Life is a bowl full of broken dreams, immeasurable joy, pregnant hope and a look through a telescope into a vast universe full of endless possibilities reflected through the lens of God’s Grace. In Christ we have the assurance of a life filled with hope and promise yet because of fear and uncertainty we many times walk through life as if we are not sure that the ice is not thick enough to support our weight.
God wants to take all the happiness, joy and peace of heaven along with all the disasters, messes, pain, and heartache that you have endured and forge them together, blending them into a story of grace fulfilling His purpose in your life.
Acts 17:28 tells us that in our Lord we live and move and exist. He is our purpose, He is our being. In Christ there is a divine purpose for which we were born. When crisis strikes in our lives, He covers us and shelters us, providing us comfort to withstand it all by His grace. In our every moment of joy or hardship, He is there.
In Malachi 3:6, God says, “For I am the Lord, I change not.” Changes occur in life and affect us all. We must thank the Lord and count our blessings, whether the changes are good or bad. When we find that we are broken, stresses out, hurt or in pain is the time to cast our cares upon the Lord. When everything is falling apart, we must call on Him for strength. When we lean on Him, we can endure anything and trust that the difficulties will pave a way for renewed success. God tells us to cast our fears upon Him and trust in Him to direct our path. He is our constant Rock and Eternal Anchor – He never changes.
Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. This beautiful piece of His Word is more real today than any other time in history. Compared to a thousand years ago, the current world is filled with many more troubled circumstances. Be certain that the glory of God will be revealed in our lives when stressful events occur. Do you often wonder how you will face difficulties that come your way? Problems with finances, family, relationships, health, work, and your livelihood cover our lives like a blanket. Our character and foundation of faith are tested when life pulls the rug out from under us. When our entire world is shaken, our ability to recover is impossible unless we rely on the Lord for strength. When we know we don’t have to face it alone, it makes all the difference. Knowing that He is there helps us survive another day.
Psalm 28:7: The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
God is always there, always faithful, and always right. Remember to “fasten your seat-belts”, because life is going to get bumpy, full of turbulence. We have to strap ourselves into His word and trust in His faithfulness. No matter your situation, God will perform miracles in your life. So when tragedy knocks at your door, remember to stay focused, placing your faith in God. When we trust in Him, all is well.
As we journey through life, we will get beaten up- we will get hurt and bruised along the way. Scarred memories mark our journey like markers on a highway. There are times of joy and bliss that we savor, but sometimes it seems that they get lost in our journey. We all wonder what tomorrow will bring; a better life; a better situation; a more prosperous job; or a happy marriage. It is in God that we can find the hope for our future. If we put our hope in God, there will be no surprising ending in our lives.
God knows what His will is for our lives, he has declared it, and it is set in stone. God says to you, “I know what I have the plans I have for you. Gods says, I have success for you, I will make a way for you, I have a job for you, I made you, I formed you, I breathed life into you and I have redeemed you. I promise you that God has a plan for you. We have a hunger pang inside of us to have a happy life. God has the plan to make that happen in our lives.
Trust Jesus to tame the violent storms in your life, releasing heartache and procuring healing as He blends them all together becoming the missing puzzle piece in your journey completing the picture of grace that He intends for your life.
Jeremiah 29:11-13: “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 hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
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- GRACE: Race of The Last Chance (mfmdelaware.wordpress.com)
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Categories: Bible, Bible Verses and Scriptures, Christ, Christianity, Comfort, FAITH, future, God, God's Love, Grace, Hope, Jesus, Love, Renewed Strength, Restoration, Troubles
Darrell Creswell - A Study of Christian Grace 
This is a very timely post since I recently spent time explaining this scripture reference to someone else. I just shared this with them. God Bless!
God bless you too Mary – A wonderful verse for turbulent times indeed. May you paths be blessed – Darrell
Thank you for this post, this so resonates with my post today. God has reaffirmed what he spoke to me through you! Awesome!
Thank you Stephen- I enjoyed your post God of all Seasons at http://10seventeen.wordpress.com/.Awesome indeed -Blessings Darrell
I will be sharing this with many. Great post, Darrell! Very comforting, and uplifting.
Thank you Sarah – I read about Prayers for Matt at http://mrsmendiola.wordpress.com/ and will keep him in my prayers – Thank for sharing here and spreading his word- In Christ Darrell
Thanks so much, I really appreciate it very much!
