Genesis 22-23, Job 12, Mark 8:1-21

What God said to me – No matter how often you have experienced My faithfulness in your life when you are faced with trials and difficulties it is easy to panic and doubt.  Look at My disciples – both times after I fed thousands they immediately forgot and panicked in their present circumstances.  You are no different.  It is important for you to take time to recount the times I have been faithful and taken care of you and to express your gratitude to Me.  This is especially important as you face new trials because it will build your faith and help you to trust Me in your present circumstances.  Not only will you experience peace in the midst of turmoil, but you will be looking expectantly to Me to do a work.  Never forget I will never leave you or forsake you and “I AM” always at work for your good and My glory.

Genesis 20-21, Job 11, Mark 7

What God said to me – People today spend so much time obsessing about their body – how they look – how they feel – what they are going to eat – what they are not going to eat – what are they going to wear.  While it is important to live a healthy lifestyle and to reflect Me in the way you dress and carry yourself, that should never be your focus.  You should spend much more time and effort into what you put into your heart and mind.  You will never reflect Me outwardly if you do not encounter Me inwardly.  You must not only spend time with Me in My word and prayer but you must constantly guard your heart and mind from ungodly influences in what you see and watch and read.  Evil and ungodliness come from the heart.  This should be the focus of your life, not your outward appearance or possessions.

Genesis 19, Job 10, Mark 6: 30-56

What God said to me – As you think about the disciples and all the miracles they saw Me perform – from healing the sick and raising the dead to feeding over five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish – you wonder how they didn’t get it.  After all they had seen, why would seeing Me walk on water frighten them so?  All of the things I did and said were to reveal to them the truth of who I was and to give them insight into that truth, but they only saw them as individual miracles, unrelated to anything else rather than being a foundation being built upon – one after another to teach them and build their faith.  The same is true in your life.  All of the things I have done for you and the ways I have shown Myself faithful to you were not individual, one-time occurrences, but were Me working in your life to build up your faith little by little and to grow you into a strong, mature believer.  So, when you experience something unusual, don’t be frightened, but rather look back at all the ways I have proved Myself faithful in the past and use that insight to walk in faith and peace in your present circumstances, knowing that “I AM” faithful.