Jesus: Our One Constant in a World of Uncertainty

Psalm 78:15-16


He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
He also brought streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.



Did you ever wonder if you understood what's really going on in our world? The headlines grow more ominous with each passing day. Societal norms that were certain when we were kids are no longer tolerated. Marriages have crumbled, our nation is tottering, the economy teeters on the brink of collapse. In fact,if you don't agree with the political correctness of the day, one is derided as a bigot of some sort. We were raised to grow up wanting the herd's approval, and so are afraid to go against the status quo by standing up for the truth. In fact, what is the truth? Everything is relative, or so we have been taught, there is no right and wrong anymore. As I read this morning in the book of Judges:

"In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (emphasis mine) Judges 21:25

But Jesus warned us this all was going to happen. In fact, it happened even in the days of ancient Israel.

Isaiah says, in chapter 5:

20 ​​"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
​​Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
​​Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
​
21 ​​Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
​​And prudent in their own sight!
​
22 ​​Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
​​Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
23 ​​Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
​​And take away justice from the righteous man!
​
24 ​​Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble,
​​And the flame consumes the chaff,
​​So their root will be as rottenness,
​​And their blossom will ascend like dust;
​​Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,
​​And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 ​​Therefore the anger of the LORD is aroused against His people;
​​He has stretched out His hand against them
​​And stricken them,
​​And the hills trembled.
​​Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets.
​
​​For all this His anger is not turned away,
​​But His hand is stretched out still."

There is nothing new under the sun. The corruption that plagues us today corrupted the nation of Israel before they were carried away into captivity.

Solomon, son of David, also spoke of a time of confusion in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 10:

5 ​​"There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
​​As an error proceeding from the ruler:
6 ​​Folly is set in great dignity,
​​While the rich sit in a lowly place.
7 ​​I have seen servants on horses,
​​While princes walk on the ground like servants."

If you want to really know what is going on, the best place to look is the Bible (not the local news or men's opinion) and if you read to the end of the book, you will find out who the real winners are. Though the great men of the earth strut about and make their plans for world domination, God says in Psalm 2:1-6:

Why do the nations rage,
​​And the people plot a vain thing?
2 ​​The kings of the earth set themselves,
​​And the rulers take counsel together,
​​Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3 ​​“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
​​And cast away Their cords from us.”
​
4 ​​He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
​​The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 ​​Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
​​And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 ​​“Yet I have set My King
​​On My holy hill of Zion.”

Our times grow more and more confusing, the headlines more and more perplexing. These rulers and dignitaries actually think their plans will succeed. On the other hand, as believers in Christ we know there is just one steady and sure anchor, Jesus our Great High Priest who finished the work and is sitting at God's right hand until, as it says further on in Psalm 2:

7 ​​“I will declare the decree:
​​The LORD has said to Me,
​‘​You are My Son,
​​Today I have begotten You.
8 ​​Ask of Me, and I will give You
​​The nations for Your inheritance,
​​And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 ​​You shall break them with a rod of iron;
​​You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
(emphasis mine)

The writer to the book of Hebrews makes clear to those of us living in these days that He now only speaks to us through the person of His Son, that He alone is the One constant thing to look to and rely upon in an ever-changing world.

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Hebrews 1:1-4 (emphasis mine)

Those who put their trust in the Lord will not be ashamed. Let us rehearse and recall the names of God and apply them to ourselves personally in times of trouble: God my shield, my provider, my protector, my refuge, my fortress, my deliverer, my rock. Jesus is the only sure thing in this world of confusion. As I put my reliance in Him, He will hold onto me, as indeed He holds onto everything in the universe. Finally, one glorious Day He'll roll this world up like a scroll, creating a brand new one that will never be corrupted again.

Three Stages of Deliverance

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us... II Corinthians 1:9-10

Have you faced your sentence of death yet? I mean it not in a bad way, but a good way. When I realize that I don't have to listen to my "old man"with his incessant demands, I am liberated. Christ has already taken care of that for me, I only need believe it.