🙂
Thank you so much for tagging my blog so that I was able to find yours…Blessings to you…I will be following.
I enjoyed REFLECTIONS…What do you see? at http://secretangelps911.wordpress.com/ – I will be following you too – Thank you Jesus for divine connections – In Christ Darrell
That is exactly how I have felt the last 2 weeks..Divine Connections. God lead me to start this blog last month while my book about abuse is being published to reach out to more abuse victims. You may enjoy RESCUED!..http://secretangelps911.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/rescued-when-i-did-not-even-know-that-i-needed-it/ or The Great Commission… http://secretangelps911.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/the-great-commission/.. I have felt God mobilizing an army to fight for victims and against the abuses in this world. Please let me know what you think about my blog entries and thank you so much for following my blog as I just embark on the journey as GOD leads.
Thanks and God bless you….
Divine Connections \o/ Amen 🙂 Will check them out
Thanks and thanks for being my new found brother in Christ…
🙂
“…For I know the plans I have for you…”
As a young Christian, I knew this scripture was true, but it took quite a few years for me to actually trust God enough to really rest in its truth. Thanks.
It took me a long time for me too Larry – It is amazing that I am still learning to trust Him more every day – 🙂 Blessings Darrell …..PS I have been enjoying your writing at http://larrywho.com/ – you bring the human element to grace and I love it – In Christ Darrell
Thank you Darrell I needed those words today. They gave me a calmness my spirit. I am so glad that I have all that what the Father have given me in Him and more. I can not make it through the trails and storms on my own but knowing that I have a shield to protect me and give me His all. We may have battle wounds but there is a hand from Heaven that can seal all wounds of the world.
He is a salve for the wounds that sin has put upon our lives – Blessed be His name – Thanks Sandra for stopping by – Blessings Darrell
AMEN!! 🙂
Thank you Michael “Ozzie” Osborn 🙂 – I read your page at http://michaelosborn.wordpress.com/ and pray that God opens doors in your life – May you be blessed – In Christ Darrell
Thank You, Darrell, for the encouragement! 🙂
Thank you Michael for stopping by, good to see you again – 🙂 Darrell
You are my favorite blessing, D~!
xoxo
I love you!
Gracie
You are mine too – Thank you Baby – the world’s most incredible wife – Love you D
\O/
\o/ 🙂
Thanks for this very inspirational post!
Thank you – I visited your blog at http://twclark66.wordpress.com/ – Very unique 🙂 Blessings Darrell
Reblogged this on Why Stay The Same When We Can Grow! and commented:
Too good not to share with all of you! If you don’t already follow Darrell, I suggest you start today!
Uplifting message thanks Darrell. Blessings to you and Gracie!
Thank you Belinda -Love seeing you stop by- Blessings in Christ Darrell
THANKS!!!!! 🙂
(for a much-needed reminder)
\o/
Blessings Darrell
Your post is SO timely for me…I will be reading this over regularly….VERY encouraging : ) God bless you Darrell.
Reblogged this on The Christian Gazette.
What a wonderful reality Darrell …..Be certain that the glory of God will be revealed in our lives when stressful events occur.
Thank you so much for your message, I felt my Spirit soar as I read it and I was indeed praising our God of wonder, our God of Eternal Hope with all my heart.
Yesterday my Mobility Scooter after the brakes failed took off and ploughed into a tree, bruised and in much pain again with this being 3 times in a month that I have been hurt seriously from falls and also what was worse emotionally, when someone abused me recently in the worst way possible, they claimed God deliberately hurt me to show He is not close to me or there for me. But how amazing that our Awesome God tells us …. come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. God will listen to us, it takes my breath away to know it’s True, so I talked to my Abba Father and this is what He said in my heart…..
Would I ever tell my Children who I Love greatly that I’m not there for them or that I afflict them willingly to show that I’m not or to force them to submit to my will, they may push me away through there sin and indifference but I do NOT ever do this, He gave me His Truth below to hold onto when my life fell apart and I have shared it often and so have you Darrell many times and in many ways in your heart warming messages and graphics … Thank you our dear Brother in The Lord.
Lamentations 3: 33 For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
Isaiah 43:1-3 – Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.”
Jeremiah 29 :11-12 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Christian Love from both of us – Anne.
I love it – great stuff Anne. God never purposely hurts us, but then I know that you know that. Be careful those trees hurt 🙂 Thanks for sharing, it always blesses me – In Christ Darrell
Reblogged this on Loopyloo's.
