How do we live out our lives, are we bitter, and often unhappy, or does the peace and joy of Jesus flow through, and from us? As Christians we should seek Christ in each hard time that confronts us, and not allow those who would separate us from the joy of God to have dominion over us by baiting us into seeking vengeance against them, or by withholding forgiveness from them.
Salvation, it is so simple that we just can’t believe eternity is given to us in such a way. Believing in the gospel, and being baptized... how could this be the entire price of our salvation, and of eternity in Heaven? We think this way because we undervalue two things... God’s love for us, and the power of His grace. Are you busy trying to raise the price of your salvation so that you can feel as if you have worked for it; earned it? Well you can’t... it is a gift.
Are you of old age, or are you dealing with a father, mother, or someone who is? Do the issues of growing old concern you, or does death frighten you? Well take heart; though our bodies weaken, and our minds become slowed by time, the Lord God is with us in those times, and carries with Him the promises He made to us in our youth. This is the time when the fruit of one’s faith is prepared for harvest, and the glory of God is realized as we yield the juice of life to the press, and give the wine of our lives to the young.
When we look at the life of Jesus do we see Him as being able to resist sin because of His godliness? Do we think that if we too had been made fully God, and fully man, that we could resist sin as He did? In our eyes was he unlike us? Do we discount the fact that His temptation was every bit as enticing to Him as ours is to us, and that His humanity made Him just as vulnerable to it as we are?
What do you hope for in faith? Do you hope to be free of pain, have straight and strong limbs, to no longer stutter, hear and see perfectly, or maybe to be cured of some disease? Whatever your hope is, it is certainly awaiting you in heaven through Jesus Christ. Every tear will be dried there, and all hope, faith, and love will be perfectly realized.
What is it that keeps most people from knowing Christ, or from sitting at God’s Table? It is the lack of having experienced the amazing grace that abounds there. In knowing only this world the unbeliever is reluctant to step across the threshold of faith into a place previously unknown... even if it might promise untold wealth, happiness, and experiencing the delights at God’s feast. Yet with one real taste of the love, mercy, and grace, of God through Jesus we are changed forever.
How do you praise God, and how often? Do you sing to Him, or play music for Him on an instrument? Do you recite poetry aloud that lifts Him up? Do you write joyous verse for Him? Do you shout out loud the greatness of His blessings and glory? However we go about doing so, our heart that loves Him can’t survive without praising Him. Our voices, and our very being must lift Him up! Though we may be unhappy, our joy must erupt from us.
Do you find yourself coming to God, and Jesus Christ only when you are suffering? Did you accept Jesus, and God in the midst of a crisis? Perhaps your faith is more pronounced when you are hurting? Sometimes it takes calamity to bring us to our knees, and to strengthen our faith through fervent prayer. Do you wait for those times before praying earnestly? Do you feel abandoned by God or more alive in Him when you suffer? Troubles come to sinners, and righteous alike... are you prepared?
God looks down on us and loves us each individually. He deals with nations, and peoples, but His heart and attention is focused much deeper than that. There is no place within a vast country, or crowded city that we can hide from Him, because our God deals, and dwells, with each of our hearts. No canyon deep enough, no forest dense enough, no desert so desolate, and no fortress strong enough to keep Him from us, or us from Him.
We are filled in our faith with the joy of God, which is a different Greek word (Chara), with a different meaning than happiness (Makarios). Joy is an internal feeling, while happiness is derived from external events acting on our lives. Joy is deep seated, while happiness is superficial. Seeking the joy of God means seeking our transformation in Christ, and receiving God’s joy as a result.
Have you ever wandered from God? Have you strayed and no longer heard the voice of Jesus, or felt the pull of the Holy Spirit as it drew you back? Are you in this distant place now, or is someone you know there? Well you might feel as though you can’t return, and that your life is too far gone, but that isn’t true. The Lord sends you this message... “return to me, and I will return to you.”
Those societies who are unbelievers in Jesus look upon Christianity, and they want to put it to death for the very same sins that they themselves commit every day. They see the sins of those Christian brothers and sisters who are struggling to be perfected, and use them as examples of a failed faith. Yet, they miss the perfect, and true, sacrificial nature of Jesus, and the absolute truth in the grace of God. They lose sight of the fact that though beaten, tortured, and hung on a cross till dead... God’s truth remains firmly truth... Jesus will rise.
Do we look to men for our help and protection when God has already promised to give it to us, and does this cause us to be embarrassed before God for our lack of faith? How too have we made the Lord appear when we do this; has it made him seem weak because of our distrust in His provision? Our faith should remain strong, and we should be careful to defend the honor of our God.
Have you ever questioned the ability of God, or Jesus Christ? Before you say “No”, with some amount of emphasis, think about it further. Was there ever a time when you said to God in prayer “If you can do this”, or perhaps said to a friend “if God sees fit to do this for me, then...”? Well, as we speak and pray there are many applications of the word “if” made in our prayers and conversations regarding God, but we should be very careful because that word reveals our doubt.
Do you praise the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Finding joy in the one we love should be our greatest pleasure... how do you love your God, and how do you praise Him? There shouldn’t be a moment of the day when our prayers aren’t lifted up, and in them should be the unending thanksgiving and praise for the almighty. Do you begin each day in praise, and thanksgiving?