Tag: love

Safe In The Shadow of Jesus

Psalm 36:7 ESV, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

Some years ago I had a dream. I walked into an office building and once I got in a war broke out. There was shooting and loud noises all around me. I was terrified and was running through the building trying to find a place to hide. However, no matter how hard I tried, I could not find a refuge. So I called out, “Jesus, hide me in the shadow of your wings!” Immediately a shadow appeared. No matter where I went in that building, I was safe as long as I stayed in that Shadow. No one could see me. It was as if I was invisible. Not one of those flying bullets could harm me.

Although this was just a dream, the message it carries is very true. The Lord Jesus will always be our refuge. He will lovingly hide us in the shadow of His wings. He will protect us. Even though we must walk (or run!) through the trials of this life, He will carry us safely through. All we have to do is call out to Him. No matter what, He will be there. His love is steadfast, it endures forever.

Romans 10:13 NLT, “For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

I Will Exalt You My God

Psalm 145:1 NLT, “I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.”

No matter what is going on in our lives we can look up to our God and give Him praise. He is our Strong Rock, He will never fail us. He is our Great Hope, He will never disappoint us. He is our Faithful Father, He will never abandon us.

His love for us will endure forever.

He is our Peace when we are anxious. He is our Strength when we are weak. He is our Joy when we are discouraged. He is our Fullness when we feel empty…

In His presence is fullness of joy, and eternal pleasures forever more. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Let us praise His name forever and ever.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

God Forgets Our Sins

Hebrews 8:12 NIV, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

In our human nature, forgetting our past sins can sometimes seem impossible. We remember. Since we remember, we must overcome shame, guilt, and all other feelings of inadequacy. Even knowing that God has promised to forget our sins, it can still be a struggle for us to let go.

There have been many times I have been so angry and disappointed at myself for falling into sin. Even after repenting before God, the anger would continue. I knew I was forgiven by God, but my mind kept going around in circles, rehashing my sin and trying to figure out how I could have allowed myself to fail.

I remember one day I was praying, and the Holy Spirit begin to give me a fresh revelation of the Cross. I understood with complete clarity that the work Jesus Christ did was enough. No amount of guilt or shame that I had, could ever add to His finished work on the Cross. We as humans can know something in our minds, but it takes the power of The Holy Spirit to help us understand it in our hearts, and fully accept it as truth.

Understanding God’s forgiveness with our hearts, is what will bring us freedom. Freedom to enjoy the present and embrace the future. Freedom to be all He created us to be, and freedom to receive His unconditional love everyday. Holding on to our past, is part of the enemy’s attempt to steal from us. But greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

In Christ, we are free to repent of our sins and receive His forgiveness. He will empower us to live for Him shame free and guilt free. Once we repent, He remembers our sins no more.

He Meets Us Where We Are

One of the things that I love most about the Lord is that He meets us where we are. He understands everything we are going through. Even when we don’t understand ourselves or our situation, He does. Every step we take is a part of His greater, magnificent plan for our lives. Even when we may feel He is distant, He is near. He knows exactly what we need to get through each new day He allows us to see.

Psalm 145:18 NIV, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

He doesn’t give up on us, or the purpose He has for us. We’ll go through times where our faith may be weaker than other times. We’ll have to endure unexpected tests and overcome trials. However we’ll also learn many valuable lessons, and experience victories along the way. Regardless of what we go through, our Lord meets us where we are. His grace will always be sufficient to carry us through.

But Jesus

During the workday me and my coworkers usually discuss things that are happening in the news. The news can be scary because the world is becoming scary. It’s terrible what so many people around the world, and even in our own neighborhoods and families are going through. Jesus says in the world we will have trouble, BUT to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Psalm 20:7 NIV, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

BUT we trust in the name of the Lord our God. This is our hope. No matter what comes our way, we can say, “BUT, I trust in the name of Jesus.” When we trust in Him, we know that He will take care of our every need. His name is the name that saves. His name is above ever other name. One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

I’m thankful that in Christ Jesus regardless of what we see or hear, we have a BUT. Even when we close our eyes and take our last breath someday, it’s not truly over. We will leave this world behind, BUT we will spend eternity seeing Him face to face in all of His glory.

Just remember these two words…

BUT JESUS.

Thankful! 🎉🎉🎉

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His Discipline Speaks Love

Hebrews 12:6 NLT, “For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

Discipline rarely feels good, but it’s good for us. God loves us too much to let us continue on in sin, which will eventually lead to death if we don’t repent (James 1:15). He wants us to lead fruitful lives that are full of purpose. His desire is for us to become all that He created us to be.

I’m thankful for the times God disciplined me for my sinful actions. Experiencing the consequences of my wrong choices, helped me to understand the importance of making right godly choices. Through Christ, we have the freedom and the power, to make choices that will bring life, instead of death, to ourselves and others.

God disciplines us because of His love for us. However He is merciful. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He knows our hearts and He knows our struggles. He knows the best way to work in our lives to get us to where He wants us to be.

When we have hearts that are willing to trust God and obey Him, then we know He will be patient with us as we mature in Christ. It’s a joy to know, that as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, we are making progress.