do not give up on GOD

“Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God. Put away evil and wrong from your home. Then face the world again, firm and courageous. Then all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more. Your life will be brighter than sunshine at noon, and life's darkest hours will shine like the dawn. You will live secure and full of hope.” (Job 11:13-18 TEV) If you want to remain free of bitterness or regret, begin to trust that God is actively working on your behalf, even in what appears to be the worst of circumstances. This is a matter of faith, where you choose to believe God is at work. With God working in your life and in faith: You can choose to accept the past. No sin, no action, no choice on your part is too big for God to handle or too big to be worked for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). You can choose to embrace the present. There’s no need to play the “what if” game. The past is forgiven and gone, and the future is in God’s omnipotent hands; you’re free to focus on the present and your job to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Martyred missionary Jim Elliot once wrote, “Wherever you are, be all there.” God wants you in the present, because that’s where his grace will flow. You can choose to look expectantly toward the future. Even if you make mistakes today, God still controls your future. Walking in the Spirit, you can live life to the fullest, without fear of making mistakes or stumbling into some terrible circumstance that takes you out of God’s control. Even when things appear to be terrible, you can trust that God is working out some divine plan through you. “We pray that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens — always full of the joy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:11 LB). Trust God with your past and future and commit your present to his purpose. Then watch and see how God provides abundantly for you and through you so that you can express the joy of the Lord and his grace in your life. Talk About It What do you need to let go of in your past? What do you need to trust God with for your future? Jon Walker’s new book, Breakfast with Bonhoeffer, is a story of God’s faithfulness during struggles with bipolar disorder, divorce, and economic uncertainty. This devotional © Copyright 2012 Jon Walker. All rights reserved. Used by permission.