The prophet Jeremiah faced much opposition. As the mouthpiece of God during his time, adversity and sorrow of heart were with him. He faced many troubles because of the message he carried, yet even in that, his heart was burdened with sorrow for his people, for those who refused the message.
In Jeremiah 15:21, God comforts Jeremiah with words that are meant to boost his confidence and encourage his faith during the difficulties he is dealing with. For in times of suffering and conflict, we all need a reassuring word, one like God told the prophet, saying, “And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.”
The word “hand” here speaks regarding the trouble that laid hold of Jeremiah’s life due to the stuff he endured from those who were contrary to him and the message he carried.
But Jeremiah’s message was more than the words we see recorded in the pages of history, the words that inform us of his trouble and work. In the story of his life, we see God speaking past what he was going through, past the enemy’s grip, to reassure him of his deliverance and rescue. While it may seem like he is overcome by adversities and grasped by the hand of the enemy, God lets him know that His power is mightier, His will is greater, and His hand is stronger than anything or anyone who rises against any of His beloved ones.
We see a similar reassuring promise written to Israel, saying, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” Isaiah 41:10.
Where the enemy has his hand, God reminds us that His hand is greater. Where the enemy seeks to knock people down, God says, with My hand, I will uphold.
God will never be without the power and authority to help, heal, and save His people!
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” Isaiah 59:1
“Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.”– Psalm 89:13
“Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.”– Exodus 15:6
“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” – Isaiah 41:13
“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”– Jeremiah 32:17
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.”– Psalm 138:7
“My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”– John 10:29
With arms loaded with bags, I walk toward my car in the grocery store parking lot. I have been jumping about from store to store all day and the exhaustion is wearing on me. Daily tasks, daily chores, and daily work – we all have them. Life does not allow us to be sedentary. So, off we go on the adventure and calling of the day’s demands.
Carrying my bags, I approached the car when a gentle reminder of God’s presence appeared to me. There, bouncing about underneath, a little sparrow getting on with his day reminds me of the sovereign and omniscient hand of the Lord in my life. The thought of Him that knows the life of that little sparrowknows me also, even to the point that all the hairs on my head are numbered, fills me with encouragement.
Jesus, Himself, tells us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).
Yet, many awake to experience news that shatters and devastates their day. And in the middle of it all, fear tries to have a voice. Through uncertain and unsettling times, fear tries to magnify itself.
But I want to encourage you today, no matter how many bags of stuff you are carrying and no matter how hard the work of life before you may be, make God’s Word louder! If there was ever a time when we needed to drown out the world’s noise and build ourselves even more in the Word of God, that time is now!
God’s Word contains the perfectrecipefor a well-ordered life, with its challenges and successes. Our response and reaction to the times we live in are found in the perfect truth written in those pages. It is always right and always true, not only for the days in which it was physically written but for today as well. God’s Word never goes out of style. The psalmist said, “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psalm 119:160).
What that means for us is it is never faulty (Psalm 33:4) and it will never fail (Joshua 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56).
So, Jesus speaks comfort in the Word against the chaos around, and He speaks faith and strength against fear. His word can build you up (Acts 20:32), encourage you, and save you if you let it (James 1:21). Paul taught, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Colossians 3:16). Fill yourself with more of Him. The more we are filled with the Word, the less room we have in our being for junk. A healthy Christian fills his/her appetite with the good, nourishing power of the Word of God: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16).
Friend, make God’s Word louder in your life. One surefire way to do that is to get it into your heart richly, overflowing His joy, truth, peace, and comfort in your life.
Here are some promises of assurance to store in your heart and turn up the volume of your faith today to make God’s Word louder against all the other noise you hear:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”– Isaiah 41:10
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:”– Isaiah 26:3, 4
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”– Proverbs 3:5-8
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”– Romans 8:31
Who indeed? Friend, there are so many written promises God has deposited andinspiredin His Word that I cannot possibly write them all here. But if you desire more, and I hope that you do, just read the Word, for the whole of His Holy Book speaks ofHimand His promises both now and forever.
His Word is speaking louder against the troubles we see. It is saying, that He is with us and that we don’t have to be afraid: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Believe it.
