Testing

Our human tendency is to avoid pain, suffering, and trials. However, if we face the tests of faith by relying on God’s grace, He will strengthen us through them, and we will experience a greater measure of His power in our lives. Therefore, by looking at difficulties from God’s perspective, we can see that they are not intended to destroy us, but they are actually opportunities to have more of His power flowing through our lives!

James revealed his understanding of this perspective when he wrote:

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers [various] temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2–4).

Remember, when going through various trials and testing that:

1 - God is! When Moses needed a name for God, God said I am. When they asked Jesus who He was He said I am. God is. He is supreme, all knowing and all powerful. Nothing is impossible for Him. And He knows the end from the beginning.

2- God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him! God is always looking to reward and bless you. He cares for you as He does His own son Jesus. While The Father allowed Jesus to suffer many things and be tempted and tested in all areas even as we are, Scriputure says that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. He knew the Father is faithful, loving and compassionate and that He would not allow Him to endure such hostility for no reason.

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcs.blogspot.com/

God's Authority

YEAH SURE! READ THE STORY AGAIN!

God has placed a system of authority in our world that requires faith to operate under its boundaries: fathers responsible for sons and daughters, employers responsible for employees, government leaders responsible for the people, church leaders responsible for church members. These are authority structures God has placed in our lives to protect and guide us to His will. Some confuse position with worthiness or qualifications of that position. It is the position that God works through. The fact that an authority may not be a Christian may have no bearing on whether God can work through him as your authority. It is only when that authority counsels against a biblical mandate that we should not follow that person's guidance. The hand of the king is in the hand of God.

Prov 21:1
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

Today, we find few who understand this system of authority God has ordained. It requires great faith to operate in this realm. Yet Jesus said that when we understand this, we demonstrate the kind of faith that He rarely sees. Be a person of rare faith! See the authorities placed in your life as those God is using to protect you.

13 Let every person pbe subject to the governing authorities. For qthere is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you rwill receive his approval, 4 for she is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, tan avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also ufor the sake of conscience. p Tit. 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13 q [John 19:11]; See Dan. 2:21 r 1 Pet. 2:14 s 2 Chr. 19:6 t 1 Thess. 4:6 u 1 Pet. 2:19; [Eccles. 8:2] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ro 13:1-5).

God help us to see and understand this great truth through the perspective of faith, hope and love.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.org/

Those who Sow in Tears

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." - Psalm 126:5

The most difficult place to keep moving in faith is the place of extreme pain. Extreme pain, especially emotional pain, can become immobilizing to the human spirit if it is allowed to overcome us. The psalmist tells us there is only one remedy for overcoming painful circumstances that will result in joy. We are to sow in the midst of these times. You cannot do this if you live by feelings alone. It is an act of the will. This act requires that we go outside ourselves in pure faith.

"He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him" (Ps. 126:6). Pain can become a source of joy if we take the first step by planting seed. There is a harvest that will come if we sow in the midst of tears.

Ps 27:6
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Ps 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.org/

Opponents to Fight Gay Marriage Ruling

"It's about human dignity. It's about human rights. It's about time in California," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom told a roaring crowd at City Hall after the ruling was issued. "As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation. It's inevitable. This door's wide open now. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not."

I agree! It is about human dignity! There is no dignity in same sex marriage. It's obviously ridiculous to equate this decision made by four judges that even over ruled what the people of California voted for!

The last time the state's voters were asked to express their views on same-sex marriage at the ballot box was in 2000, the year after the Legislature enacted the first of a series of laws awarding spousal rights to domestic partners. Proposition 22, which strengthened the state's 1978 one-man, one-woman marriage law with the words "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California," passed with 61 percent of the vote.

The institution of marriage finds it's roots in Genesis where Moses wrote, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Gen.2:24

Gen 34:9
Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.

23 The same day sSadducees came to him, twho say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, u ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” 29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, vbecause you know neither the Scriptures nor wthe power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither xmarry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, yhave you not read what was said to you by God: 32 z ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the crowd heard it, athey were astonished at his teaching.
s ver. 34; ch. 3:7; 16:1; Acts 4:1; 5:17; 23:6 t Acts 23:8; [Acts 4:2] u [Deut. 25:5] v John 20:9
w 1 Cor. 6:14 x ch. 24:38; Luke 17:27 y See ch. 21:16 z Acts 7:32; Cited from Ex. 3:6 a See ch. 7:28 The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Mt 22:23-33). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

We see that marriage was not just meant as a covenant between two lovers but also a union designed for reproduction. It is the basis and foundation of the family. The reason the government provides benefits to those who are married is to protect the family and especially the children not the individual.