I was struck the other day as I read in II Corinthians 1, there were 3 stages of deliverance for the believer in Christ. He delivered us (past tense) and does deliver (present tense) and will yet deliver us (future tense). That leaves me with nothing but to believe it, I do not have to deliver myself!

That is some of the best news I can think of, for it means that Jesus did it all when He died upon the cross for me. And all believers were also with Him as He died for us. For Paul tells us clearly:

"Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" Romans 6:3 (emphasis mine)

Not only were we baptized into His death, we also were buried with Him when He was buried.

Colossians 2:12 "...buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."

And not only buried with Him, but also raised to a new life, a brand new way of walking, through His gracious plan for us.

John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.' "

Romans 6:5-6 "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (emphasis mine)

Not only are these facts true, but He lives daily to deliver us in all our afflictions. Sometimes, it may not mean that He takes the afflictions away, but He gives us what we need to get through them, even so that we can comfort others through the very comfort we ourselves have received.

II Corinthians 1: 1-6
3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation." (emphasis mine)

We also are encouraged to know that we are not alone in our sufferings, but to realize that our brothers and sisters around the world are going through these very same trials.

I Peter 4: 12-14a
12 "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you..."

So even if we are going through a long-standing trial, we may be assured that God has a purpose in it, even if it is so that one day we may be able to comfort or encourage someone else who is going through a similar testing. And when we hear our old self crying out for attention, we can reckon on the fact that he in fact is dead, no matter how loudly he demands our attention.

These are just a few things I have been thinking about lately. I pray that God will encourage your heart today, as He has mine, by my starting (in the smallest way) to learn these truths.

Satisfying our soul's hunger...

Ecclesiastes 6:7 "All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied."

The pace of life seems way too fast for me. I can't keep up with technology, and it seems my attention is scattered so easily. Every day, I get book deal emails for bargain books to read on my Kindle, and no sooner do I get started with one book when I get distracted with another. The same goes for surfing the internet, I can never seem to get my fill of everything on there that I want to absorb. Then there are movies, most of which I don't see, but if I decided to become a movie buff, I am sure I could devote the rest of my life to it.

Then I think about my interests. I love writing and need to devote time to that. Then I also love quilting and sewing, so much so that the hobby has overtaken my dining room. In fact, my whole house is filled with projects that drew my attention: whether it was a book to be read, or little collections, or even stuff for recipes I was going to make but did not get to yet.

When I homeschooled my kids years ago, I never felt like I could keep up with all I wanted to teach them, and all the new products for homeschoolers coming out on the market. I always felt as if I was a "day late and a dollar short." Yet the verse from Ecclesiastes speaks to the vanity of it all. All the work we do to keep up in the pace of our busy lives and yet our souls are still left hungry.

The longer I live, the shorter the amount of days are left to me. Yet what will I fill them with? If I try to keep up with the pace of technology and the latest and greatest inventions of man, I will only fall further and further behind. But yet, there is something far greater that calls my name, something I can only accomplish in this life, and not in eternity. That is, time to learn about my God and take in as much of His Word as I can.

That is not something that most people are seeking after. How easy even for believers to be distracted from keeping the main thing of our lives to stay the main thing of our lives. The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:13-14:

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

That is the main point. That is what matters. Everything else pales in light of that one thing. The enemy of our souls doesn't want us to realize that. He uses his many distractions so that we will not pursue that one thing that matters.

Martha wanted to serve the Lord. She was so busy preparing dinner for Him. It seemed to her that He did not care that Mary her sister wasn't helping her. She finally asked Him why Mary could not help her, but Jesus saw that Mary had the one thing that she really needed, and did not rebuke her for sitting at His feet and learning from Him. In the end, Martha was the one who was rebuked.

