The worldview of self-reliance has infiltrated the Christian Community of believers. Yet, at some point, every person will come to the Crossroads of life. Only then do we humble ourselves and bow to the Sovereignty of an Almighty God. Surrender to God is an internal battle that we fight every day. Our carnal hearts are driven to trust ourselves but we were created to follow Christ and seek God’s will.
Total surrender requires the character traits of humility, faith, and obedience. Even Jesus, the Commander of angel armies had to learn obedience to God, His earthly parents, and the prevailing laws. Still, His greatest test, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).
We cannot navigate through this life without Divine Intervention. Jesus, our Heavenly Intercessor promised us the Holy Spirit, our Teacher and Guide to direct us through this journey called life. Only with Divine Power can we enter through the narrow gate and stay on the narrow Path of Righteousness. Yes, the journey on our Chosen Path is rugged and full of disappointment. We will suffer tribulations that will bring us to our knees and hardships that produce a river of tears.
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny himself.” —2 Timothy 2:13
Despite the challenges, we can rely on the three powers of the Triune God to bring us victory! I am a witness that God gives the faithful New Beginnings. Rid yourself of the satanic habit of self-reliance. Consecrate your life to God! Trust Him with your life! He is the God who says, “Is there anything too hard for me?” His promises are Yes to which we say Amen!
Sonya Johnson, Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries
Jesus Gives Us a New Identity of Self-Worth, Today’s Devotional October 15, 2023
One of the most amazing phenomena in nature is the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. Spiritually, I believe that Jesus was intentional in using the metaphor of caterpillar to butterfly to represent His love and mighty wonder-working power to transform us into His likeness.
Growing up in a home without love and nurturing results in an adult who suffers from insecurity and low self-worth. From an unhealthy childhood, we live a life of compromise by trusting the wrong people and making choices that always result in outcomes with negative consequences.
We accept the brokenness of our beginnings because we do not understand the love and power of a God who heals and specializes in new beginnings. Thankfully, we do not have to continue in the brokenness that has impacted our perception of our worth. God knows the beginning to the end of every person’s life. And He is always ready to intervene by healing and restoring us if we choose to be made whole.
Through our relationship with Christ, we can receive a spiritual, mental, and emotional makeover, at any point in our lives. The Apostle Paul says, “We are new creatures in Christ Jesus.” The human effort of acknowledging, accepting, and asking for a “New Beginning” requires a giant leap of faith!
Before Our Existence: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” —Psalm 139:13-14
In Psalm 139, we are told that “God Has Perfect Knowledge of Man.” God was fully aware of the unhealthy environment which produced your fractured mental and emotional state. He knows your fragile heart and the desire to be loved and appreciated. Agape love is the love that looks beyond our faults and sees our needs.
“When Jesus saw [the man] lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well? ‘” — John 5:6.
Yes, Jesus promises to heal our broken hearts. Just like He asked the lame man, “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus is asking us the same question. By surrendering our fragile hearts and exercising the faith and trust that Jesus is our Healer, with love and compassion, He makes us well. Not only does He heal us, but Jesus also gives us His strength and victory over our past. Pray for His Divine help!
Psalm 32:8 NKJV: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”
Psalm 32:8 NLT: “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”
Praise God that we do not have to use guesswork in our earthly lives. From trusting God with every aspect of our lives, day by day, our little faith begins growing. Our faith will flourish when we totally depend on God. Like God’s love, there are no limits on the growth of one’s faith. Believe In God, because our Victory is Sure!
Through Christ, we are overcomers! Let the Holy Spirit guide you! Pray fervently before making every decision! God’s thoughts and ways are much higher than our thoughts. Never again will we live a life of compromise just to be loved and accepted by others. Our brokenness will be replaced with spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical wellness. Do you want to be made well?
Scripture: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.” —Isaiah 40:28-29
Prayer: God, we know that you are Omniscient. And You knew our beginnings would produce broken hearts. Yet, You promised to do a new thing, to make us over, and cover us with the Righteousness of Christ. We desire to be healed and made whole. Lord, we surrender and consecrate our minds, bodies, and souls to You. We pray for healing and ask You to make us well. We believe and ask this prayer in the Powerful Name of Jesus, Amen.
