2 Corinthians 4:14 (NLT) We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.

We know.  When we accepted Christ Jesus into our hearts the Holy Spirit was released to remind us that the same resurrection power of Jesus resides in each of us.  We know.  We have a hope that we didn’t use to have.  We have a wonderful future in store for us ahead.  We know.  As we enter into this Easter season – we know.  The same power that lifted Christ is the same power that has been released into our lives.  We can rest assured and be blessed today because We know.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 (NLT) ^1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. ⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. ⁵ For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. ⁶ Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. ⁷ We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. ⁸ We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. ⁹ In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. ¹¹ And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

No one is exempt from trials.  Everyone has their share of difficulties as they walk through life.  I was pondering over this verse this morning and thought how I’ve changed in my thinking over the years.  I remember at one time thinking that I didn’t have very many trials and couldn’t figure out what the big deal was with some people in regards to their trials.  How very wrong I was.  I also remember the advice my father gave me just before I entered my first pastorate.   He said, “Bill, God won’t allow you to cut any corners just because you’re a pastor’s kid.  You will have to go around every corner and wont’ be allowed to make take any shortcuts.”  I thought my dad was nuts.  I thought of myself as the “golden child” who was going out to win the world for Jesus.  “Watch out Billy Graham, here I come.”  Again… how wrong I was.  I used to be cocky, confident and very full of myself.  God had to break me over and over again.  I was like the little lamb with whom the shepherd had to finally break his leg in order to keep him from going off and doing his own thing. I’ve had to take every corner in life in a hard way and have had to deal with much sorrow.  I stand before God today not as some confident person but as a man that has experienced the sovereignty and mercy of God.  I know that I can’t do anything unless I have God’s power in my life.  God has allowed me to experience sorrow and difficulty so that I would depend on Him and not myself.  It is true that I have brokenness in my life, but I’ve been put back together again with God’s Holy Spirit.  I don’t take the grace of God lightly.  I know that with what God has given me – I now need to give it to others.  I know that I’m a blessed man.

Psalms 42:1-11 (NLT) ^42:1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. ² I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? ³ Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?” ⁴ My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! ⁵ Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and ⁶ my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. ⁷ I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. ⁸ But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. ⁹ “O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?” ¹⁰ Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?” ¹¹ Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

Sometimes… life just doesn’t make sense.  You are going along just great and then something happens to shatters your world.  You feel as if you’re the only person going through that difficulty and that no one else understands.  Even God seems to be distant and far away.  David felt like this.  He had questions about life and about God.  He had to dig deep into his belief systems and values about what he had been taught about God in the past.  He reminded himself that God hadn’t left him and that God was not going to leave him or abandon him.  He put what little hope he had into God and His ability to put things back into place.  He knew that although He didn’t see the answers – God would not fail him.  He knew that God would be victorious and that he would give praise to God.  Its at time like these that we all need to stay God-centered and place our hope and our focus on who God is and what He’s doing in our lives.  God will take care of His kids!

Psalms 52:8-9 (NLT) 52:8 But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love. 9 I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.

This is a Psalm of victory. Other trees had been cut to the ground but this tree is still standing. It’s still growing and it’s still thriving. As Christians we should be like this tree – totally trusting in God for what He’s done and what’s He’s doing in our lives. We don’t always see the whys and the hows but we need to know that God is working on our behalf and making us strong to withstand the enemy that would try to destroy our souls. Like the Olive tree we should constantly growing and constantly thriving in the house of the Lord. God’s goodness should be heard on our lips and His goodness should be seen in our lives. “I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT) 13:4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

If there’s anything that God has ingrained into my life – it is the concept of love. I know that if I’m less then perfect in other areas of my life – I need to do extremely well in this area. I need to be at the top of my game in my love toward God, my family, my church and yes – others. It’s not always easy as there are some people who make it very difficult to love but I get to practice forgiveness over and over and God gives me the strength to do that. I am blessed when people give me compliments about my sermon or the church, etc. But I am most gratified when someone tells me “thank you for loving me.” I pray that at the end of my life my God will be able to say, “You loved well.”

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NLT) 10:12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

It saddens me to see so many caught up in the sin of temptation. The lure of temptation absolutely destroys people. I have a lot of people who come into my office with “regrets” about their life decisions. It’s interesting that most people know of the consequences of their sin but do it anyway. They then spend the rest of their life trying to ‘undo’ those moments of bad decision. We are warned here – that if we think we are strong in regards to temptation – that we be careful that we don’t fall. Temptation can affect the weak or the strong. We must be so careful to do what God wants us to do.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT) 9:24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

As a kid our house was backed up against a mountain. Whereas some kids had a small yard to play in – we had the whole mountain. It was interesting, during the spring of every year – the local High School track team would bring the team in the afternoons to practice running up and down the mountain. My brother and myself, although smaller and younger would run with them for the fun of it. What really struck me though was what they did in training every day – they would tie weights on their ankles to give them more resistance in running, the idea being that this discipline would enable them to run faster when competing against other schools.
This passage teaches us about the disciplines of the Christian life. We are to be like an athlete in training every day for the sake of Christ. There are too many people being disqualified out there in the Christian race. As an athlete trains and disciplines his body, we must do the same thing spiritually. It is too easy to become lax about these disciplines and later find out that we are not fit for the race. We must train in order to win. We must keep the prize and goal in mind and not give up because of the obstacles that come our way. The reward is a great reward to those who continue in the race on a daily basis.

Joshua 14:6-8 (NLT) 14:6 A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the LORD said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the LORD, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, 8 but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God.

Caleb was around 80 years young when this event took place. He wasn’t going to get boxed into a corner by anyone who said that he was too old. His attitude was – “I am still strong and I can still take this mountain.” He also stated “for my part, I wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God.” For Caleb – getting old was not an excuse. He knew what God had called him to and he stuck to it. He was focused on the goal. Think about what will be said about you in your later years. Will people look at you with disdain or pity? Will people applaud you for living a faithful life? Caleb lived his life with no regrets. He knew God’s calling on his life and lived life to the full. It is a lesson for all of us!

Psalms 37:7 (NLT) Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.

One of the most difficult things in my life is being still – especially my mind. I might be able to be still physically but my mind is constantly going. It never stops. I am always processing things over and over. But to look at this verse without the context of the previous verses is a crime.

Psalms 37:3-5 (NLT) 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

To be honest, in myself I can’t be still and I won’t find peace. God is there for me and with me to help me be at peace – to help me be still. I just need to trust in the Lord – take delight in Him – commit everything to Him AND HE WILL HELP ME. It is only at that point that I can be still.

Psalms 40:1-3 (NKJV) 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. 2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. 3 He has put a new song in my mouth– Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.

Every time I read this passage I am reminded again of what my God has done for me. He allowed me to go through a season of extreme darkness. Life closed in around me and I wasn’t able to any light at the end of the tunnel. Friends evaporated and it took every breath just to move forward. All I had was God. I cried out to Him every day and night. My pillow was often soaked from the tears that fell from my face. But… as the Psalmist says, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of the horrible pit…” I am so glad and thankful for His mercy. God has brought me into a new season and I give Praise to Him today. I pray that my life will be a testimony to others of the faithfulness of God. I want to meet my later years reaching out and helping those with no hope and remind them that I once was like them BUT GOD came through then and He can come through now.