When the Assyrian monarch Sennacherib tried to intimidate Hezekiah, attempting to sow doubt and division, God intervened, destroying 185,000 soldiers.

There is an apparent contradiction between God's promises to protect and heal, and the persecution, health crises, and death that we all experience.

We must carefully consider the offenses preventing the Israelites from entering the Land. That evil generation refused to trust Him, but complained continually.

The fear and trembling before God is more like reverence and awe instead of abject terror. It leads us to total dependence upon God with a desire to repudiate sin.

Where does real power reside? All power has its source in God—and not just the kind of power we typically think of.

I John 4:17 reveals the depth of love God the Father has for us as unique, special components of His creation, loving each of us as much as He loved Christ.

It can be encouraging to us that our patriarchs and the prophets had serious doubts, but God overrode all their fears in accomplishing His purpose.

Among God's many titles is one that proclaims His supremacy over all others: 'God Most High.' It provides confidence in God's governance of our lives.

Paul knew that only through strengthening his relationship with God was he able to both abound and be abased. When we are in trouble, we need to contact God first.

God lovingly teaches His children, just as a perfect parent. As children cry out to their parents, so human nature drives God's people to complain to Him.

We are assured that even though inexplicable things happen in our lives, God is still sovereign. We must develop childlike faith to trust in Him for solutions.

Even though the way God exercises His sovereignty is inscrutable to us , calling the foolish to confound the wise, all He does fits perfectly into His plan.

Faith in God and in the motivating power in God's Word have to be the driving force in everything we do each day.

Salvation is not a one time event, but a continuous process—not just immunity from death, but a total transformation of our nature into a new creation.

Paul demonstrated inner peace during turmoil, showing consistency in times of instability and faith in God during persecution, fulfilling the role God gave him.

That God is sovereign means that He IS God, the absolute governor of all things. This has profound implications for us: It means He chooses goodness or severity.

Nothing and no one can thwart God's purposes. We need to develop the faith to yield and conform to His will as clay in the potter's hands.

Spiritual maturity does not come about without difficulty, and suffering is one of God's tools to perfect us. Suffering refines endurance and character.

Unless we acknowledge God's sovereign authority in our lives, following through with the things we learn from scripture, we, like atheists, will not see God.

The story of Ebed-Melech goes far beyond a historical vignette. His story is an allegory of God's grace to the Gentiles.

In John 17:23, Jesus states that the Father loves every child of God as He loves Christ! The spiritual ramifications of this love are astounding.

Unlike human beings, who are very limited in their awareness, God knows all of our secret desires and urges, which are continually open to Him for inspection.

God has a very real concern for us, promising to never leave us. We have to strongly believe in His faithfulness to build a relationship with Him.

The corruption of sin was brought on the world through the rebellion of Satan and his fallen angels, an event which took place between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

Those who have made a covenant with God can be corrupted unless they make a concerted effort to know God, realizing He has the right to do as He pleases.

God does not delay because of indifference, but wants to provide maximum opportunity for repenting, overcoming, and building character.

Acts 27 teaches that we must distinguish among several types of suffering. Regardless of the type of suffering, we must remember that God will deliver us.

Genuine humility is one of the most elusive characteristics a person can attain. It consists of of self-respect accompanied by a genuine desire to serve.

Despite the privileged position of our calling, God does not cut us any slack in terms of trials and tests to perfect us. We must accept God's sovereignty.

Though often overshadowed by Joshua, Caleb stands out as a man with a 'different spirit,' loyal, courageous, patient, and unwavering in trust, who saw God.

The doctrine of healing has always had a paramount position, declaring that through the stripes of Christ, we are forgiven and our bodies our healed.

Even Hezekiah, more righteous than any other king, stumbled. But Almighty God is always ready to pick us up, enabling us to soar like eagles.

Carnal men prove themselves to be dangerous, hopeless fools when not equipped with the wisdom of God, made possible only with his Holy Spirit.

Cynical finger-pointing has destroyed confidence in every human institution, whether political, educational, scientific, and religious.

As we reflect God in our behavior through imitating Jesus Christ, occasionally accepting His suffering when called upon, we reciprocally glorify the Father.

The disastrous defeat at the city of Ai and the ill-advised treaty with the Gibeonites were both the direct result of not consulting with God.

Unlike people who, because of their natural carnal nature, feel disappointment with God, God's people should never experience any disappointment with Him.

God handpicked us for a specific purpose, just as He did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Noah. God also handpicked second-generation Church members.

God, as our true Shepherd, provides total protection of His called out-ones forever. Being kept in God's name refers to assimilating the attributes of God.

God's highest goal is not salvation, but sanctification into godly character, leading to membership in His family as co-rulers with Jesus Christ.

Job was able to endure the multiple trials and tragic events by seeing the hand of God in his life, realizing that God works in both good and bad times.

Like people of Micah's time, our people also have serious trust issues, even between close friends and family members.

The Olivet Prophecy lists deceit as the first danger confronting Christians who will be living in the disinformation age, strong enough to deceive the elect.

The demise of an institution can result from the irresponsibility of its constituents; if one member sins, the whole body experiences the effects.

We place confidence in people who provide emotional satisfaction and seem to have good intentions. Those whom we trust do not even have to be honest or faithful.

In times of trouble, where is our trust? The Kingdom of God is what we should be seeking—not a self-satisfied avoidance of suffering.

As bearers of God's name, we must aspire to holiness. Perfecting holiness is the process by which we are transformed from the glory of man to the glory of God.

We cannot allow our troubled hearts to lead us away from God and His purpose for us. Two vital elements will deliver us from destructive fear and unbelief.

Millions lack faith to receive answers to their prayers. To a large extent, this is due to a lack of understanding what faith is.

God's providence is a subject that few people, even in God's church, have a full grasp on. Most look on it too narrowly, but we must consider it carefully.

God does not want us to have confidence in ourselves or other people, but only in Him. Consequently, it is a mistake to trust the media or the leaders of nations.

King Jehoshaphat, by totally surrendering to God, achieved a miraculous victory over three armies by standing still, waiting patiently for His intervention.

At the end of the Parable of the Persistent Widow, Jesus asks, "When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith...?" The answer is surprising to many.

As God's instruction manual, the Bible contains the answers and guidance we need in times of trouble. Scripture reflects His mind more than any other resource.

A Christian can be content because his faith and trust are in the trustworthiness of the supreme God. The world is not spinning wildly out of control.

Like the Israelites, Christians must live by faith as we follow Christ through a spiritual wilderness. Faith is the vital component carries us through.

Fear and discouragement have infiltrated the church of God, causing many to stop fellowshipping on the Sabbath and some to give up keeping it altogether.

'Hope' means different things to different people. The political hope held out by politicians does not compare with the hope found in Scripture.

Emotions, such as joy or anger, are tools to be acknowledged and processed, not suppressed. By viewing emotions as signals we can respond wisely.

Gideon began his life as a coward, became a conqueror, and ended a compromiser, all the while needing assurances from God to bolster his flagging faith.

We sometimes mistake faith for certainty about God's will. However, faith is not knowing what God will do but trusting Him to do what is best for us.

The story of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac encourages God's people that they need never doubt God commitment and ability to give them everything they need.

Anxious care and foreboding are debilitating and faith-destroying. Meditating on what God has already done strengthens our faith and trust in God.

The virtue of love gets the most attention, yet the life of Abraham illustrates how foundational faith—belief and trust in God—is to love and salvation.

Life seems to be one trial after another. However, God has revealed an astounding facet of God's love that should give us the faith to soldier on.

In the Bible, character is not affirmed until action takes place-namely obedience to God's commands in which faith or trust in God is the dominant ingredient.

The church of God is not immune to the deterioration of doctrine. Minor deviations from doctrine bring about irreparable, disastrous consequences.

While the carnal mindset is hostile to everything in God's word, we have been provided a gift to enable us to overcome: the faith from being born of God.

Even if a present snapshot of our lives looks dismal, it cannot reveal what happens next. What happens next is in God's hands—and He finishes what He starts.

With all the military metaphors in the Bible, there can be no doubt that God likens the Christian life to a war against the evils and temptations we face.

Many Christians today believe that killing in self-defense is sanctioned by the Bible. This is a terrible misunderstanding of Christ's teaching.

God wants us to live in day-tight compartments, trusting that He protects us from the fear of the unknown and all the things that go bump in the night.

In tough financial times, some Christians reduce or cut out altogether God's tithe. They justify it with an excuse like, 'God wouldn't want me to starve!'

We are asked to believe in a Being nobody has directly seen or heard, whose written word has been vilified and scorned. Without faith, we can't please God.

Faithfulness in a person ultimately rests on his or her trust in God, and if a person is going to be faithful, its because he or she believes what God says.

When things go wrong, an improperly rooted person becomes hard and cynical. This disillusionment happens if our hope or trust are in the wrong place.

The Bible shows several positions used in prayer, but gives special attention to the posture of raised hands, symbolic of giving up or being vulnerable.

Faith permitted Enoch, Noah, and Abraham to receive God's personal calling. Like our patriarchs, we were called while we lived in the wicked world.

Our experience in overcoming and developing character will be fraught with difficulties, but God will provide the power to get through all the anguish.

Because we act on what we believe, any affront to our belief system will alter our choices and behavior, placing us on a destructive trajectory.

Faith and fidelity to God and His way of life should be a major part of our character. Here is what faith and fidelity are, how to recognize a lack of them.

Psalm 23 depicts the gratitude we should display from a sheep's point of view, as the animal boasts of blessings and marvels about the care of his Shepherd.

The majority of the growth or maturation of a pineapple plant takes place from within. The same holds true for our calling and conversion.

Paul wrote some of his most optimistic letters from prison, under the possibility of execution, but absolutely convinced that ultimate victory was imminent.

Eight of the psalms of Book Two were not written by David, but by Asaph, the sons of Korah, and Solomon. These psalms have more of a group emphasis.

We have no idea when Christ will return. We must, in our mind's eye, see our God crafting us into what He desires, preparing us for His Kingdom.

Here is the story of a young man's momentous choice regarding his keeping of the Sabbath, a decision he had to make all on his own.

God is absolutely faithful to finish what He started, knowing the end from the beginning. Our strength is dependent upon the relationship we have with God.

Anxiety and fretting (symptoms of coveting and idolatry), in addition to cutting life short, erode faith, destroying serenity by borrowing tomorrow's troubles.

Having anxiety, foreboding and fretting about food, clothing, and shelter, or being distressed about the future, demonstrates a gross lack of faith.

We must establish an iron clad trust in God for spiritual matters, including healing, rather than having a misguided trust in self or other human beings.

We must emulate Christ, who learned through suffering, preparing Himself for His role as High Priest. Giving in alienates us from the fellowship with God.

In Psalm 37:4, we are admonished to patiently wait for the Lord, with the promise that those who trust God's timetable will eventually inherit the earth.

Faith falters when our attention moves to ourselves. God periodically allows storms to test our faith. We are driven back to God when there is nowhere else to turn.

There is a danger that arises when the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper: trying to put God under obligation to bless us through becoming 'super-righteous'.

Wisdom can be defined as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to the right measure. Wisdom is not given as a whole, but incrementally.

Deuteronomy, which is to be reviewed every seven years, provides us with vision and instruction for living in our spiritual Promised Land.

Desmond Doss was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor. This Sabbath-keeping medic exemplifies total conviction.

In Revelation 21:8, Christ lists three spiritual conditions and four behaviors, all of which He links to deceit and which will lead to the Lake of Fire.

When it looks like things are out of control, God is busily at work behind the scenes. If we replace anxiety with faith, God will grant us divine peace.

God has given time to mankind as a gift, manipulating its use for us. The bad as well as the pleasant aspects of life are fashioned for our ultimate good.

God's faithfulness is the foundation of our faith. We cannot live by faith unless we believe we have a God who is faithful in everything He does.

Living faith has its roots in fervently, diligently seeking God and His righteousness with intense desire (like a passionate lover) through habitual prayer.

We would like God to instantly gratify our desires. Consequently, we find living by faith difficult; we do not trust that He has things under control.

Abraham, the father of the faithful, did not have a blind faith; it was based upon observation of God's proven track record of faithfulness.

Expecting to do the very best each time might prove to be a detriment leading to inhibiting self-doubt. Sometimes, "showing up" may be our best works.

We may find God's means of correction discouraging, but when we place His actions in context with His overall plan, we can find peace in God's sovereignty.

Moses, Jonah, David, and Gideon demonstrated resistance to God's prompts, indicating that they initially feared men more than they feared God.

Wisdom does not give us complete understanding into the ultimate purposes of God, but when accompanied with faith in God, it will brighten our countenance.

If we do not fully trust in Jesus Christ as our salvation, we will encounter Him as a stumbling block, offense, or tripping point.

We must have the patience to realize that God accomplishes His purpose for us in His time. God's timing is beautiful, taking place at the right time.

We must avoid shallow thinking, developing spiritual depth by meditating upon God's creation, His truth, His Law and His standards of righteousness.

At the time of the end, sin will be so pervasive and so compelling that our only resource for enduring its influence will be our relationship with God.