The Jeremiah 29 passage is taken completely out of context. It is most often used in the context of urging the Christian in the belief that God desires health, wealth, and happiness for the believer. That God’s plan involves only good things for your life, and any mishap or tragedy is not part of God’s plan. It is easy to see how it is misapplied by Christians in times of trials. Many times it is offered as “something the Spirit is giving me for you”.
The problem is this promise is given to a specific group of people, the elders of Jerusalem exiled by God to Babylon. Verse 4 states clearly, ”thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon” (emphasis added). Jeremiah is informing the elders to not worry, build houses and start families (vv 5,6); make the best of it, look out for the welfare of your city (v 7); you’re going to be there for a few generations, 70 years (v 10). They are being warned of false prophets who will be telling them of dreams, visions and prophesies, all of which God has not given them (vv 8, 9). I am speculating here, but I believe the false prophesies are that God will not come to their rescue, that they have been forever delivered into their captor’s hand. I infer this from the passage in question, verse 11, essentially God is saying: ’don’t lose hope, it seems bad now, but I (God) will redeem you from your captors, you won’t be here forever, it’s going to get better when you pray to Me and seek for Me. I’ll Give you back you land and restore your money (vv 12-14)’. Further confirmation this passage is not for us, the prophet Daniel claims the fulfillment of this prophesy for himself and his generation in Daniel 9:2-4.
I will let you share your opinion John, but I disagree with your (theory) as I know that God’s promises apply to all those who believe. I am of the opinion that this scripture definitely applies to all God’s children, both then then and now. By His grace God shares examples of His steadfast deliverance and assurance of hope in His word that we as believers can take hold of, so that are able to call on these promises in an hour of need. My God is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow and every promise in His word applies to me, is for me and available to me. If you can show me otherwise scripturally that His promises are good for that day only and expire in 24 hours or must redeem promises by next Tuesday, or must be the elders of Jerusalem exiled by God to Babylon then I will consider it. The promises of God never change and are available to ALL that believe – I believe that God’s plan involves only good things for our life, however mishap or tragedy is sometimes part of life and God’s plan enables us to withstand and persevere understanding that as His ways are not our ways and in all things we must trust Him. Our life here is but a cloud that passes quickly and sometimes we will suffer, but in Christ we have solace for our sorrows. – I’m just saying – In Christ, humbly Darrell
Well said Darrell and it’s Truth, let’s not forget that God said that He inspired all the Scriptures and they are all useful for teaching etc (see below) not just parts or was this just meant for Timothy and if we were to believe this person’s error, what of the Parables, are they past their use by date too. From Genesis the Bibles foundation to Revelation, God’s Truth in them is for all of us in our Generation as it was for all Generations.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Also used up words can’t impact a persons heart like yours did mine Darrell and I’m sure others too and so bring deep inner Joy, I have not stopped praising God since reading your words of encouragement and Hope, He healed the hurt of the abuse as I read them, only the Spirit can do this and He is very much alive now and so is your message.
But the ending on your reply to John has grieved me Darrell, if you say you believe the Scriptures do you not believe the ones I shared with you, or the ones you shared, or your own words ? were they only meant for the time they were written? is God’s Love and good plans for us shakable ?
Blessings – Anne
Anne, God’s plans are always for our good and we are the recipients of all His blessings. Life is sometimes filled with sorrow and tragedy and as believers we must be reminded that even when things are at their worst we are still in the arms of a loving God who has our best interests at heart. Reading over my comment(and I will reword the last sentence) I did not mean to imply that God plans tragedy or suffering to come upon us but enables us to persevere and withstand as trials and tribulations beset us enabling us to strive toward the finish line in His plan for us as we will be here but a short time and the things that befall us here are but a bump in the road that leads to Heaven. He know what we will face be it good or bad and is always there to see us through. Thanks for sharing – In Christ Darrell
Thank you Darrell for clarifying your statement, when I need to understand anything in Scripture, I don’t go to mankind regardless of their training or learning, Titles or popularity, I go to God and having asked for and having received His wisdom, Jesus leads me in understanding His Truth.