When brokenness is healed, the recovery of wholeness is known.
When wrongs are made right, sorrow and tears are no more.
How often do we look for days like that during our living? Alas, we are not promised the absence of these worldly foes. The promise we do have and hold so dear is that one day their grip on us will be no more.
The thought of “no more” is a beautiful thought. It’s not the joys of life we want to erase. Nor the happy moments we seek an exit from. Rather, it’s the things that squeeze our hearts with pain and despair. The things that press upon us like a heavy weight that we can’t seem to get relief from, searing us with sadness and dread, and so we seek to get away from it as fast as we can.
But despite it all, we have an assurance that we won’t face these days forever. There will come a time when their mark will be but a distant memory.
With faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and His shed blood giving us access to heaven, those within the walls of that beautifully eternal city will no longer be associated with the disturbances of living that being in this flesh brings.
There, there will be peace unimaginable and joy inexpressible. Because there, the things we warred against and worried over in this flesh will be no more. Instead, there the hand of our loving heavenly Father reaches out and gently and tenderly wipes the tears of what we experienced fighting through this life on earth, away.
I try to imagine the absolute freedom that will bring. I try to think of the final release of letting everything go from here that we dealt with, what will it be like?
It may be hard to imagine what that time of no more will look like while we are still in this flesh. So, we hold on to His promises for dear life that strengthen our daily hope for that day. Because we know when the Bible says, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17), that promise is our very real reality when all this will pass away.
No more. What could you do if you didn’t have to deal with _______________ no more?
Although we are not there yet, we can foster an environment that will shore up our faith for the wonderful future that awaits us.
Some principles we can incorporate are:
Watch and pray. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Remain vigilant and be on guard against any detractors in contradiction of your holy destiny.
Feed your faith. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,” (Jude 1:20). The authority of what you have coming as a holy inheritance is based on what Christ has already done, and what the Word promises is yours. Continue to feed on that Word like a starved man seeking to be truly filled.
Live honorably for that day. “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13). Continue to live what you believe to be true and right. Your daily steps will speak more about who you really are than a million well-to-do messages ever will.
And produce the Fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Your living is not just for your own inheritance, but to help others see the light (Matthew 5:16) so they will be drawn to experience Him who can give them the gift of “no more,” too.
These principles will help to keep your heart, mind, and faith concentrated on the reward ahead and not the messes of today.
The idea of no more may seem hard to comprehend, but the realness of it is as sure as God Himself wiping every tear from your eyes. It will come to pass.
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:4
Presence is powerful and so is present. He whose presence is presently with you is our powerful force to lean upon through life’s challenges and adversities.
When I hear the word “is,” I see it as a fact, and I see it as present, whatever is being referred to. Reading in the first part of Colossians 3:4, the words, “Christ, who is our life…” stuck out to me, begging me to do a further investigation because “Christ is our life”, is #1, a fact, and #2, the reality of it is very true right now.
Often, the threatening tides that arise from storms in this life have a way of overwhelming people. But when people are secure in truth, how much better they will be when riding through the uncertainties of life?
Because situations and circumstances may entertain thoughts of uncertainty, there is one thing we can be rock solid sure of, and that is if you are a believer in Christ, and your life is hidden with Him (Colossians 3:3), then He is fact and presently your life today. There is no variance in this truth. There are no ifs and buts. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6). He is our life!
This is so important for us to get into our hearts. We will not escape this life without being challenged by hurts, pain, disappointments, and trials. Jesus assured us they will come (John 16:33; see also 1 Peter 4:12). It is what we decide to do with them that matters. It is the filter we use to process them that will make all the difference.
I must confess, I am an avid coffee drinker. Through my years of enjoying this simple pleasure, I have had incidents with certain filters that tried to ruin the experience of my morning cup. These filters didn’t strain the coffee in the way I was accustomed to. Which is but one of the reasons I normally don’t order coffee out. I, 99% of the time (give or take), will make my own because I am very specific about how I want my cup to taste (admittedly, I do pack a coffee machine and coffee in my luggage when I travel because I want to make it myself, the way I like it).
