He Who Did Not Spare His Own Son…

 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?—Romans 8:32

The balm for an anxious heart is found right here in Romans 8. Our God is for us!  Of His own will He sacrificed His precious Son to save us and that while we were still His enemies! What would He keep back after giving us Jesus?  If there had been a limit to what He would give, wouldn’t He have drew the line at His Son? 

Beloved…whatever we need, He who did not hold back His only Son will give them to us freely. All we need do is ask. He will do His best for us. He will fulfill all that He purposed. 

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. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.—John 3:16-17

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.—Romans 5:8

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),—Ephesians 2:4-5

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.—1 John 4:9

We can trust that HE WILL bring us to our desired haven in heaven. 

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.

12 O LORD of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!—Psalm 84:11-12

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.—Philippians 4:19-20

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.—1 Corinthians 2:12

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.—Romans 8:28

Without Love I am Nothing…

 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail;—1 Corinthians 13:4-8

These words from 1 Corinthians 13 always have the effect of blowing my pride out of the water, so to speak. They make me collapse on the inside because they confront me with my insufficiency.  That, however, is such a good thing! I AM INSUFFICIENT!  My God, thankfully, is not and He is my Helper. 

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.—2 Corinthians 9:8

To be a Christian is to first and foremost love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love is the bond of perfection. Love is the debt that is always owed.  It is the one thing “we” can do to fulfill the law completely.   As believers, love for Christ must be the motivating force behind all that we do and all that we say. 

It would be great if this kind of self-sacrificing love were our natural response toward others. Unfortunately, it is not. In fact, we don't even often have loving feelings toward those around us. Most of the time our thoughts are on how they can love us. Since their thoughts are probably on themselves also, we are at an impasse. Biblical love, however, is a command. Our response therefore, is a matter of obedience.

As was said earlier, in and of ourselves this kind of love is impossible.  With God, however, all things are possible. When we believe, His love is poured out in our hearts by His Spirit who now dwells in us.  It is ONLY by HIS love that we can love others as He loves us.  Without His love we are nothing and can do nothing good.  

If I feel myself going awry during the day, it is ALWAYS helpful for me to remember love...to pray and surrender what “I WANT” and allow the Spirit of God to do what I cannot - love the precious people around me with His love.  

Beloved, by His Spirit love one another fervently; love never fails because love is of God.   When we walk in love, we walk in His perfect will and shine like lights in a dark world.  When we walk in love, we also walk effectively, not only temporally but also eternally.  I love thinking on that.  Loving others with God’s love has eternal consequences.   God’s love reaches beyond this world and into eternity.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.—1 Corinthians 13:2

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.—Romans 13:8-10

Facing Fear and Discouragement…

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.—Mark 5:35-37

Jesus here encourages Jairus after hearing that his little girl had died to not be afraid...but only to believe.  Luke, in his account of the story says this:

But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”—Luke 8:50

J MacArthur says the word believe used here, is a verb that expresses a command for present, continuous action.  Jesus then, is commanding Jairus to maintain his faith...the faith that he originally demonstrated in coming to Jesus...even in the face of the loss of his precious daughter.  Jesus goes on in the story to raise Jairus’ little girl from the dead. What a precious gift to her parents and those who witnessed the miracle with them. They maintained their confidence in Christ and were rewarded abundantly. 

Beloved, don’t lose heart in your own seemingly hopeless situation...only believe.  Faith is ALWAYS the right response.  Hear the voice of Your beloved Jesus in your own grief and helplessness...do not be afraid; only believe. His will for you Is good.  His desire for you is to give you a future and a hope. He wants to do great things for you!  Trust Him to do what is best.  There are many, even just in my own life, that need Jesus to breathe life into their hearts.  Believe...Our God is compassionate...He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to life in His Son.  Truly, good things come to those who believe...even life from the dead.

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.—Psalm 27:13

Oh LORD, Be Not Silent!

 1 To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock:

Do not be silent to me,

Lest, if You are silent to me,

I become like those who go down to the pit.

2 Hear the voice of my supplications

When I cry to You,

When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

3 Do not take me away with the wicked

And with the workers of iniquity,

Who speak peace to their neighbors,

But evil is in their hearts.

4 Give them according to their deeds,

And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;

Give them according to the work of their hands;

Render to them what they deserve.

5 Because they do not regard the works of the LORD,

Nor the operation of His hands,

He shall destroy them

And not build them up.