If every believer would witness to one person a day, we would fulfill Jesus’ command to “Go.” Telling our personal testimony of how Jesus saved us is the most effective method of witnessing to others. When we give our hearts to Christ which requires faith, He cleanses us from all of the unrighteousness of sin and makes us a new person. We think, speak, and act differently because we are covered with His righteousness and the Holy Spirit abides within us.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ ” —Matthew 28:18-20
Choose to View God As Good – Happy Sabbath – Pray for God’s Mercies Sabbath Devotional, October 13, 2023
The struggles of this life are becoming more challenging. Many countries are experiencing war and famine which produces overwhelming sorrow, grief, and death. The innocent men, women, children, and babies are not only wounded physically but also mentally and emotionally. Why does God allow these terrible atrocities?
I invite you to study Matthew 24 and Revelation chapters 18-22. Jesus speaks of the events that will happen in these perilous times of the last days of Earth’s history.
Although Satan causes disasters, wars, countless diseases, and deaths, God must allow the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies. These events lead to the Great Day of Jesus, King of Kings, and Lord of Lord’s Second Coming. We know how the story ends! Choose your destiny by faithfully serving God in humility and obedience.
God is good in that He gave Jesus to die for us. God is good because we are saved by His Grace. God is good because He promises to protect the righteous at the end of time. Study Psalm 91. God is good because His love and mercies are freely given to the human beings who continue to reject Him.
God is good because He will never allow Satan to destroy the earth or all humanity. God is good because He never changes and we know the expected end of this Earth. God is more than good because He has given us sufficient time to choose Him. God is more than good because the righteous will live forever with Him in the New Heaven and New Earth!
Prayer: God, our hearts are filled with sorrow and despair. We ask You to extend mercy to the innocent victims of every war that exists throughout this world. Hunger, hatred, and the evil of violence have escalated as we have never seen before. Lord, we thank You for the Sabbath and ask You to bring peace to each of us according to Your will. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
“What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” —Psalm 8:4
Created in the image of God who considers us friends and has called us to be a royal priesthood should have us singing praises and praying prayers of gratitude every day. God’s Divine love transcends our expectations by involving all of heaven in our lives.
We have three Divine Powers whose attributes are Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence. All-powerful, All-knowing, and spiritually present everywhere are the characteristics of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In Psalm 91, David tells us that Jesus, the Commander of angel armies has appointed and commanded guardian angels to keep us safe—physically and from spiritual warfare.
The Omnipresence of the Divine Godhead: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” —Psalm 139:7-10
To clarify, all of heaven is involved in the lives of the righteous. Although God blesses the unjust, His conditional promises throughout the Bible are for the righteous believer. Who are the righteous?
Christ is the Spiritual Foundation of the righteous. We love Him and have dedicated our hearts, minds, and souls to our Lord and Savior. We seek Him through prayer and study the Scriptures because we desire an intimate relationship with Jesus, our First Love. Not only do we trust Him with our lives, we believe in every promise found in the Scriptures. Studying the Scriptures and becoming prayer warriors are engraved into our spiritual DNA.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” —Psalm 1:1-2
David tells us the righteous delight or they are joyful from obeying God’s laws and precepts. The righteous keep God’s commandments. The righteous have characteristics that the unrighteous do not possess—they are faithful, trusting, and obey God by surrendering and seeking the will of God every day.
Another notable difference between the righteous and the unrighteous is the righteous establish and maintain a total dependency on God. Yes, in prayer, we take all of our cares of daily living, the uncertainties of unexpected life events, and the fiery darts of spiritual warfare to God in prayer.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” —Psalm 51:10.
The righteous are constantly aware that we are sinners saved by grace and our righteousness is as filthy rags. Yet, we know that Christ covers us with His Righteousness. The righteous repent daily of their sins whether intentional, unintentional, known, or unknown. They pray, seek guidance from the Holy Spirit, and patiently wait on the Lord.
The righteous strive to live holy lives by avoiding all forms of sin and calling on God for help in times of temptation. Still, the righteous will fall, but we have the confidence that we can ask for forgiveness and depend on Christ, our High Priest to mediate and intercede for us.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16
Christ is our True Mediator. He is our Spiritual Connection from earth to heaven. He covers us with His righteousness and presents us as faultless before the throne of God. Christ makes Intercession for us. Our penitent prayers are taken to Christ by the Holy Spirit. And for this, He deserves our love, loyalty, and commitment to shun all sin. Through Christ, our unrighteousness is washed away with His precious blood. Thank You, Jesus!
The righteous diligently seek God by praying and studying the Scriptures every day. The righteous always put God first. Still, the righteous understand they cannot live righteously without being covered by grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The righteous are Christ’s disciples who witness His love to others. They pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal opportunities to share their testimony of how Jesus reached out to them and saved their souls from sin.
