Rev. Kenneth Ross Ministry

Rev. Kenneth Ross Ministry Sharing the word of God to others

02/22/2023

Philippians 4:10-13

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Meditation:
Philippians 4:13 is a simple Bible verse that most people misinterpret. It is part of a letter Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, the believers of Christ Jesus, bishops, and deacons in the church at Philippi, which was a leading city in Macedonia. Paul went to preach the gospel in Philippi after a vision he had of a man calling him to go to Macedonia and help the people there. To better understand Philippians 4:13, we have to look at it in the context of the verse preceding it. Philippians 4:12 is key in interpreting the verse that follows it, and it says: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
The Bible brings out an important aspect that shows the true meaning of Philippians 4:13. In it, Paul says he has found the secret of being content in every situation and then goes on to say what it is. “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” He is saying that his contentment in any situation is a result of Christ, who gives him the strength he needs, the strength to be content. Paul’s life was eventful with many trials and therefore needed to learn to be content in all circumstances. He learned to be content through Christ. Paul was specific about what the strength of Christ helped him achieve - contentment in all situations. He was not talking about doing anything he set his mind on but what he had to overcome to preach the gospel.
Paul had to preach the gospel despite the challenges he faced. He had experienced a wide range of circumstances and had to hold on to his faith in the Lord Jesus. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and endangered by many things. He was able to overcome all these things through the strength of Christ. Paul was a man who traveled a lot as he preached the gospel, and this meant he couldn't get cozy in one place. This required the strength of Christ because moving disrupted his life. Being content is not easy especially when you are living in lack and trusting God to meet your needs. You will need the strength that only comes with Christ. Your strength will fail you, but God’s strength won’t. When you grow weary because of the challenges of life, God gives you His strength.

Pray:
Teach me, my Father, to look to Jesus each moment of the day for my strength, and not to rely on my own, imperfect, human abilities and intelligence, for without You I can do nothing. But thanks be to God that as I rest in Christ Jesus, He will empower me through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to carry out Your will for my life. Father, I confess that without You I can do nothing, but thanks be to God that I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to You be praise and glory forever, AMEN.

02/22/2023

Ephesians 2:1-10

Made Alive in Christ

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Jesus Christ.
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Meditation:
To be saved by grace means to be delivered from the righteous judgment of God through no act of your own but by His unmerited favor. God gave us the law. The law is comprised of what we should and should not do regarding loving God and loving man (Matthew 22:37-40). However, to break the law of God is to sin. Unfortunately, we have all sinned against God, so we all deserve to be judged by God according to the Law. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death and separation from Him. So, we are all under the righteous judgment of God. Because we are sinners, we are by nature children of wrath, but God in His great and inexplicable mercy, gave us salvation through Jesus.
In verse 10, the apostle Paul says that we are His workmanship to be used for good works which God has already prepared for us. We do good works to carry out His will. We do this though the power of the Holy Spirit. Note that if you are doing good works without the Holy Spirit – there is no power and little success in the works, it is only through the Holy spirit that we can love more, have the energy and the wisdom to fulfill our purpose. We have an eternal purpose, just as everything has a specific purpose. A lamp cannot be a trumpet or a clock, but must be a lamp. We have a divine purpose – not a worldly purpose. God did not save us to pursue wealth, position or status, but to fulfill His purpose to do good and point people to the Good News.
You remember as a child hearing the story of the two wolf. A wise old man was talking to a young child and said, “There are two wolves always fighting inside me. One is filled with anger, hate, jealousy, shame and lies. The other wolf is filled with love, joy, truth, and peace. This battle rages inside of everyone” The child thought for a moment and asked “Which wolf will win?” The old man answered “The one you feed.” It is God’s unmerited gift to us that we are free from the humiliation, shame and guilt of sin We have the encouragement from the Holy Spirit to feed Love, Joy, Truth and Peace. We are saved from the grip of the enemy on our lives. Because we are freed from sin we have to power to say to satan: “Take it up with Christ, Jesus”! My salvation does not come from any goodness I have done, there is no reason for me to boast. Because we are tempted to prove ourselves, God made sure that is only his gift of salvation that can save us.

