Safetypinlove

Throughout the Gospels, every one of Jesus Christ’s commandments fit into one of these categories.

Come to Jesus. These are His call to change. They are conversion commandments that bid us to Come, Believe, Repent, and Follow. For when we do, we are transformed from the inside out.

Live in Jesus. These commandments direct us towards the intimate fellowship and communion Jesus desires with all of us. They speak of Love, Abiding, Asking, and Seeking after Him as we grow closer and closer to His heart.

Serve Jesus. These are the commissioning and obedience commandments where we are charged with a readiness for service…entrusted with the Gospel Message…and admonished to 0bey and conform to His Word.

This in a nutshell is the Good News of the Gospel Message that Jesus preached…that we can be saved and forgiven if we will turn from our sin and trust in His life, death, and resurrection.

Remember this today…If God helped you start, He will help you finish. But so many times it’s during that “in between interval” where our faith and trust is tested the most. Peter didn’t hesitate to jump into the water to walk to Jesus, but doubt quickly took over when he heard the roaring wind and saw the raging waves around him. And in that short space of time, Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. But we have been reassured, “That He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) Therefore, we must trust God in the “in between”.

There are days when our thoughts feel heavier than our faith. We attempt to pray, but our mind keeps dragging us back to worry and fear. But reflect on this for a moment…Jesus doesn’t measure our faith by how quiet our minds are, but will rather meet us right in the middle of all the noise, confusion, and chaos of our life. And He doesn’t demand great faith of us, rather, Jesus honors small faith that’s rooted in dependance and submissiveness to Him… for it’s true faith the size of a mustard seed that can truly move mountains. (Matthew 17:6, Matthew 17:20)

Our faith doesn’t cancel out our feelings. We can trust and love Jesus with all our being but still battle with anxiety, depression, and exhaustion. That doesn’t make us faithless…just human. And we know that Jesus understands this…for He wept also. Still, faith isn’t emotional numbness either. Rather, it’s choosing to trust God while still flooded with emotions. So remember, faith isn’t the absence of tears…it’s bringing those tears to God and finding courage and peace in the midst of them.

Ministry is all about looking for a place to serve…not a place to shine. That’s because in the Kingdom of God, greatness in His eyes is measured not by visibility, but by humility…not by public acclaim, but by quiet obedience to Him in doing the small things. However, this is a hard thing to do, because we all want to be recognized and appreciated…admired and respected. But who then are we really doing it for…God or man? Serving others is not about being a people pleaser – but a pleaser of God that transforms our ministry into an act of worship unto the Lord. (Ephesians 6:7)

Regardless of what it is, making something our aim requires a conscious decision and constant effort on our part to keep that primary goal in front of us. This could include an exercise program, healthy diet, or our focus on serving the Lord. With all of them, the key word here is discipline…but especially with our commitment to God, serving and glorifying Him everyday. ( I Corinthians 10:31)

The prophet Isaiah was reassuring the people of God in a very frightening time of uncertainty that God was the only one true Rock of stability and confidence…or as Genesis 49:24 called Him, “The Stone of Israel.” He reminded them that God’s power and understanding far surpasses any human comprehension, (Isaiah 40:21) and therefore, God plans, proclaims, and executes…all the while fulfilling His Word perfectly…demonstrating His absolute control over the universe. (Isaiah 42:9) We can then take comfort today in this uncertain world that God is indeed still in control, and that His Word will always come to pass.

God never said, “Be busy and know that I am God.” Rather, when He said to be still, He meant to rest in and hope for His Divine intervention…which is pretty hard to do when our minds are racing and we’re meeting ourselves coming and going. And it doesn’t help that the world today is so full of chaos that we’re overwhelmed by it all. Add to that, being worn out by the trials in our own personal struggles, it’s not surprising that we feel like we’re drowning in busyness. But if we can take a moment to pause, cease the busywork, and just be still before God…He will give us the rest we so desperately need… there in His Presence.

We can only find the living waters of nourishment and Salvation from God. When Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, He spoke about & offered her living water…symbolizing eternal life and spiritual fulfillment that only He could provide. (John 4:13-14) As Believers, we can then joyfully draw from the well of Salvation that will sustain and refresh our spiritual thirst …unlike any well of our own doing. (Isaiah 12:3)

It’s easy to trust God when everything is sunshine, butterflies, and rainbows. It’s not as easy though when trials hit us like a freight train and leave us floundering. Throughout the New Testament we are admonished to, “fight the good fight of faith.” (I Timothy 6:12 & Jude 1:3) Or as James 1:3 tells us, the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. In other words, every trial we will ever go through is designed by God for a purpose. So these tests of faith are given in order to develop our perseverance…and in turn, this perseverance will produce in us an ever maturing Christian character. (Romans 5:3)