³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

This is our age of adventure. God is full of miracles and right answers for right living for those that align their lives, thoughts, actions, and attitudes with His truth.

Up to now, you may not have seen all you want to see in life.  You might have some physical and emotional pains.  Scars of the heart and mind could be plaguing you.  Why settle?  Why not have a better life forward?

In 1976, some 40 years past, Francis Schaeffer published a video series entitled Why Shall We Then Live?  It is based on his book by the same title.  Without taking too much time, there are two premises.  One is that the growth of man’s concentration of himself as the center of the universe is leading us into dangerous and hellishly painful living.  Second is that God gave us a moral base as a solution that will keep that from happening as we invoke it.  Schaeffer’s prophetic conclusion is that unchecked man’s concentration on man will end up in an authoritarian government overseeing and oppressing our lives with decisions from an elite few. This is the story of history and the certain end result of a view of life of societal definition verses moral absolutes based on God’s revealed Bible.  Certainly the United States has suffered greatly under this oppression from administrative and judicial branches for some years now.  The EU poses this oppressive approach as does the United Nations. An elitist group defines what society needs and imposes on it.  Without a Biblical absolute with which to challenge, the oppression goes unchecked. Stalin’s Russia, Hitler’s Germany, the abuses of major religions that turned to religion instead of Bible all have proven this true.

You may feel you are in such a situation.  You may feel that a government entity or a family tribunal or a set of circumstances have put you in an oppressive situation from which there is no escape.

The joy of the Believer is that God provides miracle escape in our personal lives, when we apply right approach.  It may not be as quick as we would like, but it is a certain promise.

Take time to go back and read the excerpts from Psalm 37.  These are promises.  There are conditions.  Never should we believe we can just “run to Jesus” and answers will fall from heaven.  That is ludicrous and not the promise of the Bible.  That is bad manipulation and bad belief.  It is not true.  He wants the Lordship of your life.  He wants to be master.

When I understand:

1.Of myself, I cannot get it done.

2.God, the Creator, a personal God, made a way in Christ to be forgiven, accepted, and empowered.

3.I can rest in His death and resurrection.  He has built a limitless bank of grace and peace.

4.The King of the Universe loves me and that makes me valuable.  You cannot take it away. He has poured His Holy Spirit into my life.

5.He gives me a true “church” family that loves me, accepts me and takes me in.

Anger has no hold.

Addictions drop away.

Depression is defeated.

Discouragement dies.

Provision is at my door.

Strength engulfs me for difficulty.

This simple statement has guided me recently in helping others gain faith in Christ and Christ alone.  It is simple. It doesn’t encompass everything, but it encompasses all I need to begin a limitless life of freedom in Him.

Living that statement takes daily application.  Daily application opens my life to daily miracles.  Many times the influence of God in my life is a compound effect.  Day after day, I build relationship and connection and cooperation with Him.  Each step builds my faith and my strength.  Each connection plants seeds that blossom in my future.

What is a way to connect every day?

Take this format for a season. I’ll share more as you grow, but begin here and more will be added. Don’t make this a magic formula.  Make this a daily discipline to open your heart, your life, your family, your work, and your friendships to continual influence of an ever loving God.

When you rise and before you go to bed.  Do these four things.

1. Adore Him – tell God how much you love Him.  Center your universe on Him.  Ask Him to teach you to love like He loves.  Recognize Him for the fact that He is your Father, the Creator of the Universe, all powerful and all loving.
2. Confess Your Faults – be brutally honest.  Talk to him privately about what you have done wrong, when you have lost control, what you did not do that needed done.  Confess, receive forgiveness, ask to be built stronger. Listen to the stirrings of your heart.  Hear His quiet voice bringing correction.  Do what He tells you.  Be obedient.
3. Thank Him – think of all that has transpired and thank Him for the good and the bad.  That is right.  Don’t thank Him that bad has happened.  Thank Him that He gave you freedom to live in both circumstances.  Thank Him that He will turn the bad events into growth and good in your life.  Thank Him He is the author of all that is good and the Defender against all that is evil to deliver us from it.
4. Supplication – Ask for what your family needs, your friends, your world and you personally.  Tell Him what you want.  Talk it out with Him.  Don’t gripe.  Don’t complain.  Stand as a strong and confident child of Heaven after you have acknowledged His greatness and goodness and your mistaken living and imperfect obedience and be assured He is listening.

Watch what begins to happen.  Keep a journal.  When you put Him first, you will begin to see miracle birth.

For  a Better Life

In His Service and Yours,

P