“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” —John 12:26
To dedicate one’s life to Christ can only happen when Christ is our First Love. It is a daily commitment that allows us to receive spiritual insight and strength from the Holy Spirit to stay on the Path of Righteousness. Through prayer and Bible study, we develop an intimate, ever-growing relationship with Jesus. We desire to be like Christ and fully cooperate with Divinity for our character to change [Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:32].
Not only does God honor us, but the Holy Spirit gives us discernment and protects us from false teachings, comforts us mentally and emotionally, and imparts the spiritual wisdom to stay out of harm’s way. We have angelic forces with the God-given power to protect us physically and to fight spiritual warfare which our human eyes cannot see. Although the righteous suffer devastating life events, we do not lose our minds or our hope in Christ. With tears, in humility and faith, we pray “God, help me.”
“He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” —1 Corinthians 1:8
Finally, we are preparing every day for that Great Day when Jesus comes. In Revelation 22:12, Jesus promises the righteous a reward of eternal life in a perfect, sinless New Heaven and New Earth where love is overflowing. Amen.
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” —Proverbs 3:24
This scripture has a deeper spiritual meaning that goes beyond a peaceful night’s sleep. When we strive to live righteously, eventually, we may fall asleep in death, but we have no worries. From our faithful obedience to Christ in our earthly lives, on that glorious day when the first trumpet sounds, all of heaven will be involved when the dead in Christ rise first. Whether we are risen or alive, we will see King Jesus who is coming for the righteous!
Keep striving brothers and sisters, our struggle in this earthly life isn’t for nothing. Never forget, that the Divine Godhead, the Three Powers, God the Father, Jesus, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit along with heavenly angels are taking care of us. Amen! Hallelujah!
Prayer: God, we thank You for Your gift of Divine Intervention in our lives. We pray for strength, guidance, and protection from all evil. We love You. And we ask this prayer, in the Matchless Name of Jesus, Amen and Amen.
“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” —Ephesians 5:2
When I was in nursing school, our written exams consisted of multiple-choice questions with four answers. The purpose was to prove our knowledge of theory and develop critical thinking skills and astute judgment. Nurses are responsible for making decisions that not only impact the patient’s health but we must also use interventions to facilitate a favorable outcome.
Not only did we have to think right, we had to read the clinical question, eliminate the incorrect answers, and choose the right answer within two minutes per question. We learned the skill of remaining focused during many distractions.
Focusing on Distractions Produce the Failure to Perceive the Truth
Two of the answers were considered distractors and easily eliminated. But the remaining two were very similar with one exception, the right answer always represented the standard of care determined by the State Board of Nursing. Many of the students attempted to justify their wrong answers, but the correct answer always includes the rationale and is absolute—without exception.
When we think of the ability of the human mind to develop stringent standards for patient care, how much more should we reverence the love of our Great God and His infinite knowledge expressed through Jesus Christ?
” ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord.” (9) “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55:8-9
Question: Does Jesus care? Provide an answer based on personal experience that does not include money or tangible items.
The challenge for today’s Christians is they cannot give a spiritual rationale [testimony] for the question, “Does Jesus care?” How do we so easily forget the blessings that we receive daily?
Distracted by Our Desires
We cannot witness that Jesus cares for humanity based off of testimonies of financial gain. Sadly, many Christians have embraced the unbeliever’s mindset—we are placing our focus on the distractors in this world. Financial blessings are what we pray for. According to many Bible-believing pastors, the number one desire of most believers involves some form of financial prosperity.
Although God blesses us financially by giving us the provisions of daily living, we cannot provide the correct spiritual rationale to prove that Jesus cares for humanity based on the acquisition of money, houses, and vehicles.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” —John 3:16
The love story filled with care and compassion began before the world was created. It was God, the Father, and Jesus who had the Father and Son talk about His death that was required to save our souls. Redemption and the Plan of Salvation were not afterthoughts or a quick-fix plan after Adam and Eve sinned.
God’s love provided us with the gift of His Precious Son, Jesus. And Jesus said, “Yes, Father, I will die for them.” Does Jesus Care?
The Absolute Truth and Spiritual Rationale for Jesus’ care and compassion are proclaimed by His sacrifice and current role as our Heavenly Intercessor. Every word in the Holy Scriptures proclaims that Jesus cares! Yet, it is our relationship with Christ that provides the foundation for us to possess experiential knowledge of His love, care, and compassion.
Our personal testimonies of victory [which every believer should be able to share] are proof that we have a Loving Savior who cares.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” —Psalm 147:3
Testimony: This year I prayed for healing. Jesus healed me of an incurable and progressive heart condition that occurred secondary to having two years of uncontrolled asthma despite therapeutic intervention. When I gave the most recent cardiology report to my pulmonologist [lung specialist], in August, he read the report and did not make one comment. Does Jesus care? Yes!
