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

The Only Reason To Worry And Panic

There is only one reason you have to worry and panic and that’s if God is not with you.

If He has abandoned and disowned you then I would say you have plenty much

to fear.

There is a scripture where this sentiment is echoed.

“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,

Let Israel now say-

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,

When men rose up against us,

Then they would have swallowed us alive,

When their wrath was kindled against us,

Then the waters would have overwhelmed us,

The stream would have gone over our soul:”

Psalm 124:1-8

The author is thinking about what would happen if God was not on their side.

He sees how the enemy would totally annihilate them. They would have no chance without God.

And that’s what I am talking about here.

Without God on your side then you can worry, panic and fear.

But that is not the case with you and me because He is with us. He is fighting for us.

When enemies stronger than you come against you, the Word says, He is your support.

So bring Him your fears, and worries. He will not leave you helpless friends.

Bless you

Rolain

You Have A Compelling Story.

For the past couple of weeks I have been catching up on the Olympics. In times past

I never really watched it. I would watch a race here and there but that was it. I was

never really interested in Olympics as a whole but this year has been different.

I have been engaged and I am enjoying it so much. A few days ago I was wondering

why I enjoyed it so much and it came down to one thing – the compelling stories.

No matter the discipline there is a compelling story to follow. That was what has kept

me engaged and on the edge of my seat. For example, the men and women’s

BMX Freestyle competition. There have been some amazing stories on both the men and women’s side

but I want to focus on the women.

First of all, this was the debut of BMX Freestyle. That was history in the making.

Then Charlotte Worthington from Great Britain won the gold medal which was amazing

but her story continues. The way she won was even more amazing.

She successfully attempted a backflip 360 which has never been done in any women’s

competition ever. On the biggest stage in the world she did a backflip 360 for the first

time ever, landed it and won the gold. Talk about a compelling story!

And as I listened to compelling story after another I thought about you and me as sons

and daughters of God.

Do we have compelling stories too?

And the answer is a resounding yes. God has a compelling story for you and me.

Jeremiah 29:11 confirms this truth,

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you a hope and a future.”

I think about Nick Vujicic who was born without arms and legs and in the beginning he struggled

to reconcile why he was born and tried to take his own life but God intervened and turned his

life around. Nick has travelled the world encouraging and inspiring people with his story.

What a compelling story right…

In the word of God I think of Esther. She had no parents and was raised by her uncle but God

used her to save an entire nation!

I also think of Paul who hated Christians and did his best to exterminate them. He imprisoned them

and killed them but God stopped him and turned his life around. He gave him a new purpose and

new direction and used him to bring the word of God to the Gentiles and so much more.

I share all those stories to encourage you that God has amazing plans for your life. He has a

compelling story for you.

But it doesn’t end there. You have an enemy who doesn’t want you to accomplish God’s purpose

for your life. He is trying to stop the compelling stories God has written for you from happening.

There is a war.

You need to stand up and trust God with everything within you.

You also need to stand up and do your part by taking the steps of faith He is leading you to take.

This is a bit of what makes up a compelling story.

You need to be strong and courageous like Joshua as he led God’s people into the promise land.

God kept telling him to be strong and courageous and not to be afraid.

So as you walk in the amazing purpose and plans God has for you remember that He is with you.

He will never leave or forsake you and will bring your compelling story to completion.

He is fighting on your behalf.

Put all of your trust in Him and step out in faith as He leads because He has a compelling

story for you.

Bless you friends

Rolain

Don’t Give In To Fear.

One of the enemy’s main goals is to put you and keep you in fear.

He wants you bound and paralyzed by it and he wants you to think you

are all alone. But that’s not true. You are not alone. God is with you.

Recently I was reading the story of Nehemiah and I saw something interesting in his story.

As he was doing the work God had called him to do, which was to build the walls of

Jerusalem, he had opposition. There were men who didn’t want him to succeed and they

used fear to try to stop him. Let’s look at a few scriptures.

