David asks the Lord two questions, inquiring whether He would reject Israel. Certainly, he then heard that this did not come from the One who loves His children with all His heart. This resolved the doubt in the king's mind, who, as a wise politician, asked if the Most High would no longer go out with the armies of Israel. It is good to dialogue gently with the Father!

         The truth is that if God does not go before His people in battle, they will fall into the hands of their enemies. If He is not with us, we will face intense and difficult trials. However, with the Lord as the strength of our lives, we will fear nothing (Psalm 27:1). We must always observe the way we are serving God. There are brothers who never check if they are well in the faith and, because of this carelessness, they stumble. Mercy!

         Many do not know the spiritual world, the world of the Lord, so nothing works for them. The faith of these people has not been effective and powerful in the battles they fight. Without help from Above, they only reap defeats that complicate everything, and when they realize this, they despair and then ask where God was all along. Take care!

         If God has not been with us in our struggles, problems will come upon us, bringing suffering; after all, we will always have bills to pay, adversities, and bad days (John 16:33). It is good to ask ourselves: are we paying attention to the Word of the Lord, or are we like the majority, who do not even open the Bible to learn how to walk before the Almighty daily? Those who abandon the Word will taste their own poison, for they will achieve nothing by faith!

         Failing to keep the commandments shows that you do not love God or yourself (John 14:21). In the Lord's laws and ordinances, intended for His servants, there is more than duty; there are blessings of all kinds that will bring you fulfillment in your personal life and in your faith in Christ. God would never make His people strive only to please Him, for He lacks nothing. When setting limits, our heavenly Father does not do so to burden us with obligations, but to protect us from evil and fill us with blessings. Pray!

         God thinks of us continually, but unfortunately, the religious leadership that took over the Church in the second century understood nothing about love and the commandments, so it led the Church, built by Christ with His blood and the efforts of His servants in preaching the Good News, to become a religion far removed from His message and teachings. As Paul said, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock (Acts 20.29). Watch, pray, and believe!       

         Today's days are similar to Paul's. When savage wolves approach sheep that have not yet become firm in their faith in Jesus, they scatter and stray from the Chief Shepherd. Christ must be the Lord of the Church! May the preached message from the pulpits be the same as that taught by the Savior, with manifestations of signs, wonders, and miracles. To Him be the glory!

In Christ, with love,

           R. R. Soares