13 Now the men of Sodom nwere wicked, great sinners against the Lord.
n ch. 18:20; Ezek. 16:49; 2 Pet. 2:7, 8
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ge 13:13). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Gen 18:20
Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, Well, what was their sin?

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 uAnd they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? vBring them out to us, that we wmay know them.”
u Isai. 3:9; [ch. 13:13] v Judg. 19:22 w Rom. 1:24, 27; Jude 7
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ge 19:4-5). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

5 Now I want mto remind you, although you once fully knew it, that nJesus, who saved3 a people out of the land of Egypt, oafterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And pthe angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as qSodom and Gomorrah and rthe surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and spursued unnatural desire,4 serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
m 2 Pet. 1:12; 3:17 n [1 Cor. 10:4, 5, 9] 3 Some manuscripts although you fully knew it, that the Lord who once saved o Num. 14:29, 37; 26:64, 65; Ps. 106:26; Heb. 3:17-19 p 2 Pet. 2:4; [Rev. 20:2] q See Gen. 19:24 r Deut. 29:23; Hos. 11:8 s 2 Pet. 2:10 4 Greek other flesh
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Jud 5-7). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

By a close vote of 4-3, the California Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage - a ban overwhelmingly approved by the citizens of California. Frankly, there's much at stake in this flawed move. I know you are as disappointed as I am that California's high court failed to uphold what a majority of their voters clearly understand - that the institution of marriage is limited to one man and one woman. However, more disturbing still is the glaring misstep of an activist judiciary overreaching its power. Judges interpret law. They do not - they should not - rewrite law. By taking this issue out of the hands of the citizens - where it belongs - the high court ruled by their own conscience, led by their own social policies.

My goal here is not to judge anyones lifestyle, that is between them and God! I feel that the God given institution of marriage should stand as it has for thousands of years as the backbone to families and the backbone of society. And laws should be upheld for the majority not the minority.

This is my favorite scripture reference on marriage.

22 zWives, asubmit to your own husbands, bas to the Lord. 23 For cthe husband is the head of the wife even as dChrist is the head of the church, his body, and is ehimself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit fin everything to their husbands.
25 gHusbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and hgave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ithe washing of water jwith the word, 27 so kthat he might present the church to himself in splendor, lwithout spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.1 28 In the same way mhusbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because nwe are members of his body. 31 o “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and pthe two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, qlet each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she rrespects her husband.
z For ver. 22–ch. 6:9, see Col. 3:18–4:1 a See Gen. 3:16 b [ch. 6:5] c 1 Cor. 11:3 d See ch. 1:22, 23 e [1 Cor. 6:13] f [Col. 3:20, 22; Tit. 2:9] g ver. 28, 33; [1 Pet. 3:7] h ver. 2 i Tit. 3:5; [Rev. 7:14] j ch. 6:17; Heb. 6:5; See John 15:3 k 2 Cor. 11:2; See ch. 1:4 l S. of S. 4:7 1 Or holy and blameless m ver. 25, 33 n [Gen. 2:23]; See 1 Cor. 6:15 o Matt. 19:5; Mark 16:7, 8; Cited from Gen. 2:24 p 1 Cor. 6:16 q ver. 25, 28 r 1 Pet. 3:2, 6 The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Eph 5:22-33). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

As I write, the ACLJ http://www.aclj.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=2961 is at work as a result of this troubling decision. They are supporting a California ballot initiative for this fall that would amend the state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. The court should issue a stay of its same-sex ruling. The ruling would not go into effect until after the November vote takes place - giving the citizens of California their say.

There is no guarantee that the stay will be issued. This bold maneuver by the California Supreme Court has profound implications coast-to-coast, including your state. California has no residency requirement to get a marriage license. In other words, out-of-state same-sex couples can marry in California and then return to their home state and demand recognition. Obviously, this is a critically damaging decision indeed. Please support the true institution of marriage and it's role in the family with prayer and donations to pay the legal costs of fighting this ridiculus ruling.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcs.blogspot.com/

The Power of Grace

God knows our struggles and our inability to overcome them on our own. He has extended to us His powerful grace. Yet, we must first stop depending on our own efforts before He will demonstrate His power and might in our lives. Only when we recognize and acknowledge our total weakness can we ask for and receive the power of God’s grace.