Pray:
Lord God Almighty, my Heavenly Father, when you made this world, You created it to be full of light and life. Yet through willful rebellion and disdain for Your perfect gifts, men chose darkness instead of light and death instead of life. Tragically, to my own hurt, I have continued in this pattern. Apart from Christ, I was dead in my trespasses and sins in which I once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. I once lived in the passions of my flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind. Because of my sinful and subsequent choices, I was a child of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But You, God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved me, even when I was dead in my trespasses, made me alive together with Christ! It is by grace that I have been saved.
You, Lord, raised me up with Jesus and seated me with Him in the heavenly places. This has happened not because You have seen anything in me. It has happened because I am now in Christ Jesus. You did this so that in the coming ages, You will show the immeasurable riches of Your grace in kindness toward me in Christ Jesus. It is by Your unfathomable grace that I have been saved through faith. This is not of my own doing; it is the gift of God. It is not a result of my works, so that I may never boast about anything I have done. You have made me Your workmanship, Your masterpiece, Your poem. I have been created anew in Christ Jesus for good works, things You have prepared in eternity past for me to do for You.
Now, please help me today to demonstrate this new life that I have in Christ. Give me eyes to see the needs of others. Give me A heart that is burdened for others. And give me hands to serve my fellow man by walking boldly and joyfully with You to bless their lives with the good works You have created me to do. Amen.

02/08/2023

Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Meditation:
I believe God gives each of us abilities and corresponding energy to fulfill His plans and purpose for our lives. If you feel low on energy, you may be surprised to know this, but it could be the result of faulry thinking in some area of your life. Negative thoughts--fear, bitterness, guilt, discouragement, resentment, unforgiveness, and others--always steal energy.
Some of the most energy draining kinds of thoughts we think are about past mistakes, failures, and sins, which produce guilt and condemnation. The enemy loves to fill our minds with thoughts of past failures we cannot do anything about. But we can choose how we will think about these things. We can dwell on the past opportunities in front of us. We can focus on our sins, or we can think about God's grace, demonstrated by sending Jesus to pay for our sins and remove them completely.
We cannot pay for our sins with feelings of guilt, because Jesus already paid for our sins when He died on the cross. His sacrifice is good for all time. There is nothing we can add to what Jesus has done. We can only receive with humility and gratitude the complete forgiveness He offers and refuse the guilt because we know our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west.

Pray:
Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to suffer and die for my sins. I know that I am forgiven completely, and I have no guilt or condemnationfor past failures and sins. In Jesus name, Amen.

