One thing that confuses non-believers is, if there is a God, and God is good, why do so many bad things happen in the world? This question assumes that God’s intent is to make everything nice and pleasant for people on earth, and if that isn’t happening, then God must not be in control.

Psalm 119:91 says, “Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans.” the NIV version puts it this way, “Your laws endure to this day. For all things serve you.”

God is in complete control of what is happening in our world, and as has been described in many cases in the Bible, God’s plans often include things that are not very pleasant for some people. Some examples include the Great Flood, the Babylonian captivity, the martyring of believers, etc. In our world today we see wars, famine, and natural disasters, that cause terrible pain and suffering for people. We don’t always know why God is letting these things happen, but we need to keep our faith and trust in God’s plan, and remember there is something much bigger and more significant beyond the horizon of our life on earth.

I like the expression, “We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future.”

Dear Lord, Help us remember that you created all things for your purposes and your plans, not ours. We need to remember our part is to accept your gift of Salvation, bring glory to you, and to love our neighbor. If we keep these things in mind, we can have peace knowing that you have everything under control and as Paul wrote in Romans 14:8 “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

One definition of the word intuition is, “the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason.”

Proverbs 3:5,6 writes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

I think from a human perspective, these things feel similar. When we consciously pursue God’s will, his direction comes to us like intuition. 1 Kings 19:12 says God spoke to Elijah in a “still small voice.”

If we are looking and listening, God makes his guidance evident, but often subtly.

Dear Lord, We trust that you are there to guide us. Help us have the senses to recognize your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I think one thing that many of us get wrong, when we come to God for help with the difficulties in our lives, is complaining and looking for God’s sympathy. We sometimes think if we show God how difficult things are for us, out of pity, he will help us. The problem with that approach is, it is not what God tells he responds to.

God responds to our faith. In Hebrews 11:6 we are told, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

God knows the challenges we face in our lives. In some cases he is allowing these difficulties to occur to bring us closer to him. So complaining to God about these things will not influence him. What he tells us he wants is for us to respond to our challenges with faith. When we want God to help us, we should come to him with a faithful petition like:

Dear Lord, You know the challenges we are facing, whether these are things we brought on ourselves, or they are trials you are allowing us to experience, to make us better, we come to you with no doubt that you will bring us through these trials better, stronger and more confident in your unlimited power. For this we thank you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There are scenes in at least two spy movies, that I know of, showing the main character sneaking into someplace wearing a wet suit then once inside, taking off the wet suit revealing a tuxedo underneath, and the spy proceeds to blend into the fancy event.

Though farfetched, this is the image that comes to mind when I read the passage from Colossians 3:9-10 where Paul writes, “since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

I like to envision that we take off our sinful self, and underneath lies our new self, that God sees as righteous because of the sacrifice made by Jesus to pay for our sins.

Dear Lord, It is only a result of the grace we receive through Jesus Christ that we are able to be seen as acceptable to God. Like peeling off an old outer layer, we can leave our sinful self behind and be made new. Lord we thank you for this grace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There are devices used in many manufacturing plants, and probably other places that require people to lift and move very heavy objects around throughout the course of their work. The devices are called a “lift assists,” and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. When attached to a heavy object like an engine, the lift assist allows one person to raise the engine up and move it into position for installation into a vehicle on an assembly line, with a relatively small amount of effort.

I think this is a way to illustrate God’s power working through us. Paul writes in Colossians 1:29, “This is my work, and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me.” TLB

We have to put work in to do what God desires. However, when we put in what we can, God’s power multiplies our capabilities giving us truly supernatural results.

Dear Lord, Your power is beyond our comprehension, but help us remember that you will provide us this power if we begin with what we have. You will be our “lift assist” allowing us to do much more than we could on our own. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.