Living the Walk of Faith

 

Words from Jesus

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When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.—Isaiah 43:2

Life changes can be difficult, especially when they come at a time when you feel comfortable and safe with the way things are. Life-altering change will often challenge you and redirect you to a new way of doing things that will make your life easier in the end or that will better serve My purposes for you in the current season of your life.

But taking the first step can be a struggle, especially when it is hard to see the immediate benefits of the change you’re facing. It is important to prayerfully make wise decisions, committing every aspect of the situation to Me and seeking My guidance. Then trust in Me for the outcome and move forward by faith.

The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant across the River Jordan had to take that first step into the waters by faith, trusting that the waters would part in front of them as Joshua told them. And the instant they stepped into the water, it dried up, and they had a clear path to walk on (Joshua 3:14–17).

When you are experiencing life changes, once you have made your decision, just take the first step, trusting that I will be with you and that if you face rivers of difficulty in the process, they will not overwhelm you. Put your hand in My hand and I will be more to you than a lamp and better than a known way. I have made you and redeemed you and called you by name. You are mine (Isaiah 43:1). I have a purpose for every stage of your life without exception.

Walking through loss

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.—Matthew 5:4

When you suffer the loss of a dear friend, someone who made you feel loved and special, it can be a difficult time and it is natural to grieve and feel sad. A true friend is understanding and cares about you and what you feel and what matters to you. They see the qualities in you worth loving and admiring, and they are forgiving of your faults and weaknesses.

I understand it can be difficult to move on with life when you lose a close friend. You miss them, and it is natural for you to miss the special times and moments together. There is a time to mourn and there will come a time to be comforted from your grief (Ecclesiastes 3:1–4).

There are other people around you who need you and your love and friendship. You may not experience the same kind of friendship or love that you had with that special person, but there is joy to be found in befriending others—getting to know them, helping them, and sharing part of your life with them.

You will still miss the ones dearest to you when they pass away, but you’ll be less lonely, and I will work through you to bless other people’s lives as you reach out by faith to build new friendships and relationships. True friendship is a blessing from My hand, and the love and kindness you share with others is a sign and a testimony to them of My love for them.

Staying tethered to God’s Word

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.—2 Timothy 3:16–17

At times it may seem like an impossible task to survive spiritually on this earth without being overwhelmed by the spirit of the world. Not only is the world all around you physically, but with modern technology, it is inside your home and workspace, and can easily invade your everyday life. So how do you maintain My call to be “in the world but not of it” (John 17:14–16) when the world has become so pervasive and seems to creep into every space and corner?

Picture yourself as an astronaut, on a mission in deep space. You have your space shuttle, which is filled with oxygen, but your mission is fraught with danger, and occupational hazards abound. There are millions of miles of space all around you. When you have to go outside your shuttle, it might seem like the odds of being swallowed up by that endless blackness are high.

But the reality is that you won’t be lost in space as long as the cord connecting you to your space shuttle is in place, which keeps you from floating away. Likewise, regardless of how seemingly all-present the spirit of the world is in the world today, it will not overwhelm you as long as you stay attached to Me and My Word.

While you are in the world, you have to filter what you allow of the world to enter into your thinking and mindset. You have to be intentional and not allow the icons and cultural trends, and the ideals and norms of the world conveyed through technology and the endless flow of information to become a part of you. Do not love the world or the things of the world. This world and all its desires will pass away, but everyone who does My will and follows Me will abide forever (1 John 2:15–17).

Through the wringer

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.—1 Peter 4:12–13

Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial you are passing through, as it is part of the sanctification and purification process that all My followers endure. Everyone will go through the wringer at different points in life.

When your clothes are being washed in the washing machine, the machine jerks the clothes in one direction and then the other, and it is that back-and-forth motion that gets the clothes clean. Then after the rinse, they are spun around at high speed; the clothes are flattened against the sides of the washer until they are completely wrung out.

So don’t be surprised or think it strange if you feel like your life is being tumbled about and spun and wrung and even flattened. If it feels like the process has no end, trust that I love you and I am with you. Even if the “washing” process does not seem pleasant at the time, nevertheless, it will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace in your life (Hebrews 12:11).

Reaching the lost

Can you hear the heartcries and longings of the many lost people around you? They are poor in spirit, famished for My words of truth and life and for the answers to life’s tough questions. Will you take up the challenge to walk in My love and extend your hand to help those in need?

While everyone will face difficulties in life, many unsaved people have a much harder time with the ups and downs of life than it may seem on the surface. When you face life’s trials or loss or tragedy, you can be comforted with the knowledge that I love you and that no matter what you face, all things will work together for your good (Romans 8:28). But for many people in the world who do not know Me, there is little comfort—sometimes no comfort at all.

Be faithful to reach out and share My love with others today. As you do so, you will know the true joy of serving Me to the full. No earthly happiness can ever take the place of that joy.

Originally published in 2001. Adapted and republished February 16, 2026. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky. Music by Michael Fogarty.

https://anchor.tfionline.com/post/living-the-walk-of-faith/?check_auth

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Salmo 46 - Dios es nuestro amparo y nuestra fortaleza.- Parte 2

 

Por Dennis Edwards (Para volver a la primera parte, haga clic en el enlace).