02/02/2023

Matthew 11:25-30
25 At that time Jesus Said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."
26 "Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do."
27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
29 "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me , for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
30 "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Meditation:
Matthew 11:25–30 begins with Jesus' prayer of thanks to His Father for hiding the truth from those thought to be wise by the world's standards. Instead, the gospel has been revealed to those the unbelieving world dismisses as virtual children. Jesus declares that He and the Father know each other completely and that He can reveal the Father to anyone He chooses. He offers rest for the souls of all who are weighed down and weary if they will take on His yoke, saying that His burden is easy and light.
Jesus had just finished condemning three towns in Galilee where He has performed miraculous works and powerful preaching. Despite seeing the power of God on display with their own eyes, the people of these towns failed to repent of their sin and to believe that Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 11:20–24).
Why did these people fail to believe in Jesus? A possible clue comes in what Christ thanks God the Father for in this verse. In the middle of talking to the crowds, Jesus turns to His Father, "the Lord of heaven and earth," and thanks Him for having hidden "these things" from the wise and understanding. In other words, Jesus thanks the Father for actively participating in keeping the truth from those who are thought to be smart according to the world's standards, or at least according to themselves. Instead, the Father reveals the hidden truth to "little children."
What are "these things"? In the case of what Jesus has just been talking about in this chapter, they are things that seemingly should be obvious. If Jesus displays power that can only come from God—power to raise the dead and heal impossible illnesses and cast out demons with a word—then He must be the Messiah. Why would anyone not believe that?
Jesus identifies two things. First, those who are thought to be wise and understanding in this world tend to overestimate the value of their own minds. Intelligence comes with the temptation to excuse away anything a person does not like or prefer. This is not fundamentally different than the way a person with great wealth can fool themselves into thinking they need nothing and no one else—not even God. Since Jesus was not what many self-labelled wise men expected from the Messiah, they decided Jesus cannot be the Messiah.
Second, this statement implies that God hides what should be obvious from those who are arrogant. In a sense, He helps them to not understand what they choose not to understand. This is similar to how Pharaoh, during the Exodus, was allowed to resist God's will (Exodus 7:22; 8:15, 32), before God made an example of him by hardening his heart (Exodus 9:12; 10:20; 14:8).
Distinct from that, God the Father reveals what is obviously true to "little children." This is often true of actual children, but Jesus will have more to say about adults becoming like little children in Matthew 18:1–5. He says something similar about coming to God with the confident trust of a child in Mark 10:14–15: "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

Pray:
Dear God, let us not hide from our sorrows, burdens, and vulnerability but instead bring them to you, trusting that you continue to welcome all of us into your gracious embrace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

01/29/2023

John 14:25-27
25 All this I have spoken while still with you.
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do no be afraid.

Meditation:
This is a wonderful promise and a life-giving command. Jesus has troubled the disciples by explaining about his impending death. He has also comforted them by promising the Holy Spirit who will “teach you all things and remind of everything I have said to you. The world has a way of giving peace, but that is not Jesus’ way. If we understand that Jesus is the way to the Father, we love him, and obey his teaching, we will have perfect peace. The Holy Spirit will dwell with us and in us, and we will not be alone. If we obey and follow God in Christ by the Holy Spirit, we can actually have some power over our feelings. Most people are enslaved to their emotions and their “heart.” Jesus believes that we can “not let our hearts be troubled.” And he believes that we can choose to “not be afraid.”
In one sense Jesus is leaving them. He has walked with them in the body for three years. He always knew what to do. He controlled the weather and calmed the storms. He provided food when they didn’t have any. He was the target of the Jews who
hated them. Now he was leaving them. This should have caused them to have no peace, but Jesus had a plan for that.
It is not insignificant that Jesus leaves his very own peace with them. They have seen him in action for all the time they have been with him. They saw him face many trials and confrontations with men, demons, and Satan himself. But he had been unflappable. How? Even though he was the Son of God, full of the Holy Spirit, Jesus rose early every morning to be with his Father and to pray (Mark 1:35).
How does the world give peace? The world’s peace is circumstantial. Change the circumstances. Get rid of the distressing agent. Run away. Quit. If you cannot get away, medicate, eat, check out. Go to your idols for comfort. This is an unending cycle of hell. Jesus’ peace is altogether different and has nothing to do with circumstances. It passes understanding (Philippians 4:7). God is in control and he loves you, but you must be in union with him through Christ and the Holy Spirit to walk in perfect peace.

Pray:
Thank You, Father, for Your words of comfort. Help me to keep these precious words of Jesus at the forefront of my mind in this increasingly anti-God society, when the very foundations of earth are being shaken and all I believe in is being attacked. May my life be a walking witness to all I meet. Thank You that Your grace is sufficient, Your strength is made perfect in my weakness, Your peace passes understanding, and Your promises endure throughout all generations. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.