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

The only time I have to grow in my relationship with Christ is reserved for me in this life. Everything has been decided by the time I reach eternity. How I need to be reminded to number my days, that the Lord would give me a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

By knowing this, it helps me to be able to say "no" to some good things, in order to gain the best thing: growing in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (II Peter 3:18) I just read this morning in Matthew 7 that the way is narrow that leads to life. Pastor James Leake once told my husband (who was newly saved) that "the good can be the enemy of the best." In choosing my relationship with God over earthly things, it may seem to be a "narrow" and difficult road to follow. But in giving up my own wants for my life, I find soul rest, the thing that my soul is really craving for. The Psalmist implores us:
"Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him!" (Psalm 34:8 NET) He alone will satisfy our soul's hunger.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry." (Matt. 11:28-30 NET version)

Help me Lord, to choose the "one needful thing" in this life, satisfying my soul hunger and so that I might grow in my capacity for enjoying the next life. Amen.

From Bleak Death into Eternal Hope

I Corinthians 15:12-17 "Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable."

Seeing the little purple crocus push through the sodden ground meant so much to me this spring. It seemed that it would never come, that perhaps the bitter cold killed my crocuses for good, but the purple crocus showed it's face on this earth ever so briefly. It reminds me that in Christ, there is always hope.

I love the song by Bill Gaither, "Because He Lives." The first two lines of the chorus say: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone." Let me say the opposite alternative is terrifying: If Christ did not rise from the dead, there would be no hope in this world. If He did not live in resurrection life, fear would be constant companion until the day I die.

But we know for a fact that He did rise from the grave, and His life and death marked a dividing line in human history. According to one Bible source, the Bible has 2,500 prophecies in it and 2,000 of them have already been fulfilled. http://www.reasons.org/articles/articles/fulfilled-prophecy-evidence-for-the-reliability-of-the-bible

For example, in Psalm 22, David prophesied in verses 7 and 8:

"All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

“He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

Note how this prophesy was fulfilled in Matthew 27:

38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.
39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

Or how about this Scripture about Christ's bones not being broken:

Psalm 34:20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

This was fulfilled in John 19:

31 "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs."

His bones were not broken because they represented us, His Church:

Eph. 5:30: "For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones."

If these prophecies were fulfilled, we can have hope that even though the world has gone mad, God will remain true to His promises.

Think of both the simplicity and the profundity of Jesus's words to us, especially relevant in this day when all the foundations around us are being shaken:

John 14: 1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” (emphasis mine)

That is the hope we can have during this Easter season, and every day for that matter. I cannot hope in myself, or in my plans to get better in my own strength, but I receive courage to keep going by this very fact:

Colossians 1: 27

"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. "
(emphasis mine)

Praising through the Problems of Life

Psalm 23:1-3
{A Psalm of David.} "Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside still waters.He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Darby translation)

David's Psalms have always been of great comfort to me, but they especially minister when I'm going through trials. I remember pondering them even when I was a teenager, when I felt that my adolescent world was caving in. The Psalms are timeless, even though written in ancient times, they are just as relevant today. When I get to heaven, I would be thrilled for a chance to meet David and discuss his beautiful words. But even more important, I will get to look upon the face of the One whom David wrote about, and never have to go through trials again. What a day to look forward to!

In the book Streams in the Desert, I read one post about how David had to go through many difficult times in order to write those words which have encouraged millions. It was not easy for him to go through all of that, but that was God's way of getting these beautiful messages of hope to us. God worked the hardest things in David's life to the good for all the believers who have received God's written Word. For March 19, the devotion declares that if David had not gone though those trials we would have not received the blessing they provide.

"One stinging sparrow spared would have been one blessing missed and unclaimed. One difficulty or danger escaped-- how great would have been our loss! The thrilling psalms where God's people today find expression for their grief or praise might never have been known." from Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman in the updated version edited by James Reimann, Zondervan Publishing House, 1997, page 121.