Salmo 46:2-3 Por tanto, no temeremos, aunque la tierra sea removida, y se traspasen los montes al corazón del mar; aunque bramen y se turben sus aguas, y tiemblen los montes a causa de su bravura. Selah.

Cuando nos enfrentamos a la agitación emocional o a los tsunamis de la vida, no debemos temer, porque Dios estará con nosotros. Él será nuestro pronto auxilio en tiempos de angustia. En Isaías encontramos varias promesas que podemos memorizar.

Isaías 43:10 “No temas, porque yo estoy contigo; no desmayes, porque yo soy tu Dios: te esfuerzo; siempre te ayudaré, siempre te sustentaré con la diestra de mi justicia”.

La bondad de Dios nos sostendrá.

Isaías 43:1b-2 “No temas, porque yo te redimí, te llamé por tu nombre”. Nombre; eres Mío. Cuando pases por las aguas, yo estaré contigo; y por los ríos, no te anegarán; cuando pases por el fuego, no te quemarás, ni la llama te encenderá.

Pase lo que pase en nuestra vida personal o en el mundo que nos rodea, Dios ha prometido estar con nosotros. Sabemos por las profecías bíblicas que vendrán días malos. Los hombres malvados irán de mal en peor, engañando y siendo engañados (2 Timoteo 3:13). «Desfallecerán los hombres por el temor y la expectación de las cosas que sobrevendrán en la tierra; porque las potencias de los cielos serán conmovidas» (Lucas 21:26). «Y cuando estas cosas comiencen a suceder, erguíos y levantad la cabeza, porque vuestra salvación está cerca» (Lucas 21:28).

En otras palabras, Dios dice: «No os desaniméis. Levantad la cabeza. Mi venida está cerca». Dios también ha prometido un lugar de refugio para sus hijos. Proverbios 14:26b. Él ha prometido nutrir a sus hijos durante esos tres años y medio de persecución: “Y a la mujer (la Esposa de Cristo, la iglesia de creyentes) se le dieron dos alas de gran águila, para que volara al desierto, a su lugar, donde es sustentada durante tres años y medio, de la presencia de la serpiente” (Apocalipsis 12:14).

Sin embargo, por otro lado, sabemos que “algunos de los entendidos caerán, para ser probados, purificados y emblanquecidos hasta el tiempo del fin” (Daniel 11:35). En Apocalipsis vemos “las almas de los que fueron muertos por la palabra de Dios y por el testimonio que tenían, clamando a Dios, diciendo: ¿Hasta cuándo, Señor, santo y verdadero, no juzgas y vengas nuestra sangre en los que moran en la tierra?... Y se les dijo que descansaran todavía un poco de tiempo, hasta que también sus consiervos… y que se cumpliera la condenación de sus hermanos, que también serían asesinados como ellos”, Apocalipsis 6:9-11.

Dios no nos ha prometido un lecho de rosas. Annie Johnson Flint escribió el siguiente poema:

Dios no ha prometido

Cielos siempre azules,

Senderos floridos

Toda nuestra vida;

Dios no ha prometido

Sol sin lluvia

Gozo sin tristeza,

Paz sin dolor.

Pero Dios ha prometido

Fuerza para el día,

Descanso para el trabajo,

Luz para el camino,

Gracia para las pruebas,

Ayuda de lo alto,

Compasión inagotable,

Amor eterno.

Además de todo lo anterior, Dios ha prometido estar con nosotros hasta el fin del mundo. El apóstol Pablo escribió: “Todos los que viven piadosamente en Cristo Jesús padecerán persecución” (2 Timoteo 3:12). Jesús dijo: “Si a mí me han perseguido, también os perseguirán a vosotros” (Juan 15:20). En el sermón sobre En el monte, Jesús animó a sus seguidores con estas palabras: “Bienaventurados seréis cuando por mi causa os injurien y os persigan, y digan toda clase de mal contra vosotros, mintiendo. Gozaos y alegraos, porque vuestro galardón es grande en los cielos; porque así persiguieron a los profetas que fueron antes de vosotros” (Mateo 5:11-12).

El apóstol Pedro también compartió la misma idea: “Amados, no os extrañéis del fuego de prueba que os ha sobrevenido, como si alguna cosa extraña os aconteciera; antes bien, regocijaos por ser participantes de los padecimientos de Cristo, para que en la revelación de su gloria también os alegréis con gran alegría. Si sois vituperados por el nombre de Cristo, bienaventurados sois, porque el glorioso Espíritu de Dios reposa sobre vosotros… Pero si alguno padece como cristiano, no se avergüence, sino glorifique a Dios por ello… De manera que los que padecen según la voluntad de Dios, que hagan… Guardando sus almas para Él, haciendo el bien, como para un fiel Creador”, 1 Pedro 4:12-14,16 y 19.

Si somos llamados a sufrir por Él, Él ha prometido que su Espíritu de gloria y de Dios reposará sobre nosotros. Ha prometido estar con nosotros; por lo tanto, no debemos temer.

Salmo 46:4-5 Hay un río cuyas corrientes alegrarán la ciudad de Dios, el santuario de los tabernáculos del Altísimo. Dios está en medio de ella; no será conmovida; Dios la ayudará, y eso desde temprano.