6 Blessed be the LORD,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him.

8 The LORD is their strength,

And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.

9 Save Your people,

And bless Your inheritance;

Shepherd them also,

And bear them up forever.—Psalm 28

You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me! "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.  Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!" Be not silent, O God of my praise! 

Answer me speedily, O LORD;

My spirit fails!

Do not hide Your face from me,

Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.

8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,

For in You do I trust;

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,

For I lift up my soul to You.—Psalm 143:7-8

Beloved...our God is alive....He is all powerful, all knowing and all seeing AND He sees YOU.  He understands your circumstances, and He hears the voice of your laments and your supplications.  David here in the beginning of Psalm 28 feels like God is dragging him away with the wicked. He felt like a dead man walking...like one who has gone down into the pit.  He prays that God would not be silent to his cries and that he would not take him away with the wicked men that surrounded him. For himself David prays for mercy...for his enemies justice. Give then, David prays, according to their deeds...render to them what they deserve. 

In verses 6 and 7 David suddenly transitions from lamentation and prayer to praise. Warren Wiersbe aptly says he goes from sobbing to singing.  The reason for David’s heart change is found in verse 7.  

The LORD is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him.

Faith, once again, is the right response.  Trust In Him at all times, you people, our God is a refuge for us!  Jesus Himself, both in the Garden and on the cross, committed Himself into the hands of His Father...into the hands of Him who judges righteously.  In regard to David’s circumstances, nothing had changed, but God’s grace had given him the strength he needed to sing, to praise and to obey no matter what would come.  He knew His God was for Him and with his song he praised Him. 

Beloved...the just shall live by his faith. Rest your heart upon the promises found in the word and give your soul to the One through whom they have been given...our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Lord is your Shepherd...in Him, you have everything you need.

1 The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.—Psalm 23

In all their affliction He was afflicted,

And the Angel of His Presence saved them;

In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;

And He bore them and carried them

All the days of old.—Psalm 63:9

Strengthen Yourself in God…

 5 My soul wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

7 In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Selah—Psalm 62:5-8

I love the Psalms where David speaks to and exhorts his own soul.  He strengthens himself in His God by reminding himself of truth. When I am anxious and fearful, the day before me can seem like a nebulous eternity.  If I continue down this road, I begin to unravel and become tied up in knots…literally trapped in wrong thinking and wrong responses.  How much better would it be for me to sit quietly and wait for the Lord.  In the midst of fear and anxiety, however, I don’t always think rationally.  This is why for me it is so important to purpose in my heart ahead of time to do exactly that when anxiety strikes.  To remember that as a believer, my life is now hidden with Christ in God.  I am His maidservant. My life is not my own.  I belong to Jesus.  How much better and more appropriate is it then for me as His maidservant to grab my Bible as I wait and allow the words of my Master to encompass, bring peace and strengthen my wavering heart.  My hope and my expectation come from Him.  He alone is my Rock and my Defense. He will not allow me to be greatly shaken..  I can pray…I can give Him all my anxious thoughts and place my trust in Him no matter what might be happening.  My God is sovereign…He rules and overrules in the kingdom of men.  He is for me…on my side.  He works all things together for my good and His glory.  

10 The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood,

And the LORD sits as King forever.

11 The LORD will give strength to His people;

The LORD will bless His people with peace.—Psalm 29:10-11

Beloved, salvation from your present temptation and trouble is in Him and already on its way. He is the anchor of your soul and your strong consolation. Grace holds you.  Rest in the green pasture of His word. 

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked came against me

To eat up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident.

4 One thing I have desired of the LORD,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD,

And to inquire in His temple.

5 For in the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle

He shall hide me;

He shall set me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When You said, "Seek My face,"

My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."

9 Do not hide Your face from me;

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me,

Then the LORD will take care of me.

11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,

And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;

For false witnesses have risen against me,

And such as breathe out violence.

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

14 Wait on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!—Psalm 27

Deliver Me from Fear

 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

1 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”—Numbers 13:31-33; 14:1-4

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.—1 John 4:18

Fear, cowardice and instability...all of us, like the Israelites, have been there.  Fear makes our thinking at best skewed and at worst chaotic.  We become like unbelievers running to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine.  We read, believe and feed on lies instead of immersing ourselves in the truth of our God’s word. We forget the ONE in Whom we believe and trust in our own abilities and schemes to protect us.  Praying today that each of us would look to our Lord and Savior.  That we draw near to Him...spending time with Him in His word, in worship and in prayer.  