“For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work,

that it be not done.

Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”

Nehemiah 6:9

“Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they

might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.”

Nehemiah 6:13

“Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him.

And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.”

Nehemiah 6:19

As you can see, Nehemiah’s enemies were using fear to try to stop him.

But Nehemiah did not let it stop him. Instead, he put his trust in the

Lord to help him.

I share his story to show you that the enemy is still using the same strategy today.

He is using fear as a weapon against you to try to weaken your hands or to get

you to do something rashly or to doubt God and so much more.

But like Nehemiah you must bring your fears to the Lord.

Make a decision to choose trust in God over fear no matter how intense it is.

Because at the end of the day you have nothing to fear because God is with you.

He is on your side and He will never let you down.

God bless you friends!

Have a great weekend.

Rolain

With So Many Reasons To Live In Fear, Trust God Instead.

There are so many reasons to live in fear today.

You don’t have to go far to find fear. It’s all around us.

It’s on television, radio, the newspaper, Facebook feeds, WhatsApp Group Threads and so much more.

So what must we do when we come face to face with fear?

For the answer let’s get into the Word Of God.

In the second book of Chronicles chapter twenty, King Jehoshaphat was given some bad news.

A huge army was about to attack him. Let’s read what happened next,

“Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat saying, There cometh a great multitude

against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar,

which is Engedi.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout

all Judah.”

2 Chronicles 20:2, 3

When the king heard the news he feared. He didn’t try to hide it or ignore it.

But instead of allowing fear to overwhelm and paralyze him he set himself to

seek the Lord for help against the mighty army that came against him.

And when he sought the Lord for help, the Lord fought for him and destroyed

the army that came against him.

So like Jehoshaphat, seek the Lord for help when you are face to face with fear.

He will help you always.

He will hear your prayer as you cry out to Him.

Put your trust in Him in times of fear.

Bless you friends

Rolain

How To Talk To “Giants”

How do you speak to the giants that come against you?

As I read the Bible this week there was a story that made me think about that.

There is a way we are meant to speak to giants. We are not supposed to

cower away in fear or terror because God is our Protector.

He is so much stronger than the giants we face

I was reading the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:45-47 and there

were a few things that stuck out to me that I would like to share about how we

should speak to giants.

• David didn’t talk to Goliath about his strength. He spoke about God’s strength and power.
• David knew the battle wasn’t his but the Lord’s. He knew that the God who delivered him from lion and the bear would deliver him from Goliath.
• David never negotiated or pleaded with Goliath. He TOLD him what was going to happen to him.
• Because David had faith in God, he knew he was going to win.

We don’t have to let giants determine what happens to us.

Our faith in God will make us see giants differently and will make us talk differently because that’s what

happened to David. He didn’t run away in terror when he saw Goliath, he defeated him and told him

he was going to kill him.

Keep trusting the Lord and don’t let go. Let your faith be the driving force behind the words and actions

you speak and take against the giants that come against you.

And before I go I have some exciting news.

If you like what I do here and would like to support me financially, you can now do so.

With a coffee or coffees you can support on Buy Me A Coffee.

You can also become a member if you really enjoy what I do.

Click here.

And with that, I have come to the end of the post.

Bless you friends

Rolain

When The Battle Seems Lost, You Have Help.

“Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shem,

and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord

helped us.”

1 Samuel 7:12

The Philistines came against Israel to wipe them out. They were strong

and powerful. It seemed like Israel had no chance but Samuel prayed

to the Lord for help and his prayer was heard.

He fought for Israel and won against the Philistines.

The Lord is your Stone of help. When it seems like the enemy is winning,

remember that you have help, God’s help. Call on Him in your time of

trouble. Don’t fear or lose hope. You have victory because God is your Helper!

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

Bless you friends

Rolain

Focus On God, Not Giants.

“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing

in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and

asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?

