Our Times Are in His Hands!

(and NOT the hands of the clock…)

Psalm 31:15

It is true that we are not alone during challenging times because not only is Fathers Ruach HaKo’desh always with us..

but as Peter reassures us… that it is NOT unusual or unexpected, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering and much worse. 

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you  if your faith is tested as by fire. 1Peter 4:12 and 5:9 

Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

1Peter 5:9 

There are many, many people everywhere, who are going through tumultuous situations and persecutions those in the west have never even imagined. The old adage is also true there is always someone worse off than where we find ourselves at any given time.

We are encouraged to remember 2 Cor.4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Compared to our temporal afflictions eternity surpasses all imagination.

During research this video came across the desk and it serves to remind us to remember that the garment of praise will lift the spirit of heaviness off of our lives.

In Psalm 43:5 David encouraged Himself in the Lord declaring with hope and confidence.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

God’s love is stronger that the deepest darkness

 Whatever the circumstances that prompted David to write Psalm 31,

it sounds as if he was feeling overwhelmed and in need of urgent rescue,

he cries out to his Rock and His Fortress. 

Be enCOURAGEd…He’s got YOU..

We too must cry out to Him, when things in our lives seem overwhelming…

Our times are in Your hand; O God, we wish them there;

Our lives, our souls, our all, we leave Entirely to Your care.

Our times are in Your hand: Whatever You deem to do;

Pleasing or painful, dark or bright, As best may seem to You.

Not everything that happens is overwhelming to everyone but that doesn’t make it any less of a trial. We are all different and deal with things in as many ways; yet His Word says in Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 Here, encouragement is given to saints in suffering.

To them, under God’s providence, all things, even their sorrows, trials and persecutions, work together for blessing. 

 Because it continues

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

We are being conformed to the image of his Son/ Jesus/Yeshua through all these things.

We can know God through reading His Word and when we seek to know Him, He has promised us understanding. In order to grow and thrive in our relationship with Yeshua/ Jesus, we need to be rooted in the Word of God, our source of life and strength because….

We are to be rooted in His Word which will keep us grounded in His Word. 

Col 2:7

having been rooted and being built up in Him, and being strengthened in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding with thanksgiving.

 The necessity of being rooted and grounded in the Word of God is because it holds supernatural power and authority which cannot be defeated by the wisdom of mankind.

We are to do whatever it takes to be thoroughly grounded in the truth. (Ephesians 2:19—20).

Pray in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). This means we need to use the connection that we have with God so that we can take on God’s mind. Our prayers should strengthen that bond and make us more like Him. Keep yourself in God’s love. That ye, being rooted and grounded in love. Eph. 3:17

When we need encouragement to begin the day, a reminder to keep us going, or the comfort only God can give, being rooted in His Word will keep us grounded in His Word so then God’s Word will accomplish its purpose in our lives.

Being rooted and grounded means we will be properly prepared to BRACE OURSELVES and be equipped for that which is to come.

His hand is upon us and His fingerprints are everywhere!

He knows our situation and He knows the future. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for each of us.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” —Jeremiah 29:11

God’s Word transforms our lives—healing, guiding, and changing the way we live.

Ephesians 3:17
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Colossians 1:23
if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

1 Corinthians 1:8
He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The center of encouragement is COURAGE and this is what we need…

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Be strong, and of good courage, 

“Be Strong and Courageous!”

In Hebrew, the word for that phrase is “Hazaq“. 

(or Chazak)

“khazak ve’ematz”

(חזק ואמץ).

Be strong= khazak

(kheit zayin quf) חזק.

and courageous = ve’ematz

(vav alef meim tzadik sofit) ואמץ.

Deuteronomy 31:6 New International Version (NIV) 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Qof – Zayin – Chet

Be strong. chazaq (khaw-zak’) to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer. and of a good courage. ‘amats (aw-mats’) to be alert, physically (on foot) or mentally (in courage) be not afraid.

“ Be strong, and of good courage, for you will cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”

 Joshua was to be ‘strong’, The word often indicates strength of hand, however Joshua’s hand was to be strong because his spirit was strong.

In Joshua 1 the children of Israel commanded four times to be strong and of good courage. Sometimes we are neither strong nor of good courage, no matter how hard we try to be and no matter how many people tell us to be. 