This morning when I had my time with God, I hunkered down in Psalm 40:1-3. I remember being drawn to this verse many years ago.

{To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm.} "I waited patiently for Jehovah; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. And he brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock; he hath established my goings: And he hath put a new song in my mouth, praise unto our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall confide in Jehovah." (Darby translation)

A few notes on some of the words:

The name Jehovah is one of the many names for God. It means "God in covenant relationship to those whom He has created. Jehovah means the Eternal, the Immutable One, He who WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME." (note Bullinger Companion Bible, Appendix 4)

I waited patiently: In the Hebrew this means "in waiting I waited." Bullinger, note Psalm 40:1

The words for pit of destruction and the miry clay: In the KJV it is called a horrible pit, meaning "state of sin and death which God alone can save a man" Miry clay means "The pit of perdition and the mud of corruption" (Dake Study Bible, note on Psalm 40:2)

I never realized before the meaning of the pit and the miry clay. I thought it just meant being in a bad situation. But the true meaning reveals where we all start out. The Apostle Paul says of the unregenerate man:

"that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." Ephesians 2:12 emphasis mine

Only God can reach down, in His tender mercy and pull each one of us out of that pit by His marvelous quickening by the Spirit. And that is what He does for each one who receives His gift of eternal life. But wait, there's more! He also sets our feet upon a rock.

The word for rock is "sela." It means "fortress, a refuge and security" notes from Bullinger Companion Bible on Psalm 40:2, Deuteronomy 32:13
It would be an amazing study to find all the references in the Bible to God being our rock and our fortress.

The result of all these things is a heart filled with gratitude: "And He hath put a new song in my mouth, praise unto our God."(Ps. 40:3) This new song will also be sung in heaven when time in human history has ended and Christ once again rules the planet. After the Lamb of God takes the scroll (the deed to planet earth that He won back at the cross), this will be the scene in heaven:

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
​
​​“You are worthy to take the scroll,
​​And to open its seals;
​​For You were slain,
​​And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
​​Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 ​​And have made us king and priests to our God;
​​And we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5: 8-10

If we will be praising Him throughout eternity, doesn't it make sense to praise Him now for the trials and difficulties of life? It sometimes is not easy for me to automatically do this, but I know when I do, it takes the focus off of me and my little problems and back rightfully on God. I feel a sense of relief knowing that I am known by My Maker.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

It's My Birthday and I'll Rejoice 'cause I want to

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7

I am 53 years young today. The Lord has given me a heart to rejoice because He is my Savior and Lord, and I believe that He is coming back soon.
And so, I list 53 things He has given me to celebrate today because of Jesus' precious gift of salvation to me, in no particular order. (These can belong to anyone, anywhere, anytime who chooses to believe in the Son of God for eternal life.)

1) He loved me.
2) He washed me from my sins in His own blood.
2) He made me a king and priest through Jesus.

Rev. 1:5-6
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

4) I am a member in particular of the Body of Christ. "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." I Corinthians 12:27

5) No eye has seen the things He is preparing for those who love Him, but they are beyond what we could think or imagine.

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." I Corinthians 2:9

6) My sins (and all those of everyone who believes in Christ) have been cast into the depths of the sea. Love this verse from Micah: "He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea." Micah 7:19

7)His eye is ever upon me to watch over me just as He watches over the sparrows.
Luke 7: 25-27 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

8)He will never change His mind about me. “For I am the LORD, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob."Malachi 3:6

9) He gave me living water to drink and promised that I will never thirst again. John 4:10 "Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

10)Right now, this very moment, I am a child of God.

11) One day I will be like Him, for I will see Him as He is.

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." I John 3: 2

12)I am going to a place where there will be no more tears, sorrow, crying or pain, no matter what I face in this life.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Rev. 21:4

13)I have a living hope

14) and an inheritance that Jesus is keeping for me.

I Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

15) I am a brand new creation in Christ, and that is the way God sees me, not in my trespasses and sins. II Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

16) I am His sheep and He is my shepherd.

