Timothy 2:11-14, New Living Translation

“This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.”

God is rich in mercy and has new mercies for us every morning. He extends out His hand of grace to each one, waiting for us to accept it. Even after we have accepted His hand and walk with Him, we still experience times of hardship. But we do not walk those roads alone. I have often heard the saying, "The teacher is quiet when a test is being given." 2 Timothy 2:11-14 (NLT) says, “This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.” No matter the circumstance, we must hold onto our Father's hand! We must know and believe that " The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand." (Psalm 37:23-24, NLT) He holds us by the hand! Just like a loving father would do for his own child. How beautiful to know that our God is with us holding our hand through every moment, every stage of our life to be that ever-present help in times of trouble? Or even to experience the mountain top with us?

We have an enemy that is out to divide and conquer. He wants to separate you from the people who love and care about you most. He doesn't want you to have the encouragement, strength and support you receive from other believers. He also does not want you to fulfill your destiny that God has for you. You must stand firm in your identity. You are a child of God. He chose you because He wanted you to be in His family. It gave Him great pleasure to do this! " Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” (Ephesians 1:4-5, NLT) Do you believe that He chose you? Do you believe that you are adopted and now a son or daughter of God? If not, there is some healing work that needs to be done in your soul. I would encourage you to bring it before the Lord. He wants to heal the brokenness inside. Scripture says, " He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. " (Psalm 147:3, NLT) God does not just heal physical wounds, He also heals the brokenness inside that are emotional and mental traumas to us. There is nothing impossible for God!

The Bible tells us to "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8, NLT) The Bible also tells us " Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. " (Philippians 1:28, NLT) It is God's presence with us that sets us apart from the world. Standing in the confidence that He is in us, and that we are children of God, and that we do not face these challenges alone, we can overcome anything that may come at us with God's help! We must put on the full armor of God and stand firm in our identity and in the God that we believe and trust in! He alone is the strong tower that we can run to and find shelter. He alone is the God that we do not have to be ashamed by going to Him. His love for us is more than what we will ever understand this side of heaven.  

I want to encourage us to seek Him and never stop seeking. Jeremiah 29:12-14 (NLT) says, “’In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,’ says the Lord. ‘I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.’” Perhaps you don't feel that you have the abundant life that Jesus died to give. At one point in my own life, I struggled to find this abundant life. But let me tell you my dear brothers and sisters, it isn't anything that you are looking for. It is something that you already have. It's yours, you just have to choose to lay a hold of it. When you have the revelation of the truth of God and it goes from head knowledge- to heart knowledge, everything changes. Situations that once shook you, you remain in peace. The Lord washes you in the water of His word and helps you in every situation. The scripture is fulfilled, "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! " (Isaiah 26:3, NLT) God is merciful, God is gracious, He is loving, and He is just. When I look back on the faithfulness of God and see the love He has lavishly poured out upon me, I am overwhelmed in a good sense. He gives me strength, hope, and peace. I know that everything is going to be okay. My prayer is that you will encounter Him and experience these same things for yourself. May the Lord bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you and give you peace. In Jesus name. Amen.