Hidden Gems

If you’re thinking, “Look, I’ve got real problems and I’m barely making ends meet.” Maybe you are struggling to make it through school. How does any of this help me with my immediate problems? Well, I’ve got news for you. This is the exact lesson that God tried to teach Israel. Their response was exactly the same as ours. In Moses’ last remarks to Israel he reminds them of God’s intentions when they faced adversity and then experienced God’s deliverance. He tells them in Deuteronomy 8:2-5,16. Remember the whole way by which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness to humble and test you, and to discover whether or not it was in your heart to keep his commandments. So he afflicted you with hunger and then fed you on manna which neither your nor your fathers had known before, toe teach you that people cannot live on bread alone, but that they live on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. The clothes on your backs did not wear out, nor did your feet blister, all these forty years. Take to heart this lesson: that the Lord your God was disciplining you as a father disciplines his son.” “He fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers had never known, to humble and test you, and in the end to make you prosper. (emphasis supplied)

Many years later, when Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness, he quoted these exact same words given by Moses’ words. He also set the record straight by telling us just what our value is in God’s eyes. He gave the following instructions.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pence? Yet not one of them is overlooked by God. More than that, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid; you are worth more than any number of sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7 emphasis supplied)

Can an anxious thought add a day to your life? Do not set your minds on what you are to eat or drink; do not be anxious. No, set your minds on his kingdom, and the rest will come to you as well. (Luke 12:25,29,31 emphasis supplied)

Whether or not God should be trusted is the focus of the Great Controversy. Satan wishes to use any means he can to keep us from understanding and knowing by experience, God is always faithful and it is in our best interest to trust Him. Satan wants us to stick God with any of the following adjectives: severe, arbitrary, disinterested, wrathful and, inconsistent. Unfortunately, too many “Christians” have bought Satan’s “bag of goods”. It’s no wonder so many churches are struggling. Until we can understand and embrace God’s awesome intentions for our lives, faith is impossible! We can say we believe Him but it will be glaringly apparent that our faith is cultural; we are just going through the motions since it’s the acceptable thing to do! Until we take this first step, it is impossible to harness the power of Christ’s death and resurrection to protect us, heal us and transform us in ways that we can’t even imagine.
Let’s review a few scriptures that emphasize God’s faithfulness and love for us.

Blessed is anyone who trusts in the Lord, and rests His confidence on him. He will be like a tree planted by the waterside, that sends out its roots along a stream. When the heat comes it has nothing to fear; its foliage stays green. Without care in a year of drought, it does not fail to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7,8 emphasis supplied)

Commit your fortunes to the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalms 55:22 emphasis supplied)

God, I call upon you, for you will answer me. Bend down your ear to me, listen to my words. Show me how marvelous is your unfailing love: your right hand saves those who seek sanctuary from their assailants. (Psalms 17:6 emphasis supplied)

I shall call to God Most high, to the God who will fulfill his purpose for me.” “My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I shall sing and raise a psalm. Awake, my soul, awake, harp and lyre; I shall awake at dawn. I shall praise you among the peoples, Lord, among the nations I shall raise a psalm to you, for your unfailing love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (Psalms 57:2,7-11 emphasis supplied)

It’s our lack of faith that prevents God from doing what He wants to do. He can’t act alone! As long as we keep taking things into our own hands, we keep mucking it up and blocking what He wants and can be trusted to do.

And he was unable to do any miracle there, except that he put his hands on a few sick people and healed them; and he was astonished at their want of faith. (Mark 6:5 emphasis supplied)

There were indeed many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when for three and a half years the skies never opened, and famine lay hard over the whole country; yet it was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but to a widow at Sarepta in the territory of Sidon. (Luke 4:25 emphasis supplied)

A child on Christmas day has no doubts there will be gifts to open. They just know! They are in hopeful anticipation waiting to open their gifts. This same attitude is what God wants in our lives – a spirit of hopeful, joyful anticipation!