En el versículo anterior, nuestros pensamientos se han alejado de la persecución y los problemas terrenales del momento, para llevarnos a la paz y la seguridad del reino celestial, a la ciudad de Dios. “Y me mostró un río limpio de agua de vida, resplandeciente como cristal, que salía del trono de Dios y del Cordero. En medio de la calle de la ciudad, y a ambos lados del río, estaba el árbol de la vida, que produce doce frutos, dando su fruto cada mes; y las hojas de los árboles eran para la sanidad de las naciones. Y no habrá más maldición; sino que el trono de Dios y del Cordero estará en ella, y sus siervos le servirán, y verán su rostro, y su nombre estará en sus frentes. Allí no habrá noche; y no necesitan luz de lámpara, ni luz del sol, porque Dios el Señor los iluminará; y reinarán por los siglos de los siglos”, Apocalipsis 22:1-5.

Dios nos ayudará en nuestros momentos difíciles. Nuestro objetivo es seguir mirando a Jesús, mantener la mirada puesta en el cielo, conservar la visión celestial. En el ámbito espiritual, estamos rodeados por una gran nube de testigos. Dios nos exhorta a “despojarnos de todo peso y del pecado que nos asedia, y a correr con paciencia la carrera que tenemos por delante, puestos los ojos en Jesús, el autor y consumador de la fe, quien sufrió la muerte en la cruz por nosotros y por el gozo que recibiría como resultado… (por tanto), no nos cansemos ni desmayemos en nuestro ánimo”, Hebreos 12:1-3.

Salmo 46:6-7 Bramaron las naciones, temblaron los reinos; dio su voz, la tierra se derritió. El Señor de los ejércitos está con nosotros; el Dios de Jacob es nuestro refugio. Selah.

Las naciones ya han estado furiosas contra Dios y lo han hecho a lo largo de la historia. La Revolución Francesa de 1789, la Revolución Rusa de 1917 y la Revolución Cultural de China de 1966 son algunos de los ejemplos extremos de los últimos años. En ocasiones, las comunidades cristianas de África y otras partes del mundo han sufrido una severa persecución. Unos 310 millones de cristianos en todo el mundo viven actualmente en condiciones de persecución severa o extrema. El cristianismo es la comunidad religiosa más perseguida del mundo.

En Apocalipsis 11, cuando el séptimo ángel toca la trompeta al final del período de tres años y medio de la Gran Tribulación, se produce el rapto. «Los reinos del mundo han venido a ser de nuestro Señor y de su Cristo; y él reinará por los siglos de los siglos», Apocalipsis 11:15. “Porque el Señor mismo con voz de mando, con voz de arcángel y con la trompeta de Dios, descenderá del cielo; y los muertos en Cristo resucitarán primero; luego nosotros, los que vivimos, los que hayamos quedado, seremos arrebatados juntamente en las nubes para recibir al Señor en el aire” (1 Tesalonicenses 4:16-17).

“Pero en los días de la voz del séptimo ángel, cuando él comience a tocar (la séptima trompeta), el misterio de Dios se consumará, como él lo anunció a sus siervos los profetas” (Apocalipsis 10:7). “He aquí, os digo un misterio: No todos dormiremos (en la muerte), pero seremos transformados a la final trompeta (la séptima trompeta); porque se tocará la trompeta, y los muertos (en Cristo) resucitarán incorruptibles, y nosotros seremos transformados” (1 Corintios 15:51-52).

“Inmediatamente después de la tribulación de aquellos días (tres años y medio), el sol se oscurecerá, la luna no dará su resplandor y las potencias de los cielos serán conmovidas. Entonces aparecerá la señal del Hijo del Hombre en el cielo; y entonces lamentarán todas las tribus de la tierra, y verán al Hijo del Hombre viniendo en las nubes del cielo con poder y gran gloria. Y enviará a sus ángeles con gran voz de trompeta (la séptima trompeta), y reunirán a sus escogidos de los cuatro vientos, desde un extremo del cielo hasta el otro.” Mateo 24:29-31. Mientras los elegidos pasan tiempo con Dios en la Cena de las Bodas del Cordero (Apocalipsis 19:7-9) y se preparan para la Batalla de Armagedón, que tomará posesión física de los reinos de este mundo, Dios comenzará a derramar las copas de su ira sobre los malvados e incrédulos que se han negado a abandonar sus malos caminos y adoptar los caminos de la verdad, el amor y la misericordia de Dios.

“Y herirá la tierra con la vara de su boca, y con el aliento de sus labios matará al impío” (Isaías 11:4b). “Aullad, porque cerca está el día del Señor; vendrá como destrucción por parte del Todopoderoso. Por tanto, todas las manos desmayarán, y desfallecerá el corazón de todo hombre; y temerán; angustias y dolores se apoderarán de ellos; se dolerán como mujer de parto; se asombrarán unos a otros; sus rostros serán como llamas”.

He aquí, el día del Señor viene, cruel, de ira y ardor de furia, para convertir la tierra en desolación y exterminar de ella a sus pecadores. Porque las estrellas del cielo y sus constelaciones no darán su luz; el sol se oscurecerá al nacer, y la luna no dará su resplandor. Y yo (el Señor) castigaré al mundo por su maldad, y a los impíos por su iniquidad; haré cesar la arrogancia de los soberbios, y abatiré la soberbia de los temibles… Por tanto, haré temblar los cielos, y la tierra se moverá de su lugar, en la ira del Señor de los ejércitos, y en el día de su ardiente ira” (Isaías 13:6-13).