For our lives and the challenges we face, we need to be even more specific. Our filter of choice matters because it will help you to clear out what is not true so that you can enjoy the pureness of what is. Knowing that Christ is our life, allowing that truth to separate fact from fiction, will help us to endure challenging times because it is not only again, fact, but it also assures us it is our present truth.
In the middle of hardships, both things are difficult to see and remember. Troubles can be like walking through thick fog where it’s challenging to see clearly, so you become disoriented about the truth of your position. But again, Jesus speaks, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
He is our life. That’s our position now that we are in Him. Everything we hope for today and tomorrow in the believer’s life is founded and based upon the truth that Jesus Christ is our Lord. He is the filter through which we must process every experience, every high and low. The Apostle Paul verified this by saying, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Because of what Christ has done on the cross. Because of this life of faith that we now are secured in – everything, every challenge, every adversity, has Christ as our filter because He is our life. Whatever speaks against that ultimate truth is a lie.
If you have had the experience of being saved and making Jesus Christ Lord of your life, then yes, you may still face difficult days, but what those days appear like will not always be how it is. The Bible tells us, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).
We can stand boldly today because we know upon Whom we stand: Jesus, the Savior of our life and our soul. Let Him be the light you look to, and the hope you rest upon every day.
“For in him we live, and move, and have our being…” (Acts 17:28). “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9, 10).
Jesus is the answer for our salvation, our help, our healing, our worries, and our woes (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 4:23-24; Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 5:7; John 14:1; Matthew 11:28-30). He is our life and the unshakable hope upon which we stand. That is a right now fact.
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” – 1 John 5:11
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:17
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” – John 1:4
“Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.” – John 14:19
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” – 1 John 5:12
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” – John 20:31
At the time of this writing, I have a sink full of dishes waiting for me to tend to them. Normally my routine is to stay caught up on chores such as these, but this day, I decided the dishes could wait.
As we are coming down to the end of the warmer season, I have felt the drive in me to make sure I grab bits of it to savor before it all goes to sleep for the winter. So sometimes, things I want done, according to my normal routine, can wait because the days of enjoying lounging with a book on the porch are going to be fewer, and then down to none, the closer we draw deeper into the changing seasons.
And that’s okay. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us about a time for everything and of the different seasons under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3:1-13). Everything has its proper place in our lives, including the enjoyment of grabbing these small, but significant moments.
As we are coming into what I call our “tucking in” time, and as the days of their cold seem to hang around well past their prime, we will yearn and wish for these “porch moments”. We will plan, dream, and look forward to revisiting these simple pleasures of life.
While each season brings its own pleasures and reasons for gratefulness, the ones we can’t touch during that time are the ones we ponder about, wishing we had grabbed more of those momentary pleasures.
Life really adds up to something beautiful when we find the value in every day we have been given, regardless of the season. But while we are here, enjoy what’s before you today. Invest in the time you have with those you love and spend time with them now.
It is inevitable that the seasons of life will change. So today, step into whatever your “porch moment” is and enjoy the gift of that present time that God has blessed you with.
Life is not all about work, pursuing, or being all that you can be. Those are important and have their place on our schedules. But so do rest, and just taking a free moment to breathe, step back, and enjoy this beautiful life God has given. We are here. Look up from your work – not to be lazy or idle, but to make space in it all to simply savor your own “porch moment”, whatever it may look like. For one day, you’ll wish you had.
There is good to be found in every moment God has given.
“I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.” – Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” – Ecclesiastes 2:24
“Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 8:15
“The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” – Psalm 126:3
“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24
“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” – Psalm 27:13
Open communication is one of the keys to a healthy relationship. What many of us forget is that communication is a two-way street between the one who is speaking and the one who is listening. Or, supposed to be listening…
Years ago, I was in a conversation with someone. Admittedly, I unintentionally tuned out at one point during our talking. I wasn’t trying to be rude, nor was there a lack of interest in the conversation. It was just one of those moments, probably due to exhaustion of the day, where I momentarily glazed over and responded to what I heard without really knowing what was being said.