01/28/2023

Proverbs 3:3-5
3 Let love and faithfulness neverleave you; bind them around your neck, write them on a tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of god and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Meditation:
When we trust in the Lord our God, and commit our ways unto Him, He will bring every desire, and every good thing to pass in our lives. The key is that we need to learn to totally trust God and not ourselves. God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. When we trust God, He moves on our behalf. Those of us who choose to put our trust in God has the God of Heaven on our side. Think about that for a moment! God is with us, regardless of what our circumstances in life may look like. That is a promise from Him to you.
Isaiah 43:2 "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Trust in God is the working of our faith. When we trust Him, we show that we have faith in Him. The call to all of us on today as Christian is to put our complete trust in God. Trusting Him with our whole lives and not part of it. We can not pick and choose which part of our lives we want to give God for He is requiring all of it. We must put forth every effort in letting go of what we think is our control of our lives and totally surrender them to God.
God calls us to lean not unto our understanding. To be honest, we all to some degree think we know what is best for us more than God does, but God tells us to be not wise in our own eyes. When we acknowledge God in all our ways, He will direct us in the path in which we should take in life. What we must remember and understand is that God's path is not the path we would normally take, and God's idea of a straight path is not necessarily our idea of a straight path. The goal is learning to trust in God with all our hearts and being prepared to go where He is taking us.
As we travel God's path for our lives, it may seem like it is not the way in which we want to go, but is it the right path because God Himself is leading us through His Holy Spirit. In looking back at the path we have traveled, we will eventually see that God's path is the right path after all. Jeremiah 29:11-"For I know the thoughts I think towards you, saith the lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, plans to give you hope and a future." Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Give God the steering wheel of our lives.
Lean not unto our own understanding. Do not try to drive ourselves.
In all our ways acknowledge Him. Recognize God for who He is, The Sovereign God. He will direct your path. God's way is always the right way. Trust Him enough to know that if He created you, He knows where He is taking you. Trust and believe that He alone knows how to clear up the trashy paths we have traveled and make clean the ones we are traveling on. Confused about which direction to take in life? Trust God for He is your compass in life!

Pray:
God. Lead, guide, direct us in our lives, families, work, church, and everything we do. Please help us to trust you with all our heart, lean not on our own understanding. In all our ways help us to acknowledge you. We believe, we trust that you will make our paths straight. May it be so, we pray in Jesus name, Amen.

01/28/2023

Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

Meditation:
God is more than the Creator, He is the LORD God Who is in the midst of us; loving us, caring for us, protecting us, defending us, indwelling us, and Who died so that we might have life and have it in superabundance. This is no less true for the Church than it was for Israel – it is not truer for Israel that it is for the Church, for God's Word to His people is sure, steadfast, faithful, and true. He is always near at hand to help and to heal, to hold and to carry us in His everlasting arms.
God is not only in the midst of us, but He is the Almighty God and as such, He is mighty to save His people, not only from their enemies without and their fears within, but also from the curse of sin and death. Christ is the provision for our need, the remedy for our fear, the cure for our problems, and the antidote to sin. He is our protector and defender and as such He is our victorious warrior. He is our triumphant saviour, Who is mighty to save.
God is not there to condemn us, but He delights to bring us to salvation and He pours out eternal life and life more abundantly with exultant gladness, upon all who trust in His name. Oh yes, the Lord rejoices over all that believe in Him, and He takes joyful delight in those who trust His Word and abide in His love.
God desires all His children to seek Him, to come to Him, to draw near to Him, to rest in Him, and to abide in His truth, for He is the God of peace and His is a peace that passes all understanding. He longs to shed abroad His love and peace and joy and hope on all who believe in His Word and trust that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. How wonderful to fully understand that God rejoices over His children with gladness and delights in His little flock with shouts of joy.

Pray:
O God, I pray that when the storms of life rage against me, I will remember these words and find refuge, comfort and peace in your sheltering care. Make me aware, O God, of your singing in my life as you make your salvation more clear to me each day. Through my Savior Jesus I pray. Amen.

