He never allows one door to close unless He is ready and willing to open another. Jesus died on the cross but His resurrection was only three days away. Ps. 30:5 says, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." The simple fact that weeping only endures for a night is a good reason to praise God. The Hebrew word for "endure" is 'loon' which means 'to lodge or stop over.' When you travel you will lodge in a hotel room but it's not your permanent home. So it is with your weeping. It lodges or stops for only a night. The good news is that when the sun sets and darkness takes over the sky, it's only a few short hours before the sun starts to rise again. The sunshine erases the darkness from the sky and David uses this to show that weeping is only temporary. Because God is on your side, you can have the assurance that the trial you're now facing is not going to last very long.

A believer should never say, "Nobody ever did anything for me." Who are they trying to fool? Jesus took their infirmities and bore their sicknesses. He went to hell for them so they wouldn't have to and today He forever lives to make intercession for them. Whoever said a thing as foolish as that needs to get on their knees and apologize to the Lord. Their heavenly Daddy loves them and is forever ready to bless them with a good life. These people need to come up higher in how they view God's love for them and His plan for their future. Know with certainty that God is on your side and He is helping you more than you may know. He's already blessed you with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places because you've been united with Christ (Eph. 1:3). He has given you all things that pertain to life and godliness, everything you'll need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). God knows the end from the beginning and has predetermined that you would be conformed into the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). He's with you every step of the way and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Because you are in your Daddy's arms you'll be able to run your race and finish your course. You'll run through a troop and leap over a wall. Nothing can stop you from fulfilling your destiny. Rom. 8:31 (NLT) says, "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" God is your never-failing, everlasting Daddy and He is actively engaged in your life. None of your enemies, whether visible or invisible, can stop you from enjoying the blessings that come from being a child of God. Vs. 32 says, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Jesus is God's free gift to you and everything else you need or desire will be given to you in a similar manner. It is not by your own merit that these things are given but rather by the divine mercy of God, your Daddy and your friend. Jesus is a well of abundance out of which pours all manner of blessing and provision. Everything is given to you when you make Jesus the Lord of your life. He is the heir of all things and you possess all you need in Him.

Since God is for you, for somebody to be successfully against you they'd have to be bigger than Him. Take comfort that God is your protective Daddy and there is nobody bigger than Him. Jesus said in John 10:27-30 (NLT), "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." If you stay close to God nothing can be successfully against you. The danger comes if you walk away from Him. People who rebel against God because they'd rather go off and do their own thing open themselves up to the devil who roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. Don't pull away from God but draw near to Him. Be like David who said in Ps. 63:8, "My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me." In your Daddy's arms is the safest place in all the universe.

God is for you and to live a good life you've got to let God be God. Settle in your mind right now that there will be questions in life that won't get answered, things that can never be explained. There will be things you can never change and things you cannot control. To be successful you've got to know what your limitations are. If you believe you are more than you are, the Bible says you are not wise. Gal. 6:3 says, "For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Knowing your limitations will keep you peaceful because you won't struggle trying to do something you can't do. Settle in your mind that there are some things that only God can do. People who try to do such things are trying to be like God in a wrong way. They're trying to be God instead of letting God be God. There are things that only God knows and understands so stop trying to change those things you can't control. Let God be God and go to bed and have a peaceful sleep. You're in good hands and you know your Daddy will never let you down.

Ps. 54:4,5 says, "Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth." People who walk in fear are not fully persuaded that God is on their side. On the other hand, the absence of fear shows the presence of faith, a faith that believes God is real and He is here to help in whatever situation you may find yourself in. Ps. 118:7 (NLT) says, "Yes, the Lord is for me; He will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me." Every answer to your prayers is evidence that God is on your side and this is why you need not fear what man can do to you. Paul asked, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Be aware of the enemy but never fear him. Neither should you give him the opportunity to harm you by pulling away from your close relationship with the Lord. Many in the world are living as if there is no God and no devil, no heaven and no hell. These people are deceived, not knowing that the whole design of the devil is to destroy their life and bring about their eternal ruin.

The gold mines of all spiritual comfort and protection are God's alone and when you cast your cares on Him all that you need will be provided. Your responsibility is to be sober and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8), to be watchful and diligent to prevent the devil's schemes from coming to pass. Resist the devil and be steadfast in your faith (vs. 9). You cannot fight the good fight of faith on sand that is wet and soft. There is no standing without firm ground to tread upon and it is only faith that provides this solid foundation for you. Use your faith to believe that God is on your side and be willing to do whatever He tells you to do. Cooperate with Him so He can bless you and keep you protected at all times. Those who rebel are the ones who get destroyed, the ones who say God never does anything for them. They have no one to blame but themselves for it's the people who love God who will do what He says and it's this obedience that gives Him access to their life. It is foolish to blame God when calamity comes and wreaks havoc in your life. Instead of blaming God, go look in the mirror and ask yourself if you've been doing what God told you to do.