If we were totally honest with ourselves, most of us would probably acknowledge that we try to live for God to the best of our abilities, and then when special problems come we ask God for the strength to get through them. However, herein lies the problem! Living for the Lord is not our works plus God’s grace; it is completely a work of God’s grace in our weaknesses. In order to remind us of our inability to do any acceptable work for God apart from His grace, He gives us inborn weaknesses.

God is allowing us to see our total need and dependence on Him and His grace through our weakness and through the incongruencies in us and in those we live and work with. Three times the Apostle Paul appealed to God to remove his particular weakness, which he called a “thorn in the flesh.” However, God explained: “… My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness …” (II Corinthians 12:9). The Greek word translated as strength in this verse is dunamis. It means “force … power.” The phrase is made perfect is a translation of teleioo, which means “to complete … accomplish.” It denotes “to bring to the end (goal) proposed.” When Paul comprehended the great potential of God’s power being perfected in his weakness, he exclaimed: “… Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power [dunamis] of Christ may rest upon me” (II Corinthians 12:9).

The Greek word translated may rest means “to tent upon.” It carries the idea of abiding and dwelling with. As long as we are in the “tent” of God’s grace, we are enabled to accomplish great things for Him. However, if we try to live the Christian life in our own energy, frustration and failure will be the results.

God’s grace is His divine favor toward us, and it gives us the desire and power to do His will. Jesus declared, “I can of mine own self do nothing …” (John 5:30). Yet, He was “full of grace and truth” to carry out His heavenly Father’s will. (See John 1:14.) Paul stated the same thing: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (I Corinthians 15:10).

We must recognize and embrace our total inability to do anything for God apart from His grace, and “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Grace , grace wonderful grace

grace by which I stand

Grace, grace wonderful grace

Keeps me in His plan

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.org/

The Grace of God

The grace of God is the life and Spirit of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And ministered to the soul, breathed into the heart, transmitted to the life, man becomes like Christ, because the Christ of God is moving in the heart of him, generating and regenerating, and man comes forth a finished product by the hands of his Lord, saved from sin, healed of disease, kept by the indwelling Christ, who is the power of God.

God's grace is the Divine enabler. As I apprehend the grace of God by faith I am endued with power from on high. I receive favor with God and with man.

15 When the turn came for Esther ethe daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what fHegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set gthe royal crown1 on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king hgave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.
e ver. 7; ch. 9:29, f ver. 3, 8, g ch. 1:11; 6:8, 1 Or headdress, h See ch. 1:3
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Es 2:15-18). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.realfoodforlife.blogspot.com/

Surrender to the Grace of God!

It is the grace of God that brings salvation, “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:12). This is possible only as we acknowledge our total weakness and surrender ourselves to the reign of God’s grace in our lives. That grace will give us the desire and the power to overcome sin. “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21).

If you have been striving to live the Christian life in your own strength, and failing, let’s remember what baptism represents, our death, burial and resurrection with Christ and acknowledge your total weakness as we yield the members of our bodies to God as “servants to righteousness unto holiness” (Romans 6:19).

Each day seek to be. Seek to enter into rest, His rest. Seek to reveal the Risen Christ in you, the hope of glory! Come Lord Jesus....Come!

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.com/

The Issue of Choice

All night the issue of abortion has been in my mind. One side of the issue claiming the importance of a woman's freedom of choice and the other side of the issue claiming the sanctity of life. I don't see the argument here.

Assuming the woman with an unwanted pregnancy was not raped....she made a choice. She decided to engage in sexual activity. And whenever someone makes that choice they may become pregnant. They may not have chosen to have a child but that is one of the main reasons for engaging in sexual relations after all. Even using birth control leaves some chance that a pregnancy can happen. So to me the CHOICE of having sexual intercourse is the choice we need to look at not the result of that choice.

