Week Twenty-Six - Sweet Nothings

Sometimes we just need some assurance, don't we? Like when our father would put his arms around us and calmly say, "Everything will be alright. I won't let anything hurt you." We need that gentle word. In today's crazy world, we need it now more than ever. Well, God knows we need it too. So He listed a bunch of nothings that can calm our hearts. Have a look!

Psalm 139:1-4 Nothing will ever happen to you that God does not already know. He knows everything. Every thought you think, every word you say, and everything that touches your heart and life. He knows all about it.

Psalm 139:4, 16  Nothing will ever happen to you that is a mistake. God orders this world by design. He isn't haphazard. He works all things according to the purpose of His will. (Eph 1:11) And that includes the things that catch us off guard or that we don't understand. He never asks us to understand, but He does ask us to trust Him. He makes no mistake.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10  Nothing will ever happen that you cannot handle by God's power and grace. He is your supply. He will strengthen you, give you wisdom, and guide your steps. So you can bring that tough thing to Him for power and grace.

Romans 8:28  Nothing will ever happen to you that will not eventually be used by God for some good purpose in your life. Hard times come to all of us, but the promise of Scripture is still true. God has a purpose in everything, and if we look, we will see Him at work in our situation, and eventually, we will praise Him.

Matthew 28:20  Nothing will ever happen to you without God's presence. He is with us always. Always. Think about that for a while. God is with you when you are sitting in the hospital waiting room. When you are about to go under the surgeon's knife, God is with you. When the phone rings and the message is hurtful to receive, God is there beside you. He never leaves you. Never.

Ephesians 1:11 Nothing will ever happen to you outside God's will and purpose. This verse has been my meditation all year. God started by giving me the word purpose for 2022, and He continues reinforcing it with this verse. "According to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." As I think about this verse and apply it to the situations that come along, I relax more into the sovereignty of God and trust Him even when I don't understand. There is purpose in all He does, and since I know He works only from love, and nothing can separate me from His love, I am finding nothing outside His control.

That's a pretty good dose of nothings, isn't it? Do you feel the loving arms of God around you? Do you hear Him whispering words of assurance in your ear? How would your life change if you deeply trusted God's promises? How could God use you to encourage others as they saw your faith in hard times?

Let's use the example of one more nothing. In Luke 1:37, we read, "For with God nothing shall be impossible." This is found in the story of the nativity. I'd venture to say Mary needed all of the promises we read today when faced with the oddest of circumstances. Our reply needs to be the same as hers, "Be it unto me according to thy word."

Take time to go back and ask yourself where you stand on these nothings. You're going to need all of them at some point and time. Remember, they are promises of God, and His promises fail not. 

Adapted from Elizabeth George - Loving God with All Your Mind