I rummaged through the produce drawer of my refrigerator and stared at the package of mushrooms. When had I bought them? Oh yeah, I was going to make rice pilaf. I’d completely forgotten.
Have you ever wasted good food because you forgot it. I’ve found something worse than wasted food—wasted good news.
Hebrews chapter four says good news has no benefit if it is not mixed with faith. “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard,” (Hebrews 4:2, NASB).
Think about it. God has made wonderful promises that apply to us, but if we don’t believe them or forget them, they do us no good. In other words, promises left in your Bible help you as much as food left in your refrigerator. The promises may not rot, but we miss out. To benefit, we must take them out and use them.
I recently got to apply this principle. Someone, who only communicates with us when she’s upset, contacted me. My stomach knotted as memories of past unpleasant encounters revived. My natural instinct to fret kicked in. But Psalm 37 says don’t fret even over evildoers. It says, “trust in the Lord and do good.” God’s provided good news about unreasonable people. If I apply His good news in faith, I find peace.
Sometimes this is a continual process. Negative thoughts, anger, and fears clamor for my focus. Their noise can distract me or prompt me to believe God’s promises.
I began to say out loud, “Fret not over evildoers. It leads only to evil doing.” I reminded myself of other promises. I actually began to feel some excitement anticipating what God might do through this. Even if this person shows no change, I’m changing as I exercise my faith.
What has disturbed you—a pending decision, your past, something future, or an unreasonable person?
Identify the good news for your area of unrest. Below are some references to get you started:
- Unreasonable people: Psalm 37 ; Romans 12:14-21
- A pending decision: Proverbs 16:9; James 1: 5-8
- The future: Psalms 27:13-14; Jeremiah 29:11
- Fear: Psalms 91
Consider how the promises apply to you. Meditate on them. Mix your faith with them. Repeat as often as needed.
Food left in the refrigerate doesn’t benefit us. Promises left in our Bible don’t either.
Question: What promise are you believing today? Click here to comment.
Blessings,
Deborah W. Wilson
Special Event:
Ladies, invite your friends and come to Making a Difference in Your Corner of the World Conference February 28-March 1, 2014.
Register under “Lighthouse” and save.
Put “Lighthouse” under the group name, and the conference will refund $5 to each one who registers with this group code—after fifteen have signed up. We need fifteen to count as a group, so invite your friends to join you and the Lighthouse group. I’ll be doing two workshops and would love to see you!
Click here to here Jen Barrick’s inspiring story. She’s the daughter of the mother-daughter keynote team.
Email: LighthouseMinistries@mac.com
Perfect timing Debbie. Thank you God.
God has a way of doing that! Great to hear from you, Diane.
What a wonderful analogy – you are so right – both food and the Good News of the Gospel do us no good unless we do something with them! I do try an speak scriptures over myself and my family every day and recently created a list relating to my business which I have been confessing in faith. I find, as you shared, that as I speak the Word about any issue, I get very encouraged.
To create a list for your business, yourself, and your family a great idea, Ann. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ,” (Rom. 10:17). Speaking God’s word really does give power.