It's the knowing that God is on your side that sets you free from dread and fear which, by the way, is a foretaste of hell itself. 1 John 4:8 says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment." The word "torment" is the same word used in Rev. 20:10 to describe hell, and this is what happens to those who don't believe God is for them and not against them. It is a life of freedom to know and believe that God will take care of you all the days of your life. God said in Ex. 23:22, "But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries." God is faithful to take care of His own children and, if you'll do what He tells you to do, you can relax when hard times come. When you trust God you will never fear or worry. These things irritate Him and Jesus often reprimanded His disciples when they were this way (Matt. 8:26). Faith is what pleases God and you must trust God and use your faith when things aren't going in your life as they should.

In the eyes of God, there is no excuse for not trusting Him. Faith is a choice you make, a choice that must be made every day of your life. Ps. 56:9 says, "When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me." Faith has confidence and never wavers for it knows that God is on your side. Faith begins where the will of God is known so when you have full assurance that God is for you, the enemy has no choice but to back off and cease from his efforts to pull you down. If God be for you, who can successfully be against you? The answer is nobody. Ps. 91:15 says, "He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him." God has ordained you to use your faith as a sword to cut off the powers of darkness from your life. When you do that, Ps. 91:3 says, "Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the perilous pestilence." Vs. 7, "A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you."

If God be for you, who cares who is against you? God said in Josh. 1:5, "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you." Encourage yourself with the promise and presence of God, knowing that He is all-sufficient and well able to take good care of you. He is watching over you and He is working in your life. Rom. 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." With glorious assurance you can know that in a variety of unexpected ways and unthought of means God can turn your situation around in a moment of time. The Message Bible says, "That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." This is a promise that the sinners of the world know nothing about. Paul says "we know" this promise, referring to those who are saved and born again. This is a family secret that gives all believers an advantage over the rest of the sinful world.

Those who are beloved of God need not be overwhelmed with the sorrows of this present age. More than others, they can find rest in their souls when the rest of the world is in a chaotic uproar. Is. 26:3 says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Trust in the Lord for that peace which passes all understanding. Trust that you will receive from Him the peace and strength that will cause you to come up higher to a level of blessedness that will last forever. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and rely on Him in all your trials. Jesus said in John 14:1, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me." Here is the remedy for a troubled mind. Comfort is gained when you believe that God is on your side. If an unexpected crisis were to arise in your life you would quickly go to the Lord for help and here is what He would say to you, "I am on your side. Let not your heart be troubled." The question is, how would you respond to that?

There is power in the Word of God and the very fact that Jesus told you to "let not your heart be troubled" means you are well able to do it. The Lord knows what you can and cannot do and He would never tell you to do something if He knew you couldn't do it. In other words, His Word empowers you to let not your heart be troubled. Him telling you to do it is what gives you the power to do it. You can do this if you will come up higher and believe you can. Jesus then said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." This is the same peace Jesus walked in when He was on the earth. This peace cannot be found in any religion or psychology class or illegal drug. It can only be found in Jesus. It's His own personal peace and He is giving it to you. Therefore, if your heart is troubled, regardless of the cause, it's because you let it get that way. Choose instead to believe that you can go through life without a troubled heart. After all, Jesus said you could.

Ps. 23:4 says, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." As an act of his will, David made the choice to let not his heart be troubled and to fear no evil. He did this because he knew God was on his side. Do not allow the devil to convince you that you are a helpless victim to your circumstances, thoughts, and feelings. You are in the world but are not of the world. You once were lost but now am found. You are in Jesus and He is in you. This gives you the power and ability to not be troubled and to refuse to fear even when hard times come your way. Your confidence is high because you're not alone in the valley. The Lord is with you every step of the way. Your life is affected by what you believe and this is why you must always believe that God is on your side. Don't be afraid when you get word that your place of employment is closing down or when the calendar tells you it's the flu season. Believe that God is for you and nothing can be against you.

There is much trouble on the earth today but the God who made all the planets is on your side. This alone gives you reason to be not concerned about what's going on. David said the Lord's rod and staff will comfort you. This refers to His protection and provision. With this staff a shepherd rules and guides the flock to green pastures and defends them from their enemies. With it he also corrects them when disobedient and brings them back when they wander away. Knowing the Lord will never leave you and will always be there to defend you is how you overcome the temptation to have a troubled heart when trials come your way. You can't control everything that's going on around you but you can control how you respond to it. Say out loud, "Fear, I resist you! God is on my side and my heart will not be troubled." Your words of faith give God access to your life and with it the promise that nothing by any means can harm you. You walk by faith and not by sight and are not moved by what you see and feel.

Don't ask yourself how you feel, tell yourself how you feel. Yes, feelings are real but they don't have to determine the outcome of your life. Do not give permission to the devil and those fickle feelings to hinder your life any longer. Allow the protection and provision of God to comfort you every day of your life. 1 John 4:4 says, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Because God is on your side, you are well able to escape the snares and delusions of the enemy. It is through His strength and grace that you are able to achieve this victory. God is still on the throne, He is your heavenly Daddy, and He will never leave you or forsake you. He loves you with an everlasting love and will cause everything to work out for your good and His glory. Stop crying and feeling sorry for yourself but always keep your eyes on Him. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth and He is on your side. He is good and He is all powerful. Who can fear with a Daddy like that?