[Faith-talk] Good Night Message for Monday, October 15 2012

[Paul]

Hello and good evening to my fellow North American saints of the Most High God, and good Tuesday to all my fellow saints in other parts of the world.  I hope that, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that you all had a good day today and that, for those of us in North America, that our sleep will be peaceful and tranquil.

"Hills To Climb" by Betty Jane Stepherson is our sermonette article for today.  I can relate in many ways to her sentiments, and I'm sure that, if you think long and hard enough, that you can also.  Here is the article, rendered as follows:

A respected writer of western novels was a talented author named Louis L'Amour.  One of the characters in his book titled Sackett's Land was described as a man "who never knew when he was whipped, so he never was." I like that description.

Perhaps I like it because I have had so many hills to climb over the past number of years.  If I let myself believe my problems can whip me, then I have to give up on myself.

Even so, the trail gets awfully steep sometimes, and I often need much more strength than I have on my own.  So I go to my Lord and trust in Him, and He never lets me down.

"Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength" (Isa. 26:4).  How comforting that word "everlasting" is to His children.  It means His strength will be there for us always and forever.  It will never fail us.  I need that everlasting promise to cling to.

Of course, His promise follows our promise to trust in Him forever.  He wants to know that we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior.  He wants to know that we have faith in Him to keep us in every situation and to give us the victory.

When we have doubts, we can always remember the times He has indeed helped us through our troubles.  His Word tells us that He is the same "yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Heb. 13:8).  He has been with us before.  He is with us now.  He does not change, nor does He forget His children.

If we feel far away from our Lord, it is only because we have moved away from Him.  He never moves away from us.  Sometimes we let our days become too busy with other things, but when we turn back to Him, He is always there.

Until our Lord calls us home to be with Him, there will always be valleys to cross and hills to climb.  Many times Satan will try to pull us down.

We have an answer for Satan, though, one that will make him flee in terror.  "The Lord is at hand" (Phil 4:5), and He will be at hand always and forever.  We never have to be without Him and His everlasting strength.

Praise His name.  God is always faithful.

And there you have Sister Betty's contribution for today.  Hope her article ministered to you as it did me.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, throughout this day or night and especially in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul