John 13:7 "Trusting God Through Difficult Times." on this week's Word of Grace Devotion with Pastor Joe Marquez.

4/16/2018

The Word of Grace Devotion for the Week of April 16, 2018

Trusting God Through Difficult Times

John 13:7, “Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”

Beloved, we studied this verse and others in John 13 yesterday as we focused on washing the feet of others. We learned that first we need to take a bath (be born again), have our feet washed (be cleansed from continual sin) and then we can wash the feet of others. It was a great study but there was one verse that really spoke to me, which was John 13:7.

I understand that many of you and all of us from time to time struggle with the events, situations, and hardships that come into our lives. Some of you are struggling today. God is placing you and your family through the ringer and life seems out of control. I want to encourage you with John 13:7, “Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”

Beloved, the work that Jesus is working in you today whether it is through blessing or hardship has a purpose. We may not understand what God is doing and that is ok. We may question the manner in which God is working and that is ok as well. What we need to comprehend is that we can trust an unknown future to a known God.

So how can we trust God through difficult times?

(1) We need to surrender ourselves and all of our troubles to God. We can move from worry to worship by realizing that God is in control of every circumstance in our lives. We need to let Him be the Master of us and of everything in our lives. Once we stop trying to do things in our own strength, God will take over and lift us to new heights.

(2) We need to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Our thoughts are extremely powerful and they can affect things like our mood, our attitude, and yes, even our actions. We can do this by committing to memory a favorite scripture. For example: Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

(3) We need to ask God to give us patience. It’s a fact that God will come through for us at just the right moment. He’ll never fail us. We need to stay in prayer during this time because our faith will be tested. During our trial we can ask God for patience and help to trust that He knows what’s best for us.

I pray that you will have a blessed week! I love you and I will be praying for you!

In Jesus Name-

Pastor Joe

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Senior Pastor
Joe Marquez

Beloved, we are soon to once again celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the human Son of man and the divine Son of God. He is one hundred percent human and one hundred percent God.

While there were many people instrumental in the birth of Christ, this morning we will look at His birth through the eyes of Joseph, His legal father. There is not too much known about the man who would care for Christ as He grew up. We know that Joseph was possibly a carpenter but most importantly we know that he was a righteous man who did the right thing.

When others would have ran away from a responsibility that was not even their own, Joseph stood steadfast and remained faithful to the end. We can learn much from his character and apply his attributes of faithfulness, purity, and perseverance to our own lives.

May you have a Blessed Christmas week and may Christ always be at the center of your lives!

P.S. Come back this evening as we look at the birth of Christ through the Gospel of Luke!