Friends, tried and tested are His faithful ones. It is no strange thing to face such afflictions (1 Peter 4:12), but the process of refining is to bring out the value from that which is not. While on paper, it may sound simple, in life these trials carry with them hurt and disappointment. Nevertheless, as our Lord suffered (not to be refined but to be the agent of refining us), so too must we bear our own crosses and acquaint ourselves with His sufferings (2 Timothy 2:12) knowing that in the end: “When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” Job 23:10. Nothing we go through is wasted.
Friend, as we are drawing closer to the end of this year, contemplating days and times past, realize through it all our Heavenly Father has been present, even when we could not comprehend everything or feel Him. Journeys take us through many avenues of life – some roads bring pleasure and some pain. But the journey we take with Him shall never be in vain. With God, we are never forsaken or need to feel dismayed. He is our ever-present Rock to stand up and Refuge to tuck ourselves away when the cares of this life seem too much. God, our Heavenly Father, loves you. Look to Him when you can’t figure it out. He’s there, and He’s waiting: “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
You have welcomed us into Your throne room. You have welcomed us into Your grace. You have welcomed us into Your pleasure. You have welcomed us before Your face.
No scepter for Esther needs to extend. For the cross has bought the passage within.
In the courts of the King, we are invited to come. Favor has blessed us through His dear Son.
To approach and pray without fear or doubt. Worries, burdens, and troubles are there, cast out.
Queen Esther, taking her life in her hands, went before the king not knowing if she would find favor to enter the courts for him to hear her petition (Esther 4:16; 5:2).
Not so with our Heavenly Father. Through Jesus Christ, we have obtained a welcome invitation to come: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” Hebrews 4:16.
With no fear in your heart, come, for you are welcomed before the King of all Kings.
Joy is not a passing fling for the believer. His heart is ever rejoicing because the God of all heaven instills in him the ability to find a reason to praise regardless of the season one is encountering. Be it sunny skies or rainy days, the seed of praise still grows in the heart of His, and their joyfulness cannot be sequestered. Even if the skies or tides do not turn in our favor, God above all, is still worthy to be praised.
As noted in “Singing in the Rain,” dreary situations may come, and times of trouble and hardship can arise, but our hope for these less-than-fair days, and every day, is in our Heavenly Father. Therefore, whether sloshing through the rain of affliction or traipsing through the meadows of peace, we can say, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” Psalm 43:5.
Our hope is in God who never changes even if our situations do.
“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” Romans 12:12
When traveling through familiar places in our past, we often encounter landmarks, buildings, spaces, people, or things that remind us of certain events or times in our lives.
My mother and I one day traveled down roads and through neighborhoods we had not visited together since I was a kid. As we drove, we pointed out buildings over here and over there that held special memories. We laughed as we remembered, asking each, “Do you remember when…?” when pointing to other spaces.
It was literally our chance to drive down memory lane. Although it took us longer to reach our intended destination, the joy we experienced in traveling through these memories made it more than worthwhile.
In life, I often come upon places, things, persons, or even situations that will spark a memory in my heart, a memory of deliverance. Whatever it is that initiated that spark, the thought of “I remember when…” comes, and I cannot help but stop and thank God for the way He brought me through or stood by my side during that situation.
In the Bible, places were named and marked for various things, including those deliverance moments. In Joshua 4, stones were gathered from the midst of the Jordan by some of the men of Israel, one from each tribe, after the people crossed over on dry ground. The purpose was, “That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever,” (4:6, 7).
Those stones were gathered to remember a moment of God’s deliverance on behalf of His people.
As we encounter things, people, or moments that jar a memory of God’s moving deliverance on our behalf, take a moment to thank God for where He brought you from and what He brought you through, and use that memory to reassure your heart in the faithfulness of our God today. He who has traveled with you in those moments is with you now in these moments of today.
Father God, thank You for all the times of deliverance You have provided in my life. Thank You for all the moments I can reflect and see where Your hand and power have stepped in for my cause and worked on my behalf. There are multiple times when You have kept me from seen and unseen dangers. Thank You for all of those deliverances time and time again. Thank You for Your keeping power, strength, mercy, grace, and help at work for me. Your faithfulness has been so real and I just want to bless Your holy name for continuing to travel with me through this life. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, AMEN.
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“And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” John 20:12
The morning after the high Sabbath had come. Certain women, of whom Mary Magdelene was one, approached the tomb of their beloved Savior, intent on properly honoring Him with the spices they brought for His body.
