CERTAINTY WITH GOD

Matthew 2:23 NLT So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Life can be very unsettling sometimes but as I read how Joseph was contacted by angels in dreams every time God wanted to warn him to move on because Jesus’ life was threatened, I realised afresh how unsettled Joseph and Mary’s early married life was. 

Upheaval, moving house, new country, no job, no home, new start again, but Joseph knew to obey what God said!

Everything God does is for a reason and we probably won’t know the whys and wherefores this side of heaven but we can trust His instructions even if we feel unsettled or uncertain about what the future holds. We need to remember God always knows best, always knows what He’s doing, and He knows the end from the beginning!😊

So be encouraged, no matter how uncertain your future may be looking, God has promised to lead and guide each one of us along the path which is a walk of faith, which means stepping out into our unknown, but into God’s known.

Psalm 23 says the Lord is our Shepherd and that He leads us. The question is, are we willing to follow where He leads, or are we stuck in our comfort zone? He may be leading us into new areas of ministry, new relationships, new careers or new places to live. 

Circumstances may be uncertain, and our ‘feelings’ are bound to fluctuate, but God wants us to know there is no uncertainty for those who are led by His Spirit. When God is doing the leading, we can be certain He will bring us all safely through, so the important thing is to trust and obey, even when it might not make sense.😊

God has a good plan for 2026 and beyond, so let’s just be like Joseph and Mary and do whatever God says and follow His lead. Amen. 😊

Photo: Josh Hild on Unsplash

GOD CONTAINERS

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Containers come in all shapes and sizes. They hold different things, have different capacities, some are pretty, some are plain, some are for practical use and some purely decorative.

I was given a plain rectangular vase some time ago which I unfortunately chipped, but I liked it’s shape and didn’t want to throw it away so I decoupaged a napkin pattern over the chipped edges and liked it even better than before! My point is, even broken containers can still be wonderfully used.😊 

Now if we take that into our spiritual lives we can remember we are all containers of God, of His grace and of His power. Whatever God has, is residing inside us because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit no matter what shape or size.😊 We may be broken or a bit chipped but we’re clothed in Jesus’ righteousness and we contain His Spirit who is powerful and perfect in every way.

So be encouraged today, we can look beyond our outward container, because it’s not too old, too young, too anything, because the Holy One is living and abiding in us. What a thought! Let’s go out and give out the grace and mercy of God to whoever we meet knowing it’s not us, but His treasure, the Spirit of God within us.

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, to heal the sick, to set the captives free. He still does and He’s contained in you and me. May we release Him today to do whatever He wants to do through us. Amen.

Photo: Me