Does GOD help me fail?

Exodus 7: Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. ² You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 

³ But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, ⁴ he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.

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Empathetic was the way I acted when I first started working but as I rose through the ranks I became cynical.  “There they go doing something stupid” I would think to myself.  “If climb high enough I will fire all of these people.” My heart had become hard and I could cut a group as easily as signing a document.

• My blind goals can make my heart hard.
• My deaf aspirations can make my heart hard.
• My mute ambitions can make my heart hard.

Sometimes I forget that I’m put on this earth for humans, not for myself.  I fall into the “I want” trap and my blinders go up hardening my heart. The scary thing about having a hard heart is GOD may help solidify it so I can never return. HE did it to Pharaoh can HE do it to me?

• I better be careful not to think too highly of myself otherwise GOD may help me fail.
• I better be careful not to assume my salvation gives me carte-blanche to sin otherwise I may be a blind person destined to Hell assuming I was saved.
• I better be careful how I treat GOD’s people otherwise HE will treat me the same way if not worse.

Yes I know I am a sinner as is every human, but I cannot take my salvation lightly. I need to honor GOD with everything I do recognizing the need for HIM and running away from pouting when things don’t go my way. I also recognize there is a possibility of running away from GOD and HIM packing my bags to help me.

GOD wants me to be with HIM and HIS unconditional love reaches out to me to forgive me for all my sins.

• Are you fighting GOD with your lifestyle?
• Is your heart getting hard over “those” people?
• Can you recognize if your heart is getting hard and ask GOD to soften it even though you may lose the thing that caused your heart to be hard in the first place?

Where does true godliness come from?

1 Timothy 3: ¹⁶ Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:

He appeared in the flesh,

    was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

    was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

    was taken up in glory.

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Trust is something that can be easily lost with me. I mean if a person is inconsistent with me then my trust level goes way down.  I know this is my defense but when a person wants to “win” my trust back, they have to “prove” they won’t do that thing again.

I wonder if I treat GOD the same way. Do I trust HIM or am I making HIM “prove” HIMSELF to be as faithful as HE says?

• JESUS appeared as a human.
• JESUS was blameless according to the HOLY SPIRIT.
• JESUS was seen by angels in HIS glory and humanity.
• JESUS miracles and teachings were preached throughout the nations and was believed all over the world.
• JESUS was taken up to heaven where HE is building a place for me.

Many times I want GOD to prove HIMSELF to me because I face situation after situation. I want answers and I want them immediately. Fortunately for me GOD is faithful and HE allows me to test HIM with my faithless lenses. HE says “try ME and you will not be disappointed.”

This act of faith on HIS part increases my faith in HIM. HE took the first step of love toward me and all I have to do is believe and “trust” that HE will take care of me.

• Have you lost your trust?
• Are you suspicious about something or someone?
• Can you increase your trust that GOD has the situation or person handled?
• Will you release whatever is holding you back and “trust” GOD today?

Where was I when HE found me?

1 Timothy 1: ¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. ¹³ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

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As I sat at the bar on another Saturday night with “friends” I thought to myself “what am I doing here?” I mean this is definitely not fulfilling! After being popular it seemed like I was living out a sentence of reclusion in a “Podunk” town. I was in the middle of a crowd feeling lonely but this time not lonely for people.

What was missing? People invited me out so that wasn’t it. We had laughter so that wasn’t it. We had shallow meaningless conversations so that wasn’t it. What could fill my emptiness?

• When I try to fill my life with sensuous pleasure I may be running away from something.
• When I try to surround myself with frolicking I may need to face something.
• When I go to the extreme to make myself happy I may need to deal with something.

What was I missing?  I was “the man” on campus then I wasn’t “the man” in this small town. Was it the town that was the problem? Nah! GOD had a different path that HE wanted me on.

• No matter what my past was GOD wants to pour out HIS love on me.
• No matter what I’ve done GOD wants to show HIS faithfulness to me.
• No matter where I’ve wandered to GOD wants to give me grace in abundance.

Somehow GOD saw right through my sinful façade. HE dug to the core and considered me trustworthy to carry HIS message. HE appointed me to HIS service in the middle of my ignorance and unbelief. HE found me when I wasn’t looking for HIM.

• Is your heart empty?
• Are you unfulfilled?
• Is your life out of control?
• Can you look to CHRIST to fill the hole in your heart?
• Won’t you give up that lifestyle for one that is fulfilling and full of GOD?

I have all I need to succeed!

1 Corinthians 1: ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Sometimes I think GOD gets disappointed with my actions and HE corrects me to be “good” by punishment.  Well I don’t have all my thoughts worked out on how accountable I should be regarding my sinful actions, but this verse truly is uplifting.

• GOD gave me spiritual gifts to be used until JESUS returns.
• GOD is protecting me so I can remain firm to the end.
• GOD has forgiven me so that I will be blameless when JESUS returns.
• GOD is faithful so all these promises are written in stone and I can firmly believe HE will do just what HE said.

There is no guess work when it comes to GOD.  HE gets thoroughly excited when I follow HIS ways and speak about HIS SON.  HE wipes away my discouragement and gets me to focus on HIM rather than circumstances. There is no issue too great for HIM and HE owns everything I am trying to acquire.

GOD is faithful. HE will never leave me and HE loves me dearly.

• Do you know GOD loves you?
• I mean do you really know HE loves you?
• Won’t you drop your guard and watch HIM work in your life?
• Can you share your spiritual gifts with others today and help someone understand GOD’s ways?

HE will do what HE promised

Romans 4: ¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

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I had to stop saying “I promise” because of so many broken promises. Because of so many factors outside of my control the words “I promise” can become empty and shallow. “I promise I will call” or “I promise I will remember” are superseded by busy schedules and unforeseen circumstances.

The result of my broken promise can hurt the proposed benefactor.

• When I break my promises I am viewed as unreliable.
• When I break my promises I am perceived as being selfish.
• When I break my promises I am thought of as being “slick” or “shifty.”

It takes faith to believe GOD will keep every promise HE ever said.  So far HE hasn’t broken one yet. GOD said to Abraham, “You will be the father of many nations” and it came true.  Even at his old age, he and his wife conceived children. This was impossible! Imagine your ninety five year old grandparents having a child!

Any promise GOD said, HE will keep.

• When HE said, “anyone who believes in MY SON will be saved” HE meant it.
• When HE said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” HE meant it.
• When HE said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see GOD” HE meant it.

GOD has promised so much that it is hard to believe HE loves me as much as HE does. Wealth, fame, popularity, great relationships are all part of HIS promises. You have got to be kidding, HE promised all that? YES!

GOD is building mansions in a place where the streets are paved with gold where I will know everyone and they will know me where everyone cheered for me when I first believed that JESUS saved me from eternal separation from HIM. 

• Do you believe GOD’s promises for you?
• Do you know all the things HE promised you?
• Can you take time to read your Bible to see what GOD has promised you?
• Will you begin to act like one of HIS children instead of acting like a child?