Grace And Forgiveness

Genesis 45:4-5 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

One moment the brothers of Joseph are standing before the Prime Minister of Egypt, and  the next moment they are looking into his eyes, the eyes of the brother they sold as a slave twenty-two years earlier. Perhaps the coat of many colors their father made him came to mind.

Joseph looks beyond the sins of the past and sees his brothers through the eyes of love and forgiveness. Thank God, that’s how the Lord sees us. He loves us in spite of our sin and our fallen condition. He knows what we deserve but chooses to give us what we don’t deserve ---forgiveness.

In our natural born condition, we are separated from God by a sea of sin, Isa. 59:2. We are dead to Him, His Word, His Gospel and anything else that has to do with God, Eph. 2:1.

But in His grace, Jesus comes to where we are in our sins and opens our eyes when we believe on Him.  He quickens our dead spirits ---forgives us. Eph. 2:1, 5, and makes us aware of what we need. Then He  says, “Come unto Me”  and He saves us. That’s  grace and love, Eph. 2:8-9. Thank God for salvation.

A Better Place Is Waiting

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

The Lord  Jesus Christ gives us the secret to facing anything that life might throw at us. Paul tells us that our focus should not be on the trials of this life, but on the glory of the next! That doesn't mean that we don't hurt or don’t have problems, It means that we learn to keep everything in its proper perspective.

No matter what you are facing today, it is a temporal thing. There will come a day when it will end, or you will leave this world. Valleys can’t last forever. However, the place we are headed and all of its joys is eternal.

This is what sustained the Apostle Paul as he endured the trials and persecutions of his life. He may not have had a lot down here, but he was able to look to a distant shore where he had laid up some treasure. He never forgot that something better was waiting.

I Shall Not Want

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

I usually drift off to sleep at night quoting The 23rd Psalm in my head. Though I’ve memorized all six verses, lately a praise spills, and I pause at  I shall not want. 

I shall not want says it all. I’ve been blessed all over the place --- in all directions of my life. The Lord --- my Shepherd – has supplied my needs again and again before I ask.

My praise cup runs over when I consider green pastures and  still waters which seasons my path. It was God’s rod and staff that comforted  me through the Valley Of The Shadow Of Death.  

And thank God for  goodness and mercy.  My, my --- I need all the mercy the good Shepherd deals. Did you know that His mercy endures forever?

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

Our Awesome God

Matthew 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

After seeing the greatness and wisdom of Solomon, the Queen of Sheba was convinced that there was nobody like him and his God was even greater.

Every sinner who comes to Jesus for salvation and consecrates their lives for His glory learns that He  gives you back far more than you give up. The Lord will reveal to you the answers to the riddles and problems of life.

The Lord will  prove to be far more glorious than anyone can articulate. He will leave you flabbergasted, astounded and amazed. Talk about our awesome God, the half has never been told.

The Lord Is My Portion

Lamentations 3:24-25  The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

God is described as the soul’s “portion”. What does that mean? It means the Lord supplies all we need to satisfy our soul. If our soul isn’t satisfied what else matters? When The Lord is my portion I have hope and a  unique peace that only He can give.

God will never fail those who trust Him and  wait on Him. If you trust Him for salvation, He won’t send you away  If you trust Him for needs in your life, you will not be disappointed.

The Lord knows what we need, but He wants us to learn to trust. Sometimes that means waiting on an answer. God will honor every precious promise He ever made. He will sustain us through this life and into eternity. Trust Him.

The Name Of Jesus

Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In Heaven the precious name of Jesus is honored as it is nowhere else. It’s a constant source of praise.

In Earth the name of Jesus is nothing more than a by-word for many people. But spirit-filled  saints call Him Lord and Savior. Those who know Him best hold His hand as He walks with them through green pastures and still waters, through The Valley of the Shadow of Death, through storms and victories.

In Hell the day will come when all the demons, all the henchmen of Satan and even the devil himself will bow at the feet of Jesus and confess Him to be Lord. The name of Jesus will be exalted throughout the entire earth.

Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there’s something about that name.
–Bill and Gloria Gaither

Secure In Christ

2 Timothy 1:11-12 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

The Apostle Paul wasn’t depending on human ability to provide for his ministry or eternal destiny. He was secure in Christ, believing in His resurrection. He knew the risen Savior was  more than able to supply his needs and grant eternal life.

This is key to discipleship and the entirety of our Christian experience. Believers must reach the place where we rest solely in Christ. Apart from Him we have no ability and no message to share. Our  hope for the future is in Christ Jesus..

In Him we have strength, wisdom, provision, and security. In Him we can know whom we have believed and be confident that His Word is sure. The Lord is guiding us and preparing a place for our eternity. Hallelujah!