God’s promises coming to fruition can be years in the making. Has God given you a specific promise you’ve long awaited? Has your life kept moving along, and it feels like you’re not receiving what was promised to you? Are you struggling to believe the promise is coming?

Life is not always happening to us. When God is in the mix, and we’re surrendered to Him, that’s when life is happening for us. God is up to something, even in the wait. Meditate on the Scriptures below.

“For the word of God will never fail.” Luke 1:37 NLT

“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:45 NLT

Trusting God’s Promises

To trust God and follow Him fully, faith must mark our lives (2 Corinthians 5:7). What does it mean to have faith mark our lives? It looks like

• Intimate knowledge of who God is
• Knowing God’s character
• Realizing who you are in Christ
• Reading, studying, and believing God’s written word
• Taking God at His word
• Daily communion with our Shepherd through the Holy Spirit
• Developing a lifestyle that is willing to die daily to self and being bent and yielded to the Holy Spirit

Allowing faith to mark our lives doesn’t happen haphazardly. We must surrender to God’s will daily. We must realize that God has the intel and will lead and direct us.

Choosing to be an active and willing participant in God’s plan is just that: a choice – even when it doesn’t make sense, even when it’s hard, and even when His promises are years in the making.

Trusting God While Awaiting His Promises

 For years, I have been earnestly talking to the Lord about two relationships I desired more from. As time continued to pass without change, I transitioned to casually speaking to Him. I began to believe the “ok” relationships were what God wanted for me.

Leaning on my own understanding as I looked at the dynamics of the relationships caused me to lose focus on what God had promised me. But I was reminded that these were not casual acquaintances but close family members. God had blessed and ordained these relationships by hand-picking these individuals to be in my life.

There are many people in the Bible to who God gave specific promises – and those promises were not fulfilled overnight. Many of God’s promises took years before they came to fruition and required people to be active, willing participants.

Recently, the Lord placed a thought in my mind about the life of Caleb. The Bible says Caleb had “a different spirit and followed God wholeheartedly.” Because of this, God promised to bring him and his descendants into the promised land to possess it (Numbers 14:24).

Joshua and Caleb were among the twelve spies sent to investigate the promised land after the great exodus from Egypt (Numbers 13 and 14). Caleb and Joshua came back with a good report. Caleb encouraged the Israelites to believe and obey God by possessing the land.

“And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” Numbers 14:8-9 NLT

Standing Firm in Faith as we Wait for God’s Promises

Joshua and Caleb were the only two that stood in faith. Caleb believed God would do what He said He would do.

When we stand in faith, God always stands with us, honoring our faith.

The other ten spies gave a fretful report and shrunk back in fear. They were so scared that they talked about appointing someone else in Moses’ place to take them back to slavery in Egypt (Numbers 14:3-4).

Their unwillingness to move forward in obedience resulted in an entire generation wandering in the wilderness for forty years, loss of life, and no entry into the promised land. Of that generation, only Caleb and Joshua entered the promised land (Numbers 14:22-35).

When we disobey God’s plans for our lives, we may inadvertently cause the promise to take longer to come to fruition. We can unintentionally cause others to be affected by our choices. We may even suffer the consequences of others’ sins like Caleb suffered for forty years. Or, we may lose out on the promise, like the unbelieving Israelites.

Did you notice that the forty years of wandering in the wilderness equaled one year for each of the forty days they spied out the land? The other ten spies “died by the plague before the LORD,” we learn in Numbers 14:36-37.

Taking Possession of God’s Promises

“…Let God be true but every man a liar” – Romans 3:4 NKJV

Caleb was forty years old when he spied out the land (Joshua 14-15). At age eight-five, he was fully able and ready to claim what was promised. Through the difficult journey, Caleb fully trusted God. Caleb asked for and received his land – the land God promised him.

“Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the Lord.” Deuteronomy 1:35-36 NKJV

Looking back at my situation, God spoke, and I finally heard. He showed me my relationships through His lens. God never asked me to control these individuals. He simply wanted me to love them without judgment, reservations, or expectations. God also told me that I needed to ask their forgiveness for not accepting them as they are.

When I obeyed God, I began to experience such joy from these relationships.  Repentance is so freeing and opens you up to receive what God has planned for you. These relationships are now filled with acceptance and joy.

The message God is conveying to me and you is simple: trust God!

Caleb trusted God. What will be your testimony?

Will you hear, believe, and obey God?

“So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.” – Acts of the Apostles 27:25 NLT

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, thank you for being my loving and faithful Father, and thank you for knowing the way that I should take. Please forgive me when I lean on my understanding instead of standing on Your truths.

May I focus on You and not the daily distractions or sins that so easily entangle me. I want to run the race that You have carved out for me, fixing my eyes only on You. I choose You and Your way even through difficulties and hardships, knowing I can trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

About Michele

Michele Featherson is a lover of Jesus Christ, wife to her best friend of 29 years, and mother to two amazing, God-fearing sons. One of her greatest desires is to change the lives of people, both young and old, through sharing God’s Word. She enjoys breaking Biblical principles down so others can understand and apply them to their lives. Michele is the creator of Michminutes, an Instagram page that offers a daily word of inspiration.  She believes that although our lives may be busy, we are never too busy to talk with the Triune God.

To ensure you don’t miss a post, SUBSCRIBE HERE. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or Pinterest.

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“But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:21-23 ESV

God’s Mercies Are New Every Morning

When I was a child, I lived on a relatively busy street in Enugu, Nigeria. I remember waking up on innumerable mornings to the distinct call of a woman hawking akamu on my street. (Akamu, aka pap, is an indigenous creamy pudding made from corn and typically eaten as breakfast.)

“Onye nonso? Onye no?, n’opukwa nu oo!” she would call out in my native language, Igbo. (Who is near? Who is near? She’s about to leave!)