Será en ese tiempo que las naciones se enfurecerán: “Y las naciones se airaron, y tu ira ha venido… y para que destruyas a los que destruyen la tierra” (Apocalipsis 11:18). Los 75 días de la ira de Dios caerán sobre los malvados e incrédulos que se negaron a aceptar el testimonio de Cristo, a creer en Él para su salvación y a abandonar sus malos caminos.

Salmo 46:8-9 Venid, ved las obras del Señor, ¡qué desolaciones ha puesto en la tierra! Hace cesar las guerras hasta los confines de la tierra; quiebra el arco y corta la lanza; quema los carros en el fuego.

Al final de la ira de Dios comenzará la nueva dispensación llamada el Milenio. «Juzgará entre las naciones y reprenderá a muchos pueblos; y volverán sus espadas en rejas de arado, y sus lanzas en hoces; no alzará espada nación contra nación, ni se adiestrarán más para la guerra» (Isaías 2:4). “No harán daño ni destruirán en todo mi santo monte, porque la tierra estará llena del conocimiento del Señor, como las aguas cubren el mar”, Isaías 11:9.

“Y vi las almas de los decapitados por causa del testimonio de Jesús y por la palabra de Dios, los que no habían adorado a la bestia ni a su imagen, ni recibieron la marca en sus frentes ni en sus manos; y vivieron y reinaron con Cristo mil años”, Apocalipsis 20:4.

Salmo 46:10-11: Estad quietos, y conoced que yo soy Dios; seré exaltado entre las naciones, seré exaltado en la tierra. El Señor de los ejércitos está con nosotros; el Dios de Jacob es nuestro refugio. Selah.

Dios finalmente será exaltado en ese día. Toda rodilla se doblará, y toda lengua confesará que Jesús es Señor de señores y Rey de reyes, para gloria de Dios Padre (Filipenses 2:11). He aquí, yo vengo pronto, y mi galardón está conmigo, para recompensar a cada uno según sea su obra. Yo soy el Alfa y la Omega, el principio y el fin, el primero y el último. Bienaventurados los que lavan sus ropas, para tener derecho al árbol de la vida y entrar por las puertas en la ciudad. Apocalipsis 22:12-14.

Publicado originalmente el 2 de marzo de 2025.

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Salmo 46 - Dios es nuestro amparo y fortaleza - Parte 1

Salmo 46 con comentarios de Dennis Edwards

Salmo 46:1 Dios es nuestro amparo y fortaleza, nuestro pronto auxilio en los momentos difíciles.

Hace quince años, mi hijo de veintisiete años murió repentinamente en un accidente de natación. A la medianoche del 17 de marzo de 2010, día de San Patricio, recibí una llamada del compañero de piso de mi hijo. Mi hijo había desaparecido y su ropa había sido encontrada en una playa cercana.

Mi primera reacción fue arrodillarme y clamar al Señor en oración. Al hacerlo, para mi sorpresa, tuve una visión de mi hijo entrando al cielo, para alegría de mis padres y otros seres queridos fallecidos. Supe de inmediato que no lo encontrarían con vida. Cinco días después, su cuerpo apareció en la orilla y fue encontrado por unos turistas alemanes.

¿Qué me ayudó a superar esos días difíciles? ¿Cuál fue el bálsamo sanador que me permitió seguir adelante? Por supuesto, tener una relación con el Señor y poder escuchar su suave voz en oración fue de gran ayuda y un efecto estabilizador en ese momento. Las palabras de aliento que otros habían recibido en oración por mí también fueron muy fortalecedoras. Leer la palabra de Dios, especialmente los Salmos, donde encuentro consuelo en la palabra escrita, también fue importante. Clamar al Señor con todo mi corazón en oración fue otro aspecto importante de la sanación y me ayudó de maneras que probablemente no entiendo conscientemente.

Pero quizás la clave más importante para mi sanación tangible y física, que recuerdo con más claridad por encima de todo, fue el amor y el ánimo que recibí de los demás. Para que eso sucediera, tuve que confesar y compartir mi dolor. La Biblia dice: «Confesaos vuestras ofensas unos a otros. Orad unos por otros, para que seáis sanados» (Santiago 5:16a). Confesar a otros lo que estaba pasando me permitió recibir el ánimo que necesitaba y fue quizás la clave de la victoria y la sanación.

Recuerdo mi primer día en Bermudas, donde murió mi hijo. Mientras preguntaba por direcciones en una tienda, le mencioné a la dependienta que era el padre del joven que se había ahogado recientemente. "Pobrecito", suspiró. "¿Puedo acercarme y darte un fuerte abrazo?". En numerosas ocasiones recibí ánimo de desconocidos que conocí de esta manera.

Dios promete consolarnos en nuestros momentos de tribulación (2 Corintios 2:4). Jesús dijo que nos enviaría al consolador, el Espíritu Santo. Él quiere que seamos consolados. Pero si nos guardamos nuestros problemas, si nos guardamos el dolor, no recibiremos el amor ni el ánimo que necesitamos, y nuestro proceso de sanación será más largo y quizás nunca se complete.

