Climbing Life With God's Promises - Pathway 3

Growing up my step dad took us on some challenging mountain and rock climbs.   Where just the massive rock face and height looked impossible to climb but somehow with my step dad’s direction we were able to climb that mountain of rock all the way to the summit and see the beautiful view at the very top.  It was always cool to be on a mountain and look down on the clouds instead of look up at them.

God takes us on some difficult climbs as well but he has secured us to himself but we must trust him has he guides us to the summit of this life.  Through this trust he shows us what life is all about as he shows us all the wonderful views and vistas along the way. 

SEEK

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

“The humble will see their God at work and be glad.  Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.” Psalm 69:32

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33

God tells us to seek Him for:
justice -what is right,
mercy- for we need it.
grace-  for we don't deserve it.
wisdom- for he knows what we should do.
truth-  guides us to all truth.
encouragement- for he is our real and sole source of encouragement.
love- for God is love.
promises - for God always keeps his promises.

God's promises can't be broken.  They must be sought and the more I meditate on God's promises the more I see justice, mercy, grace, wisdom, truth, encouragement, love are in the promises of God.

CONFLICT AND CONFUSION

In conflict and confusion we need to seek God’s promises.  I didn't realize this earlier in life but God's promises are there regardless if we know they are there or not.  Think about it, could we who are saved ever approach God to be saved if God wasn't the God of justice, mercy, grace, wisdom, truth, encouragement and love?   

Conflict and confusion can be discouraging but I want to encourage you as the Lord has encouraged me in times of tension and confusion.

Satan loves to throw confusion into a situation - especially at pivotal points in a decision process.  Satan will make it seem like there are two possibilities instead of just the one.  If this isn’t difficult enough, he will manipulate others close to you to turn on you and treat and judge you harshly.  He will take God’s words and twist their meaning so as if you are pleasing or not pleasing God.  Your actions will be presumed as the worst even though you are just following a directive from God.  It will seem like you are all alone.  This difficult situation makes one want to give up, do the easier thing, or fall into the desires of others instead of what God wants for your life.  

Difficult situations make for a difficult time.  It makes a person want to focus on him or herself instead of trusting in God.  And this is where self-pity can play into the hands of the devil and you run into the potential of giving up.  Satan does not want you to live and walk the path God has for you.  He doesn’t want you to fulfill your purpose in life so he will do everything in his power to try to stop you.

“All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.” Philippians 2:21

So what do you do with all these discouraging circumstances and confusion, which brings no confidence at all?

I have had some confusion of my own lately and it was and is still not the most easy or comforting process but I can say I my relationship with Jesus Christ has gotten a lot stronger as I have had to lean and depend and trust in him a lot more.

Yesterday morning I found myself in the same circumstances and when I thought I had exhausted the spiritual tools at my disposal, I saw that a brother in Christ had called me so I called him back.   I told him what was going on with this decision process and the difficult conditions I have run into and have accompanied this decision process. 

He told me straight out he didn’t know what I should do which was good because I wasn’t looking for another human opinion.   After talking a while my brother in Christ was reminded by the Holy Spirit of what he was given when he was in a similar difficult situation and what he had just heard while listening to a sermon on his phone… and that was to go to God with His promises and truths.

Now I just had heard Dr. Charles Stanley talk about the promises of God the other day but I missed the point of why I was led to listen to Dr. Charles Stanley. 

God was saying here is key now pick it up and put into practice but it just wasn't sinking in. 

Note:  Probably because I was looking at so many sources for an answer it was just becoming this big confusing mess.  The message I was receiving was neither black and white- yes or no.   The messages I was receiving could have easily fit into either way in which I should proceed.  I couldn’t distinguish God’s answer.   I had to just live in the moment until at last I heard that small comforting voice direct my step.  When the step came I was satisfied with that even though it wasn't the entire answer to my situation.  I was pleased and encouraged however with the outcome of that step even though it was only a step for it tied together perfectly with what God had been teaching me that morning and I had jotted down in my notes. 

GOD’S PROMISES & TRUTHS

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

My brother in Christ then reminded me of a truth.   Jesus is the God who opens doors that no one is able to close and closes doors no one is able to open.

I went to my bible to find this promise/ truth.  I had heard this statement many times but I wanted to see if for myself.  Seeing the WORD in which I am seeking, encourages me.   I found this truth in an obscure place in the book of Isaiah.   Isaiah is told by God to confront a man named Shebna and tell him that since he had not been doing his job to God’s expectations but living it up for himself God is going to toss him to a distant land to die and replace him with his servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah.   Eliakim means “God raises or God sets up” and Hilkiah means “my porition is Jehovah.”   Then God says “I will give him (Eliakim) the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court.  When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them.”

This at first confused me.  God is saying Eliakim will be able to open doors no one will be able to close and close doors no one will be able to open.  This is only for Eliakim but then God showed me the first part again.  I will give him the keys to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. Isaiah 22:22

Who holds the keys to the house of David now?   Who sits next to the Heavenly Father in the highest position in the real royal court that truly matters?  JESUS

Does Jesus not do this for us if we trust him and walk according to his will?  Who can be against us if God is for us?

Then with total trust I prayed to the Father in Jesus name to open and keep open the doors he wanted to open for me and shut the doors he didn’t want me to go through.

I then wrote down this truth and I mediate on it and request the same prayer throughout the day- not that God doesn’t hear me the first time but it reminds myself and gives me that assurance.  It relieves myself of the heavy burden and heavy heart in this confusing complicated situation so I will keep a sound mind in the midst of things and circumstances going on around me.

Anyone one who tells you following the path God has for you is easy is either lying or hasn’t been brought to a level in which their faith climbing abilities are tested -but being able to fully trust and going back to meditate on the promises of God brings peace to one’s soul.   This promise were like my stones to mark the spot in which God promised something and I could go back at anytime to remind myself of that promise.

A promise of God is not just a promise but a promise which gives peace to one's soul.

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” Jeremiah 17:7

TRUST IN GOD

Hope not in people but hope in God.

Trusting God brings true living wisdom and this wisdom allows us to mature into children of God.

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 18:2-4

The LORD protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me.” Psalms 116:6

The Lord then reminded me of this chapter in 2 Peter.

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.  We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises.  These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.  Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and more excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.  The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.  2 Peter 1:2-11

Being a kid and being harnessed and roped to my step dad as we crossed steep snowy and icy slopes on the mountains gave us kids assurance.    God is bound to us with something stronger then a rope, harness, ice axe and crampons, he is bound himself with both his promise and oath.

"So God has given both his promise and his oath.  These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.  Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.  This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.   It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:18-19    

Again to fully trust in the promises of God brings peace to one’s soul.  Amen