Here is where we have to trust the Lord to supply our need according to

Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

and those riches are

The measure of His supply to you will be the immeasurable “riches of His grace” (Eph 1:7)

God is not just telling us to be strong and of good courage, within the words themselves He has built how we are going to be strong and of good courage. the word for strong is chazak/chazaq;

this strength is a strength that comes from binding oneself to something…and this is where we are to bind ourselves to Him and receive His strength. 

The combination of the Chet and Zayin is quite unusual.

The Hebrew word strengthened is Chazaq and means to fasten upon, to seize, to strengthen, to encourage, and to fortify. 

 Maybe these were the circumstances that prompted David to write Psalm 31,

This envy and jealousy turned to hatred, and Saul was determined to kill David, even though the prophet Samuel had said David replace Saul as king. Even as Saul pursued David, there were some including Saul’s own son Jonathan who came alongside to help David,

And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood,

and strengthened his hand in God.

And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee;

and thou shalt be king over Israel.

1 Samuel 23 15-17

 

Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God. when those we know are in distress we are to come alongside them and care for their needs. As already mentioned the word strengthened in Hebrew is Chazaq and means to fasten upon, to seize, to strengthen, to encourage, and to fortify.

Chazaq is spelled Chet Zayin Qoof. (Read r to l)

aq z cha

 

 

Chet    is the picture of the fence.   

 

Zayin is the picture of the axe or harvesting tool and means to cut or cut off, to prune, or to harvest.

Qoof/Quf  is the picture of the back of the head and means behind, the last, or the least.

From these we could interpret that; the least will be cut off or separated into a sanctuary/placed apart.

David was so discouraged and must have felt like he was the least important person in Israel thinking that he would be cut off /killed by the Saul. However, Chazaq reminds us of God’s protection towards David and although his fear of King Saul was justified; God had other plans for David; in particular that one day he would indeed be king.

The numerical value of the letters reveal that God would be influential in David survival and ultimate victory.

Chet   is the number 8 and indicates a new beginning.

Zayin   is the number 7 and stands for spiritual perfection.

Qoof is the number 100 and means election or the children of promise.

Below are some more paleo pictures of

Chet – Zayin – Qoof

Looking at the meaning of the numbers, we can see that God has had an absolutely perfect spiritual plan resulting in a new beginning for each of His children…

 

which is – freedom from the penalties of sin would come through Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

The ultimate example of God’s Chazaq for us:

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God,

ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 Romans 6:22/23

It is expressing both a joining with God and an involvement with God. The Qof at the end indicates that this binding process is a purifying process.  Our Heavenly Father has to take away from us all the trust we place in ourselves so that the world can see that our trust is only in Him.  Sometimes it feels like having a bandage ripped off your skin!  

Another Hebrew word is emas which can also means strength, but this is a resolute strength, meaning being firm in one’s position. 

(The word Hamas also comes from this.) 

The letters that make up the word: emas

Strong’s Hebrew 3988

and is spelled  אֶמְאַ֥ס

and this expresses the idea that this courage comes from humbling yourself to the revealed Word of God and being resolute in it.  In this case of the revealed Word of God in Joshua 1:9 is that He will be with us wherever we go.  

If we are firmly planted in that Word, we will have that courage to face our Jerichos.

Even though we may have to march around our Jericho seven times or more but each time we march around and each time we walk away, our faith will be increased a little more until we have reached the point of faith that we can simply shout and the walls will come tumbling down.

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have];

for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] [Josh. 1:5.]

6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? [Ps. 27:1;118:6.]

Be encouraged mishpochah

He IS Anochi

He Is I AM

and

He is

Strong’s Hebrew: 2389. חָזָק (chazaq/chazak)

— strong, stout, mighty

Chazak, chazak, ve-nit chazek

(Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened!) –

For courage

is the very center

of our encouragement!

 

Open the eyes of our hearts Jesus/Yeshua, that we may see YOU in all the events of our lives….and that we have the heart courage of the lion of the tribe of Judah!

Shalom shalom mishpachah/family and cheverim/friends!

You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the posts. If they have been a blessing and if you haven’t already, please sign up for free email notification, like, share and subscribe, it all helps to freely spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and reaches others with His Truths.

A special thank you for all who have prayed for the recent circumstances, storms, power out, communications down, and ongoing persistent issues with IP and connections – which hopefully have been resolved with yet another new modem! MMM will continue as long as the platform is accessible…

meanwhile let’s remember to stay alert and ready, be in prayer and in His Word for in an hour we think not He is coming… and…

it’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.