Imagine my embarrassment when my friend turned to me and said, “You didn’t hear what I just said, did you?”
I had to admit that I had not and apologized to her for my lack of proper attention.
But I must ask, how attentive are we when Jesus is speaking? Have we familiarized ourselves so much with Him, with His Word, that we have become almost complacent and desensitized upon hearing it? Like a teenager rolling their eyes over a mother’s request to clean their room again?
As His people, His sheep, we above all others should be very interested in the words of our Lord. Mary was, and she planted herself at His holy feet in anticipation of what He would say next (Luke 10:39).
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice . . .” (John 10:27). They know Him and are known of Him. They are tuned into His heart and the words that flow from there.
Others around may not believe. Naysayers and the world may not be interested in hearing what He says. But when His voice speaks, our ears and our hearts need to be receptive to His truths.
In our age, people have made themselves susceptible and open to many things, doctrines, and voices. But our relationship and closeness to the Lord should want more. More than what others seek. And more than a quick fix or a drive-thru Sunday sermon.
The intimacy we have in knowing Him and being known by Him should keep the ears of our hearts in ready anticipation of Him speaking. Stay open, my friend, to the sound of the Savior. Stay receptive to His voice, because what He says is always in line with the Father (John 12:49-50). When He opens His mouth, it is never frivolous but always with the purpose of teaching, exhorting, healing, delivering, and so much more. When His voice is heard, it is to guide us, as our Good Shepherd, through our days, our decisions, and our destiny in Him.
So, how do we get better at staying open to the sound of the Savior? Here are a few steps you can begin to implement today.
Prioritize what you allow in the hearing of your space throughout the day. Everything you hear is not good for you. As much as depends on you, you can choose to filter what you willingly listen to. Not only are we encouraged in Philippians 4:8 about what to think on, but God’s Word in general stands as the ultimate filter to the noise that tries to enter our space daily. We do not have to entertain contrary speech. Tune in to what is truly important and tune out what is not.
Give opportunity and make room for His speaking. Position yourself with the opportunity in mind that I want to hear from Him. Whether through His Word, sermons, or other means, we are welcoming His voice in the environment of our daily living. In our hurried world that is cluttered with all kinds of noise, it is our responsibility to make sure that we have quiet time to do just what Mary did, and that was to just sit at His feet and listen.
Hear not only with your ears or through the words you read on the page but hear with your heart. Many can hear but do not perceive. Many heard Jesus speak audibly in the crowds but the words He spoke were never ingested into their very being, causing Him to say, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9). Like in the parable of the Sower, the soil of their hearts, the place that nurtures the seed/word, must be good ground and receptive (Matthew 13:3-23). Jesus speaks for challenge and for change, but none of it will do any good if the listener is not willing to take it in and recognize it for the truth that it is.
Steward His words well. When you hear, what do you do next? When it is taken in, see how this applies to you now or in your present circumstance. What is the takeaway? What can you do with what you have heard? Jesus never speaks with the intention of His words being placed on the shelf like a forgotten piece of beautiful artwork. It is to be used, applied and lived out in one’s life. He said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24).
Friends, what Jesus speaks is for the instructing and building of our lives. He said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). Stay open to His voice, receive what He says, and follow Him. The voice of the Shepherd is calling out to you today.
More articles of interest to help you on your journey to better hear from the Savior:
Although I am not the greatest at it, I really do try not to waste. I am a saver. Sometimes to my own detriment. Admittedly, I hold on to things probably much longer than I should. At times, the truth of it will show up in clutter, confusion, and mess. There are times when we must be willing to let go of the old to make space for and welcome the new.
There are various reasons we cling to the things of our past. Some are sentimental or have historical value to us. Some reasons can revolve around more. But whatever the reason, one thing I am slowly learning is, that if it is not serving a purpose in the day and time I am currently living in, I must categorize its usefulness and see if it is something I am going to choose to actively hang on to or if I need to trash, donate, or keep (but have it stored somewhere out of my everyday space).
Old things have their place. Whether it was in things that served us for a time or in experiences we lived through, but to mature and find greater peace in the space of your life right now, they must be kept in their proper place and that place may not look like what it used to look like or serve the way we were used to being served by it.
