Friend, look into your cabinet now and see how many things have an expiration date. But as children of God, we have His unexpiring word to cling to. We have this blessed assurance in every promise God has bestowed on us. Sometimes the journey will be harder than we would like it to be, yet the assurance remains the same, for “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). Even if your days feel like you are standing on shakey ground, His promises are still immovable. Even if you don’t understand, His words are still true and will hold through the test of time, even to the very end: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
Friends, it only takes a moment to miss a prime opportunity. In the blink of an eye, what could have been is no more a possibility. Many of the Pharisees who were looking for the Messiah missed the meaning and life of the person of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, whom they continually attacked and rebuked. When others in the crowd shouted, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38), their shouts were one of trying to quench their praises because they did not recognize Jesus for who He really was. Jesus wept over the city and the people (Lk. 19:41) and spoke these words: “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes… thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Lk. 19:42, 44). A clear vision of Jesus is imperative to our Christian faith. Don’t miss the visit. Whenever and wherever you see God moving and revealing, lean into it and refuse to let the opportunity slip through your fingers, especially if it is a decision of salvation.
There is an old hymn written by Joseph C. Ludgate titled “Friendship with Jesus.” In this hymn, the refrain sings out the sweetness of being in fellowship with the Savior:
But what about our fellowship with one another? How often have the hands of division ripped away the core foundation of our Christian faith by seeking to tear apart what Christ has established: fellowship among those who are recognized as being of Him; that blessed, sweet communion with one another?
Unity among the body of believers was so important that Jesus prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me,” (John 17:21). Jesus knew that if His disciples would ban together as one they could positively impact the world, helping many believe in Him. Vice versa, if divisions and contentions prevailed it would not work to draw people to Himself, to His kingdom message; rather, it would repel.
How often are we fighting amongst ourselves, in our congregations, or even with different denominations because they serve differently than we do?
John, the disciple of Jesus said one day, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we fobade him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us,” (Luke 9:49-50).
Instead of rebuking the one who was accused of: “he followeth not with us,” Jesus set the record straight among His own disciples that they should not be focused on a reason for division. Jesus said, “For he that is not against us is for us.”
Too often great emphasis is put on how one group may do things differently as opposed to another group, or how one may work the gift that God has given them over another. One may not care for the way another does something for God’s kingdom but Jesus Himself said, “For he that is not against us is for us.” If someone is working to build up the kingdom of God, do not forbid them just because they are not following what you are doing. Don’t forbid them just because they are not in your clique. Don’t forbid them because they worship differently than you do.
There is no room for division in the body of Christ. There is no room for infighting among the members of God’s family. The Apostle Paul put it like this by saying, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12).
In 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, attempting to squash division, Paul said, “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”
Over and over again we see the Bible proclaim unity among God’s people and division to be put away with. While we may have differing doctrinal beliefs, love must be the motivator for addressing those differences because Jesus also said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” (John 13:35; see also 1 John 4:20-21).
Remember Jesus’ prayer that I quoted above, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me.” Is this why the world can’t see the Christ in us and believe because there is too much infighting? Does our rejection of another who “followeth not with us,” push the world away from believing in the Christ we proclaim and follow?
Regarding the Scriptures, and seeing Jesus’ prayer, I would have to conclude that it can play a part. Let us learn from our Lord and say, “For he that is not against us is for us.” Let us work to build up God’s kingdom together. We are all fighting in the same war. Let’s edify one another and not tear down.
Friends, this is the season when one seeks coziness and comfort. With the chill, and sometimes frigid temperatures in the air, warm blankets and hot mugs call us to snuggle inside. While much pleasure can be taken in this time of “tucking in,” in our walk of faith we may be called to unwrap ourselves from comfort to get uncomfortable. We may be asked to shed our comfort zone dwellings to step into new territories the Lord has for us. Like Abraham, our life must be directed by faith more than comfort: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went” (Hebrews 11:8). Where will you allow God to take you with your “by faith” moment?
Be determined. Determined to not be thwarted. Determined not to leave with one’s soul unsatisfied. Determined to forge ahead in resilience, refusing to go into this day without this sacred meeting.
Fight if you must and move intently ahead. Let nothing come in between or interfere with this time of sweet communion with the Lord. Thoughts may encroach and seek to pounce like an animal in waiting for prey, but keep thine eyes fixed on the things above (Colossians 3:2), trusting in the One who is the lover of your soul and life.
It is no simple thing, this gift of prayer, nor is it a pleasure to be taken for granted that we can approach the Lord with our honest and sincerest petitions. Getting there is a great privilege not to be neglected, so fight if you must to enter this holy conversation with the Lord.
