Scripture<\/b>: \u201cEphesians 6:13 <\/b>Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.\u201d (Eph. 6:13).<\/p>\n
How many here when they get a book to read, read the back first?\u00a0 How many of you would like to know how a movie ends before deciding to go see it or not?\u00a0 There are pros and cons to knowing how something ends before it even begins.\u00a0 Personally, I would rather learn the entire story before deciding whether or not to read the book or watch the movie.\u00a0 I do not like surprises.\u00a0 Why do you think we are so obsessed with knowing how something ends?<\/p>\n
Regardless of whether you like surprises or not, I think we can all agree that we find comfort and encouragement from knowing that God has promised to always be with us.\u00a0 Sometimes life can be difficult and at times we feel all alone, but if we are a Christian then we are never alone, because God is always with us.\u00a0 Another source of encouragement for me is knowing that God already knew what was going to happen and He has already worked it out.\u00a0 That\u2019s what we learn in Romans 8:28.\u00a0 I may not know how it is going to work out, but God does and so I just need to have faith that God is going to work it.\u00a0 There are going to be times in our life when we are going to have to take a stand for our faith.\u00a0 And sometimes that can feel pretty lonely.\u00a0 But knowing that God loves us, is with us, and is working everything out should give us the comfort and the courage to stand firm in our faith.\u00a0 Not only has God promised to be with us, but we also have other Christians who can help us.\u00a0 There is a story in the Old Testament about the Israelites fighting another nation, that Amalekites.\u00a0 It\u2019s found in Exodus 17.\u00a0 There were four men involved in this fight for Israel.\u00a0 There was Joshua, Moses, Aaron, and Hur.\u00a0 In Exodus 17:10-11 it tells us, \u201c<\/b>So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.\u201d\u00a0 Can you imagine this, it seemed like everything was riding on Moses\u2019 arms being able to be held up.\u00a0 Have you ever held up your arms for a long time?\u00a0 Let\u2019s pick it up in verse 12, \u201c<\/b>But Moses’ hands were<\/i> heavy; and they took a stone, and put it<\/i> under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side.\u201d It is clear from the rest of the story that God was with Israel because the Israelites defeated the Amalekites.\u00a0 Also evident here is that Moses couldn\u2019t have done it by himself.\u00a0 We need each other if we are going to stand strong in our faith and be who God desires us to be.<\/p>\n
How to Apply This<\/b>:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Remember God\u2019s promises<\/b>.\u00a0 It\u2019s really easy to get discouraged in life, spending time in God\u2019s Word and reading His promises can give us strength to get through the difficult days in life.<\/p>\n
2. Have a good Christian friend<\/b>. Never try to live the Christian life alone, you won\u2019t win.\u00a0 Have someone you can call and talk with, someone that you can be open and honest with who will hold you accountable when you are not doing right, but will also encourage you in the difficult times.<\/p>\n
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By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Scripture: \u201cEphesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.\u201d (Eph. 6:13). How many here when they get a book to … Read More