faith and preservation

Friday, April 4, 2014 (7:25 a.m.)

Fear keeps running

(7:55 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Let me start again. For thirty minutes I have searched verses using the word 'ruining'. I noticed once again how big a difference one letter can make. But rather than spend our time together speaking of fear and ruin, let's talk about faith and preservation.

(8:23 a.m.)

Paul often wrote and spoke of his faith in You and Your preservation of him. Thank You for making his words readily available to us. They offer so much hope to those of us in need of reminders of Your power and strength working in others.

In his second letter to the church at Corinth he again describes what life in You truly is. After praying Your blessing and peace to be upon them (2 Corinthians 1:2) he jumps right in to thanking You for being “the source of all mercy and comfort” (3).

Paul goes on to explain, “For He gives us comfort in our trials so that we in turn may be able to give the same sort of strong sympathy to others in theirs” (4). Thank You Father. There's a descriptive poetry in the words he chooses. He speaks of suffering (5) and offering encouragement because of those troubles (6-7).

He told of being “crushed and overwhelmed” (8). He described feeling doomed and powerless. “Yet we believe now that we had this experience of coming to the end of our tether that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who can raise the dead” (9).

Through his hardships Paul came to know You as One who preserves (10) and he continued asking for more prayer on his and Timothy's behalf. “Further, we trust Him to keep us safe in the future, and here you can join in and help us by praying for us, so that the good that is done to us in answer to many prayers will mean eventually that many will thank God for our preservation” (11 - PHILLIPS).

Yes Father. Count me as one who thanks You for the way You work in providing Your safety to those who love and work for You.

And right here I get to turn to Paul's letter of thanks to the believers in Philippi. He wanted his friends to see his imprisonment in a Roman jail as a good thing. “For I am well assured and indeed know that through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) this will turn out for my preservation (for the spiritual health and welfare of my own soul) and avail toward the saving work of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:19 - AMP).

Preservation. “The spiritual health and welfare of my soul”. I like the sound of that. Faith. Trusting You with the spiritual health and welfare of my soul. Yes Dearest Daddy. You allow us to choose. We can put our focus on fear and ruin or faith and preservation. Remind me this day of the myriad of ways You have kept me safe.

There is so much joy to be found and experienced in living our lives for You. Set my mind on You. Do in and with, by and for me all that I cannot do on my own. Enable and empower me to be pleasing in Your sight. I love You. I want to serve You well. And I thank You for blessing and preserving me. Thank You God. I love You. Amen.

(583 words ~ 9:26 a.m.)