James MacDonald

James MacDonald (born October 4, 1960) is an author, speaker, and Protestant minister.

Always True (Moody, 2011)

 * While we wait, God builds our faith in His promises.
 * p. 17


 * While you can’t keep fear from visiting, you can slam the door in its face. With God’s promise in your hand, that’s exactly what you are able to do.
 * p. 32


 * Fear is the contradiction of faith. Faith says, Whatever it is, it’ll be okay because of God.
 * p. 33


 * The antidote for fear is the promise of God’s presence. God is with you. “For He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”(Heb 13:5)
 * p. 33


 * Sometimes it feels like God backs away from you when you hit hard times, but that’s not true. (see Psalm 34:18)
 * p. 35


 * You’ll face overwhelming odds; you’ll be incredibly outnumbered. Fear would be your natural inclination. But keep in mind, God is with you.
 * p. 43


 * This fight is not going to be over in 10 minutes or 10 weeks; there’s no quick solution. If you think it’s taking too long, remember, God is with you.
 * p. 43


 * When God promises, He’s not saying, I’ll try.  He means, I can and I will.
 * p. 47


 * It’s not unlikely that God would lie—that would be a matter of probability. It is impossible for God to lie.
 * p. 51


 * Even if God could lie, He would have no motivation. He can gain nothing by lying. Everything He wants to have happen happens.
 * p. 51


 * Take a deep breath and take this to heart; God has nothing to do with broken promises. When He says, I promise, mark it down—it’s going to happen.
 * p. 52


 * When you say, I don’t know exactly what God is doing, but I know he’s in control—that’s evidence you’re trusting Him.
 * p. 55


 * Doubt is a lack of confidence or assurance that God will keep his promises. Faith is an active confidence that God’s promises are always true.
 * p. 56


 * The Christian way is a life of faith. In order to hold on to the promises of God, you’ve got to believe them and live by them.
 * p. 58


 * Don’t lean on your own understanding. If your trust in God is limited by your understanding of His ways, you will always have a limited trust.
 * p. 59


 * Don’t miss God’s fingerprints all over the events, lining up people and circumstances in perfect timing to preserve His people and advance His agenda.
 * p. 66


 * When you come to the place where you can’t do anything else, you must stand still and believe… When you can’t do anything, let God do it all.
 * p. 83


 * You might not think it now, but if you’re one of God’s children, you’re going to figure it out by the end of your life—God is good.
 * p. 84


 * His disposition is kindness. His default action is for your benefit. He’s good! And someday you will taste it!
 * p. 85


 * Our prayer must be, “Father, I’m waiting for You because I know You are good in what You do and in when you do it.”
 * p. 85


 * Eventually you can see that your pain was part of a much larger picture that God was carefully painting.
 * p. 87


 * What kind of future is in God’s plan? A good one to which you can look forward. That’s why you can hope.
 * p. 89


 * We all know the disappointments that come when we base anticipation on what we and other humans can deliver. God will never have a problem delivering!
 * p. 89


 * It doesn’t matter what has happened, better things are coming. God’s plan produces hope in me.
 * p. 89


 * If He wasn’t going to use that hard thing for your good, it wouldn’t have happened. He had to sign off on every single thing that touches your life.
 * p. 90


 * I want to be a part of the grand plan. Being on board with God’s objectives means I understand that this is not about me.
 * p. 91


 * By your grace, I will not despair. I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
 * p. 91


 * Only when we have done all we knew to do can we wait by faith for God to do what only He can do.
 * p. 98


 * God looked through eternity past and He saw you and He chose to reach out and redeem you by His own grace. It’s hard to imagine that kind of love.
 * p. 102


 * Too many times we’re looking for ways to get around deep waters and dangerous fires, rather than through them. Has this ever been your experience?
 * p. 106


 * At this moment, God is watching your life and at some point in this trial, He will say enough. You don’t need to falter.
 * p. 109


 * Difficult trials will naturally evoke powerful emotions in us. How would your circumstances look today if you chose to focus first on God’s promises?
 * p. 121
 * I will not fail: God is always victorious.
 * p. 138


 * [God’s] purposes are always accomplished. His enemies are always defeated. His faithful followers are always rewarded. His Son’s throne will be established forever.
 * p. 138