VL - Issue 43- April 22

TRANSFORMED LIVES
God’s Faithfulness
BY ROY A. BORGES
GOD HAS MADE PROMISES TO HIS PEOPLE since the beginning
of creation. Some of my favorites are found in the
Old Testament. The Israelites wandered through the desert
for a lot longer than they needed to, because they were often
ungrateful and disobedient to God. Despite that, however, the
Lord continued to pursue His people.
He had promised to never leave or forsake them, and He
never did (Deuteronomy 31:8). Instead He encouraged them,
protected them, and provided for them during all the years
they were in the wilderness.
Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know therefore that the Lord your
God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of
love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep
his commandments” (NIV).
You know what? All these generations later, you and I aren’t
all that different from the Israelites. Like them, through our
disobedience, sometimes we bring horrible consequences on
ourselves, but when we do, God is the same as He has always
been. He remains faithful to us just like He was back then.
It doesn’t matter which side of a prison wall you’re on, the
challenges you face are great. But God’s promises and everlasting
love remain the same. His greatest promise to us is
eternal life through the blood of Jesus Christ. There is no love
greater than that.
When I went to prison for the third time in 1989, I was sentenced
as a habitual offender. At the beginning of my 45-year
sentence, I believed I would never see the free world again. For
the next 31 years, I learned many lessons about the faithfulness
of God. The more committed I became to following Jesus, the
more He amazed me with the things He was doing in my life.
Every day, I learn more about God’s promises and His faithfulness
in keeping them. Living on the outside can be as challenging
as being on the inside. When I was first released, I
was at a halfway house, and not everyone there was looking
to follow God. Temptation was everywhere, but God gave me
strength and a way to escape it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Some of
the men actually saw Christ in me, and it was a blessing to be
a good example to others in that way.
The more I live my life to serve Christ, the more He pours
out His blessings on me. He has been faithful to provide for my
every need, just like He did for the Israelites (Psalm 34:10). He
has opened doors and done things for me that I never thought
possible, including providing me with a cozy RV to live in and
my own vehicle.
There have been times when my flesh became weak. I have
failed at some things, but God has been faithful in His grace
and mercy (Lamentations 3:22–23). He never fails to pick
me up when I grow weary and to continue with me on our
path together.
I have learned that I can rely on God and His Word to
carry me through anything I am facing. He is a covenantkeeping
God. He cannot lie, and that should be a comforting
TEMPTATION WAS EVERYWHERE,
BUT GOD GAVE ME STRENGTH
AND A WAY TO ESCAPE IT.
truth to all believers. It is for me. I know I can trust God, and I
want to be obedient to Him because of the love He has shown
me. The road I am traveling is not an easy one, but God is always
there to help me on my journey.
You know—this applies to you just as much as it does me.
God’s faithfulness brings peace and victory to His children. If
you believe that Jesus Christ died for the forgiveness of your
sins and are willing to learn how to live His way, then you are
a child of God. That means those promises are yours too.
ROY A. BORGES served 31 years in the Florida Department of Corrections,
where he realized his need for a Savior. While incarcerated, Roy ministered to
others through his writings, over 300 of which have been published. He now
lives in Tampa, Florida, and is a member of the Victorious Living writing team.
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Issue 02 / 2022
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