Upon arrival at the tomb, the object of their desire for coming was not there. The body of Jesus, whom they wanted to pay homage to, was gone.
They felt the earthquake, they saw the angel that sat upon the stone that had been rolled from the door of the tomb, and they heard his words: “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay,” (Matthew 28:5, 6).
The women were entrusted to share the news with Jesus’ disciples, but one had come back.
Mary, whose encounter with Jesus freed her life of demonic oppression (Mark 16:9), needed to take a deeper look into the tomb, and what she saw may have reminded her of God’s presence and work among His people: “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain,” (John 20:11, 12).
Not being a high priest, or any priest for that matter, and never seeing it for herself, but hearing stories of what it may have been like, I wonder if she pondered this question in her heart, “Is this what the mercy seat was like?”
The Mercy Seat in the Old Testament
The book of Exodus describes the meticulous instructions and care to follow on the building of everything regarding the Tabernacle as prescribed by God, including the mercy seat: “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof,” (Exodus 25:17-19).
This is the sacred place of which God said, “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony…” (Exodus 25:22).
This is the place of atonement, where the high priest would enter with the blood of animals once a year for the sins of the people.
The Mercy Seat in the New Testament
But when Jesus died on the cross, that protocol had been done away with. The old covenant had been replaced by the new: “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom…” (Matthew 27:50, 51).
The way that only one man could enter once a year (Hebrews 9:6) had now been opened for all who would believe: “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us,” (Hebrews 9:11, 12).
Whether or not what she saw reminded her of that ancient ark, what she saw was the sure sign that the price had been paid once and for all. Not only for her sins but for the sins of the world (John 3:16) if they would only believe: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us… but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself,” (Hebrews 9:24, 26b).
What Jesus’ Fulfillment Means to Us
Mercy, by definition, is God not giving us what we deserve. We deserved the penalties. We deserved the price that was extracted through His holy sacrifice. When He laid down His life, He did so for us, not Himself.
Now, all hindrances are removed. All excuses, as they say, are nailed to the cross. Believers far and near have no reason, like Mary, to draw near in complete faith: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;),” (Hebrews 10:19-23).
Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthian church, called God, “The Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3), and rightly so. Just a glimpse into any of our lives would reveal how much His love and long-suffering nature have held, blessed, kept, provided, and more, despite our undeserving state.
And still today, mercy is available as we are invited not to draw near to the tomb, but to the throne: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4:16).
Once the way was not as easily accessible, but now we are beckoned to come. And not just come, but “come boldly.” Jesus paid the price for our mercy. The “new and living way” has been opened.
While the old mercy seat is gone, Jesus Christ has more than satisfied the atoning cost of the new covenant, establishing now, that through Him, is where we find the grace and mercy we need.
Friend, come boldly to Jesus Christ if you need mercy.
“And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.” Luke 1:50
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10
When the human heart gets muddled with mess, let us come, sit before You, where our soul finds rest.
Confusion and chaos may speak to the day, but in You, in Your love, we find Peace never swayed.
He stands in the storms, and speaks to the waves, our hearts anchored in Jesus, find calm to stay.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27
Life gives us two options: stop where we are now and walk away, or keep moving forward until your destination is reached.
Giving up is not an option. At least, that’s what most self-help motivational gurus say. On this subject, I must agree. The steadfastness and commitment of our Christian journey is more than obtaining worldly goals, success, and the like. It’s a continual press onward and upward toward the kingdom of God, and in that, we want to take others along for this wonderful spiritual pilgrimage.
In Acts 13, Barnabas and Paul set out on their first missionary journey. People, including leaders of cities, were responding positively to the message of the gospel they were teaching (see Acts 13:12). But as the apostle Paul will learn, while there may be some successes along the way, there will also be some hard times and adversities; in opposition to the positive responses, there will also be some negative ones.
After leaving the area of Paphos, Paul and Barnabas traveled by boat to Perga in Pamphylia and from there into Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:13-14). Searching out the local synagogue, Paul went in and expounded to the Jews present about their national history that led up to the revealing of the crucifixion and resurrection of the Savior (Acts 13:16-41).
But, when the Gentiles begged to hear the same words of encouragement about the Savior, the Jews in attendance became envious and started contending against the work and the teaching of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:42-45). After this adversarial encounter, Paul stated it was necessary for them [the Jews] to hear of this good news first, and then he proceeded to tell them that now they would focus their ministry on delivering the message to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-48).
