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 Written by Bill Rudge for “Bill Rudge Ministries” @  https://billrudgeministries.wordpress.com/

  Original post @ https://billrudgeministries.wordpress.com/2023/11/24/the-safest-place-to-be/

The Safest Place to Be

NOVEMBER 24, 2023~ BRM7

Bill Rudge

Afraid?

Some people say to me, “Aren’t you afraid when you travel, thinking about the car wrecks, train derailments, plane crashes, bombs, terrorists, hijackings, riots, threats of war, disease, and the other dangers you have faced?” I answer, “No. The reason I go and risk my life is because I believe the safest place to be is in God’s will.” Before I go on any missionary outreach, I pray and fast for the Lord’s direction. No matter what happens, I have the assurance that God has it all in control.

As Psalm 138:7 states:

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes, with Your right hand You save me.

Indeed, it seems I often face hardships and difficulties, but the Lord has delivered me from them all and has brought victory. The Lord has given me the assurance that my life will not be taken until His purpose is fulfilled. If His purpose for my life is fulfilled before He returns, then I can also trust Him to give me the grace to face death.

Look to God

If Noah had gone by circumstances, he would have never built the ark. If Moses had gone by circumstances, he would have never crossed the Red Sea. If David had gone by circumstances, he would have never faced Goliath. If Elijah had gone by circumstances, he would not have taken on the prophets of Baal. If Daniel had gone by circumstances, he would have denied the Lord, and thereby escaped the lions’ den. However, throughout God’s Word, believers have refused to allow adverse circumstances and the enemy to back them down in fear and defeat. They stood in faith and trust, enabled by God to be victorious—some through great exploits; others by being faithful even unto death (Hebrews 11).

In molding and bringing His children to maturity and faith, God uses different circumstances for different people. For example, to temper and develop Joseph’s character, God used terrible experiences: betrayed, thrown into a pit by his jealous brothers, then sold into slavery and wrongfully imprisoned. With Moses, God used 40 years in Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness to develop his leadership skills.

Evaluation Time

I tell someone going through times of discouragement or defeat that the first thing I do is to evaluate my walk with the Lord. Realizing that God honors those who honor Him, it is wise to first make certain there is no contributing sin or disobedience that is resulting in this defeat.

That not being the case, I would then seek the Lord to determine whether my involvement is cooperating with His will for my life. The commitment of my time and energy may be for a good cause, but it may not be the purpose and priority He has for my life. The result? Frustration and wasted potential.

Perhaps you are amid spiritual warfare and must stand strong in faith using the “full armor” of God. Or, it could be that God is using difficult circumstances to develop your character and mold and make you into what He wants and is using you as a testimony to others who are facing similar difficulties. If so, then…

Persevere in Faith

God’s work is accomplished by those who do not give up when obstacles and difficulties arise, but who endure the “pit” and “wilderness” experiences set before them. There is often one major difference between the person God uses and the one God doesn’t use. While both may greatly desire to be used, the one who gives up easily when obstacles and difficulties arise never seems to be effectively used by God. In contrast, the one who endures and goes through the fire is the one God eventually, and greatly, uses for His glory.

Let me explain it another way. It’s like the Lord saying, “I want you to follow Me.” You look ahead and see a beautiful meadow. So you say, “Oh, Lord, I will follow You anywhere!” However, as you follow the Lord, the terrain changes. You didn’t see that intervening deep, dark valley, a barren wilderness, or a high, steep mountain. You may stop and exclaim, “Wait a minute, Lord. It is too hard. I didn’t expect this. This is as far as I go!”

If only you had continued through that deep, dark valley, or across that barren wilderness or up that steep mountain, you could have seen the other side; you would have come to lush, green grass, cool and crystal-clear water, and the fulfillment of God’s promise and blessing.

POSTED IN BLOG, VICTORIOUS LIVING,BLESSING,DIFFICULTIES,DISCOURAGEMENT,GODHARDSHIPS,LORD,MOSES,NOAH,TROUBLE,VICTORY

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To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

You say you are a “born again” believer…  BUT is your soul “ON FIRE” for the Lord ??  If not, open this link – https://godsmanforever.com/2020/08/01/are-you-a-christian-in-gods-eyes-and-on-fire-for-the-lord-or-not/