For He, your Heavenly Father, is the main goal of your life. He is the compass and direction by which all our days are to be guided. Turbulent times, left unchecked will try to pull you off course, so fight if you must to get into the solace of this blessed sanctuary of prayer, for He has the wheel and knows the route to take.
Many distractions will attempt to interrupt and capture your mind for their audience. But when I come on my knees, with my heart opened to my King, it is His attending audience that means everything. Fight if you must to enter near this throne of grace, a guarded court surrounded by the angels who do sing.
What treasure lies within that holy realm of prayer. Go, search, and dig, and fight if you must to get there. For He will be a little sanctuary for you (Ezekiel 11:16), the true refuge and blessing of life who sees, hears, and knows everything you can unearth before Him in that divine assembly.
Fight if you must, and be persistently determined. Refuge, hope, power, and relief from life’s burdens lie ahead. Do yourself a favor, deprive not your soul of this great pleasure of meeting with the Father daily.
Friends, today, remind your heart that we do have a sure foundation. Other confidences are slippery slopes and unstable security, but we stand firmly on Christ, our true hope. He is unwavering and unfailing, a well-founded source upon which to plant our faith. While others may sway in their devotion, His promise was to never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He never moves: “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation…” (Isaiah 28:16).
Friends, Jesus cares. Oh, the world and what we see will try to convince you differently, but He cares. No one loves you more and is more concerned about your well-being. He cares about your ups and downs. He cares about your smiles and your tears. This is your reminder today, that even if it feels like waves are crashing around you, you can still have peace on the inside because Jesus sees, He knows, and He cares: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world,” 1 John 4:4
Have you ever struggled with thoughts of inadequacy? Maybe you have thought that what you do or who you really are doesn’t make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, as if your contribution really wouldn’t be noticed regardless?
Oh, how I loathe thoughts such as these, and I am here to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth.
Lies like these make people underestimate themselves and the talents and/or gifts that God has placed in them. And that, my friends, is a feeling God never intended for His people to have. As a matter of fact, Jesus taught the exact opposite. He compared His followers to the salt that brings good flavor to this nasty-tasting world. Matthew 5:13 says, “Ye are the salt of the earth!” If you are in Him, you have some flavor to offer.
You are here to make an impact. You are here to stand out from the crowd. To be noticed, so that the whole world will have a beacon of hope, seeing, that if God did it for them, He’ll do it for me also. Daily, what you do in your life can affect others around you. You have power working on the inside of you that was meant for influence. Your actions, and the way you think, matched up with the gift of God at work in you, were meant to effect change for someone else.
Sadly, too many slide to the side of self-pity, not understanding and believing enough in who God says they are and what they have to offer.
But I am here to tell you, and the Bible confirms that “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world,” (1 John 4:4). When we were adopted into the family of God there was a certain degree of unexplainable spiritual awesomeness that He planted inside us. He has Himself at work in you!
What?!
Yes!
Just put up a “God at work” sign and tell all the skeptics to move out of your way because greatness is going on in me and I can make a difference!
The only one that can really stop you from doling out your influence on this world is you. You must believe in the power of God at work in you: “What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places,” (Eph. 1:19-20, NKJV). The same power that raised Christ from the dead is now at work in you. It’s there and He wants to use it to work some greatness out in this world. If you were the salt shaker that only flavored one person’s life, then you have changed that person forever. God can do so much more through you. All you have to do is believe more in who you are in Him and who He is in you.
You can make an impact. You are meant to influence. Imagine if each of us, with the power of God in us, could touch just one life. What would that do to the national or global landscape? Now, imagine if we could touch one life every year, or more. Impact! He Who is at work in you is greater than all. All you have to do is believe it more than you do other thoughts that try to convince you otherwise.
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me,” (Gal. 2:20, NKJV)
Friends refused to be moved. Refuse to allow the tempestuous seas of life to toss you about. Refuse the swaying of this way and that, but make a stand to stay. Stay in the realm of your faith. Stay on this holy course of action. Stay where your hope is sure and secured. Stay anchored in the care and belief of who Jesus Christ is in your life. Though some days may seem overwhelmingand the tug of life gets hard, blessed are the ones who know “We might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hopeset before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” (Hebrews 6:18b-19a).
Friend, there is a fountainwe can freely come to satisfy our thirst that will never dry out. Spiritual refreshment for the day ahead. Hope to cling to when we feel parched and depleted. Jesus Christ is the quencher of our soul’s desire and He said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life,” (John 4:14). Come, and be filled.
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