“OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES,”
I am reminded as I write when I shared a trial with our children when they were around ten years old and younger. I got them in the living room and they sat down on the couch opposite me and around. I was telling them, not to burden them but I was trying to teach them to turn their trials into prayers. Mary prayed, and I was reminded of this today her words, and all these years later, as I find myself in another trial, The Holy Spirit reminds me of what she had prayed….
She prayed, “LORD, THANK YOU FOR …THIS…TRIAL!”
I am not sure what anyone else prayed, God does as He is the Audience, but I remember that coming out of one so young… and by His grace in this present trial I can say “THANK YOU LORD, FOR THIS TRIAL!” That is HIS Amazing Grace working in my life, at this moment.
Will I always respond so? I don’t know, MY HESITANCY is knowing something about my own sinful self, but again reminded EVEN as I wrote that last sentence of what am I to do,”LOOKING AWAY {FROM ALL ELSE} TO JESUS, the Author and Perfecter of YOUR FAITH.” {Heb 12:2}. So even now He reminds me Whom TO LOOK to… for as there is present tense grace for this moment,”My Grace IS Sufficient…” There will be Sufficient Grace,{ His favor, Divine Enabling, POWER } when I get to the next trial, … temptation…
WORRY WARTS!
Sometimes I, we, worry about the future when it is not here, and there is no Grace for then, but Grace for this Present MOMENT… NOW.. AND WHEN WE GET TO THE FUTURE, HE WILL PROVIDE MOMENT BY MOMENT GRACE TO RESPOND HIS WAY… BUT WHAT IF I OR YOU FAIL? He has provided precious blood and as we “confess our sins HE IS FAITHFUL and Just TO FORGIVE AND CLEANS US FROM..ALL…UNRIGHTEOUSNESS!” So as I write, He has reminded me of these truths to help me think on truth, to think right and helping me renew my mind, to think through the lens of Scripture which is TRUTH. -{John 17:17}
CASH IN HIS PROMISES- AT THE BANK OF HEAVEN! {They Never Bounce, Or Cannot Be Met.}
So with that said, I am reminded that, I DO KNOW, based on His Word I have the power to ” God has granted us EVERYTHING for life and GODLINESS, through the True Knowledge of Him who called us to Himself by His Glory and Excellence and given us …PRECIOUS AND MAGNIFICENT PROMISES….” to respond in a God honoring way. Pray I do, and mine do, as it honors Him, Glorifies Him and is doing His Will… and a testimony to Him!
HIS PROMISES STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH
Consider ABRAHAM;” Without 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. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding THE PROMISE OF GOD, but was STRENGTHENED IN HIS FAITH and GAVE GLORY TO GOD, being fully persuaded that God had power TO DO WHAT HE HAD PROMISED.“-{Rom 4;19-21}. Note, he did not waver. Unbelief causes us to waver! But he was strengthened by the PROMISE of GOD. He had a good look at his body and SARAH’S and the conclusion was it could not happen… this is often where we fail and stop. Just like the disciples in John 6:1-5 we calculate what we can do and if we cannot see how it can be done then we wrongly conclude- It cannot be done. Why not? Because we say so! And stop there. We EXCLUDE THE LORD…. but just as in John 6:6 says “He TESTED them BUT He HIMSELF… KNEW…. WHAT…. HE WAS…GOING TO…DO!” He tested them, they ended with… themselves… their reasoning…. their own understanding… and they missed HIM. It was not the first time they had seen Him meet… just like you and me. Have we not seen Him meet us before? Countless times. We have to ask His Holy Spirit to remind us…and times and situations come to mind from as
recent as today to years ago of HIS FAITHFULNESS.
In every test remember “HE HIMSELF KNOWS WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO! -{ John 6:6 a good verse for you to memorize and meditate upon and look to Him by faith to DO so}.
Abraham before them, too was tested, and he had seen God work and he looked and concluded GOD WOULD DO WHAT HE PROMISED… AND IT LED TO HIM…. GIVING GLORY TO GOD… IN HIS TESTING!
