What Hard Times Teach Us About God

We don’t face difficult times for the fun of it. The world is broken and there is nothing

we can do to escape the tragedies that come our way but there is a hope for us in the

midst of the darkness. As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we can

be guaranteed that the Lord is with us. He won’t let us be consumed by the enemy.

Look at what happened to Daniel. (Daniel 6)

The king had intended to promote him but the governors around him were jealous

so they tricked the king into making a law that banned anyone from making any

requests to any god besides the king. But as was his custom Daniel opened his window

and prayed to God.

The jealous people saw this and took him to the king for punishment.

The penalty for disobeying the king’s command was a trip into the lion’s death.

Daniel was in serious trouble.

But in one of his darkest times the Lord never left him. He protected him in the lion’s den.

The lion’s den was the enemy’s way of destroying Daniel but instead of death, Daniel

experienced the faithfulness of God.

I also think of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and how they were in trouble when they

refused to bow down to the king’s idol. The penalty for disobeying the king’s command

was death by fire but once again, instead of dying in the fire, they saw the Son of God!

In their dark time the Lord showed up for them and delivered them in a powerful way.

I want to remind you that in your difficult times, the Lord is with you like He was with

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

In the fire, and in the lion’s den the Lord is with you.

Trust in the Lord like they did.

As I conclude I want to share Isaiah 54:17 with you

“No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,”

Bless you friends

Rolain

Zoom Out And See God’s Big Picture.

God has an amazing plan for our lives. But at times we can get so engrossed in the now, the present

and forget that God is moving in our lives.

We need to learn to regularly take a step back or zoom out.

I was given a picture of this as I played a game. The game is called, Guess The Picture.

And the point of the game is to decipher a magnified picture as quick as you can.

The game is best played with a group of people.

In the beginning, you can’t make out the picture because it is magnified to the max but when

the game starts the picture begins to zoom out and the picture gets clearer and clearer.

And that’s what happens when we are so zoomed in. The picture makes no sense because

it’s a blur.

But as we take a step back and look at the answered prayers, the breakthroughs, the things

God has done for us, we begin to realize that God really is in control. He knows exactly what

we are going through. Taking a step back strengthens our faith as we see God’s faithfulness.

But also remember that God is working through the tests and trials we face. They are not

meaningless or pointless.

Think about a an image for a moment.

What makes an image? Pixels right.

An image is comprised of millions of pixels.

But this is the thing, without pixels, there is no image. A picture cannot exist without pixels.

Pixels play a very important role in the formation of a picture and that is the same in our lives.

The difficult times, the trials, the tests, all have a purpose. We are learning to trust God more.

We are experiencing His faithfulness and greatness in the hard times.

We are growing in the midst of intense opposition.

So don’t disregard what you are going through today. It’s not meaningless or pointless.

God is working in the midst of the tests, trials and hardships. Trust Him.

As I close I want to remind you that God is at work in your life, even in the times when it doesn’t

seem like it. Take a step back and see His hand in every aspect of your life.

And if you like what I write and want to support me financially you can now do so by buying

me a coffee or two. I have signed up with “Buy Me A Coffee” and it’s an easy way to support me.

Click here to support.

God bless you friends

Rolain

All I see is God’s faithfulness.

 

“Great are the works of the Lord;

they are pondered by all who delight in them.”

Psalm 111:2

 

In a year when it seemed like nothing could happen God did the impossible and brought 

to reality a dream and desire I had been holding on to for seven years. 

He is faithful. 

Watch the video to hear my testimony. 

 

 

If you would like to buy a copy of my devotional click here and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube 

channel to not miss any episodes.

To follow my channel, click here. 

 

 

Bless you friends and I hope you are having a great holiday. 

 

Rolain

2020: Unfazed – Part 1

I think you can agree with me that this has been a crazy year. It’s been intense, difficult, challenging,

hectic and so much more. But in the midst of the craziness, something beautiful has been emphasized

and that beautiful thing is JESUS.

His grace, power, goodness, and faithfulness have shone through the darkness and if He wasn’t with

me in this season I can confidently say I wouldn’t be here today. It’s only by His grace that I have got so

far.

