Are you bound up in the burial clothes of sin? Do addictions have you shackled to a life you hate? Do you long to be free of the things that have kept you from moving ahead? Then obey the command of Jesus, “Come out!” Yes, the decision is yours to make. You can remain wrapped up tightly in the burial clothes of sin, guilt and shame…or you can walk out of that grave you call your life today and live.
Month: May 2019
Psalm 25:14 ” The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them.”
In the middle of desperate, troubling times our emotions can’t be trusted. But what can be trusted is what the Lord has done for us in the past…those landmarks of our life when God moved mightily. For it was in those turning points when we clearly were able to see His mercy and love demonstrated. And so It’s those remembrances we can fall back on today that will offer the most peace and comfort for our soul.
II Corinthians 1:3-4 ” Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
When you’re going through the crushing weight of physical, mental, or spiritual distress, you’ll receive two kinds of compassion and consolation from people. You’ll hear sympathetic, sensitive words from friends who really do care, but have never gone through what you’re experiencing. But then there are the empathetic words of those who have lived through what you are currently enduring. These wise words ring true with encouragement and reassurance that… Yes, God is still there and with His love and compassion you’ll make it through.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.”
This verse is a very interesting comparison of dealing with man’s moral Will. The gist of it is…”If I see someone getting away with evil and not getting caught or punished for it, I might as well do it too!” But anytime we have an improper attitude towards our fellow man, or conspire to do wrong just because we think we can…this verse warns us that our moral compass is way off.
Acts 3:9-10 ” When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they reconized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the Temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
There was no denying it…all the people knew this beggar well. For he had been crippled from birth and for over forty years had been daily carried just outside the Temple gate to beg. But what was so shocking now was that they saw him leaping and running and giving God glory! He was the same man they had seen day after day…but now he was healed! Even the Rulers, Elders, and Teachers of the Law couldn’t refuse to believe that a miracle had happened…for it was kinda hard to do as the healed man stood there in front of them!
Psalm 100:3 ” Know that the Lord is God. It is He Who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.”
We may not understand the circumstances…but You do Lord. We may be overwhelmed by what we see…but we have faith that You remain in control…for we are the work of Your loving hands. We thank You that You are a righteous and holy God…full of kindness and faithfulness towards Your people. And so we will be still and put all our trust in You today.
Ephesians 3:12 ” In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
It’s only by our belief and trust in Jesus Christ that we have access to God the Father. For the chasm between us and God is too deep…the sin-created abyss too wide for us by ourselves to reach Him. But Jesus came to save us from our sins, and remove the guilt and shame by His blood. So now we can stand and pray with confidence before our Heavenly Father…knowing He hears us.
Job 22:2 ” Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him? “
The short answer to both these questions is, No! Even the most intelligent man in the world is of no practical use to God. As Isaiah 55: 8-9 tells us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” For Luke 17:10 says, we are just unworthy servants totally dependent on the Lord for His benevolence and must trust that He is in control of any and all situations.
Luke 21: 17-19 ” All men will hate you because of Me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.”
Standing firm in the middle of trials and tests can take herculean strength on our part. For just standing firm and not surrendering to the circumstances can take every bit of our patience and perseverance. That’s when standing firm I think takes on a active connotation…you may not be moving forward…but you’re sure as not falling back. Standing firm then means endurance, long-suffering, and self-control.
Proverbs 16:19 ” Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”
As Believers, we all want to do the right thing…to use practical wisdom and our moral compass to seek out God’s ultimate plan and purpose for our life. So how can we stay the course? I Corinthians 15:33 gives us the best advise – “Bad company corrupts good character.” For it’s very hard to remain humble and unpretentious in spirit when you only hang around with people that are arrogant, haughty, and vain. You may think you’re not being affected by their proud disposition…but more is rubbing off than you think.
Safetypinlove 