Por lo tanto, no ocultes esas emociones. Deja que las lágrimas fluyan. Comparte tu dolor. Comparte tu tristeza. Al hacerlo, otros responderán con el bálsamo de amor que necesitas. No sufras en silencio. Comparte tu dolor y quienes te rodean te ayudarán a sanar. Dios obra de esta manera para acercarnos unos a otros y ser sus brazos, sus manos, sus labios y sus oídos los unos para los otros.

Cuando recibimos el amor y el aliento que necesitamos en nuestros momentos de angustia, podemos luego devolver ese amor y aliento a otras almas necesitadas o sufrientes que se crucen en nuestro camino. «Bendito sea el Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, Padre de misericordias y Dios de toda consolación, el cual nos consuela en todas nuestras tribulaciones, para que podamos también nosotros consolar a los que están en cualquier tribulación, por medio de la consolación con que nosotros somos consolados por Dios», 2 Corintios 1:3-4.

Escribí la sección anterior en 2017. Desde entonces, perdí a otro hijo, quien falleció repentina e inesperadamente a los 45 años, hace apenas dos años, en abril de 2023. La vida a veces es muy difícil y no encontramos palabras para explicar el porqué de todo lo que pasamos. Pero una cosa es cierta: la palabra de Dios es verdadera. Él ha sido mi pronto auxilio en los momentos difíciles. Lo mismo hará por ti en cualquier dificultad que enfrentes.

Fin del Salmo 46, Primera Parte. Para ir a la Segunda Parte, haz clic en el enlace.

Publicado originalmente el 2 de marzo de 2025.

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PSALM 46 - God is Our Refuge and Strength - Part One

Psalm 46 with commentaries by Dennis Edwards

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Fifteen years ago, my twenty-seven-year-old son died suddenly from a swimming accident. At midnight the 17th of March, 2010, Saint Patrick’s Day, I received a call from my son’s roommate. My son had gone missing and his clothing had been found on a nearby beach. 

My first reaction was to get down on my knees and cry out to the Lord in prayer. As I did, much to my surprise, I had a vision of my son entering into Heaven to the joy of my parents and other departed loved ones. I immediately knew he would not be found alive. Five days later his body washed ashore and was found by some German tourists. 

What helped me through those difficult days? What was the healing balm that enable me to continue on? Of course, having a relationship with the Lord and being able to hear His still small voice in prayer was a great help and stabilizing affect at that time. The words of encouragement that others had received in prayer for me were also very strengthening. Reading God's word, especially the Psalms, where I receive comfort from the written word was, also, important. Crying out to the Lord with all my heart in prayer was another important aspect of the healing and helped me in ways I probably do not consciously understand. 

 

But perhaps the most important key to my healing in a tangible, physical way, that I remember most clearly above all the rest was the love and encouragement I received from others. For that to happen, I had to confess and share my heartache. The Bible says, “Confess your faults one to another. Pray one for another that you may be healed,” James 5:16a. Confessing to others what I was going through enabled me to receive the encouragement that I needed and was perhaps the key to victory and healing.

 

I remember my first day in Bermuda where my son had died. While asking for directions at a shop, I mentioned to the shop girl that I was the father of the young man who had recently drowned. “You poor thing,” she sighed. “Can I come around and give you a big hug.” On numerous occasions I received encouragement from strangers that I met in this way.

God promises to comfort us in our times of tribulation, 2 Corinthians 2:4. Jesus said He would send the comforter, the Holy Spirit, to us. He wants us to be comforted. But if we keep our troubles locked inside, if we keep the pain in, we won’t receive the love and encouragement we need and our healing process will be longer and perhaps never complete. 

Therefore, do not keep those emotions hidden. Let the tears flow. Share your pain. Share your sorrow. In doing so, others will respond with the balm of love you need. Do not suffer in silence. Share your hurt and others around you will help heal it. God works this way to draw us closer to one another and be His arms and His hands and His lips and His ears to one another. 

 

When we receive the love and encouragement that we need in our time of anguish, we are able later to return that love and encouragement to other needy or suffering souls that pass our way. “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our tribulation, so that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God,” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

I wrote the above section in 2017. Since then, I have lost another son who died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 45, just two years ago in April 2023. Life is sometimes very difficult and we cannot find the words to explain the whys and the wherefores of all that we pass through. But one thing is certain. God’s word is true. He has been for me a very present help in my times of trouble. He will do the same for you in whatever difficulty you may be facing.

End of Psalm 46 Part One. To go to Part Two click on link. 

Originally published March 2, 2025.

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Psalm 46 - God is Our Refuge and Strength! - Part Two

By Dennis Edwards (To go back to Part One click on link.

Psalm 46:2-3 Therefore, will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

When we face the emotional turmoil or the tsunamis of life, we need to not fear for God will be with us. He will be a very present help in our time of trouble. In Isaiah we find various promises that we can put to memory.

Isaiah 43:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.”

God’s goodness will hold us up.

Isaiah 43:1b-2 “Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you.”

No matter what happens in our personal lives, or in the world around us, God has promised to be with us. We know from the Bible prophecies that the evil days will come. Evil men will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived, 2 Timothy 3:13. “Men’s hearts (will be) failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken,” Luke 21:26. “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your salvation draws nigh,” Luke 21:28.