But I do commend both Men and Women who share and stand up for God’s Truth and since I have been following you I have been greatly blessed by your insight and messages and your good Character shown by your words and actions in reference to your Blog, I don’t know you personally. I also don’t know if you have been to Bible Collage, or are popular in America and it was only recently that I realised you had a large following on Facebook but what I do know is you Love The Lord and know His heart and Ron agreed after reading your message, yes like me Ron is still learning but we can recognize God’s Truth.
Christian Love from both of us – Anne
Thank you Anne – 🙂 Blessings and Love returned Darrell
Reblogged this on Freedomborn … Set Free Eternally and commented:
I know you will all be very blessed by Darrell’s heart-warming message and as we can see by the Scripture on his graphic, God’s plans for us are not to harm us, they are not evil, He does not willingly allow us to suffer or plan so that we will, Life happens but He is always with us as we go through it and keeps us strong.
Lamentations 3: 33 For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
My Mobility Scooter brakes failed and it ploughed into a Tree, I was knocked off and hurt, this was my third accident in a month and once again I was injured but what hurt more was a man in a group I was attending told me that God was showing me I was not under His covering , my spirit was very low even though I knew he was very wrong and God spoke to my heart later and confirmed this 100% and it is also confirmed in Scripture, still at the time I felt deep hurt, I had believed the group would be a blessing but it was far from it. When I read Darrel’s message my spirit soared again and I had great inner Joy. I’m sure you too will be uplifted by his encouraging message……. Thank you Darrell, may God continue to bless you and Gracie greatly……..
Christian Love from both of us – Anne
Why isnt anyone claiming Jeremiah 29:17-18 as God’s promise?
Hosea tells us that God says my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all scripture(includes Jeremiah) is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. The teaching of the promises in His word that God gives to us is for all. What God promises to one He will deliver to another upon that promise according to His word. We must believe and envision it – Proverbs 29:18 says Where there is no vision, the people perish: – The good thing John is that you and I have opinions, the better thing however is that God’s Word is above man’s opinions -Thanks for sharing Darrell
Hi John , if Darrell doesn’t mind my replying to you and He is the Authority on his Blog then I will seek to respond to your question that you asked me and I received in my Inbox. I agree with Darrell, as he rightly said, many walk in darkness and so have no understanding of God’s Truth, they do not have Jesus’ light, they have never asked or received His wisdom, some because they are so sure like the Pharisees they don’t need it because of their worldly training or they doubt when they do and some like I was, because I was never taught to and we were not born with it. Jesus tells us we don’t have because we don’t ask or believe we have received, it’s the same with The Holy Spirit, yes He works in our lives like He did the Old Testament Saints but He does not indwell us, until we come to True heart repentance and so ask and God tells us we will receive when we do and He keeps His promises.
God tells us very clearly many, many times in Scripture that He does not do evil and deliberately hurting or afflicting someone is evil, or willingly allowing them to be, makes us accessaries by our law. God’s plans for us are good, He tells us there good and not evil and they are not to harm us, understanding the Scriptures is more then just reading the written words or knowing the History of the Bible, it’s all about knowing the heart of God.1Corinthians2:9-16
When God tells us, He will bring disaster to those who sin, He is saying they will reap what they sow, He created us this way both for good rewards, or for punishment because of us doing evil deeds, this is so we will come to our senses and repent and seek to do good by The Spirits empowering.
When we are God’s children because we Love Him we obey Him willingly, then as Darrell said we will be strengthened, uplifted and greatly blessed by Him regardless of the tribulation, suffering and hardship we encounter in Life and Jesus said we would even be Martyred before His return and we will be hated like He was except by those who know and live His Truth or those seeking Him. We are to die to ourselves and carry His cross which is sacrificially and it’s all about His Love not our fleshy love, we must put our worldly flesh to death so we can be perfected in Love, Paul told us to aim for this, good and evil cannot co-exist, we can’t choose evil and be filled with the Holy Spirit and also have God’s seed or Nature 1John3:9 and The mind of Christ.
Also we cannot Love and Trust God with all our being if we think He is going to hurt us even if we sugar-coat it, or will we really believe that He will help us when we think it was Him who hurt us or willingly allowed it in the first place, this is what we see in Job, he was willing to accept everything was from God but we know now who hurt him and why, we remember Job did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so God had to reassure Him after his friends caused him to doubt .
When we ask God to keep us from hard testing, we are asking Him to help us by the empowering of The Holy Spirit as we choose His will to walk faithfully with Him in Love and obedience until we are perfected in Love, when we will always do so, as Paul did and other early Christians who were perfected.