01/27/2023

Psalm 55:22
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Meditation:
There’s a lot we can learn from this Psalm, particularly how David was able to cast all his cares upon the Lord in a difficult situation. The reality is we all have things we care about that we are worried about. They result in burdens we bear.For David his burden was the betrayal by his close friend. For you it might be something different. Whatever is weighing you down we are called to cast it, or give it, to God. Notice that David says to cast ALL your cares upon the Lord, not some or the big ones, but each and everyone of them. God doesn’t just want your big burdens, he wants all of them. Give all your cares, big or small, to God. We should start each day by giving God our cares. Whatever it is that we are worrying about, that is weighing us down, we should give it straight to God.
If you cast all your cares upon the Lord, David reveals what will happen. God will sustain you. When you are overwhelmed with your burdens it can feel like you are sinking further and further each day. But when we give them to God he will sustain us. Jesus says it this way: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. God never intended for you to carry that heavy load. He has something better for you. Psalm 55:22 teaches us that peace is possible even in the middle of storms. David is pointing out that God will sustain him even though he’s struggling. For each of us, we can face the storms of this life and find peace when we keep our eyes on God.
Though the betrayal probably felt to David like the end of the line, like things would never recover, he ends this verse with this incredible declaration: The righteous will never be shaken. We will all face trials and difficulties in this life. Jesus never promised us an easy life, he actually promised the opposite. But for those who trust God those difficulties will not shake us, they will not destroy us. That’s what the Bible promises over and over. Whatever happens to us, if we trust in God he will bring us through it.
Following Jesus is not easy. But he is faithful to sustain you. He will not let you fall. Though he doesn’t promise you an easy life, he has promised to never leave you or forsake you.
In Psalm 55:22 David teaches us an incredible lesson about allowing God to carry our burdens. We don’t have to shoulder them ourselves, God is capable and willing. Give your worries and anxieties to him. The reality is that thing you are worried about is likely something you are incapable of dealing with on your own. But God can. So give it to him. And if you do he will sustain you and you will not fall.

Pray:
Father God, I know that I need to put more trust in you. When I’m overwhelmed with burdens, I cast them on you. You are the powerful one who can lift any burden and solve any problem. Give me strength, give me peace, and give me even more trust in you. Sustain me so that I’m not shaken by small problems. Amen.

01/25/2023

Jeremiah 17:7

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

Meditation:
The Prophet Jeremiah declares that the man who trusts and puts his or her hope in the Lord is happy. In other words, true happiness is only found in Lord. Psalm 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. Throughout scripture, over and over again, we are exhorted to put our trust in the Lord and lean not to our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct out paths. We are warned in Psalm 146:3- Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. In other words, if you are seeking true safety and security, look no further for God is it!
Jeremiah is telling us to put our faith and trust in God for He is a shelter in the time of storm, a very present help in the time of trouble and our refuge and strength in times of weakness. When you have truly put your trust in the Lord, your praise and worship to Him is unconditional and ever increasing, even in the midst of life test, trials and fires of life. Trusting God does not mean that you are in denial of truth or danger, but that you have placed the issue before God and you have faith in Him to work it out on your behalf. When our trust is in the Lord our God, the rain may pour, the storm may rage, the winds may be strong, the waves may be high and beat against us, but we will not be moved for our feet are planed like a tree by the rivers of water and we shall not be moved. Remember: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.

Pray:
O Lord God, of richness and righteousness, you are an impartial God, raining your gifts without disparity, giving in good measure to the godly and the ungodly. But worldly treasures and gains are like sand, slipping through our fingers when it’s time to leave them behind. Precious are the graces you shower on the worthy faithful, for only in faith will a soul benefit of your saving grace and only your grace can lead to the ultimate gift and glory of salvation.
The one abiding in continual obedience to you, relies entirely upon you for every blessing he wants for his body or soul, for himself or others who are dependent upon him. Blessed are all of us who make your favor our treasured goal Lord, and your power our strength in every circumstance of our lives.
Trusting implicitly in you Lord, implies walking closely with you, and never departing from you, but having you abide in us as we in you. For it is in blind faith and reliance in you and your being with us and in us, that your protective mantle will envelop us and save us from fear and evil. The deeper our trust, the more our lives will be entrenched in you and nothing and nobody can break such holy commitment, in Jesus Name. Amen