17) I shall not lack for anything I need.

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd;I shall not want.

18) I will be delivered from the wrath to come by Jesus, as will all who place their faith in Him. I Thessalonians 1:10 "...and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

19)Surely God's goodness

20) and God's mercy

21) will follow me all the days of my life

22) and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23:6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

23) I have been given everlasting consolation

24) and good hope through grace

I Thessalonians 2: 16 "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,"

25) The Lord is my strength

26) and my shield

27) When I trust Him, I am helped

Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him."

28) I have been given by the Father to the Son

29) and I shall in no wise be cast out of the Father's hand

“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand." John 10:29

29) My Father rejoices over me with gladness

30) quiets me with His love

31) and rejoices over me with singing

Zephaniah 3: 17 "The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

32) I am totally complete in Christ.

"and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." Colossians 2:10

33) He who began a good work in me will complete it.
Philippians 1: 6 "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;"

34) the enemy has been defeated forever

35) I have been made alive together with Him

36) I've been forgiven all my trespasses

37) All the ordinances that I violated were nailed to the tree at Calvary

Colossians 2:13 "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."

38) I am dead to sins

39) and I am alive to God

40) therefore, I no longer have to be a slave to sin

"knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin"
Romans 6:6

41) Neither death

42) nor life

43) nor angels

44) nor principalities

45) nor powers

46) nor things present

47) nor things to come

48) nor height

49) nor depth

50) nor any other creature

shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

51) He will never leave me

52) He will never forsake me

Hebrews 13:5 "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

and last but definitely least:

53) the Lord is my helper, I need not fear man and what he might do to me

Hebrews 13:6 "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

So I guess my physical birthday is just a day, it is my spiritual birthday that really counts. For without being born anew in Christ, none of these things would be mine. But with simple faith in Christ, all of these things are mine. And not only for me, but for anyone who believes in His name. If you are without Christ, why not make today your very own spiritual birthday?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Have Faith in God

"
"For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills." Psalm 50:10



Is it just me or are others also having a hard time getting through this never ending winter? Every day we hear more and more bad news. Sometimes we pray for a situation and do not see anything happen. This can go on for years. I thought about this today as I trekked through the slush and puddles covering the soggy ground, up to the shopping plaza in my town. The sky was an endless hue of gray, but it felt warmer than it had in days and just getting out of the house gave me a small lift in my spirit.

I thought to myself, how do I reconcile the fact that sometimes it seems no answer comes to my prayers? One little verse popped out in my mind: "Have faith in God." Four simple words, but they convey, oh, so much.

Those words are found in Mark 11, in the lesson Jesus gave about the withered fig tree.

20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."

Yes, but.

That thought entered into my head, but quickly I came up with an answer to my doubt as to the validity of Jesus' statement. There is an answer when I seem to have unanswered prayers. In times when we cannot see what God is doing in our lives, it is time to let our faith in God's ultimate goodness encourage us to stand our ground and fight the good fight of faith.

Right now, we see through a mirror dimly (I Cor. 13:12). But we have thousands of magnificent promises (II Peter 1:4) from the Word of God, promises we can claim even if we don't see their answer. What is faith anyway? It is being sure of something we cannot see, and it is the only thing that pleases God.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

We are living in unprecedented times. The wheels are turning quickly to the day when Jesus will come back to gather His church to their heavenly home, and fight for His people Israel when all the world goes against them. We are given each day to believe when we don't see, to have confidence in the perfect essence of God: His unfailing love and mercy, forgiveness for our sins, and hope for a glorious future.

The key is to get to know the promises and claim them now. We must do this for ourselves. We will not need the promises when we get to the eternal state. No, the promises are for now.

"We never question how He works, once we know Him for who He is. When I gain the treasure of knowing Him, I can well afford to trust Him." Miles J. Stanford

Have faith in God!