Thursday, November 8, 2018

Hillsong Church - Possessing the Promises

Join us for live worship and an inspiring message from Lee Burns in our morning service from the Hills Campus, Sydney, Australia. https://hillsong.com/ MESSAGE: Possessing the Promises


OUR HELPER IN TIMES OF TROUBLE




We all have an innate need to feel safe and protected. Life seems less threatening when we know harm is far from us; it’s unsettling when we turn on the news and see bad things happening too close to us for comfort. However, we don’t have to feel vulnerable or fearful when we know God’s Word about protection.
Sometimes it seems like trouble is just around the corner and headed straight for us. When others panic afraid of what the future will bring, we can be confident of our safety because we entrust it to God’s mighty hands. “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (Psalm 91:5-10). God is bigger than whatever is going on, and He’ll deliver us from harm when we trust in His willingness and ability to do so.
This kind of protection has been around a long time. In the Old Testament, God protected the firstborn of the Hebrew people who followed His directions to smear lamb’s blood on their doorposts. The firstborn son of those who didn’t do this died. “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12, 13). There are plenty of opportunities for trouble to come calling, but we have nothing to fear when we have faith in God.
God loves us. It’s not His will for us to get caught up in an evil situation. The level of protection He provided in the Old Testament is still very much in force for us today. When we feel weak and overwhelmed in tough times, He strengthens us. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
We can count on God’s deliverance. His promise hasn’t changed one bit over time. When we put Him above whatever circumstance we’re going through and rely on Him, He honors our trust. “The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers” (Psalm 34:7, AMPC). Some people don’t believe in His willingness to rescue them from a bad situation; when we put more weight in what He says to us than what we’re going through, He’ll never let us down.
Evil is real, and it’s a powerful force. However, God is also real, and He’s much more powerful. He always keeps His promises to keep us safe. “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). There’s no reason to be afraid when God is watching over us.

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