That was her signature alert. Her way of letting her customers know she had arrived each morning.

Reflecting on  Lamentations‬ ‭3:21-23

I read Lamentations‬ ‭3:21-23 recently and gained a fresh perspective on the Scripture. The author of Lamentations (believed to be Jeremiah) penned these words during a period of intense suffering after Judah was captured and desecrated by Babylon. In the midst of calamity, Jeremiah reminded himself that God is inherently merciful. Then, he decided to put his hope and trust in God.

As I reflected on my life, I thanked God for renewing His mercies to me every day. From my birth to my childhood, when my mornings were ushered in by the voice of the lady selling akamu, all the way to this morning when I awoke to the jarring sound of my alarm clock, God has not ceased to shower His mercies upon me.

New mercies Every Morning

“His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” Lamentations 3:22b-23a ESV

“New every morning” does not mean that His mercies get stale and expire.

No! I am never going to run out of His mercies.

It means that as surely as the sun sets in the evening and rises at daybreak, when I open my eyes in the morning, God’s mercies will be there to greet me – like a treasure chest of gifts to unwrap. Every morning is a fresh beginning – a new opportunity to give Him thanks, IRRESPECTIVE of my circumstances or how I may feel.

Isn’t that AWESOME!!

So today, I “call His mercies to mind and therefore I have hope.” I choose to focus on God instead of ongoing challenges and adversities.

I thank God for His

• steadfast love that would never cease on me (See Romans 8:38-39)
• mercies that would never ever come to an end and,
• faithfulness that is so great it reaches the heavens and cannot be measured (See Psalm 36:5).

I am so grateful that God will never fail me.

Do you remember how your mornings sounded when you were a child? How is it different from now?

I invite you to reflect on God’s mercies using the Scriptures below. Give Him thanks today and every single morning once you open your eyes.

Until next time,
Chizobam Idahosa

5 BIBLE VERSES ON GOD’S mercy, Love, and Faithfulness

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:4-5

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:8-9 

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Psalm 36:5

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” Exodus 34:6

 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

 

Image of African women carrying bowls on their heads, similar to the woman who hawked akamu on my street.

 

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Except where indicated, Scriptures are from the ESV.

© 2021. God’s Mercies Are New Every Morning. Chizobam Idahosa @Beautiful in Jesus Ministry.

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Victory Verses

The early believers faced tremendous persecution and trials, yet the Epistles (letters to the believers) were all written from a position of victory, not defeat.

Christ purchased our freedom by his death and resurrection. God gave him victory on our behalf and empowered us to live as overcomers through the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells permanently in us. Jesus promised to be with us ALWAYS. (Matthew 28:20) 

Therefore, we approach life as those who already have victory in Christ Jesus. We do not function as those who faint from fear, anxiety, or despair.

I have been building my faith with a selection of verses from the Word of God.

My oldest daughter created a beautiful PDF of my favorite victory verses. Please, grab your free copy by either clicking the link or image below.
                                                      

                                                             Download your FREE Printable copy

“Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭20:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Related Post:

• 31 Bible Verses on Overcoming Adversity

Except indicated, all Scriptures are from the New International Version (NIV).

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© 2020. Chizobam Idahosa @Beautiful in Jesus.

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Overcoming Adversity

As long as we live on this planet, we will surely face adversity. However, the Bible makes it crystal clear that as God’s children, we are overcomers through the finished work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

To overcome adversity means that we yield fully to God, giving Him control over our circumstances so that they do not stop us, drown us, or slow down the calling God Himself has placed on our lives.

My last post was based on Apostle Paul’s instruction in Romans 12:12 to be “joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.” If you missed that post, I strongly encourage you to read it here.

The purpose of this post is to list my favorite anchor Scriptures and make them readily accessible to you and me. I hope that as we meditate and renew our minds with the truth of God’s Word, we will surely overcome every adversity in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN!!

Do you have additional Bible verses that anchor your soul to the Lord during times of adversity? Please, feel free to share them in the comment section.

You are blessed!!

Victory Promises

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20

 

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

 

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

God’s Promises of Comfort, Strength, Guidance and Protection

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

 

But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Psalm 3:3

 

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

 

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

 

“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” Isaiah 49:16

 

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

 

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2

 

“…So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

 

“…For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

 

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

 

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. Psalm 31:7-8

 

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7

 

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26

 

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

 

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15

 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

 

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10

 

Developing Perseverance and Character

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4

 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

Our Attitude During Trials

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. Philippians 2:14-16

 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Keeping a Heavenly Focus

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

 

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

 

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuinenessof your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.1 Peter 1:6-7

 

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

In Conclusion

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through him who loved us. Romans 8:35-37

 

Except where indicated, Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV.

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Chizobam.

God watches over you! Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing. But this doesn’t mean He’s this weird stalker dude documenting your every move. It also doesn’t mean He’s a snobby adult waiting for you to do something wrong. Instead, He’s watching you to protect you because He loves you dearly.

Psalm 121:3 says “He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber.” God will not rest to ensure your safety. Even if it is as simple as preventing you from slipping on a banana peel. So be assured that if you’re ever in trouble, God will help you and deliver you.

Psalm 121:7 says: “The LORD will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life.” God loves you and will command His angels to protect you in everything you do (Psalm 91:11). This doesn’t mean you should jump off a cliff to see if God will really protect you. If you do, God won’t help you for Luke 4:12 says: “Do not test the Lord your God.”

So, remember this: God is always willing to protect you; no matter how small or how big the situation is. But, if you try to test God to see if He will really protect you, He won’t. If you keep this in mind, you are going to have a very scrumptious, stress-free life under God’s protective hand.

AMEN!

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Except where indicated, Scriptures are taken from the NIV.

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