God is with you!

The other night I posted a video of me praying on Facebook. It was a challenge by my sister in law and truth be told, I was uncomfortable with it. First of all, it’s one thing to speak in front of people but once something is online, it’s there to stay. You’re exposing yourself to scrutiny, judgment, and criticism. But I realized once I started reading the responses that there are a lot of you that need not just encouragement but a Word from the Lord so that you can make it. So often, you can walk through this life silently struggling and unsure of where to turn. Sometimes you don’t even want to tell your closest family and friends what is bothering you, so you keep it to yourself and it gets harder and harder to fight. Today, God wants you to keep the faith and know that He is with you AND for you!

Usually, when someone says 1 Peter 5, you immediately think of verse 8 about the devil walking around like a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour. But I was reminded in bible study last night about one of my favorite scriptures that is a couple of verses down and the Lord encouraged me to share it with you today. “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.” (1 Peter 5: 10 NLT) I LOVE that! You see, though you may have been under attack or going through a storm or struggle, God has not forgotten you. He sees you as important and valuable and He will not leave you in a shaken state. He won’t let you go through a process and then not stabilize you. NO! He will restore you and put you back on solid ground. The New King James Version says in that verse that He will settle you. The question is, can you walk through the suffering to get to the settling? God is with you!

Sometimes it is hard for those of you that are strong in your faith, know who God is and what He can do, and have witnessed healings and miracles to understand why you struggle to stand strong in your own issues and situations. It’s a simple answer really. You’re human! You are not immune to attack or suffering and as a matter of fact, oftentimes, when you are in right position, is when you go through the most. You see, God wants you to be your best you. In order for that to happen, God has to get rid of the “stuff” in you that isn’t like Him. He is constantly pruning you and cleaning you up so that you look more and more like Him. So you have to go through the process to get to your best you and a lot of times, that hurts. It’s uncomfortable, it’s unexplainable, and it’s out of your control. But Peter says something in verse 12 that I want to say to you. “My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.” (1 Pet. 5: 12 NLT) God is with you!

As I read people’s responses to my prayer video, God reminded me that sometimes I will have to be uncomfortable for someone else to get their freedom. He reminded that the very purpose of Rhema is to encourage you! I tell you about my disappointments, my struggles and my hurts so that you can see that if God can work with me than surely He is with you and working on your behalf. Your situations may be different from mine but God is the same! He wants you to know that He can and will be whatever you need Him to be for you. Even if you are suffering right now, after a while, He’s going to “perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.”  (1 Pet. 5: 10a NKJV) Be strong, saints, God is with you!

Amen