 

So in this new series simply titled “2020” I take some time to stop and look back at all the amazing things

God has done in the hope to encourage you because as 2021 fast approaches we need to go into it full

of hope, and full of faith.

And we do that by remembering His blessings and how good He has been to us.

 

We also need to settle something in our hearts,

There is nothing that can faze the Lord

There is nothing that can catch Him by surprise and

There is nothing that can limit Him

 

No matter what the enemy throws His way, it is nothing to Him.

So as Covid-19 has wrecked havoc in the world we need to know and be reminded that

God is stronger and greater than Covid-19. He is not limited by it and it hasn’t cast a spanner

in His plans. God is working more in this time and His plans for us are very much alive in this

crazy season and even though we may have no idea what’s in store next year we know that God

is with us and is protecting us and watching over us.

 

No weapon formed against us will prosper. 

 

As I conclude I want to encourage you to not limit the Lord today. Keep dreaming, keep praying

and keep taking steps of faith in all that He has shown you. Don’t let the circumstances we are in

stop you from moving. Don’t let what’s happening in the world fill you with fear.

Be expectant for what God has in store for you. Look forward in hope because God is faithful.

Bring your fears, worries and anxieties for 2021 to Him.

He is your strong tower of refuge!

 

Blessings to you friends!

 

Rolain

No matter what you face…

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

 

“So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever;

for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:4‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

 

King David went through a lot in his lifetime. 

When it seemed like his strong enemies were close to taking his life, he looked to the Lord for help.

When he had to go into exile his trust was in God. 

God told him he would be king but as the years passed by and the promise seemed to be getting

more and more distant his trust was in the Lord. He trusted in the Lord’s faithfulness.

Through all the trials and challenges he faced, his faith in God never wavered.

In fact, that’s what got him through all those challenges.

So today I want to encourage you to continue trusting the Lord through whatever circumstance you are in.

Trust in the Lord forever because He is faithful. He won’t let you down because He is the everlasting Rock! 

 

Bless you friends. 

 

Rolain

Look ahead with confidence

“The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.””

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 

As David faced Goliath his confidence was in the God who had delivered him from the lion and the bear.

David knew Goliath had no chance against him because of what God had done before.

As you look ahead it’s important to remember what the Lord has done for you. As He brought you through last year with all its challenges and trials He will bring you through this year.

You can look ahead with confidence because the Lord who rescued and delivered you from the trials and challenges last year will do it again and again. He never let David down. He didn’t let the giant be victorious over him.

And it’s the same with you. He won’t let you down. He will deliver you and rescue you from the enemy who is standing against you. You can trust the Lord always!

Bless you friends

Rolain

His faithfulness will not stop.

“It is true that some Jews were not faithful to God. 

But will that stop God from doing what He promised? No! 

God will continue to be true even when every person is false.” 

 

We mess up, we make mistakes, we rebel and disobey at times but those things won’t stop

God from doing what He promised us. Our failures and short-comings are not the things that

will stop God from doing the miraculous in us and through us. He knows we are not perfect.

He knows He is the only one who is faithful and true and He doesn’t expect us to be perfect.

Let’s stop holding up our weaknesses as a reason for not being used. God will use us despite our

short-comings.  Nothing can stop His faithfulness towards His people. Not even sin!

 

I am not saying we should ignore the sin in our lives and just do what we want but I am saying

we should not think God won’t use us because we are broken and imperfect.

He will perform every good thing He promised us and that should give us joy.

He loves and cares for us in a way we can’t even begin to comprehend. Trust Him,

rely on His faithfulness!

Bless you, friends…

 

Rolain

He promised it!

“The Lord made a promise to David. 

It was a sure promise that He will not take back. 

He promised, “I will make one of your descendants rule as king after you.” 

Psalm 132:11

 

Happy new year to you, friends! I hope you had a great holiday and are ready to continue walking

with God in this new year. God has done so much already and in this new year, He will

continue the work He started all those years ago. He has so much more in store for you.