In other words, God is saying, Do not be discouraged. Lift up your heads. My coming is at hand. God has also promised a place of refuge for His children, Proverbs 14:26b. He has promised to nourish His children for that 3 ½ years of persecution, “And to the woman, (the Bride of Christ, the church of believers) were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness into her place, where she is nourished for 3 ½ years, from the face of the serpent,” Revelation 12:14.

Yet, on the other hand, we know that, “some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge them, and to make them white, even to the time of the end,” Daniel 11:35. In Revelation we see “the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: crying out to God, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?... And it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled,” Revelation 6:9-11.

God has not promised us a bed of roses. Annie Johnson Flint wrote the following poem:

God hath not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our lives through;
God hath not promised
Sun without rain
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

But God hath promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labour,
Light for the way,
Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

Beside all of the above, God has promised to be with us to the end of the world. Apostle Paul wrote, “All that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,” 2 Timothy 3:12. Jesus said, “If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you,” John 15:20. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus encouraged His followers with these words, “Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you,” Matthew 5:11-12.

Apostle Peter likewise has shared the same idea. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s suffering; that, when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: …Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf…Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator,” 1 Peter 4:12-14,16,&19.

If we are called to suffer for His sake, He has promised to have His spirit of glory and of God to rest upon us. He has promised to be with us, therefore, we should fear not.

Psalm 46:4-5 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

In the above verse, our thoughts have been translated away from persecution and earthly troubles of the moment, and into the peace and assurance of the heavenly realm, to the city of God. “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manners of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever,” Revelation 22:1-5.

God will help us in our times of trouble. Our objective is to keep looking unto Jesus, to keep our eyes on heaven, to keep the heavenly vision. We are compassed about in the spiritual realm by a great cloud of witnesses. God admonishes us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and to run with patience the race that is set before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the death of the cross for our sake and for the joy He would receive as a result, …(therefore), let us not be wearied and faint in our minds,” Hebrews 12:1-3.

Psalm 46:6-7 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

The heathen have already been raging against God and have done so down through history. The French Revolution in 1789, the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Cultural Revolution in China in 1966 are some of the extreme examples in recent years. At times, Christian communities in Africa and in other parts of the world have suffered severe persecution. Some 310 million Christian around the world today are living in conditions of severe or extreme persecution. Christianity is the most strongly persecuted religious community in the world.

In Revelation 11, when the seventh angel sounds the trumpet at the end of the 3 ½ year period of Great Tribulation, the rapture takes place. “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever,” Revelation 11:15. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air,” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound (the seventh trumpet), the mystery of God should be finished, as He has declared to His servants the prophets,” Revelation 10:7. “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (in death), but we shall be changed, at the last trump (the seventh trump): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead (in Christ) shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed,” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

“Immediately after the (3 ½ year) tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet (the seventh trumpet), and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,” Matthew 24:29-31.

While the elect spend time with God at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, (Revelation 19:7-9), and prepare for the Battle of Armageddon to physically take over the kingdoms of this world, God will begin to pour out the vials of His wrath upon the wicked and unbelieving who have refused to turn from their evil ways to the ways of God’s truth, love, and mercy.

“And He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked,” Isaiah 11:4b. “Howl; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore, shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: and they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

“Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I (the Lord) will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible…Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger,” Isaiah 13:6-13.

It will be at that time, that heathen will really rage, “And the nations were angry, and Your wrath is come…and that You should destroy those which destroy the earth,” Revelation 11:18. The 75 days of God’s wrath will be poured upon the wicked and unbelieving who refused to accept the witness of Christ, who refused to believe on Him for their salvation, and turn from their wicked ways.

Psalm 46:8-9 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations He has made in the earth. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in sunder; He burns the chariot in the fire.

At the end of the wrath of God will begin the new dispensation called the Millennium. “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore,” Isaiah 2:4. “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea,” Isaiah 11:9.

“And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years,” Revelation 20:4.

Psalm 46:10-11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

God will finally be exalted in that day. Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, to the glory of God the Father, Philippians 2:11. “And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as His work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city,” Revelation 22:12-14.

Originally published March 2, 2025,

 

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"Descubre la Razón de tu Vida" - La Voz Diaria

Dennis Edwards:

El fin de semana pasado, asistí a un seminario de un día llamado "Descubre la Razón de tu Vida". Era un seminario típico cuyo objetivo era ayudar a cada asistente a evaluar su vida y establecer metas a corto y largo plazo. La parte que me pareció más interesante fue el primer ejercicio que nos pidieron.

Cada persona tenía que escribir los nombres de las personas y los eventos que habían tenido un fuerte impacto en su vida. Después de ordenar los eventos y las personas en orden cronológico, tuvimos que crear capítulos de nuestra vida: infancia, secundaria, universidad, etc. Fue interesante recordar a las personas y los eventos que habían tenido una influencia positiva en nuestras vidas.

Sin embargo, lo que yo y los demás asistentes notamos fue que los eventos negativos fueron en realidad los que actuaron como catalizadores para el bien. Los eventos negativos de nuestras vidas nos habían impulsado hacia adelante. Los eventos negativos habían ayudado a definir nuestro carácter y nos habían convertido en lo que somos hoy. Los eventos aparentemente negativos habían obrado juntos para bien, como dice la Biblia.