Every choice in life is going to have a result. In fact, our life is made up of the choices we've made and make on a daily basis. What choice does an unborn baby have? Who speaks for him/her? Does he/she have a right to live? There are so many people wanting to adopt. There are so many agencies created to help. Let us rethink this issue over and really see that it's not an issue of choice it is an issue of responsibility. We have the choice to be celibate, use birth control and realize that we may become pregnant. If we do it becomes a choice to be responsible for the truth.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcs.blogspot.com/

He Who Finds a Wife Finds a Good Thing!

Prov 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

Yesterday was Mother's day and my wife has mothered our four daughters for the past 29 years now. She has done a fantastic job. The girls are self reliant, intelligent and have a heart for people. They are all serving God with their lives and still either live at home or live close to home.

We have been married for 32 years in June. Time really does go by faster than you expect. I was laying on my bed last night before falling asleep and was just thinking about the scripture above and how true it is. At 52 years old you can really see what's important in life and my wife has been a blessing and a help from God in establishing our family.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there! You all make this world a better place.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.org/

I Blew It!

As an ex coach and the assistant principal I take special interest in our sports program. At today's baseball game I got swept into the fervor of the game and began to argue with the opposing team's coach. He was complaining about the umpire's calls from the beginning of the game and I forgot that we are Ambassadors of Christ and called to act accordingly.

Geez, being raised in Brooklyn in the 60's and the attitude that comes along with it is hard to shake! Both teams played a great game and had a great day playing. We won in extra innings 8 to 7 but I lost the opportunity to take the higher road and back off a bit. While in my mind it's just what we do, we root, cheer, geer, raz and just have a good time but if taken too far it can become something really unwanted and that is long term bad feelings.

Thank God for the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the Blood of Jesus! Thank God for the Grace of God to do better next time. See and do! I also blew it yesterday.....I'll share that tomorrow.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcs.blogspot.com/

God is looking for you!

Prophet Kim Clement sent me this e-mail today and I wanted to share it here.

When we understand that God is in search of man (us), more so than man in search of God, our spiritual experience is greatly enhanced. What does this mean in terms of communication? Over and over we try to hear God’s voice to find direction in our lives, and we spend countless hours in search of Him, only to find out that He was always close-by, but because we didn’t recognize Him, we ran.

We consider God mysterious and almost unattainable, but the great mystery is that God is actually in search of you. So how do I draw His attention? How will He know where I am, and what are the ingredients needed to assist Him in “finding” me? People would be offended at the thought of God “trying” to find them. Is He blind, deaf or unable to know His own created being?

Throughout Biblical history, we find that God “reveals” Himself to man. God continuously visited Abraham, and the obvious ingredient that drew God to him, was FAITH. Think about friendship for a minute. Would you go uninvited to someone’s home? Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable knowing that they in fact wanted you there at a specific time, and took the time to ask you over? How do we invite God? It’s faith in praise, prayer, sacrifice, obedience and other unselfish acts that invite God. The key, however, is knowing how to respond to revelation, because God reveals Himself more than He shows Himself - there is a difference. To reveal means to unveil something that was at first intended to be private, to divulge the meaning of making known something previously concealed or secret.

In other words, when prophetic revelation takes place, your mind has never experienced it before, therefore, you have entered into something strange and new. With this in mind, you have choices to make, to reject or accept it. Most people operate by fear and reject the unknown. It takes perception and faith to embrace something that you sense is right, but intellectually you are unsure of.

When God created Adam and Eve, He left them in the Garden to begin the journey for mankind. During that period, their understanding of God went from what they had experienced to what they had heard, from a complete stranger – the serpent Satan. Misrepresenting God, the serpent said to them, “God knows that in the day you eat of the fruit, your eyes will be opened, and you will BE LIKE GOD, knowing good and evil.” So his proposition was that they could “be like God,” having more power due to their new perception.

Unfortunately, their new sight blinded them to God and opened their eyes to themselves. God came to visit them one day and was rudely interrupted by a retreating Adam. No longer was God welcome, because Adam could only see one thing; that he was naked and afraid of God. His perception of himself was lowered to, “I heard your voice and I was afraid because I was naked.” He saw himself naked. Good God, I don’t blame him! God searched for Adam – Adam did not search for God.