01/24/2023

Deuteronomy 31:7-8

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.
8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Meditation:
Moses had led the children of Israel for forty years, but he was not be permitted to lead them across the Jordan. The time came when Moses was led to remind the Nation of the conditional covenant they had with God and urged them to choose life over death and blessings over curses. Faithfulness to God would result in many blessings for His covenant people, but disobedience would result in the entire Nation being cursed and scattered.
Now, at the age of one hundred and twenty, due to his own disobedience, Moses was not permitted to enter the promised land with the people. However, as the time for his departure drew ever closer, he presented Israel with their new leader, Joshua, who would take the people across the Jordan and into the Promised Land. "Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you." Moses told them, and he charged both the people and his successor to "be strong and courageous," as they took the next step in God's redemptive plan for His people.
Moses summoned Joshua and said to him, in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land the Lord swore to give to their fathers. You will enable them to take possession of it. The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged."
What an encouraging promise Moses gave to Joshua and all Israel. And this is a promise from the Lord, which is equally true for Christians in today's Church dispensation, as it was for the nation of Israel during the dispensation of Law. The Lord has promised to go before US, just as He promised Israel. He has promised to be with us always - even to the end of the age. What a comfort to know that He will never fail us nor forsake us.
The entire nation had been redeemed from Egyptian slavery by faith, and their faith was reckoned as righteousness. And as the people of God, the Lord promised to bless their faithfulness but warned that He would punish any unfaithfulness. Promises of blessing for obedience and warnings of curses for disobedience had nothing to do with salvation, but had everything to do with victory and future rewards - or suffering defeat and the loss of rewards.
The Lord promised that He would never leave them nor forsake them. "Do not be afraid or discouraged," was the word of hope that was given to Israel as they prepared to pass over the Jordan, and it is a promise that is equally valid for the body of Christ, in this Church dispensation. Like Israel, we have been promised rewards or loss. A faithful steward who lives a life of trust in God will be rewarded with gold, silver, or precious stones, while one that produces works of the flesh will suffer the loss of reward. They will be eternally saved, yet appearing to escape through fire.
God's Word is to be trusted. He has promised to go before us, to lead us and prepare the way we take, even when we let Him down. He has promised to be with us on our journey through life and to stay with us through all the circumstances of life - even during those times when we prove faithless. God has promised never to leave us alone and one day, He will take us with Himself forever. God's Word is to be trusted. God's Word is as trustworthy today as it was in the times of Moses.
The children of Israel saw the very presence of the Lord in the Shekinah glory that filled the tabernacle. He was seen in the pillars of fire and cloud that led the children of Israel through the dangerous wilderness. He was seen in the plagues of Egypt that demonstrated God's mighty strength and awesome power, and He was with them in the midst of the Red Sea waters, which led them to safety but destroyed their Egyptian enemies.
In this church age, we may not have visible pillars of fire and cloud to lead and to guide, but He is with us every moment of the day, for we have the indwelling Holy Spirit, Who is our ever-present Comforter and holy Helper in time of need. He has promised to guide us into all truth and has given us access into the throne-room of God, for mercy to find help in time of need.

Pray:
Thank You, Father, for the truth that is contained in the Scriptures. Sometimes I wish I could see the Shekinah glory or be led by a pillar of fire, but I understand that today we live by faith in Your Word and not by sight. Thank You for Your promises to be with me, to lead and to guide me, to protect me, and supply all my needs, according to Your riches in glory. I praise Your holy name that Your Word is true, both toward Israel and the Church. Glory be to Your holy name, in Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.

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