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you.” –1 Peter 5:6-7
The humility that the Apostle Peter speaks of is revealed in our desire and prayer to surrender every day to the will of God. Yes, it is a tough commitment to surrender, but obedience results in blessings of benefits for the righteous.
Testimony: Jesus has not only given me the blessings of physical healing, but He also gave me new beginnings and healed my emotional hurt from a very painful divorce. Although I am unworthy, Christ continues to give me an overabundance of God’s grace and mercies. My focus has changed greatly since surrendering to God. I talk to Jesus throughout my waking hours because He cares!
The Apostle Paul frequently shared his story of the encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Our testimonies not only reveal our appreciation for a Loving Savior, but the Holy Spirit gives us strength and a deeper spiritual insight into the Character of Christ and our purpose.
Every believer’s purpose is to share testimonies that glorify God. We have a higher spiritual purpose—to share the love of Christ. From receiving the gifts of physical and emotional healing, I know that Jesus expects me to proclaim His love, care, and compassion to a world filled with hopelessness. Does Jesus care? Yes, I know that my Jesus cares!
Scripture: “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” —Psalm 34:17-19
Prayer: Lord, we glorify and honor You. Thank You for Your abundant love, grace, and mercies. Thank You for caring about humanity and giving Your life for us. Jesus, we love You and ask this prayer in Your Holy Name, Amen.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. —Matthew 28:18-20
Throughout my life, I have heard countless sermons on God’s divine purpose for the Christian believer—to witness Christ’s love, the plan of salvation, and our duty to help those in need. As decades have passed, the content of sermons has changed from Christ-focused to being people-focused.
Fewer churches have community outreach programs and only the members who have dedicated themselves to Christ are actively using their free time to help others. No longer do most pastors preach of our duty found in Matthew 28, verses 18-20 to go and make disciples [followers of Christ]. And when have you heard a sermon on the story of the paralytic and his four friends who dug through the roof to lower their friend so Jesus could heal him?
Christ’s Divine Gifts to Every Believer
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. —Ephesians 4:11-12, NIV
Christ created us with spiritual gifts to be used for works of service. Every believer is considered a disciple—a follower of Christ. Witnessing is our primary spiritual task. It is our love for Christ and steadfast faith that propels us to “Go” and tell others there is a Savior who loves them and died to redeem their sins.
Today’s disciples should not only witness Christ, but also care for others by alleviating their suffering, whether it be spiritual, mental, emotional, or physical pain. We always offer to pray and verbalize one of God’s Scriptural promises that provide hope, healing, and encouragement. Then we ask, “Is there anything that I can do for you?”
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” —James 1:27
Although we cannot meet every individual’s financial needs, we assist them by finding out which local churches and social service agencies can provide help. Giving of ourselves to others is our primary service to God. How important is our God-given mission of helping others? “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
In Mark, chapter 2, the beautiful heartfelt story of the paralytic and his four friends represents our duty to God and humanity. “An unforgettable story about five men is recorded in the second chapter of Mark’s Gospel. One of them was hopelessly ill. The other four were his friends. These men had heard of Jesus, and they attempted to bring their friend to Him.” Walking Through the Bible Devotional
“And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.” —Mark 2:4
Homes at that time did not have roofs like your house or mine. The roofs were made with branches that were laid across the ceiling beams. The branches were packed with mud that dried in the sun. They were sturdy enough to walk on but could be dug through. Often, there were outside staircases leading up to the rooftops. Bible.org
The background of the story includes a large crowd of people who prevented his friends from passing through the crowd carrying the man on his pallet bed. Yet, they persevered by taking their friend to the roof [in Palestinian houses, the roofs were flat] and they removed the dried clay and lowered their friend to see Jesus.
Jesus’ Response
“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.'” (10) “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, (11) ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’ (12) Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!'” —Mark 2:5, 10-12
Jesus’ priority was always spiritual. Throughout His earthly ministry, He reiterated the necessity to have faith in God. We cannot separate the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical components of our mind-body connection, therefore, without faith in God, we cannot connect to God.
With a loving heart, faith, and the commitment to put God first, we use our gifts to serve others. Helping the poor and spiritually oppressed removes the sinful character traits of selfishness and hardheartedness from our naturally carnal hearts, and exemplifies and honors Jesus as our Compassionate and Loving Savior.
