John 1:12 NIV
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
All it takes to become God’s kingdom member is to believe in God’s saving grace through Jesus.
It is a simple act of believing in Jesus which guarantees our access to eternal life.
John 3:16 NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
As simple as it is, many are not willing to believe and take the step of faith.
Still standing
1 Corinthians 15:58 ERV
[58] So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.
https://bible.com/bible/406/1co.15.58.ERV
The world and its environment are full of discouragement, and a lot of wickedness surround us.
The psalms says that God should respect His agreement because evil exists in every place of the earth. Psalms 74:20
The admonition is to keep standing still regardless of all the atrocities in the world.
Wickedness abounds everywhere, but God is able to keep His own to the end, and He will.
The Love life
Galatians 5:14 NLT
[14] For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
https://bible.com/bible/116/gal.5.14.NLT
The life of a Christian is a love life. The whole nature of God is encapsulated in love. God’s nature is rooted in love, deepest love that any human can ever imagine.
Now, if any man experience and has this love life, it will exude God’s nature, the very essence of living the life of God.
You can only become like God by having a love life. This is what God calls us into, and this is the reason God is God, and this is how a Christian is distinguished from every others.
The Christian life is a love life. Ability to love deeply and love strongly and love unconditionally is the God-given nature that Christians experience in it grandiose.
Trusting in God
Isaiah 26:3 NLT
[3] You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.26.3.NLT
Our peace is guaranteed as long as we keep trusting in the Lord.
Trusting God when it makes no sense is the best time to trust Him.
Proverbs 3:5 NLT
[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
https://bible.com/bible/116/pro.3.5.NLT
There is so much that we can do before we reach our wits end. When we get to the place of confusion and do not know where to turn or what to do, trust God for the lead.
Trust for the lead, for the guide and for the help.
Desires for God
Psalms 143:6 NLT
[6] I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Interlude
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.143.6.NLT
Our desires for God increases when we experience spiritual dryness and depth hunger (spiritual feelings) for Him.
Usually, these desires only disappear when we engage in intense prayers. This is not just normal prayers, but a mutual communication with God that draws your heart to Him so you can know what the will of God is.
The next time you experience an inner, spiritual urge, do not hesitate to pray.
For the Christian, prayer is when you engage God in personal, cordial conversation with Him, and you can talk about various issues that is on your mind.
Hold on! He held on, too!
Hebrews 4:14-15 NIV
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Hold on, He held on, too!
Jesus experienced the same thing we experience today. So, He is in a good position to offer help, succor, grace, and mercy in times of need.
Now, the gracious part of this is Jesus ability to understand and feel the same way we feel, the same problems we encounter, the same shame and disgrace, the same mistakes, the same mess, the same shortcomings, and the same failures, yet in all these things, He didn’t fail. He triumphed.
So, He is in the best position to put us in the right standing with Him.
Your will be done
Oh Lord, let your will be done now and forever, amen.
Luke 22:42 NIV
[42] “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.22.42.NIV
Jesus lives again to live forever
Praise God Jesus rose from the dead!
If he had not risen, Christianity and the faith would not have been possible, and humanity would have been doomed in her decadence and depravity.
Thank God we are not hopeless and destitute. We have a future and an assurance that the life we have in Jesus is eternal life.
Here in lies our confidence that because Jesus lives forever, we also will live forever with Him in eternity.
Amen!
Seeking the purpose of God 4
We must pray and continually ask God’s will to be done.
Luke 18:1 NLT
[1] One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
The devil constantly tries to undermine the purpose and plans of God, and the prayer of the believer is the weapon (amongst others) to defeat the enemy.
Seeking the purpose of God 3
God’s idea of living life is to make a conscious and deliberate effort to live godly and exhibit good, moral character.
Philippians 2:12 NLT
[12] Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
It is also God’s purpose for us to choose to do good.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT
[19] “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! [20] You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Making the right choice is God’s ultimate will in every situation.
Even our Lord Jesus recognized this when He struggled at His lowest moment.
Matthew 26:39 NLT
[39] He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”