"Pressing On – Encouragement for the Long Haul”
“My times are in Your hands…” (Psalm 31:15 NAS)
Dear family of friends,
As I sat in my prayer chair that Saturday morn, having already read the Lord’s Word which I keep beside me on the lamp stand, and now accompanied with a fresh cup of java my good wife had brought me, I pondered on what the new year would bring. Weariness had taken a bit of a toll on my body, my mind and even my spirit. I looked forward to the road ahead, but as many of us do, we wonder what is on that road. Is it good? Will we make it? Will our faith be strong enough? And so I asked Him for more strength and hope.
In a brief message I had written to one of my five sisters that week, who was anxious about an upcoming job situation, I encouraged her to daily pray His words, one of many given to us in His Book of Promises. He simply says for us to believe, “My times are in Your hands.”
I found myself praying that same prayer again – for her, others on my prayer list, and for myself. As Derek Prince once said about receiving Scripture, it is like taking daily medicine. Here is an excerpt from a devotional he wrote.
Daily Devotional by Derek Prince.
God’s Medicine Bottle
Proverbs 4:20–22
“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” KJV
For many years I have known those three verses from the fourth chapter of Proverbs as “God’s medicine bottle.” God declares that if we will rightly receive His words and His sayings, they will be life to us and health to all our flesh. The marginal translation for the word that is translated “health” is “medicine.” That’s why I say it’s “God’s medicine bottle.”
And God says His medicine will provide us with health in all our flesh. In every area of our physical body it will provide health, but remember, the directions are on the bottle. The medicine only works if you take it according to the directions. There are four directions.
First, attend to God’s word.
Second, incline or bow down your ear and listen to His sayings.
Third, let them not depart from your eyes, keep them before your eyes continually.
And fourth, let them settle and abide in the midst of your heart.
If you take the Word of God according to those fourfold directions, you will find, as I did many years ago, that God’s medicine bottle produces just the results that He claims. It brings life and health to all our flesh. I found that after a year on end in a hospital when doctors couldn’t heal me, God’s medicine did the job.
Whitaker House Publishers, 1996
Personally I can’t comprehend how people who do not know the Lord God of Israel, Yeshua (Jesus), make it through their day to day life. It astounds me how many keep trusting in their own abilities or someone else’s, which will ultimately fail, when they too could be having ongoing faith in their Creator, and Knower of the road ahead for them. I am so thankful we can know His will, walk in His ways, and gain daily encouragement through His Holy Spirit.
For the long haul, for the marathon we run, we must keep pressing on in our faith and hope in Him. Our Good Lord will see us through. He will provide daily strength for the journey, to the end of time. His reward will be great.
Keep your eyes fixed on Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Keep pressing on to the mark He has set before us. His promises are sure. We can count on Him. Thank you Lord.
Ahava to my family of friends,
Steve Martin
Founder, Love For His People
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Ahava Love Letter #96 “Pressing On” Steve Martin
Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (12.28.13 Saturday at 8:00 am in Charlotte, NC).
All previous editions of Ahava Love Letter can be found on this Blog.
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