Father,

How often does my mind go down wrong paths?  Paths of unbelief that lead to fear, grief and torment.  Paths where I worry about "evil tidings" lurking down the road...paths that lead me to be anxious and apprehensive rather than peaceful and serene.  Sometimes Father I am so afraid of what might lie ahead for me and for my loved ones...so afraid of pain and grief overtaking me and  being unable to bear up under it. 

Deliver me speedily, Father, from this kind of fear.  I never want to doubt Your promises to me or Your faithfulness.  I don't ever want to insinuate that You could forget one of Your children or withdraw Your hand of mercy.  As a believer I have been set free from this kind of fear.  You are my God and You are with me....I place my trust in You...in You I am confident.  I know that whatever may occur in my life, You, Father, will overrule it for good for me, your child.  Your word promises me this.  I do not have to be afraid of "evil tidings".  My heart is steadfast...fixed and trusting in Your mercy.  I am surrendered to Your will...Your desires for me, Father, are my desires.  I have learned that Your paths and Your ways are perfect.  I have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but I have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby I can cry out, Abba Father! You, my God, have not given me the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 

You are my God of love who dwells in me and perfects Your love in my heart as I, abide in Your word and surrender to Your will.  Your will for me comes from Your heart of love...I will not fear.  I am confident that You who have begun a good work in me will continue it until it is finished when Your Son Jesus returns.

Do as seems good to You in my life Father...I trust You.  I leave it all in Your hands of love. Make me perfect me in Your love...

19 Oh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You,

Which You have prepared for those who trust in You

In the presence of the sons of men!

20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence

From the plots of man;

You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion

From the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the LORD,

For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!

22 For I said in my haste,

“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications

When I cried out to You.

23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!—Psalm 31:19-23

The Beauty of the Lord Upon Us…

 1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,

Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,

Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3 You turn man to destruction,

And say, "Return, O children of men."

4 For a thousand years in Your sight

Are like yesterday when it is past,

And like a watch in the night.

5 You carry them away like a flood;

They are like a sleep.

In the morning they are like grass which grows up:

6 In the morning it flourishes and grows up;

In the evening it is cut down and withers.

7 For we have been consumed by Your anger,

And by Your wrath we are terrified.

8 You have set our iniquities before You,

Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.

9 For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;

We finish our years like a sigh.

10 The days of our lives are seventy years;

And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,

Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;

For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

11 Who knows the power of Your anger?

For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.

12 So teach us to number our days,

That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O LORD!

How long?

And have compassion on Your servants.

14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,

That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!

15 Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,

The years in which we have seen evil.

16 Let Your work appear to Your servants,

And Your glory to their children.

17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,

And establish the work of our hands for us;

Yes, establish the work of our hands.—Psalm 90

Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses. It speaks to the eternity of God, and man's frailty.  

My time on earth is brief.  Even though I know this, it can still be difficult for me to keep the right godly perspective.  In the microcosm of my life one day at times, can feel like an eternity…time crawls.  On other days time seems to fly past. Neither perspective is accurate.  Beloved, the truth is our times and our lives are in His hands.  That is the perspective I want. 

Each day is always 24 hours long.  Whether time for me on a particular day is crawling or flying, more often than not I “waste” it by living for the earthly rather than the eternal. I cry out with the psalmist here and ask God to give me a heart of wisdom. May He  teach me to number my days and to use my time for His purposes.  

Like Moses, I want to be satisfied early with His mercy and to rejoice and be glad during my short stay here on earth.  I don’t want to live for me, for it is then that I am most miserable.  I want to live for God! That is where my joy will be found…for I died, and my life is hidden with my Jesus in God.  When Christ who is my life appears, I also will appear with Him in glory.  

Oh Father…All my springs are in You!  With You is the fountain of life. In Your light we see light. Help me, then, to live in the light of Your countenance!  Help me to care about the right things as I journey through this world.  I want to live for Your glory and honor.  

You, the eternal God, are my refuge. Let Your work appear to me. Let my children and my grandchildren see Your glory.  May Your beauty be upon me and establish the work of my hands. 

Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,

That they would consider their latter end!—Deuteronomy 32:29 

4 "LORD, make me to know my end,

And what is the measure of my days,

That I may know how frail I am.

5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,

And my age is as nothing before You;

Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.—Psalm 39:4-5

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.—Ephesians 2:10