Every Christian’s destiny relies on their willingness to obey God [not from a legalistic perspective of “I have to witness and help others”], no, we feel that it is a privilege and blessing to represent the love and compassion of Christ in our service to God and humanity.
Scripture: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…” —1 Peter 4:10
Prayer: God, we pray for the body of believers who do not see the need to give of themselves in their service to You and those in need. We pray for the hardness of their hearts to melt and be transformed into the loving and compassionate likeness of Christ. We ask for the Holy Spirit to give strength to those who are tirelessly serving others and witnessing the love of Christ. In Jesus’ Loving Name, we pray. Amen.
Making the Right Decisions Devotional October 1, 2023
We are bombarded by the countless voices of our society and the Christian community. Who is giving wise advice? And who is speaking God’s Truth? Some speak God’s Truth, some blend the truth with their opinions, and some are skillfully presenting false teachings that appear to be God’s Truth. We do not have to rely on human understanding. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher and Helper who gives us spiritual discernment when we ask for it.
“Guide my steps by Your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.” Psalm 119:133
Like King David, pray for God to teach you understanding, good judgment, and wisdom as you study the Bible. Pray for Divine guidance in your life choices. We do not have to suffer consequences for making errors using our judgment. Praise God that we can rely on and trust in Him to always give us the perfect outcomes.
Prayer: God, we pray for Your Divine Intervention in our lives. We ask for godly understanding, wisdom, and judgment as we seek knowledge. Please teach us how to hear Your Voice. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
Honor God by Waiting on His Timing Devotional September 26, 2023
“Still I am certain to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!” —Psalm 27:13-14
Waiting is one of the most difficult things in life. Yet, to be obedient, we must wait on God. Every day we choose to honor God through surrender and obedience. To live a strong life in Christ, we pray for God to reveal His will and plans. God’s ultimate goal is to give us eternal life. And none of us are ready to receive the reward, so in His loving mercy, God is waiting on us—He is waiting for us to embrace the spiritual journey of Sanctification—the transformation of our character into the likeness of Christ.
God’s Timing: “The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.” —Isaiah 60:22
The last part of Isaiah 60:22, “At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.” is trending on social media as God’s promise to fulfill our dreams and goals in His timing. But as I listened to the reel, something did not feel right. God never promised to give us the things we desire unless they are perfectly aligned with His will and plans for us. So, I researched to find out the spiritual meaning of this verse.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical. The following is an excerpt from his article, The Lord Will Hasten the Day (Isaiah 60:22). The link to his article is included in this post.
Now, that verse is only rightly understood when you realize all that’s come before it, and 21 verses before that, because basically, what God, through Isaiah, gives his people is prophecy, a picture of their restoration. After exile, after experiencing the consequences of sin, he’s saying, “I’m going to bring you back to your land. You’re going to dwell in peace,” but it’s a picture not just of what was going to happen in Old Testament history. radical.net
It broadens to a picture of what God is going to do in ultimate history when he brings his people to himself for among all the nations to worship, and there’s peace and righteousness that reigns on the Earth. This is talking, ultimately, about a new Heaven and a new Earth, where God will dwell with his people in perfect harmony. radical.net
“I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” —Luke 18:8
Reflection: Are spiritual transformation and eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth our priorities?
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” —2 Peter 3:9-11
“But God isn’t subject to time. Because he created time, he operates outside of time…He uses time to test your faith and to build your character. While you’re working on your goal, God is working on you. And God’s much more interested in you than in what you’re trying to accomplish because you’re not taking your accomplishments to heaven. You’re only taking your character.” pastor rick
Truthfully, we rarely focus on our spiritual status. We assume that we are in the right standing with God. But John Bradshaw, President of It Is Written stated, “The biggest deception among today’s Christians is that we think we are ready to receive eternal life.”
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” —Jeremiah 29:11
Human effort is always required to receive God’s Divine Intervention and His blessings. Faith, humility, surrender, and obedience are the bundle of character traits that God requires for us to receive eternal life. We cannot change ourselves or possess these righteous traits without the Holy Spirit. We have a tough decision to make—pray and ask God to search our hearts and reveal all unrighteousness or continue to live according to our earthly agendas.
Honoring God requires the sacrifice of giving God our all. We pray daily for His will to be done. And we change our desires to align with His plan to change us into the likeness of Christ. Honor God by praying, obeying, and waiting on His timing.
Scripture: “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.” —Zephaniah 3:17
Prayer: God, we confess that we are living to satisfy our desires. And for this sin against You, we ask for forgiveness. We ask You to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and fill us with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Because we love You, we will honor You by living obediently, righteously, and according to Your timing. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
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