God's Best is Yours
This is the first in a series of audio blog posts taken from Pastor Bob Nichols’ radio broadcast. The broadcast entitled Faith, Hope, and Love has brought the gospel to radio listeners for many years. This is from February 14, 2000.
22And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 25And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
2 Chronicles 20:22, 25
No one really looks forward to a battle. We would rather float through life on a cloud unencumbered by the struggles of life. Unfortunately, that is not the way it works. Sometimes you have to fight. But we fight to win! When we use the weapons that God has given us we will be victorious in the battle. Praising God in the middle of a fight turns our attention to Him. We get our eyes off of the circumstances and begin to rehearse how good, strong and loving our God is. He never fails. God is faithful! He rewards those who stand in faith on His Word. To the victor belongs the spoils!
While I am battling the enemy, I will continually praise the Lord. When I praise Him in the midst of battles, He not only wins for me, but He gives me the spoils.
12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12
6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1 Peter 1:6-7
Heat is a refining element. When heat is applied to gold it causes it to melt and the impurities, which are lighter than the gold, rise to the top. During the refining process this dross is removed. After it is removed the gold is purer and will harden enough to be formed into a brick. This process is very similar to what happens to our faith when we are challenged by circumstances. Just like a muscle our faith becomes stronger when it is exercised. Trials will come. The good news is that Jesus has already won the victory for us! We just need to use our faith!
In the midst of battles, I will choose to give God thanks for the opportunity to build my faith as an overcomer.
18There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
Proverbs 12:18
20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:20-22
Confession of God’s Word is like building a brick wall. Each time you confess that you are healed by the stripes of Jesus it strengthens your faith in God’s ability to keep you healthy regardless of the circumstances. Build your faith wall before the attack comes. The Bible says that the shield of faith will quench all the fiery darts of the enemy. But if you have to go find your shield after the darts have already started…well…a few are going to get through. Then it will be harder for you to stand in faith against the attack of sickness. There is power in YOUR words when your words are GOD’S words!
Attacks are from the enemy. I will speak God’s Word daily concerning my health, storing up strength against the attacks of the enemy.
47Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Luke 6:47-49
When the hurricane is already at your door that is not the time to try to board up the windows! We prepare BEFORE the storm. As a believer we should prepare for every circumstance daily by spending time in the presence and Word of God. If we build our faith daily, we will be strong when the storm comes. We will not panic. We will not be easily defeated. We will be victorious through God’s strength and power.
I will build my faith before the storm by daily obeying God’s Word.
24For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Romans 8:24-25
1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
5-6 God, the one and only— I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from Him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I’m set for life.
Psalm 62:5-6 MSG
Hope acts like a blueprint for our faith. It helps us see the big picture of our life from God’s perspective. It does not take circumstances into account. It relies completely on the plan of God that is found in the Word of God. When we look in faith to what is unseen it will give substance to the things we are believing for. Hope is our anchor in the midst of a storm.
Hope is the strength of faith – the guarantee of faith. I will use hope as a rope to strongly hold on to the Word of God for my victory.