"Todas las cosas ayudan a bien a los que aman a Dios, a los que son llamados conforme a su propósito". Romanos 8:28.

Me imagino que no todos los eventos malos necesariamente tienen ese efecto. Si las personas involucradas no aman ni confían en Dios, estos eventos podrían perjudicar sus vidas. Si no permiten que Dios los use para moldear su carácter y convertirlas en mejores personas, fácilmente podrían terminar amargadas, resentidas, enojadas, llenas de odio o con cualquier otro rasgo o actitud negativa.

Al amar y confiar en Dios, incluso en las situaciones y eventos más difíciles, Dios puede transformar ese suceso malo o desagradable en algo bueno. Puede usarlo para transformar nuestras vidas, nuestro carácter o la vida de otros para bien. Dios es bueno. Todo lo que Él permite que suceda en nuestras vidas, lo puede usar para bien, si lo amamos y confiamos en Él.

De cada uno de nosotros depende cómo permitimos que los eventos de la vida nos afecten. Podemos desanimarnos con la suciedad de la vida. O podemos limpiarnos leyendo la palabra de Dios y viviendo en agradecimiento y alabanza. Podemos confiar en que Dios nos ama y usa los acontecimientos de nuestra vida para bien. Día tras día podemos volver a intentarlo. Como solía cantar Charlie Chaplin: "Sonríe, aunque te duela el corazón".

El apóstol Pablo escribió: "Por lo cual no desmayamos; aunque nuestro hombre exterior se va desgastando, nuestro hombre interior se renueva de día en día. Porque esta leve tribulación momentánea produce en nosotros un cada vez más excelente y eterno peso de gloria" (2 Corintios 4:16-17).

Si estás pasando por un momento aparentemente difícil ahora mismo: una enfermedad, un problema financiero, problemas con tus hijos o familia, un cambio en tu lugar de trabajo o los cambios fisiológicos propios de la edad, no te lamentes. El momento aparentemente difícil de hoy en realidad te está ayudando a seguir formando tu carácter. Lo que estás viviendo hoy te está preparando para los gloriosos días victoriosos que te esperan, los cuales aún no has experimentado. Que Dios te bendiga y te ayude a seguir mirando hacia arriba. "El futuro es tan brillante como las promesas de Dios". Un momento.

PD: El otro día finalmente me di cuenta de que todas las cosas difíciles que he pasado en la vida fueron obra de Dios. Estas son algunas de las principales: divorcio después de 15 años de matrimonio, juicio por acusaciones de fraude, juicio por acusación de abuso infantil en relación con la educación en casa, muerte de un nieto de un año y medio, muerte de un hijo de 27 años, muerte de un hijo de 45 años, muerte de mi mejor amigo de 27 años.

No es que Dios causara estos eventos. Sin embargo, Dios usó los malos eventos para ayudarme a transformar mi corazón de piedra en un corazón de carne, un corazón que Él pudiera usar para amar y ayudar a los demás. Ese es el objetivo: un corazón de amor. «Porque el mayor de ellos es el amor», 1 Corintios 13:13b.

Publicado originalmente el 2 de febrero de 2012. Resumido y republicado el 16 de febrero de 2026.

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"Descobre o Propósito da Tua Vida" - A Voz Diária

Dennis Edwards:

No passado fim de semana, participei num seminário de um dia chamado "Descobre o Propósito da Tua Vida". Era um seminário típico, cujo objetivo era ajudar cada participante a avaliar a sua vida e, em seguida, definir objetivos a curto e longo prazo. A parte que achei mais interessante foi o primeiro exercício que nos foi proposto.

Cada pessoa tinha de escrever os nomes das pessoas e dos acontecimentos que tivessem tido um forte impacto nas suas vidas. Depois de colocarmos os acontecimentos e as pessoas por ordem cronológica, tínhamos de dividir as nossas vidas em capítulos: infância, liceu, faculdade, etc. Foi interessante recordar as pessoas e os acontecimentos que tiveram uma influência positiva nas nossas vidas.

No entanto, o que eu e os outros participantes percebemos foi que os maus acontecimentos, na verdade, foram os que funcionaram como catalisadores para o bem. Os maus acontecimentos das nossas vidas impulsionaram-nos para a frente. Os maus acontecimentos ajudaram a definir o nosso carácter e fizeram de nós quem somos hoje. Os acontecimentos aparentemente maus funcionaram em conjunto para o bem, como diz a Bíblia:

"Todas as coisas cooperam para o bem daqueles que amam a Deus, daqueles que são chamados segundo o seu propósito". Romanos 8:28.

Imagino que nem todos os acontecimentos maus, necessariamente, o façam. Se as pessoas envolvidas não amam e confiam em Deus, então os maus acontecimentos podem contribuir para o mal nas suas vidas. Se não permitirem que Deus use os maus acontecimentos para moldar o seu caráter e torná-las pessoas melhores, podem facilmente tornar-se amargas, ressentidas, zangadas, odiosas ou com inúmeras outras características e atitudes negativas.

Ao amar e confiar em Deus, mesmo nas situações e acontecimentos mais difíceis, Deus pode transformar essa ocorrência má ou desagradável em algo bom. Ele pode usá-la para transformar as nossas vidas, transformar o nosso carácter ou transformar a vida de outras pessoas para o bem. Deus é bom. Tudo o que Ele permite que aconteça nas nossas vidas, pode usá-lo para o bem, se O amarmos e confiarmos n’Ele.