Although the Gentiles were glad about what they heard, and the gospel spread throughout the region (Acts 13:49), the opposition against these missionaries was just getting started. Troublemakers stirred up prominent men and women of society who persecuted Paul and Barnabas and kicked them out of the region (Acts 13:50). Nevertheless, this did not stop their joy or the delivering of the message. Shaking the dust off their feet against this city, they moved on to the next teaching/preaching opportunity which is found in the city of Iconium (Acts 13:51-14:1).
But there, too, we see that the unbelieving Jews caused problems for the missionaries. Standing their ground in the Word, and continuing to preach His message, Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly for the gospel’s sake until the residents of the city became so divided that violence was sought against them. Upon finding this out, they fled to Lystra and Derbe and began to preach the gospel there (Acts 14:2-7).
It should not surprise the Christian that such division is found wherever the gospel is preached. Even Jesus stated, “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division,” (Luke 12:51). While some are looking forward to what the truth of the Word of our Lord holds, others do not. Therefore, wherever progress and footings are made to plant the Word of God into souls, there will always be attempts to stop that from happening. The job of the Christian is to not give up regardless of the troubles, adversities, trials, and tribulations one faces. The gospel message must still go out. There are still souls that need to hear of His saving grace, and as carriers of such a treasure, we must through faith strive through it all to deliver this eternal life-saving message to this broken world.
The troubles we may encounter in any ministry work are not to be a surprise (1 Peter 4:12), rather, it is to be expected (John 16:33). We were never promised the absence of struggles. But what we are told is, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12), and “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).
God told Joshua in the Old Testament, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9), and while it is one verse we like to quote often, wearing that faith hat and putting it into practice can sometimes escape us when the struggles are before us.
Nonetheless, the ministry and the message are too important not to push through and push forward, and like the apostle Paul stated in Philippians, we too must declare, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (3:14).
So, you see, there is really only one option. The choice between the two is always ours, but to continue to be and do all God has called you to be, and do, only one viable option is on the table: Don’t Give Up! If the road were always easy and popular everybody would walk it (Matthew 7:13, 14). But everybody in this world out there needs us to continue moving this message forward, even if they don’t realize it.
Paul, through all of his missionary journeys, would continue the press in carrying the gospel to many nations and people. In the process, he would suffer much ( read the rest of Acts 14 and 2 Corinthians 11:23-33). But for him, giving up was not an option. Neither should it be for us. We may never be called upon to experience and endure some of the trials he and many others have faced, but that doesn’t mean that we will be without adversity. May the courage and dedication of our Lord, and the testimony of these witnesses encourage us to carry on.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 3:1-3
The struggle may seem hard at times but Jesus promised, “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved,” (Matthew 24:13).
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Peter, one who walked with Jesus and walked on water, knew the value of the faith he believed and carried in his heart. He had a deep concern that others would know this value too and refused to let anything stop him from passing it on.
He writes in 2 Peter 1:15, “Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance,” because for people like Peter, Paul, and the others that carried this holy message, facing death, suffering, and hardship due to the ministry was not a surprise. It’s as if they knew it was part of the package of following Christ (see 2 Peter 2:14; compare 1 Peter 4:12, 13).
Rather than let the thought of what they would face deter their faith or cause them to shrink back, they used it as a propelling place, putting even more fervency in the work of the ministry while they had time.
What about us? For some, when things get hard, it pushes a stop button on any progress gained. But what if we, with the same zeal and enthusiasm as they, refused to let the hard places stop our mission? What would happen if we, like a woman in the process of a painful birthing experience, continued to push through it all to receive the reward at the end?
There is power in the push! We are called to be relentless in our faith – not backing down, not easing up. We have the goal of heaven before us, and as those working as “joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17) in this Kingdom work, we want to help and assist as many as possible to find their way to this faith.
That cannot happen if we stop or if we let the thought of what could happen hinder our progress.
We must adopt the mindset of the apostle Paul and say for ourselves, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 3:14). This is a forward march that refuses to lessen the pace, instead the stride is intensified knowing the prize is ahead. The work continues with valiant efforts for the benefit of others.
Continue the push. Be relentless. None of what we go through or do for Christ will be in vain. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord,” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Our faith is of premium value. Nothing can compare to what we have in Christ. Refuse to back down. Refuse to step aside from the ministry God has laid on your life. Others are depending on you to keep pushing forward – to be relentless.
“But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:39
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