God, in the form of man here on Earth, Jesus Christ, searched for man. He found His disciples and called them to Himself and yet Philip tells Nathaniel, “We have found the Messiah.” No. REVELATION IS NOT AN ACT OF MAN SEEKING GOD, BUT OF HIS BEING SOUGHT AFTER – AN ACT IN GOD’S SEARCH FOR MAN. Israel’s history originated with the initiative of God, not the efforts of man. Yet Jacob wrestled with God, sending Him an invitation to come to his house and experience him. God responded by giving Jacob the honorable and noble name, Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men and have PREVAILED!

Jacob did not search for God; he struggled with God. We all struggle with God, because we are so determined to know more about Him, so that we can have more power, when we should rather just experience God and enjoy Him. God reveals to Jacob his true name, Israel, because that is what God experienced when he found the true person in Jacob. However, when Jacob pleads to God, “Tell me your name, I pray,” God replies, “Why is it that you ask about my name?” I find this interesting because it’s almost like God is challenging Jacob about his motive in finding out God’s name.

Revelation should not be rejected because of it’s being incomprehensible. That which is incomprehensible must not be considered UNREAL. Prophetic revelation is not merely an act of experience, but an act of being experienced, overwhelmed and taken over by Him. It is impossible to believe that trials and troubles are a waste of time and worth nothing.

Now that I have been through three decades of walking with God, I am convinced that trials and troubles are only revelations in disguise, because I have discovered glorious truths about myself that eventually became part of my makeup and my expression. Character has been built with strength and virtue, which only paints my soul with delightful colors. Trials are part of our lot; they were predestinated for us in Christ’s last legacy. He has ordained their season and their place, their intensity and the effect they shall have upon us. Good men must never expect to escape troubles, for if they do, they will be disappointed; for none of our predecessors have been without them. Note the patience of Job and remember Abraham, for he had his trials, and by his faith under them, he was rewarded as the “Father of the Faithful.” Note the biographies of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs, and you will discover that none of those whom God made vessels of mercy escaped the fire of affliction.

I have been through a season of trial and I’m excited to find out what God found and experienced in me during this period. As human beings we value pleasure far above friction and stress. I hate anxiety. It is the cause of so much unnecessary stress and ungodliness. The Bible teaches us to be anxious for nothing. Anxiety is a thief. It robs you of your dignity, and positions you so that you are constantly on the lookout for an alternative to God.

To hear more from Kim go to http://www.kimclement.com/

Grace and Peace,

Ed

www.urcwc.org

Watch and Pray With Thanksgiving!

Many of us are very mindful of the temptations in our life, but we must have a Biblical focus in our watching. We sometimes focus on our inward failures, which cause us to experience great depression and defeat. If we use our temptations and failures as motivation to focus on Christ and to cry out to God for His powerful grace, we will receive hope, strength, and forgiveness instead of being overcome with discouragement. By focusing on the Lord’s ability to deliver us from temptation and to cleanse us of sin, discouragement and defeat can be replaced with thanksgiving and rejoicing.

And, if Satan cannot succeed at discouraging us with our own failures, he will often try to discourage us with the victories of those who oppose God. There is a time to be a “watchman on the wall” and to cry out warning alarms because of the attacks of the enemy. However, if this is our single focus, we will tend to be anxious because of the “progress” that the enemies of the Lord are making. Scripture specifically tells us, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb” (Psalm 37:1–2).

Watching and fretting is what Satan wants us to do, because it keeps us defeated and discouraged, but watching with thanksgiving leads to joy and encouragement. Scripture states that we are to bring to God every detail of our need in earnest and thankful prayer. (See Philippians 4:6.) In order to watch with thankfulness, we must see the bigger picture of God’s power and purposes in what He allows.

For example, we may watch as various Christians walk away from the Lord. However, instead of becoming discouraged, we can be thankful that God is big enough to reach down and bring them back to Himself. We can thank Him that “he hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. … Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him” (Psalm 103:10, 13). We can also thank God for the opportunity to demonstrate our love for Christ and fellow believers by praying earnestly for their spiritual condition and trusting God to work in their lives.

We can watch and pray with thanksgiving, knowing that Christ is our source of deliverance from that which would ensnare us. (See II Peter 2:9 and Colossians 4:2.) Lack of thankfulness to God often springs from an anxious, troubled heart and leads to many other sins. (See Romans 1:21.) Let’s purpose to watch and pray rather than watch and worry, giving thanks to God in all things, because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. (See I Thessalonians 5:18.) Remember, Christ has already won the victory!

Grace and Peace,

Ed