Cabe a cada um de nós decidir como permitiremos que os acontecimentos da vida nos afetem. Podemos deixar-nos abater e desanimar pela sujidade e lama da vida. Ou podemos purificar-nos, lendo a palavra de Deus e caminhando em gratidão e louvor. Podemos confiar que Deus nos ama e está a usar os acontecimentos da nossa vida para o bem. Dia após dia, podemos tentar novamente. Como Charlie Chaplin costumava cantar: "Sorria, mesmo que o seu coração esteja a doer."

O apóstolo Paulo escreveu: "Por isso, não desanimamos; embora o nosso exterior se desgaste, o nosso interior se renova dia após dia. Pois a nossa leve e momentânea tribulação produz para nós um peso eterno de glória mui excelente" (2 Coríntios 4:16-17).

Se está a passar por um momento aparentemente difícil neste momento, seja por uma doença, um problema financeiro, problemas com os seus filhos ou família, uma mudança no seu ambiente de trabalho ou as alterações fisiológicas do envelhecimento, não se lamente. Esta aparente dificuldade de hoje está, na verdade, a contribuir para a formação contínua do seu carácter. O que está a viver hoje está a prepará-lo para os dias gloriosos e vitoriosos que se avizinham, os quais ainda não experimentou. Que Deus o abençoe e o ajude a manter a esperança. "O futuro é tão brilhante como as promessas de Deus". Persevere.

PS: Finalmente percebi no outro dia que todas as dificuldades que enfrentei na vida foram obra de Deus. Eis algumas das principais coisas "más": divórcio após 15 anos de casamento, processo judicial por acusações de fraude, processo judicial por acusação de abuso infantil relacionado com o ensino doméstico, morte de um neto de um ano e meio, morte de um filho de 27 anos, morte de um filho de 45 anos, morte de um melhor amigo de 27 anos.

Não é que Deus tenha causado estes acontecimentos. No entanto, Deus usou as dificuldades para ajudar a transformar o meu coração endurecido num coração de carne, um coração que Ele pudesse usar para amar e ajudar os outros. É esse o objetivo: um coração de amor. "Porque o maior deles é o amor", 1 Coríntios 13:13b.

Publicado originalmente a 2 de fevereiro de 2012. Resumido e republicado a 16 de fevereiro de 2026.

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Discover the Reason of Your Life! - The Daily Voice

Dennis Edwards:

The past weekend, I attended a one-day seminar called "Discover the Reason for Your Life." It was a typical seminar aimed at helping each attendee evaluate his or her life, and then set short and long term goals. The part I found most interesting was the first exercise we were asked to do. 

Each person had to write down the names of people and events which had had a strong effect on their lives. Then after putting the events and people in chronological order, we had to make chapters of our life: childhood, high school, college, etc. It was interesting to look back on the people and events that had had a good positive influence on our lives. 

However, what I and the other attendees noticed was that the bad events were actually the ones that acted as catalysts for good. The bad events of our lives had propelled us forward. The bad events had helped define our character and made us what we were today. The seemingly bad events had worked together for good like the Bible says. 

"All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.

I imagine that not all bad events, necessarily, do that. If the people involved do not love and trust God, then bad events could work for evil in their lives. If they don't let God use the bad events to shape their character and make them better people, they could easily end up bitter, resentful, angry, hateful or with any other numerous negative traits and attitudes. 

By loving and trusting God even in the most difficult situations and events, God can transform that bad or ugly occurrence into something good. He can use it to transform our lives, transform our character, or transform the lives of others for good. God is good. Whatever He allows to happen in our lives, He can use for good, if we love and trust Him. 

It is up to each one of us how we will let life's events affect us. We can get down and discouraged with the dirt and muck of life. Or, we can wash ourselves off, by reading God's word, and by walking in thankfulness and praise. We can trust that God loves us and is using the events in our lives for good. Day by day we can try again. Like Charlie Chaplin used to sing, "Smile, though your heart is aching." 

Apostle Paul wrote. "For which cause we faint not; though our outward man perish, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction ( or trouble), which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," 2 Corinthians 4:16-17.

If you are going through a seemingly hard spot right now with an illness, a financial problem, problems with your children or family, a change in your work space, or the physiological changes of getting older: do not lament. Today's seemingly difficult spot is actually helping in the continuous formation of your character. What you are going through today is preparing you for the glorious victorious days ahead, which you have yet to experience. God bless you and help you to keep looking up. "The future is as bright as the promises of God." Hang on.

PS: I finally realised the other day, that all the hard things I had passed through in life were from God's hand. Here are some of the main "bad" things: Divorce after 15 years of marriage, court case over accusations of fraud, court case over accusation of child abuse in relation to home-schooling, death of a one and a half year old grandchild, death of a 27-year old son, death of a 45-year old son, death of a best friend of 27 years. 

It is not that God caused the events to take place. However, God used the bad events to help transform my stony heart into a heart of flesh, a heart that He could use to love and help others. That's the goal: a heart of love. "For the greatest of these is love," 1 Corinthians 13:13b.

Originally published February 2, 2012 Abridged and republished February 16, 2026.

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