“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.” (Rom. 8:18 ESV)

It feels very unfair sometimes

It can be discouraging to watch bad things happen to good people and, at the same time, watch good things happen to wicked people. This is not a new concern. Psalm 73 tells how Asaph complained when he saw the prosperity of the wicked while he himself struggled so hard to stay pure. He said, “Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?” (Psalm 73:13). But he went into the sanctuary of God, meditated on their eventual fate, and said, “Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant — I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.”

Victory is sure!

“Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Rom. 8:35-37 NLT)

Therefore

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” And that’s certainly true! But He followed that statement with a wonderful promise, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38-39 ESV)

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28 NIV)

When our children were small, Susan and I often walked with them along busy streets and other crowded places. We held their hands tightly to keep them safe. Sometimes they would beg us to let them go, but no, we never did because we loved them. In the same way, God holds you in His hand tightly and won’t let anyone snatch you from his firm grip because He loves you!

Therefore

Be confident and rest assured that the One who holds you in his hand will never let you go and no one, or nothing, can snatch you from His hand!

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalms 91:1-2 ESV)

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” (Col. 3:15 NLT)

Do you have peace about it?

Do you have a big decision to make? Maybe it’s a major purchase, or you’re considering a new job or partnership, or whether you should allow your kids to do something they asked for, or even something like choosing a vacation destination. Besides asking God to give you wisdom and insight about it (see Prov. 8:19), there’s a way to test to see if you should move forward with it, and that is to check for God’s inner peace about it. If you don’t have that, then stop! That may be a red flag and a warning that something isn’t right. So always let the peace of God rule in your heart (Col. 3:15).

Therefore

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)

“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” (Prov. 4:7 ESV)

Green weenies!

Have you ever confidently made a decision only to later realize it was a mistake? I have, regrettably. Early on in my life, I made a few decisions without having all the necessary information and afterwards found problems I should have researched and discovered before making them. In the business world, this is often described as encountering a “green weenie.” This term refers to unexpected issues that surface after a deal is concluded, much like finding a green weenie hidden in the back-bottom of a refrigerator. This is why thorough due diligence is crucial in business transactions: to identify and address potential issues, or “green weenies,” before finalizing deals. This is important in personal decision making, too. The Bible calls this ability as having insight.

Why having insight is important

Insight is defined in the dictionary as the ability to discern the true nature of a situation. You need this quality to avoid unforeseen errors (green weenies), especially when making important life decisions. 

Good insight comes from God

The answer for getting good insight in a matter is simple, ask God for it! Ask Him to give you His insight on important matters before you proceed with them.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)

Therefore

“I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength.” (Prov. 8:14 ESV)

“Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good.” (Prov. 19:8 ESV)

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13 ESV)

Giving in to temptation!

Over the years, I’ve heard many horror stories of people, some famous and some not, who had given into some form of temptation and got caught, and their lives were ruined. It was painful to watch. Most said they were very sorry they had given into temptation. Some, however, blamed the temptation rather than themselves, saying it was impossible to resist because the temptation itself was too powerful. But is that really true? The answer is both “yes” and “no,” depending on whether you’re a Christian or not.

Getting tempted is not a sin

Everybody experiences temptation from time to time. Even Jesus. Despite the devil's temptations in the desert, he did not give in to them. He used Scripture to overcome the temptations and defeat the devil. (See Matt. 4:1–11).

The power to resist and escape

If you aren’t a Christian, you are powerless, having only yourself to fight temptation. On the other hand, if you are born again, you have the above promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says God won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your capability to withstand it, and God will provide the way of escape.

God will help you

“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb. 4:18)

Therefore

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:41 ESV)

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 ESV)

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38-39)

The above passage was a revelation to me!

When I was two years old and my older brother was 4, my mother deserted us without warning. She left us with a stepfather she hadn’t been married to for very long. Soon we were in the welfare system and tossed from one family to the next, and rarely were my brother and I together. It was all very scary, lonely and confusing. It wasn’t unusual to go to bed at night at one place and wake up the next morning in the home of complete strangers. And if I ever thought of my mother, I remembered that she had abandoned us, and I truly believed she had never loved us. By the time I was an adult, I thought everybody I knew would eventually go away, and they usually did.

Then I met Jesus!

After receiving Christ and starting to study the Bible, I soon discovered that God had promised that He would never leave me! This was so reassuring and comforting! Then I met and married a Christian woman who had been raised with loving parents who had always been faithful to God, to each other, and to their children. She was surrounded by faithfulness and never questioned their love. So, when we had children of our own, we made sure they knew we loved them, and we passed along the truths found in the Bible about God’s unconditional love for them, too.

Therefore

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6 ESV)

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19 NIV)

Dealing with vicissitudes

I love the word vicissitudes! I first ran across it in an old TV guide when I was a teenager, explaining what a movie was about. It said, “This movie is about a young man dealing with vicissitudes.” I didn’t understand what that meant, so I looked it up in the dictionary: “Vicissitudes are changes that happen at different times during the life or development of someone or something, especially those that result in conditions being worse.” Simply put, vicissitudes are the ups and downs of life. The word pretty much describes everybody’s condition in the world we live in because everyone must deal with one thing or another in the normal course of life. There are no exceptions. That’s because we all live in a fallen world, in an imperfect body, filled with imperfect things and imperfect people, all as a result of sin. Jesus said it this way: “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ESV). He gives both the problem and the solution in the same statement, saying that yes, you will face problems in this world, but you can be happy that Jesus has taken care of them for you! And how does He do that, you may ask? He sent the Holy Spirit to help you, and He reminds you of His words and promises found throughout the Scriptures to help you (See John 14:26). 

This changed my life!

When I got ahold of the promises in the Bible many years ago, it changed everything for me. It was like winning the lottery because there are thousands of them in the Bible from cover to cover. No matter what happens in my life, there are multiple promises there to cover it. Therefore, I look them up every day and apply them by faith. The promise at the top, for instance, declares several remarkable truths about God: He does not lie; he is truthful. He does not change his mind; he is faithful. He always does what he says (takes action). And He does what he says (he fulfills his promises). In other words, He is faithful to His word and will help you through your vicissitudes!

 Therefore

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 29:23 ESV)

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly our under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver,” (2 Cor. 9:7)

As Christians, we can give cheerfully because we know that God will take care of us and reward us abundantly. But we’re not driven to give primarily because of an expectation to receive (2 Cor. 9:6) but because we have already received (John 3:16).

Some Bible examples to follow

·      Give more than just money: In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan who gave time, resources, and skill to meet the need of a man who had been left for dead at the side of the road — demonstrating the valuable gifts of mercy, kindness, and hospitality.

·      Give to see the impossible happen: In Matthew 14:14-21, a little boy gave his small lunch of a few loaves and fishes to Jesus, and He used it to feed over 5,000 people — demonstrating that gifts in God’s hands can be divinely multiplied to meet the demands of greater works.

·      Give out of substance, not size: In Luke 21:1-4, Jesus compares the widow’s mite to the rich man’s gift — demonstrating that all gifts are blessed by God and that He sees the significance of a gift even when others don’t.

Therefore

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8 ESV)

“Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” (Prov. 22:9 ESV)

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” (Prov. 11:25 NLT)

If you want God’s blessing in your family and in your business, then fulfill the premise of this promise at top and be generous with what your resources.

Do it first and honor the Lord

“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first and best part of all your income. Then your barns will be full, and your vats will overflow with fresh wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 (GW)

Therefore

“But since you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (2 Cor. 8:7)

“Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do.” (Deut. 15:10 NLT)