Spiritually speaking, we see the truth of this from the Hebrew writer when he was explaining the differences between the old and the new covenants. There was a future designed for the people of God that some could not yet fathom, therefore they desired to hold on to the old way of connecting and relating to God.
But what Galatians 3:23-25 teaches us is, “Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” The law was only a tutor for a time, showing our need for a Savior, showing us how to live in anticipation of what Christ would wholly fulfill in His person through His death, burial, and resurrection.
With that being revealed and accomplished, what now has come, and how one’s relationship with God would transpire from here on out, would be much different, but better. For what was coming was no longer going to deal with the letter of the law, but the relationship we would have with our heavenly Father would be from the position of a transformed heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:10). This heart transformation would be spawned from the finished work of Jesus Christ, on the cross.
In Hebrews 12:18-21, the writer teaches from the history of their previous experience, explaining,“For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)”.
This was a “that was then” moment. Thinking back, he recalls through their history that it was two months after God delivered the children of Israel, He brought them to Mount Sinai. Upon their arrival, they were given very specific commands to follow because life and death depended upon it. During the time of His visitation, if any attempted to look at God or break through the boundaries that were set up to protect the perimeter of the mount, that individual would be killed. Even if a beast of any sort were to touch the mount where the manifested presence of God would make Himself known, it too was to be killed. No exceptions.
The thunder and lightning, along with the sound of the trumpet that blasted to signal their approach to the mount, and the blackness and the voice of words, all made the event very terrifying for the people. Their request was that Moses would be the intermediary between God and man; that Moses would hear the instructions that were coming from the mouth of God and relay them to the people. The awesomeness of God’s manifested presence on that mountain was just too much to bear.
At one point, even Moses himself, a man who would meet with God up close and personal, “face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friends” (Exodus 33:11), was described at this event as saying, “I exceedingly fear and quake” (Hebrews 12:21). God’s power that showed forth on that mount was terrifying to behold for sure.
Moses and the representation of the Mosaic Law had its time and there were currently still teachers of it in operation (Acts 15:21), but let’s talk about the now of the new.
In this “now moment,” God has a new covenant, a new mount experience, with a new intermediary in place. It is not based on the event portrayed at Mount Sinai. He wasn’t looking for ordinances written on stone as the old covenant was, but a spiritual difference in the heart of mankind that would lead one to heaven through the new covenant established through Jesus Christ.
In Hebrews 12:22-24 he further explains,“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
This is now where our access to God lies, in the faith, hope, and grace afforded to us through the new covenant, through the blood of Jesus Christ, which is spiritual. Not in the old system or order of doing things that were contingent on coming to God through the outward conformity of the law which is physical. Now our access through Jesus Christ brings us to the place where God is in heaven.
He, Jesus, is the mediator of the new covenant (see also Revelation 14:1). And if heaven is your goal, then Jesus is the way there. While on earth Jesus spoke, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” (John 14:6). The only way to get to where God is, is through the door of Jesus Christ Himself; through accepting Him as Savior (John 10:9). There is no other way around it. The old way is obsolete and no longer in effect. Mount Sinai stood to symbolize the old covenant while Mount Sion stood to symbolize the new. Jesus is the way to the new.
When Jesus died on the cross, He not only became the Author of the new covenant, but He became the mediator, the go-between of God and man. He stood in the gap that we would have fallen into that leads to eternal death. But through His death, through Him as the new covenant and mediator of our faith, we cross over the gap that sin caused and follow Him to eternal life. He is the way, “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father,” (Ephesians 2:18; see also Romans 5:2). Jesus is the bridge that leads us to our heavenly home.
Jesus is our only hope that draws us near to the Father. Fear of the quaking, thunderous mountain is not there. But a welcoming receptivity of new life and reconciliation that only love in its truest form can bring is now what we get to experience. That past mount, we could not go to and touch, but today, because of what now is established through Jesus, we have a Savior who has come and touched us. The beauty of His nearness is extraordinary, and the experience of what He has done is like no other. The new has overtaken the old. While the old was good for its time and place, the new is better. The culmination of everything we need to spiritually succeed can be found in Christ Jesus alone, with no added additions.
