Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

"In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"¹ and "Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."²

"Dear Dick Innes," writes a Daily Encounter reader. "I don't know whether it is my faith or if it is because of failed college exams. Please help me to get my faith back. I have passed several of my exams but failed others. I know I have disappointed God and fear His disapproval. My faith has deteriorated drastically."

Dear Sylvia (name changed), "When we fail examinations or any other kind of test, we don't disappoint God and He doesn't love us any the less. Certainly God feels for us when we fail because He cares deeply for us. However, His love for us is totally unconditional. He doesn't love us on the basis of what we have done or haven't done. He loves us just because we are a part of His divine creation.

"Parents who love their children on the basis of how well they do in school or on the basis of their achievements in other areas are setting up their children to become neurotic perfectionists, compulsive performers, or dismal failures. You can be assured that God, our Heavenly Father, never ever treats us this way.

"It sounds to me like you have disappointed yourself. Chances are that when you were a child you probably felt that you could never please your earthly father (and/or mother). Always remember that God, your Heavenly Father, is not the same as your earthly father (or mother) or anyone else you couldn't please.

"Regarding your relationship to God, the important thing to do is to choose to daily trust and commit your life and way to Him every day for the rest of your life. That's what I do and that's what King David did when he was afraid."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that You love me even when I fail and that Your love for me is not based on my performance, and is unconditional. Please help me to always do my best and be satisfied with that. Help me also to experience Your love in my heart at all times—good or bad. With Your help I choose daily to commit and trust my life and way to You. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Psalm 56:11 (NIV).
2. 1 Peter 5:7 (NASB).

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