Category: But If Not

1 Peter 4:12-13, 19 (NLT)
¹² Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³ Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world… ¹⁹ So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

“Do not be afraid of the ‘But even if not.…’ It is not doubt or unbelief. It is the humble acceptance of God’s sovereign freedom to do with us as he will and to enable us to stand the ultimate test of faithfulness as he chooses. Then, as the disciples did, we should pray for the grace to count it an honor to suffer for his name.”

Christopher J. H. Wright, Hearing the Message of Daniel: Sustaining Faith in Today’s World (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017), 76–84.

Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are able to heal me, open the next door for a job, and provide everything I need and for my family. But even if not, I will not bow down and serve the gods of despair and anxiety. Lord, I believe you are sovereign and you able do all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song “God is Able” by Hillson Worship (click here).

-LB

Daniel 3:28 NIV
²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

As we see with Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego, tough faith is often expressed in the wars of worship. This is no ordinary moment, yet they had practiced for such a time as this. They had been forcefully taken from their homeland to be exiled to Babylon, where they were trained as young talent within the king’s court. They learned all the highest education of Babylon, yet they never wavered in their commitment to serve the Lord.

Like missionary Amy Carmichael, missionary to India 1867-1951, prayed “Give me the love that leads the way, the faith that nothing can dismay, the hope no disappointments tire, the passion that will burn like fire. Let me not sink to be a clod: make me Thy fuel, flame of God.” Let’s pray for this kind of worship and passion for the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, would you burn a passion of worship in me, consume me and fill me with your love. I want to worship you with all my heart, all my energy, all my strength, and all my thoughts. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “Here I Am to Worship” by Chris Tomlin (click here)

-LB

Let’s read Isaiah 43:1-5 as a proclamation over our lives:

Isaiah 43:1-5 NIV
But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
³ For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
⁴ Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.

One of the main themes of the book of Daniel is the sovereign power of God above all other powers. Therefore, we as God’s people don’t need to defend ourselves. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted in their defender—the Lord who has the power to rescue.

Prayer: Lord, I trust in you. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and empower me to stand firm in my calling to live as a pastor of this generation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “This I Believe (Creed)” by Hillsong (click here).

– LB

Hebrews 11:39-40 (NIV)
³⁹ These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, ⁴⁰ since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Our faith is not dependent on results. We are called to live out tough faith. This is the legacy of faith, the same faith of those in Hebrews 11, that we are to live out in the midst of the most difficult situations.

“When I left England, my hope of India’s conversion was very strong; but amongst so many obstacles, it would die, unless upheld by God. Well, I have God, and His Word is true. Though the superstitions of the heathen were a thousand times stronger than they are, and the example of the Europeans a thousand times worse; though I were deserted by all and persecuted by all, yet my faith, fixed on the sure Word, would rise above all obstructions and overcome every trial. God’s cause will triumph. (William Carey, quoted in Iain Murray, The Puritan Hope, Banner of Truth 1971, p 140.)”

Prayer: Lord, we have seen you and tasted your great love. We hold on to your promises! This is our “Hallelujah” today. May it be for your glory and praise. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song “It is Well” by Matt Redman (click here).

-LB

 

Let’s read aloud together the following passage:

Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV
²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Our soul longs to find rest in the Lord, and it is the Lord who wants to give us true rest when we are tired and weary. Instead of trying to find rest with more sleep, another cup of coffee, or an escape from work, let’s profess these words from Isaiah 40:28-31 over our lives.

Prayer: Lord, I find my rest in you. Give me strength, as I am united to Christ. Heaven is here, and I belong to the new creation now. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song “Even Still and Even So” by Matt Redman (click here)

-LB