2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich.
It was grace that caused the Jewel of Heaven to leave His Glory and face poverty and a cruel cross for the sins of mankind.
In Heaven He was rich--rich in glory, love, praise, silver, gold, diamonds, power, wisdom, and more.
After Bethlehem, He became poor in the world He made. He had no place to call His own. The ground was His couch, the Meadow His table, the tree His roof, the rock His pillow, the brook His basin, the breeze His towel, and the wind His comb.
Jesus paid a debt He didn't owe; I owed a debt I couldn't pay. He gave Himself that I might be rich in Him--free from the burden of sin-guilt and the dread of God's wrath. I'm so unworthy.
Praise God! Now I'm a child of the King. That's amazing grace.
The lives of Bible heroes recorded in the "Hall of Faith" Chapter (Hebrews 11) challenge us to faithfully run the Christian race.
Hebrews 12:1 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.
Habits or hobbies that come between us and God are weights. Lay them aside.
Complacency is weighty. Get in the Word and get excited about serving God.
Trivial hindrances like discord and hurt feelings weigh us down. Give them to God and get back on track.
To run the spiritual race, our lives must be free from sin.
Are there weights you need to lay aside? Is there sin in your life that need confessing? Examine your spirituality and ask The Lord to cleanse you, then run the race with patience and rejoice.
God's will is that we live by faith--not the blind leap of the foolish or the blank check of the misinformed, but assurance that what God said, He will do.
Faith isn't walking around blind, waiting for providence to bump into you. Faith is your response to the promises of God.
God says, "I will lead you." Faith responds. "I will follow." God says, "I will feed you." Faith says, "I will eat." God says, "I will meet your need." Faith says, "It is done."
Hebrews 11:1,2 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Faith calms our fears, cushions our falls, and confirms our future.
The Christian who determnes to truly live by faith in God will never be disappointed. There will be a deep settled assurance that The Lord is in absolute control of all situations.
1 Thessalonians 4:16:17 For The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with The Lord.
One day I'll see the One who loved me more than His own life, the One who died for me on the cross. I'll see my Redeemer, the Friend who stuck closer than a brother.
When Jesus comes, we'll leave this world behind and fly away to a better place. We'll spend eternity with Him and those He redeemed. We'll be caught up, carried away, and completely changed.
Until we stand in His image in His presence in His Heaven, we should be watching for Him like He's coming any moment. We should be witnessing to lost souls.
"Surely, I come quickly." Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:58 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.
Abounding in the work of The Lord goes beyond church attendance and every day Bible reading, though both are important. It's being consumed in your ministry.
Whatever The Lord has given you to do (great or small), do it eagerly with love and vigor. At times you may feel overlooked and unappreciated, but your efforts are never in vein. God has a reward awaiting you.
Some Christians may feel they've contributed little for the cause of Christ. If that is you, ask God to show you the way, give you opportunities, and the power to abound in His work. He deserves the best you can offer. You'll be glad you did.
There's little that I can do to meet your needs, but God in Heaven can. When your faith is overwhelmed by doubt, call God.
The God who made the world came to Jeremiah in prison with this promise.
Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.
What are you facing today? It's not too big for God.
- He can save you if you're lost
- He can help you with your need
- He can comfort you if you heart is broken
- He can can love you if you are lonely
- He can restore you if you have fallen
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Helen H. Lemmel 1922
Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom The Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile.
True spiritual contentment is defined as a heart that is clean, forgiven and honest before The Lord.
King David had experienced the depths of sin and the heights of the grace of God. He is telling us that spiritual contentment is found in spiritual cleansing--in a soul right with God.
Horatio P. Spafford expressed it well in his famous hymn, It Is Well.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise The Lord, Praise The Lord, O my soul.
It is well (it is well) with my soul (with my soul) . . . . .
If you lack contentment and peace of heart with The Lord, you either have never accepted Him as your Savior or you are saved but sin is in your life.
Confess your sin and forsake it. Christ will cleanse you and restore joy.
