Dealing With Adversity

King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Dealing With Adversity
Date: Monday August 22, 2011
Chapters: Jeremiah 28-30, Proverb 22, Psalm 73
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-august-22

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know...Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” - John 14:1-4,12-14.

As Christians we are going to face adversities in life,in fact, amazingly enough, the more Christlike we become the more adversity we seem to face. It really is not that way, but it can get a little overwhelming when it seems to be one thing after another. Do not be troubled by adversity, I know that is easier said than done, but that is what Jesus is for. We trust Him to save us from hell, we can trust Him to help us through the trials we face too. Jesus is the way, let us follow Him day by day. Jesus is the truth, let us build upon that truth with confidence upon the precious promises He has waiting for us. Jesus is the life, let us learn to abide in Him, the true source of spiritual life, until He comes back to receive us and take us to the place he has prepared for us.

Talk about adversity, the time for God's judgment had come, everything that Jeremiah as well as many others have warned them about was coming to pass. Jerusalem was under siege and many of the Jews are being taken away from their homes, carried into Babylon where they will remain there in captivity for seventy years. God instructed Jeremiah to send a letter to the Jews in Babylon. God wanted them to know that even though He sent them away from their comfort zone that He was still with them and will always be with them and take care of them.

“Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;..Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” - Jeremiah 29:1,4-7.

What a twist of events, what the Jews imagined would probably be seventy years of slavery was promised as seventy years of peace, even though they were in captivity. God is always with us, especially through adversity, in fact, He allows adversity to show us that He never leaves nor forsakes us. When you think about it, as Christians we are held in captivity right now, God gives us peace through Jesus Christ, He tells us to go ahead and live our lives until Jesus comes to get us. What greater peace is there than to know that God not only blesses us with what we need and desire here on earth, but we have even greater things waiting for us when we leave this earth. “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” - I John 2:24,25.

Israel, after many years of wandering among all nations, will finally be purified in a season of tribulation that the world has never known nor will ever see thereafter. The purposes of God’s judgment upon all nations will all be fulfilled, and then Israel shall be gloriously restored as a nation. God instructs Jeremiah to write down the words He has given him in a book concerning this promise.

“Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it...Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.” -Jeremiah 30:2,3,10-12.

What God is saying here that no sin goes unpunished, even those who are saved must face the consequences of their sins, but God promises that all who are saved remain saved, we can not lose our salvation if we are living in sin. Never let a person, even a priest or pastor, convince you that you can lose your salvation. Once saved, always saved. Jesus died on the cross one time, that means we only have to ask Him once to save us. “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” -Romans 6:8-12.

Adversity is coming our way whether it is something we did to deserve it or God is just trying us with, regardless, we can find peace and even blessings through them. One day we will no longer have to deal with sin or adversities, but until then we just have to keep looking onto Jesus. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” - Philippians 3:20,21.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, You grow and stretch my faithfulness to You through circumstances that don’t always reflect my choosing. Help me to be patient as I search Your Scripture and seek to understand Your plan as it unfolds in my life. Align my desires with Your own as I submit to Your will in my life. May I not be overcome by adversities, but seek You, Jesus, through them, as You carve me and mold me into Your image. I love You Lord and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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