God's Everlasting Love

 

Our help in times of tribulation and loss comes from the Lord (Psalm 121:1-2). He is the God of Creation (Genesis 1:1), Redemption (Ephesians 1:7) and Protection (Psalm 121:7). As Creator, He not only created the cosmos in the beginning, He will also restore all things with a new Heaven and a new Earth (Revelation 21:1).  As Redeemer, God saves Believers and protects us so that we will never perish (John 3:16-18).

To receive these blessings, we admit our need for a Savior. We all fall short of His glory, and deserve death; however, God gives us eternal life when we turn from our sinful lifestyle and trust in Him to save us (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8). We confess that we are sinners, believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, and we shall be saved (Roman 10:9).

We can live in confidence, because we know that God is protecting us through every trial and in all of our grief. As with Daniel in the lion's den, the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace and the valley of the shadow of death, God does not save us from the suffering; but as we live through it, He walks with us, as well as in us (Colossians 1:27).

God collects our tears in His bottle and He records the events in His book. He will bring revenge on those who hurt us (Romans 12:19). When we pray, God works on our behalf. We can trust Him without hesitation, realizing that no one can do anything to us without God's consent (Psalm 56:8-11). We will live for eternity and no one can ever snatch us away from Him (John 10:28).

Prayer:

Father God, I confess that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and I turn to You for salvation. I believe in You and trust You to take control of my life. Thank you for creating me, redeeming me and providing for me every day of my life. You are there for me in the light and the darkness. You carry me through every trial and comfort me in all of my grief (Psalm 68:19).

Thought for the Day:

As we flee from temptation and please God, we will increase in grace and knowledge of all that the Lord means to us. - 2 Timothy 2:22-24; 2 Peter 3:18

The God of Faithfulness

 

There is so much suffering in this world. We get so discouraged after experiencing abuse and degradation day after day. Even if we have a blessed life, we see the deprivation in lives all around us. We long for the Lord’s return; so He can initiate His Kingdom on the earth and do away with sorrow and sighing (Isaiah 51:11). Yet, God tarries, in His patience and loving kindness, as He gives every person alive, one more chance to surrender to His love (Psalm 86:15).

Actually, the impact of the suffering in our life dwindles in the effect it has on us, as God’s glorious presence rises more prominently in our heart (Romans 8:18). We see Satan exploiting the people we love, but we learn to surrender their suffering and ours to God’s capable hands. He is our Rock, and His work is faultless. All of His ways are holy. He is the faithful One. We can relinquish our disappointment and anger to Him as we put this life’s evil into God’s perspective (Isaiah 65:16).

Even if people, who claim that they are Christians, live unfaithful lives, this does not mean that God is unfaithful (Romans 3:3). God does wondrous things for us, which He planned before He ever created the earth, and we can praise and honor His name (Isaiah 25:1). He causes everything to work out for the good for those who love Him and are called for His purpose (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:28). He is our Father God, our strength, our defender and our salvation (Exodus 15:2; Psalm 98:1).

Even in the light of the wonders He provides for us, none of this compares to who God is (Psalm 40:5). He is faithful to every generation from the beginning of time (Psalm 89:1). Even our suffering has value, because we comfort others with the same comfort, which He provides for us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). We are one with our living God. He sustains us with His righteousness, peace and joy by His Spirit. He is our everything, our Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13).

Prayer:

Father God, without You, we could do nothing (John 15:5). We praise, bless and exalt Your holy name (Psalm 118:28). We teach our children and show every generation the marvelous things You do for us all (Psalm 78:4; Psalm 111:4). Yet, even then, many refuse to believe. They are so caught up in their pride and rebellion that they cannot see Your goodness and grace. They may never experience Your love, but we continue to pray for them as long as we have breath.

Thought for the Day:

We serve the living God of faithfulness who does no wrong and is totally just and holy. - Deuteronomy 32:4

Meeting at the Cross

Read: John 3:16-18

“All creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.” - Romans 8:19

Jesus Christ left His divine habitat in heaven and shed every vestige of privilege in order to live as one of us for thirty-three years. Then, in the prime of His life, He willingly gave Himself as a ransom for the penalty of our sins. He loved us while we were still lost in our sins. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus faced the terrifying dread of what He would suffer on Calvary’s cross (Matthew 26:42-44). He spared Himself no pain, however, to guarantee that we receive the best not only in life, but also in eternity.

In today’s society there are still people who volunteer to sacrifice their life as terrorist, fighting for their greater cause. They willingly blow themselves up in order to kill as many people as they can. Their cause is misguided and their intentions are evil. It is the character of sin to destroy and wound. They do not have a heavenly home awaiting their arrival. Such tragedies cause many to reel from the grief of these assaults. However, God collects the tears of everyone who is devastated by these acts of injustice in His bottle and He records these travesties in His journal (Psalm 56:8).
 

Jesus, the Man of beauty, infinite goodness and boundless love made a way for everyone willing to open their heart to Him. If we choose to turn our back on temporal distractions, He will draw us closer to Himself on a daily basis. He asks us to meet Him at the cross and to lay our life down in service for Him (Matthew 16:24). Jesus showed relentless compassion and sacrificial love when He considered us over His own need. His final burden was His separation from His union with our Father, something that had never been broken prior to the cross (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1).

People blame God for the suffering in the world; however, He actually gave His life to end suffering for all time. Mankind suffers from our own selfishness, greed, corruption and hypocrisy; yet we blame the one Being who loves us more than life itself for all of the suffering in the world. No one is more deserving of gratitude and love, and no one receives more misguided animosity, bitterness and denunciation than He does.

We, who are reproachable and defiled in every way and undeserving of forgiveness, judge God as lacking because He does not live up to our standards of what is right, fair and good. Yet, God in His infinite patience waits for our response of genuine love for Him. He requires nothing of us against our will, but He asks us to submit our will to His for our ultimate good. He took the sin of the world on Himself in order to heal mankind of our physical and spiritual wounds (John 1:29).
 

Jesus did this so that we can renounce the subtleties of sin in our life, and instead, seek a union with our triune God. Once we give our life to Him, we feel the pain of what hurts Him, we see the injustice that blames Him and we defend the Christian brother and sister who live in His honor. Jesus alone is worthy of all of adoration and praise; yet, He receives the most ridicule and misunderstanding.
 

Jesus forfeited His power and authority in heaven to take on the form of a man, and He tolerated the abuse of the crucifixion to save us all from the penalty of our sins (Hebrews 2:14; Matthew 4:4). Without Him our life is full of pain, disappointment and tragedy. He alone makes our life on this earth abundant and full of mercy and truth (John 16:33). God desires to use us to help Him to alter the destiny of our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors from everlasting destruction to eternal bliss by sharing with them what God does for us on a daily basis (2 Timothy 4:2).
 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You accepted our degradation in our place. You gave us Your spotless perfection in exchange and prevented the need for us to suffer for our willful disobedience to our Holy God. We confess our sins and ask You to be our Savior. We look forward to walking with You every day of the rest of our life and to joining You in the new heaven and the new earth for all eternity (Romans 8:20-22.)

Thought for the Day:

Everything Christ did in His life and death, He did for you and for me.