Scabs were a fascination for me in my youth. I had a bad habit where right when the healing would be almost complete, I would pick at the scab and pick at it again until it reopened, prohibiting it from properly healing in a timely fashion.
In life, we can find ourselves doing the same thing with the hurts of all nature. And as easy as it is to pick, we can choose to leave it alone and let God do what He does best.
Allow for healing. What bitterness is so precious that we fight to hold on to it? What hurt must we keep rehearsing in our mind that we won’t let go of it? Allowing these to take up precious space in our hearts will not make room for His healing to take place when we can let it go and trust God with the outcome. Continually nursing all the wrongs prohibits the growth of all that is good.
We choose what we strengthen: bitterness and hurt or good and healing. We have the choice to bring into greater focus the things that will help us overcome those tumultuous thoughts or keep us bound in them. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Where your mind and your thinking lead, the heart will follow. Follow those beautiful things that lead to healing. Why let that which is corrupt ruin your day, your week, your life?
No one can understand like you what your heart is feeling (Proverbs 14:10). No one can discredit the hurt one has experienced. At the same time, no one but you can refuse to sit in the pity party, celebrating the misery.
Allow for healing. Bring all the heaviness of heart, all those things that speak against wholeness and recovery, all the hurt to Jesus, who promises that in Him, we will find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:29; read Matthew 11:28-30).
Why suffer as one who has no help? Jesus is your help for healing, and He is waiting to lead you into complete restoration. He is the cure for whatever you are holding onto, and He is the cure for whatever you are going through.
Focus your heart on what is good, and don’t leave Jesus out of the healing process. There is not an infirmity He hasn’t faced and experienced (Hebrews 4:15).
He knows how much it hurts, but He also knows how to bring about wholeness. “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). Come, that you may be healed.
Letting go of bitterness and hurt – sometimes it is easier said than done. But when we do, we allow for God’s healing to come and saturate our souls.
The world we live in currently bears the scars of the travesty that has taken place. When sin entered, it did more than cause our separation from God (which was the worst). It also caused hurt, disorder, dysfunction, and disease where there was only to be peace, love, harmony, and health.
Our Garden of Eden has become a briar patch of thorns and pain that hurt and hinder where the Word was spoken for good. The truth of this condition is told in Scripture as the Apostle Paul says, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:22, 23).
When something is groaning it means something is not right. Think along the lines of an upset stomach. People tend to groan and hold themselves tightly to express their utter discomfort at the wrong they feel going on inside themselves. Their body is in pain until that which caused the discomfort is cured and eased.
In the above verses, there is groaning seen in the state of man and creation alike. But the promise for those in Christ is that it will not remain as it is now. Healing is on the horizon. Nature will regain its right order. That which was called good will shine brighter than its original beauty before. And we, my friends, who have experienced and lived through the turmoil of this world, will finally find the ultimate peace and completion of true wholeness.
That which is flesh will be given over to the Spirit. That of the world will dissipate before glory. The enemy you see today, you will see no more for everything will be healed. You will be freer than you have ever been before as the burdens of this life are laid down once and for all, as the culmination of everything we have maintained this hope for comes to pass.
As we carry His Spirit in us today, we carry it with the knowing that our faith, although it has seen many trials, is not in vain. “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1).
The promise is there, and the promise is real. Everything not fitted for the purpose of that glorious Kingdom will be done away with. Tears and death, hopelessness and despair, pain, and suffering – all will be passed away (Revelation 21:4). “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new . . .” (Revelation 21:5). What was wrong will be righted. What was broken will be fully and completely healed as groanings are replaced by glory forever.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” – Isaiah 65:17
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” – 1 Peter 5:10
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” – 1 John 5:4
When God puts a gift, a seed of talent in you, whether you feel particularly inspired or not, the gift in you demands to be heard, noticed, and shared with the world.
It’s just like that. In each of us there dwell the possibilities that He knows you can do something with it.
We are good ground and from it we want to bear much fruit. The world needs what grows from the soil of you.
Word For Life Says... 