In my 30+ years of ministry, I have had many ups and downs. There have been moments in which I felt victorious and invincible, and at other times I felt victimized and defeated. My entire faith journey has consisted of seasons in which I have questioned my self-worth, spirituality, and even my ministerial calling. I didn’t come from a family who supported my Christianity or purpose. If I am honest, I felt more encouraged to live in sin and disobedience than to live righteously for the Lord. At least if I lived out of my selfish ambitions, I would be like one of them. This stinking thinking caused me to live as a person who second-guessed himself. I walked around with spiritually low self-esteem, and I always felt as if I were never enough. It took years of ups and downs to finally discover how valuable and important I was to God and His divine assignment over my life.
During all these years, five biblical truths remained, and they have kept me focused on God and not on my feelings – even through some of the most difficult situations of my life, moments in which I felt hopeless, depressed, and in fear. The Lord used these scriptural promises to remind me of who I really am and what He has done in my life. Let’s call these Five Biblical Nuggets to remind you of your value and divine uniqueness.
- God’s love pursues you and builds a permanent place for you to belong to. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalms 23:6, ESV).
- God assures you that He is constantly working in your life to make you a better person. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV).
- When your humanity and brokenness get in the way, even then God will sustain you and keep you blameless. “…[E]ven as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:6-8, ESV).
- Even when you are betrayed by those closest to your heart, the Lord remains faithful and picks up the pieces. “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in” (Psalms 27:10).
- Sometimes you may suffer the consequences of taking matters into your hands but rest assured that even then God stands by your side and helps you. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, ESV).
All throughout the scriptures there are promises designed by God to keep you, even in times of trouble and distress. Someone once said, “Ships don’t sink because of the water around them. Ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down” (Unkown).
And most of all, remember “[H]e who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4, ESV).
God Bless You
Pastor Eli Hernandez
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