Neither he replied, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now

come.”

Joshua 5:13, 14

Instead of focusing on Jericho, Joshua looked up and because he did He saw

the Commander of the Lord’s armies!

A lot of the time we spend so much time looking at the giants standing in our

way. We focus on all the things that are not working, the prayers that don’t seem

to be getting answered, and forget to look at God.

I have been guilty of this many times.

But we should be looking to God who is our Savior and our Strong Tower of Refuge.

He is stronger than every enemy we will ever face even if the giants standing in our

try to appear stronger than they really are.

So when Joshua changed his focus, he saw the Commander of the army of the Lord!

So who or what are you focused on today?

Take your eyes off the enemies in front of you and focus on the Lord who is your very

present help in time of need.

“I lift up my eyes to you,

to you who sit enthroned in heaven.

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the Lord our God,

till he shows us his mercy.”

Psalm 123:1, 2

This post is inspired by a devotional from my book.

If you would like to get yourself a copy, click here.

• 

Bless you friends

Rolain

No Matter How Bad Things Get, God Is With You.

I was having one of “those days” a few days ago.

You know, those days your faith is low and things don’t seem to be

happening. My prayers didn’t seem to be getting answered and for a

little bit, I thought God didn’t care. I actually thought He was ignoring me!

But later that day, the answer to my prayer came and God proved once again,

He can be trusted. I don’t like it when I doubt God and when I do it makes me

wonder. But I guess that’s part of the downside of being human. We are not

perfect and we make mistakes and that’s why we need a Savior, Jesus.

As I journaled the events of the day I penned these words, which are the title

of this blog post,

“No matter how bad things get, God is with me”

And it’s true. You may be having a bad day but I want to encourage you with this

truth. In the bible we see this truth in action.

In Luke 7:12-16 we see Jesus arriving to a city called Nain and there is a funeral procession

happening. A woman has lost her only son and she is going to bury him. Things are

really bad for her but at that moment, she meets Jesus. I don’t believe it was an accident

Jesus being there. I believe He went there FOR her. He wanted to help her at her lowest point.

And He did just that. He raised her son from the dead and gave him back to her.

When things were at their worst for the woman, Jesus stepped in and turned things

around for her.

So even when your hope and faith fail, remember, Jesus doesn’t fail.

He knows what you are going through and there is no problem you go through, that

God doesn’t see. Trust in Him no matter what happens.

Bless you friends!

Rolain

How Can We Win Against These Strong Enemies?

What should we do when life gets overwhelming and the troubles we face seem too much for us? 

I was in a situation this past week and I was overwhelmed by the things I was facing. I felt discouraged

and felt like God wasn’t listening but I came across a scripture in my quiet time that recalibrated my thoughts

back to Him. 

Life has a way at times of getting our minds off God, and driving us into some pretty dark and ugly tunnels and

that is why we need God’s word in our lives. 

It recalibrates, and realigns our thoughts back to Him. 

Let’s get into the word I read; 

“Perhaps you will think to yourselves, ‘How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful

than we are?’ But don’t be afraid of them! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the

land of Egypt.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7:17-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Moses was addressing the people of Israel as they were about to enter the promise land. They would come up

against some very powerful enemies and Moses knew they would encounter times of fear, doubt and anxiety. 

But he reminded them to REMEMBER, what God did to the Egyptians. 

As powerful as the Egyptians were, God delivered and saved Israel from them. He defeated the Egyptians. 

He also reminded them that God was with them.

““No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the Lord your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7:21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So if you are feeling overwhelmed by the troubles you face and the giants that are before you, remember what the

Lord has done for you. Remember the great deliverances He has delivered you with. Remember how He has answered

your prayers through the years and still continues to do so. 

He is with you. You are not alone at any time, especially when trouble is at your door. God will deliver you like He has

done many times before. Keep holding onto your faith in Him. 

Bless you friends

Rolain