God Is with You

As we look forward to the coming year, I can’t help but think about you and thank you for the sacrificial seeds of prayer and finances you’re sowing into the worldwide outreaches of Inspiration Ministries.

I also want to encourage you with a word of hope and faith to give you a fresh start, RIGHT NOW, that I pray will make this year YOUR turnaround year.

So often I hear from our Inspiration Partners who are experiencing great challenges in their finances, health, or relationships these days. One partner named Velecia was overwhelmed with fear when her husband died, leaving her a widow at age 50 and deeply in debt. But now the Lord has given her a great job and erased her debt, causing her to testify …

“God is faithful and is working things out!”

You see, the Lord never promised that life would always be easy for His people. “In the world you will have tribulation,” Jesus told us, “but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

As the world’s economic systems shake, we can hold firm to His amazing promise: “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Friend, I hope you are experiencing Jesus’ incredible peace today. Yet perhaps you’re thinking, “David, you have no idea how difficult life is for me right now.” Maybe you’re contending with an illness, the loss of a loved one, a financial setback, or struggles with your children.

Sometimes our lives can get so clouded with problems that we even wonder whether God is there. Does He still care about me? Will He answer my prayers?

These very same questions were asked by many heroes of the faith in the Bible. They faced times of fear … anxiety … discouragement … and doubt. Yet as they continued to seek God in their darkest hour, He proved Himself faithful and intervened in their circumstances with a supernatural turnaround.

Fear Not!

God wants you to know today that He is with you as you encounter the challenges of life:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are
Mine. When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you; and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow you. When you walk
through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you … Fear not,
for I am with you (Isaiah 43:1-5).

In this life, we sometimes must pass through high waters or fiery trials. But there’s good news here. The Bible doesn’t say we have to remain in the trials forever – we’re just passing through!

And no matter how difficult our journey may be, the Lord promises that we are precious to Him, and He will be with us every step of the journey.

 

David discovered this during the many anxious times he faced. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” he said, “I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4). Although he wasn’t going to camp out in the valley, he did have to “walk through” it. But he knew he could count on his Good Shepherd to provide for him and protect him all along the way.

My prayer is that you will get to know the Lord as your Shepherd more intimately in 2022. Yes, Satan is a thief, and he plots against us to steal, kill, and destroy – whether physically, financially, relationally, or spiritually. But Jesus is our faithful Shepherd, and He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). This can be your experience in 2022!

Keep Your Eyes on Him

The Bible teaches that despite the turmoil around us, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Like Peter, we may be called to walk upon stormy seas at times, but we can do the impossible as long as we keep our eyes on the Lord (Matthew 14:25-32).

My dad used to often tell me, “Don’t look to the bigness of your need, but look to the bigness of your God!” You see, if we focus on our problems and the bigness of our needs, the devil will use our circumstances to bring us frustration and defeat. Instead, we need to look to God and remember His faithfulness, even when it’s hard to see signs of it with our natural eyes.

Yes, deep inner peace is possible amid the storms of life. As Isaiah observed, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

Can I promise that 2022 will be an easy year? Certainly not. The storms of life may blow this year … in your life … in your family … in our nation … and in the world.

However, this year you can resolve to build a stronger foundation on Christ’s love and faithfulness. Then when storms hit, you will not collapse but will stand firm in His safety and protection. You’ll be able to say as David did, “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

Make This Your Resolution

People make all kinds of New Year’s resolutions during this time of year, starting an exercise routine … getting out of debt … losing some weight … strengthening relationships. These are all well and good, but there’s another resolution I encourage you to put at the very top of your list:

Resolve that in 2022 you will develop a more intimate relationship with the Lord …

• Enter His presence through praise and worship
• Read His Word
• Devote your life to prayer

These three ingredients will help you gain a firm spiritual foundation … having NOTHING TO FEAR when buffeted by the storms of life (Matthew 7:24-27). I am praying this will be your best year ever!

Your friend and partner,

David Cerullo