Christian Love from both of us – Anne
P.S My reply to John is a bit long Darrell, I will except your decision on posting it or not
That was an uplifting message Darrell ,for it is truly showing the heart of God . His plans for us as Jeremiah says are all resounding with hope, there is no negativity there. God is the Author of Hope, and as you say ,He is an unchangeable God, so His promises never fail so when trouble or unhappiness beset us , He is never the instigator of this , but is there with his love to surround us.
Blessings
Ron
Amen Ron God always wishes the best for His children, His blessings surround us in a cocoon of grace – In Christ Darrell
I have wanted to tithe for a long time but always found excuses for not doing so. When my job took a significant reversal, now the amount that is given is actually a tithe and that is a blessing. God is using this circumstance to teach me and as blessings increase the fear and other excuses I used to use will no longer exist. Blessings to you in your on line ministry
Thank you for the blessings brother, may the riches of His love engulf you – In Christ Darrell
Encouraging!!!
\o/ Thanks Blessings Darrell
God ‘s plans are indeed bigger and more than the dreams we make in this lifetime. God bless you and your family.
Thank you, I enjoyed seeing life and happiness in words and pictures at http://thismansjourney.net/. Thanks for sharing hope to see you here again, In Christ Darrell
Without Christ there is no hope in the afterlife (Acts 4:10-12). I don’t understand how anybody can sincerely read and study the Bible without being convinced that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Who came into the world to save sinners (John 20:31). John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” I believe, why don’t you join me if you haven’t until now? Make Heaven your eternal destination, resting upon the promise of God for your salvation. Why trust the speculations of unsaved men, when you can claim the faithful PROMISE of God (Titus 1:2)?
Amen Lavern – Thanks for sharing – Blessings Darrell
Darrell – was just checking out your page when this post caught my eye. So much of the reason I have a stronger relationship with Jesus (and still working on it as you saw in my post “a flower quickly fading”) is because He has allowed me to see that through my struggles He is there and He is bringing me to something greater. I really enjoyed visiting your page and will make sure I do so often! I hope you enjoy following up on my journey and giving me any helpful feedback where needed! 🙂 God Bless!
Thank you – I enjoyed your page also, I read a flower quickly fading at http://bestmeforward.wordpress.com/. I pray your journey blesses many – In Christ Darrell
Thank you for your prayers, I hope they go straight to God’s ear 🙂 I look forward to reading more and applying to my project!
THE BIBLE IS THE SOURCE FOR TRUTH!
If you are searching for the truth about God and His plan for mankind, where should you look? What is the only trustworthy source to find God’s truth? Would it be creed books, Bible commentaries and a variety of other written works of men?
THE HOLY BIBLE IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF ABSOLUTE TRUTH!
Jeremiah 30:1-2 This word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord, saying, the God of Israel, ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book.
The Lord did not tell Jeremiah to check with Billy Graham, Joesph Smith Jr., Gandhi or Saint Augustine and write down their words.
Exodus 24:3-4 Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” 4 Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord…….
Moses did not write down everything that John Wesley, Brigham Young, and Buddha had said.
Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God!”
Jesus said live by every word that comes from God. He did say say live by every word that comes from Pope Benedict XVI, Martin Luther, and Jerry Falwell.
Luke 10:25-26 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying. “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?”
Jesus did not answer the lawyer by asking him “how does what is written by Robert Schuller, Mother Teresa and Benny Hin read to you?”
Acts 17:2-3 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”
The apostle Paul did not reason from the writings of Max Lucado, Pope John Paul II and John Calvin.
John 20:30-31 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
The writings of John McAthur, Jack Van Impe, Bill Hybels and Charles Swindoll were not written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ.
2 Peter 3:15-16 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures…
Peter said Paul’s letters were by wisdom from God. Paul’s letters were Scriptures.
Where does Peter say creed books, catechisms, Bible commentaries, books about the Bible, and other writings of men are Scriptures?
THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY TRUSTWORTHY SOURCE FOR GOD’S TRUTH!
(All Scripture quotes from: NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY CHRISTIAN BLOG. http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com
Thanks Steve – Blessings Darrell
All Glory to God!
Thank you so much Mr. Darrell for sharing your wonderful posts. It’s really a great pleasure to be an instrument in sharing the Good News. I truly believed that the Word of God will never return void and I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe. God bless your heart Sir.