Lean Financial Times?

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” – Jeremiah 17:7

Have you ever considered at what point a test becomes so difficult that you decide you can no longer trust in God and you must take over to solve the problem?
The prophet Jeremiah describes a situation in which the temptation to solve a financial problem can become so great that we trust in man’s way to solve it.

This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

Jeremiah drew a sharp comparison between the man who trusts in his own effort to solve his problem and the man who trusts in God when he cannot see the outcome.
*The man who trusts in God bears fruit despite the circumstances in his life.
* He does not shrivel when the heat comes; in fact, his roots go deeper into God’s grace.
* He continues to bear fruit in spite of his circumstances.

Many times, we can lose our passion in prayer or stop praying for certain things altogether because we lose heart or give up.
But God invites us to keep our prayers before Him and trust Him for an answer in His time.
God hears your prayers  and will bring an answer in His perfect timing.
But don’t be discouraged or disheartened if the answer takes time to arrive or is not exactly what you expected.
Commit to praying to God with passion and persistence, trusting the answer will come in God’s perfect way at the perfect time.

We must never forget that the highest kind of prayer is never the making of requests.
*Prayer at its holiest moment is the entering into God, to a place of such blessed union as it makes miracles seem tame and remarkable answers to prayer appear something very far short of wonderful by comparison. —A. W. Tozer
The most earnest prayers come from us when we recognize our NEED for God. What has caused you to waver in your expectation with God?
*James reminds us that faith and wavering are actually contradictory—*James says “nothing wavering.” Know that God never wavers in His love for you. You can trust Him completely.

When we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations can do; when we depend upon education, we get what education can do; when we depend upon man, we get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer, we get what God can do. —A. C. Dixon

Sometimes God forces us to go deeper into the grace of His love in order to BUILD a greater foundation in our own lives.
These lean times are designed to accomplish this in us.
If you find yourself in this condition, ask the Lord WHO provides the water for our soul for the grace you need today to continue to bear fruit in the desert.

*For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17
The word of the Law cannot compare with the word of life that has been revealed through Jesus Christ!
*Look back over the past and remember how GOOD the Lord has been to you. *Remember HIS compassions that never failed to bring you through.
I am finding pleasure in praising God for ALL things, but especially for his
goodness.
Not only for past goodness, but for those I see daily—the goodness
I see all around me now in the present.

To experience the “fullness of God”
is to have His supernatural Love,
Wisdom and Power flowing into
and out of our lives.
“But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance…”
Philippians 4:18

A spiritual cripple cannot be a true expression of Jesus Christ. We must live
in the full power and victory of a life free from the bondage of sin.
We all know our weakness, places where we are vulnerable, and Satan TELLS us that we will always be weak at that point, and one day be overcome by it.
NOT SO! By his glorious power, God can make us strongest at our weakest point.
That is what the Scripture means when it speaks of his strength made perfect in our weakness.
What hinders you? An ongoing sin, a weakness, an unresolved inner controversy?
Whatever it is, it must go! You can no longer be chained to a bed of failure. It
is all accomplished by faith in God’s promises.

The Lord wants to get you up out of that bed!(Mark 2 the paralyzed man) He will give you all the power you need to overcome and walk in total deliverance!
Living in this world we get so focused on physical needs and ASSUME that IF God truly loves us or wants to help us out He will heal us or give us more money or something.
*** However, Jesus’ ultimate concern is for us to have true life. A life apart from sin where we can live with God forever.

Jesus sees the big picture. Its about eternity, not just this life.
* Spiritual healing is more important than physical healing.
However, often times with our finite thinking physical healing or physical needs being met offer a catalyst for spiritual healing.
Mark 2:1-12
This is what it looks like when Jesus forgives our sins. He heals us, and tells us to go, and live; and we should live in continual thanksgiving to the overwhelming forgiveness that God gives us.(Jesus said:verse11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”)

If we are not loving with God’s
Love, we are spiritually dead.
“He that loveth not…abideth indeath.”
1 John 3:14

Thank you Jesus for for Your unfailing love and care over us. Help us keep our eyes on You in ALL our circumstances.
Don’t be afraid! 17 For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. (Zeph. 3) Amen!