Both Abraham and the disciples were Tested… Both Looked… Both Concluded… One left the LORD out of the Equation… One LOOKED to Him in the equation and GLORIFIED GOD by trusting Him to do as He promised, no matter what it looked like!
You and I too are TESTED… AND we too calculate, evaluate, conclude… either to EXCLUDE Him, believing we are all knowing, wiser, or we INCLUDE HIM and look by faith to Him, to do what He alone can do… and we glorify Him by trusting Him to fulfill, not our wishes but HIS PROMISES!
Consider some of His Promises to Strenghten your faith and as you Apply you Glorify Him. Cash in these Promises by telling Him you are taking them and trusting Him to fulfill His Promise to you. Pray them for OTHERS that they too would know the strengthening of His Word and Glorify Him in doing so and remember, “FAITH PLEASES HIM”-{Read Hebrews 11:6}
“God is at work IN You both to Desire and DO His good Pleasure.”-{Phil 2:13}.
“I CAN DO ALL THINGS through Christ Who INFUSES me with Strength.”- {Read Phil 4:13}.
“My God WILL Supply ALL of your Needs according to His Glorious Riches in Christ Jesus.”-{Phil 4:19}…
“My Grace IS {present tense } Sufficient”-{2 Cor 12:9}
Paul wrote this amidst great suffering… The word,”Sufficient” means, “ENOUGH and the implication of SATISFYING!!
He Supplies Grace, He Supplies Satisfaction. He Supplies All of our needs…{Phil 4:19} that’s HIS PROMISE… take it to the Bank Of Heaven and cash it in!
“Today’s trial is tomorrow’s testimony!!” The first four letters in testimony are T-E-S-T… if we never had a test, we wouldn’t have a testimony!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”-{Hebrews 13:8}. He is the same yesterday, today and forever- TRUSTWORTHY…. FAITHFUL…RELIABLE!
“Count your many blessings name them one by one, count your many blessings see what GOD has done, Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE!”
Fill the air with Thanksgiving...
Thank Him that this trial has caught your attention and has caused you to turn to HIM who cares infinitely for you. The Cross and Resurrection His Proof.
THANKING HIM GLORIFIES HIM – {Read Luke 17:15-17}.
THANKSGIVING is DOING THE WILL OF GOD – {Read 1 Thess 5:18}.
THANKSGIVING is a Primer for STAYING ALERT IN PRAYER -{Read Col 4:2}.
THANKSGIVING Is an ANXIETY BUSTER-{Phil 4:6}
THANKSGIVING IS THE WAY TO PEACE{Read Phil 4:7}
THANKSGIVING IS THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO GOD.
“Oh GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD for He is Good and His Love ENDURES Forever”-{Psalm 107:1- NIV}.
I THANK GOD FOR MY “LITTLE GIRL’S PRAYER” ALL THOSE YEARS AGO…
for “OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES, “... out of her mouth coming forth from her heart… He reminded me today IN my own PRESENT TRIAL, of her prayer! It caused me to THANK Him, as He was faithful then and on innumerable amount of times more than I can count… He will be faithful now. For this is Who He is, “FAITHFUL…” And in remembrance has caused me to pause and THANK HIM for her…and the prayer He had her utter with her lips from her heart.
I can see her now, all those years ago… and I thank God for her and the woman she is…”Out of the Mouth of Babes”… she is still teaching me, and I THANK GOD for her!
Have you ever thanked God for your trials? As painful as they may be, yet in them they afford you opportunities to TURN TO HIM in Prayer. See Him meet you as He sees fit. Opportunities to trust Him. Cash in HIS Promises and testify to others of His faithfulness and encourage them to TRUST HIM also and remind them of how HE has shown HIS FAITHFULNESS TO them in times past. THANKSGIVING in your trials is the Opportunity for you to DRAW close to Him, …DO His Will, GLORIFY Him, And SEE Him FULFILL HIS PROMISES,
“LORD, I THANK YOU FOR THIS TRIAL.”