Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day—Acts 26:22
It is often the case that the testimony of others can be of great help to us. That’s certainly the case when that person is the apostle Paul. As we reflect on the difficulty of his duty, the frailty of his flesh, the efforts of his enemies, and the daily dangers he faced we are amazed that he continued faithful for those many long years. There must have been times when he wondered if he would make it through the day, but he did– even “unto this day”, of which he spoke. He was able to do so only because he had “obtained” the “help of God”. Notice, he did not attribute his success to being strong, smart, or lucky. He took no credit unto himself, but gave all the glory to God.

Dear friends, as the children of God doing the will of God, we can rest assured that what God did for Paul He will do for us also. Are you fearful that you won’t be able to stand faithful until the end? Perhaps you feel you can’t even make it through this day. Does your load seem to heavy to bear, your enemies too strong to defeat, your duties too hard to complete, and your pain too much to endure? Take heart dear friend, God will help you. To put it into the words of the old Stuart Hamlen song, “What He’s done for others He’ll do for you”.

Regardless of your duty, difficulties, demands, or danger, you can find help in God. His promises are sure and His grace is sufficient for every need. Whatever trial and temptation you are forced to face, you can do so with confidence that the same God who helped Paul will help you, day by day unto the very end. To obtain that help all we have to do is remain faithful to do His will. Then we can say, “–The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear–” Heb. 13:6

Be vigilant in who you allow to influence your life—seek out those with understanding and wisdom.(Daily in the Word)

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee.” Psalm 55:22

It is by an act of simple, prayerful faith that we transfer our cares and anxieties, our sorrows and needs, to the Lord. Jesus invites you come and lean upon Him, and to lean with all your might upon that arm that balances the universe, and upon that bosom that bled for you upon the soldier’s spear!

But you doubtingly ask, “Is the Lord able to do this thing for me?” And thus, while you are debating a matter about which there is not the shadow of a shade of doubt, the burden is crushing your gentle spirit to the dust. And all the while Jesus stands at your side and lovingly says, “Cast your burden upon Me — and I will sustain you. I am God Almighty! I bore the load of your sin and condemnation up the steep of Calvary; and the same power of omnipotence, and the same strength of love that bore it all for you then — is prepared to bear your need and sorrow now. Roll it all upon Me! Child of My love! Lean hard! Let Me feel the pressure of your care. I know your burden, child! I shaped it — I poised it in My own hand and made no proportion of its weight to your unaided strength. For even as I laid it on, I said I shall be near, and while she leans on Me, this burden shall be Mine, not hers. So shall I keep My child within the encircling arms of My own love. Here lay it down! Do not fear to impose it on a shoulder which upholds the government of worlds! Yet closer come! You are not near enough! I would embrace your burden, so I might feel My child reposing on My bosom. You love Me! I know it. Doubt not, then. But, loving me, lean hard!“–Octavius Winslow

Take the…sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God– Ephesians 6:17

Notice that the Bible, God’s Word, is called the sword “of the Spirit.” Not only is it a weapon, but it is a weapon forged by God himself.

This is why God’s Word is so powerful. Satan only retreats before the Almighty; he has never yet successfully advanced against the point of this sword. The devil is no match for the truth of God. His only hope is to convince you to lower your weapon.

But have you experienced its power to deliver from sin — worry, fear, envy, lust? Although our fallen minds can rationalize any sin, the Word of God cuts through our excuses without bending and delivers us from sin’s deceit and destruction.

And the Bible not only fends off attack, it delivers blows. God’s Word condemns sin, instructs us how to live, matures our foolish hearts, and reveals false motivations. The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon that we are given in this spiritual warfare, but it is abundantly sufficient.

However, it is not a superstitious and mere presence of God’s Word that has overcoming power — it is not any help at all if it sits idle and untouched on your bedside table. It is the individual passages of Scripture—read, studied, memorized, and meditated upon—which parries the approaches of Satan.

When we wield God’s Word knowledgeably and with faith, we will find this fencing practice quickly yields astonishing and ground-gaining results in our lives. So, take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.–(“A Good Thing”)

“The secret things belong unto the LORD our God; but the things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

To listen to some folks you would think that heaven should offer no surprises, nor provide any new information. I say that because they seem to think that there should be no mysteries— that God should give an explanation along with every experience. Naturally that attitude leads to a lot of complaining.

The longer I live and the more I study God’s Word the more I realize how little I know. The mysteries of life are far too complex for puny man to unravel. God’s thoughts and ways are much different and far higher than ours. Regardless of how educated we are, we know but a thimble full on any given subject. There is much that is unknowable to man—things we cannot possibly understand. When we wade off into the sea of any subject it doesn’t take long before we are in over our heads.

So what’s the point? Well, for one thing, this is something we need to keep in mind when we find ourselves frustrated trying to figure out why certain things happen. We or a loved one gets hurt,sick, or suffers a need and we can’t understand why a good God would allow such a bad thing to happen. Then we get angry, bitter, and depressed. We look to others for answers, but they are as confused as we are. We turn to God and pray for an explanation, but He isn’t talking. And the depression deepens!

What now? Where do we go from here? In the first place we must face the cold hard fact that we can’t know certain things–regardless of how hard we try. Second, contrary to the way we feel, we have no need nor right to know certain things. The secret things belong to God. He has told us all we need to know for the moment. Even if He explained, in our present earthly condition we could not understand. It would be like trying to explain the theory of relativity to a one year old child. Not until the curse is lifted and we are delivered from these mortal bodies and our mind is transformed will we be able to comprehend the mysteries of life. Until then we must simply trust God, knowing He will use even the worst things in life for His glory and our good.

People talk about God being unfair, but it is the accusing of God of wrong doing that is unfair. If you want to complain about something complain about that! Who are we to judge God? We have no right to bring such foolish charges against the Lord (Rom. 9:20).

I know, it’s just natural for us to wonder why, but that doesn’t make it right or helpful. To get beyond the frustration and to be at peace we must get to the place that we leave it all in God’s hands. After all, what else can you do? Trust in God is the only thing that can help. But, you must remember this—you can’t do this by sheer determination or mere will-power. Romans 10:17 says, “–faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. To increase your faith you must increase your knowledge of His Word. Beyond that you must surrender yourself to His will. When we yield ourselves to God He empowers us to do what we could not do otherwise. It is only by being filled with the Spirit that we are enabled to chase our doubts, conquer our depression, change our disposition, cope with our difficulties, and control our desires.

It would be good if we all reached the place described by Tim Hansel, who said,” I have prayed hundreds, if not thousands, of times for the Lord to heal me—-and He finally healed me of the need to be healed.” That’s the kind of faith we all need– confidence that God will always do what is right and best.