Good Morning,

I’m taking a short hiatus from my “Life of the Patriarchs” series because as I was reading through Genesis in the Amplified version I saw something that was just too good to pass up.

In verse 7, the Lord speaks to Abram, “And He said to him, ‘I am the [same] Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance’”. The word “same” caught my eye and resounded in my Spirit because it implies that “I am the same one who will fulfill my covenant with you” that called you in the first place (Genesis 15:7). We can believe God for the little things like, a new day, a meal, and/or a timely word, but when it comes to the big stuff “The meat and potatoes” like overcoming challenges, and the ability to make the impossible possible, we might act as Sarai did by throwing a monkey wrench into the mix (Genesis 16:1-4), try to tell the Lord about our plight like Elijah three times (1King 19:9-14) or run away from justice like Jacob (Genesis 28:1-5).

God has never changed not even once in eons and He isn’t about to now. God is not like man that morphs into something he/she was never meant to be; He is the same steady rock that brought a world into existence (Psalms 102:26-28). Just as Abram believed in God with absolute certainty and faith, and God never failed him, we too can rely on him with the same absolute certainty and faith (Hebrews 11:17-20). The struggles we face today are no less dire or problematic than they were in the time of the Patriarchs only the names and faces have changed (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11). The same God that has been at my side for over 40 years is the very same one that was beside the patriarchs through all of their trials and He is the same one that will be beside you if you will only trust Him; dark days may come and time will pass but He will honor His promises maybe not as we have envisioned but He will do it (Luke 1:37-40)!

My encouragement for you today is that you will look back on your life through the hellholes you have been through, every trial, victory, and/or loss, and see how He has gotten you through them. Then, look at your present-day struggles and you can be assured that He gets you through them or, in the words of David, “Your servant has fought the lion and the bear and this uncircumcised heathen will be just like them …” (1 Samuel 17:26).

Father,

You are the same One you have always been. No one who has ever come to you has lived to regret it. There are times when the “impossible” seems implausible but if can but hold your hand, you will show us the path. I pray for those on my prayer list who today are facing innumerable difficulties and just can’t “See the forest for the trees”. Be with our nation today for she is dragging with wars that threaten this land I know that as long as there is even one prayer warrior living in this nation you will spare the nation (Genesis 18:22-32). May your peace be with us today

I.H.S. MK