Not afraid

Isa 51:12  I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; Isa 51:13  And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

 Safety is promised the servants of the Lord.  Why should we be afraid of mere humans when we have the almighty Creator on our side?  The servants of the Lord are promised that ultimately no weapon, no slander or lies will prevail against us.  This is our heritage.  Take courage, continue faithful, trusting God in the midst of opposition. 

In our heart

Heb 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; Heb 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

 The purpose of salvation is to have our relationship with God restored.  In this great salvation the guilt of sin is cleansed and the power of sin is broken. We who have been redeemed will obey because our hearts and minds have embraced God's love, God’s will, God’s way, God’s laws. This great salvation brings a freedom from the guilt of sin, as well as freedom from the power of sin. Live in this freedom and fellowship with God.

Everlasting love

Jer 31:3  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

 The love of God is from eternity and is everlasting.  For this reason, God continues His faithfulness and kindness toward us.  It’s who God is; it’s His very character and nature.  We who love Him in return have every reason to continue to trust Him and His faithful love and care. 

Not alone

Deu 20:4  For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

It is a great comfort to know that we are not in life’s battles alone. As God’s children, He is with us, to fight for us.  Were it not for this fact, many of life’s battles would seem terrifying, insurmountably difficult.  But, we are not alone!  The very Creator of the universe is by our side. There is nothing, no battle, no trial, no difficulty, that is too much for our God!   

He lives!!

Mat 28:1  In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Mat 28:2  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. Mat 28:3  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: Mat 28:4  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. Mat 28:5  And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Mat 28:6  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

 We celebrate today the greatest event in all the history of mankind…the event to which all of creation was looking.  Full salvation of both body and soul was accomplished.  The power and guilt of sin was removed at the cross just days earlier.  This Easter morning the power and fear of death was defeated.  Jesus arose from the grave, in a resurrected body.  His resurrection proved He was the Son of God, and gave us the promise and hope of victory over death. Not just life, but life without end in a resurrected body, in a new heaven and new earth, where there will be no more wickedness, sin, suffering, sickness and sorrow. Let us pour out our hearts in praise and worship today.

God is faithful

Psa 138:8  The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

 I am thankful that God is still working on me!  The Psalmist expresses his confidence that God will do whatever further is needed to be done in his life.  By His mercy, He will complete the salvation that He has begun. Don’t quit on God, and He won’t quit on you.  

For our sins

Joh 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Joh 3:16  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. Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 This day is a solemn day…it is the day we remember the unspeakable gift made for our forgiveness.  As Jesus was lifted up on the cross to die, our forgiveness was purchased.  It was the love of God that gave this unspeakable gift, so that we might receive the gift of life without end.  Allow yourself time today to meditate on this truth.  Then, spend some time in humble worship and adoration with our Savior.   

Give it to God

Psa 55:22  Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

 When we bring our burdens, our cares, our worries to God, He will sustain us.  He will keep us and support us. The promise God makes to us is this: If we will bring our burdens to Him, give them to Him, then He will keep us safe. We will not be moved, not shaken.

The goal

Joh 11:26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

 The real reward of this Christian life is life without end.  That is the promise held out to us again and again.  This eternal life is found by believing in Jesus Christ and then living in Him.  Let’s keep our eye on the goal.

Don't worry

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.   Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This is a very familiar verse, yet how difficult we find it to truly practice!  We are instructed to not worry, but instead to bring all of our requests to God in earnest prayer. Notice also that our prayer is to include real thankfulness.  If we do this, we are promised peace, the peace of God, the assurance of God that is only really known by experience.  This peace, through Jesus Christ, guards us from fears and anxiety. 

That it may go well for you

Deu 12:28  Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.

 We all want a good life.  We all want good things for our families.  The path to a good life both for us and our children is the path of obedience.  We need to take careful heed to God’s commandments so that it may go well for us and for our children.  Continue faithful in this unsettled time.

Rest

Exo 33:14  And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

 Another precious promise of rest!  It is the presence of God that brings us peace and rest.  It is the assurance of His care, His love and His mercy that brings us rest.  He has promised that His presence would go with us. We are entering some uncharted territory, but we can go forward confidently knowing God is with us.

Safe

Psa 34:7  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

 What safety!  The Lord doesn’t just check on us from time to time; His angels are camping out around us, surrounding us, all the time. Not only are they present, they are active in giving us the help and deliverance we need.  Trust Him.

Pure in heart

Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

 The idea of seeing God means to be in His presence in eternity.  It is only those who are pure in heart that will have that privilege and that destiny.  To be pure in heart means to have the right attitudes and the right motives for what we do.  It is more than just doing right…it is doing right for the right reasons. 

For Him

Rev 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

 Oh how much our Lord is worthy of praise!!  Everything that was created in this world was created by Him and for Him.  We need to keep a proper perspective on this life.  We also were created by Him and for Him.  Let’s allow our hearts to well up in awe to the Creator God.

Through the fire and the flood

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

 Though we may go through the fire and the floods, we are promised that God will keep us safe.  There are many things in life that we have to go through.  We don’t always get to avoid the difficult places in life.  God doesn’t always spare us difficulties, yet He has promised that no real harm will come to us.  Trust Him.  Live confidently no matter how the future looks.

Identified with Christ

Mat 10:32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Mat 10:33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

 We are sometimes tempted to hide our identification with Christ in this hostile world.  Sometimes we fear rejection from those around us.  This passage brings us a sobering thought.  If we won’t be identified with Jesus here, neither will He claim us in that great Judgment Day.  In that hour, only one thing will matter:  Will Jesus claim us as one of His?  Identify fully in this life as one of His, so there can be no doubt in that hour.

Endure

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

 The enduring of trials and temptations is rarely pleasant.  The self denial necessary to stay faithful through these trials and temptations can be painful at times.  Yet we have the promise of the crown of life that the Lord has reserved for those who love Him.  Truly, when we endure these difficulties and temptations, we have a great blessing in store. 

Pray for our nation

Jer 29:7  And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

We are just pilgrims passing through this land on the way to our home.  Yet, we are encouraged to seek the peace and well being of the land where we live, for in doing so, we also be able to experience that peace. Pray for our nation.

Confess and forsake

Pro 28:13  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

It is a painful thing to fail.  We are tempted to deny or ignore our failings.  Such an approach never leads to good things.  We are encouraged to be open before God, acknowledging our failings, our sins.  It is this approach that brings the mercy of God on our life.