It’s good to be back writing and I am expectant about what God has in store this year.

 

God’s promises to us are sure. He doesn’t take back what He has promised. He doesn’t change

His mind. When He promises, it comes to pass. When God promised David he would have

a son to rule when he died God is the one who brought it to pass in spite of David’s failings and weaknesses.

(remember the mess with Bathsheba)

 

If we are relying on our own abilities and strength to receive God’s promises then we have missed it.

He wants us to look to Him, to rely on Him. He is faithful to fulfill the things He promised us.

So as we go through the new year let’s remember His promises to us are sure. 

There is no “maybe” or “might” attached to His promises. They are sure and that’s enough for us.

Enjoy your weekend friends.

 

Rolain

 

 

The Lord gave him a picture…..

“Then God led Abram outside. God said, “Look at the sky. There are so many stars

you cannot count them. And your descendants will be too many to count.”

Abram believed the Lord. And the Lord accepted Abram’s faith and that faith made

him right with God.

  

Genesis 15:5, 6

The Lord led Abram outside and gave him a picture of his life and that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

But as I look back at my life I see how I allowed people to give me a picture. The enemy was in the mix

as well and did everything in his power to enforce the picture he had given me

because I didn’t know better. It took years to break the negative picture I had been

given and thanks to God the healing is still ongoing.

The Lord has a picture for you too. The picture is amazing and glorious but there is so much opposition

from the enemy. he doesn’t want you to walk in the plan God has for your life because that’s what the picture

is about. It’s about where God wants to take you. It’s about what He has in store for you.

But the enemy uses fear, abuse, manipulation and a whole lot of other things to blind you to God’s picture.

Don’t accept the enemy’s pictures. They are all lies.

his pictures get you depressed, fearful, anxious, greedy, and weak.

his pictures are all void of goodness, peace, love, fulfillment, faith, joy and every other good thing

God is.

Reject them at every turn. But you need help. You need the Lord’s help.

The good news is this, the picture you have now can be changed. That’s what happened to me.

My picture was really bad but the Lord came and changed it. He replaced the dark, hopeless,

fearful picture and replaced it with His life-giving, fresh, new, energizing picture!

And that’s what He does for us as His children.

As I end I will leave you with a scripture that sums up what I have been talking about,

“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, 

which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).”

Jeremiah 33:3

Blessings to you, friends

Rolain

Patience in the fire……

“And I will bring you into the land concerning which I lifted up My
hand and swore that I would give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;
and I will give it to you for a heritage. I am the Lord [you have
the pledge of My changeless omnipotence and faithfulness].

Moses told this to the Israelites, but they refused to listen to Moses
because of their impatience and anguish of spirit and because of their
cruel bondage.”
Exodus 6:8, 9

 

This verse spoke to me this week. In the midst of crazy battles this scripture spoke to me.
The Israelites had a word from YAH but they refused to listen to Him
because of their impatience, anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.

The fact they were impatient spoke to me because in the midst of storms
and trials we need to be patient. It’s not an easy thing to be patient when you are in a fire.
In the trials I am facing in this season I am have been challenged to be patient.
Patience is important because it reflects our faith in YAH’s ability to bring us through the storm.

No matter what you going through be patient. He will carry you through the storm soon enough.                                                     He will deliver you most definitely.
Let’s look at one more scripture that brought everything into perspective for me concerning being patient,

“Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exalt and triumph in our troubles and
rejoice in our sufferings knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce
patient and unswerving endurance.
And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity).
And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.”
Romans 5:3-5

Amazing right, or crazy depending on how you see it! Exalt and triumph in your troubles!
Rejoice in your sufferings!
It’s really hard to do if I am to be honest. The pressure can get so much that rejoicing
is the last thing I want to do but one thing is clear from reading this scripture,
YAH has a plan in the storm. The enemy has a plan too, to destroy but not YAH.
He is thinking about growth, blessing, new levels, maturity, endurance and so much more….

We need to change how we look at trials and challenges. We don’t need to be afraid. YAH will bring us

through. He is at work for our good.

 

Bless you

 

Rolain