Sunlight, Moonlight

 

S

Photo by Michael Clarke Stuff 2012

In April of this year, a total solar eclipse will be visible from many parts of the US, Mexico, and Canada. As this and other "signs in the sky" herald Christ's imminent return, it is a good reminder for Christians to reflect His light in all we say and do. May you enjoy this repost from the archives.

About 18 months ago my husband Richard and I were featured performers at the Coliseum, the beautiful ballroom in St. Petersburg, Florida, in which the dance scenes in the movie “Cocoon” were filmed. Because of a scheduling mixup, we arrived at the venue about two hours earlier than we needed to be there. After we had admired the recent renovations and dramatic new lighting, chatted with the event organizers, laid out our costumes and props, warmed up, and prayed, I grew restless and impatient to perform. Patience is not one of my virtues!

I found myself wondering, “God, why did you bring us here so early? Surely I could have put this time to better use working on my medical writing assignments, paying bills, or preparing next week’s blog or Sunday school lesson. We know that the time is short, and you don’t want us to waste it!”

Just then I recognized a song playing over the loudspeaker as patrons took the floor for general dancing. I hadn’t heard it for years -- it was an instrumental version of “Sun and Moon,” from the musical “Miss Saigon.” I felt God gently prompting me, “This is why you are here early. Write Christian lyrics to this song, and choreograph to it for your next dance ministry piece.”

Humbled and ashamed that I had doubted Him, I quickly answered in my heart, “Yes, Lord.” My mind began to drift to possible lyrics, theme and choreography, when I felt His firm suggestion: “One more thing – use a hoop.”

“A hoop??? You mean a hoop skirt?”

“No, a hoop.” This final thought was so emphatic that I could not dare to disagree, only to ponder how a hoop could possibly be incorporated into a dance by two people doing lifts that are challenging enough on their own, let alone while trying to balance a hoop or pass it back and forth.

I told Richard and he just laughed – nervously, though, for he knew from experience that I would not be easily dissuaded.

With much prayer, trial and error, a few minor injuries, and many bruises and scrapes, the new dance began to take shape, hoop and all, by God’s grace and Holy Spirit inspiration. The theme would be that Jesus Christ is the Light of Heaven, reflecting His light on the believer, who in turn radiates it to the world. To express this theme, the dance would use the symbolism of the sun being the source of light on this planet, and the moon passively reflecting the sun’s rays to illuminate the earth during the darkness of night (Genesis 1:3-5; 14-18).

God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). He saved us by His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) through our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), freeing us from the darkness of our sins (Jeremiah 13:16) to the holy light of His perfect righteousness (Isaiah 50:10; John 3:21; Acts 26:18).

Once we are clothed in His holiness (Job 29:14; Psalm 132:9; Isaiah 61:10), His light can reflect from Him to us, radiating from us so that others can see Him through us. He is the Light of the world (John 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 11:9; 12:46), and by this process, we are also the light of the world (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15), reflecting His love, truth and holiness to the lost, dark world (John 3:19).

We have no source of light on our own merits, for our self-righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Rather, we are like an empty vessel or unlit candle (Psalm 18:28) through which His light can burn brightly and illuminate others with His truth (2 Corinthians 4:4-6). If we cease to revolve around Him, and block His light from reaching us because of sins and weights (Hebrews 12:1) that deflect His radiance, we can no longer light the world.

Based on the lyrics and choreography of our dance, the hoop, which in our first practices was a hula hoop, would at times represent the sun, the moon, the light, or the orbit of the moon around the sun. We soon realized it would be far more effective if we could use the hoop as a connection between us and to bear my weight in some of the lifts, rather than just gesturing with it or handing it back and forth.

But we learned quickly that a standard hula hoop is not strong enough for that (even reinforced with duct tape!) and that most sturdier hoops would be too heavy to carry in one outstretched arm.

In His faithfulness and foresight, God had prearranged the solution to these problems. It turned out that a specialty studio involved in hoop design was located right in our neighborhood – who knew?? Clearly God did! I also began weight lifting so that I could more gracefully handle the modified hoop, which weighs about seven pounds.

Despite my training since childhood as a ballet dancer, and our joint experience in ballroom and adagio dancing, neither of us had any acrobatic or gymnastic experience involving any type of apparatus. This is not the sort of experiment one ordinarily attempts for the first time at older ages! But God in His faithfulness (Psalm 89:8; 1 Corinthians 1:9) guided us through all of that as well. Since we have added this dance to our repertoire, I have often joked that now I want to run away and join the circus!

When God calls us to a particular assignment, we need not question our lack of ability, experience, or resources needed to complete the task, for if we obey, He will provide! (Philippians 4:19) He used Moses, a stammerer, to deliver eloquent oratory to Pharaoh to let God’s people go (Exodus 4:10-12). He used David, a shepherd boy who had never been to battle, to slay the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:39-50). He used Noah, whose preaching skills won no converts beyond his own family (Genesis 7:7), to repopulate the earth and his descendants to give rise to different races (Genesis 9:1, 18-19).

Joshua realized that age was no barrier when God promised him a great land even though He had just reminded him that he was “old and stricken in years” (Joshua 13:1). God answered Abraham and Sarah’s prayers for a child when they were both ancient, and after more than a two decade wait since He had first promised (Genesis 18:10-12) that their child would give rise to a great nation!

God does not look for our ability, but our availability to fulfill His perfect plan for our lives. May we listen for His still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12), quickly obey, and trust Him to equip us for His battle and make a way to complete His mission! May we be His light in the world until that day when neither sun nor moon are needed, for His glory alone (Isaiah 60:19; Revelation 21:23; 22:5) will illuminate the new heavens and new earth!

© 2016 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Top Ten Thankful Thoughts

 

Photo by Ms Jones 2005

As Christians, we have so many blessings for which to thank God, not only at Thanksgiving but every day, that a list of only ten cannot even begin to describe it! Every good and perfect gift comes from God above (James 1:17), for the unsaved as well as for born-again believers (Matthew 5:45; John 3:3-8). The Psalms repeatedly echo what was first said in 1 Chronicles 16 (v. 34; 41): “Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1,29; 136:1,3). So let’s use this verse as a departure point! 

 

1.God is good. Only the Triune God (the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit) is good (Lamentations 3:25), meaning holy, without sin, righteous (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). Because He is good, He desires only the best for His children (Romans 8:16-17), meaning those who are saved by our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). Because He is righteous, God sees all who have trusted Him as righteous, for He has clothed us in His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; Psalm 132:9). 

 

2. God is merciful (1 Kings 8:23; 2 Chronicles 6:14; Nehemiah 1:5; Psalm 52:8; 66:20; Micah 7:18; Luke 1:78; Romans 9:16; Ephesians 2:4; 1 Peter 1:3; Jude 1:21; etc.). It is great news that God is good, but it is also the worst possible news if we cannot meet His standard of holiness, and none can (Romans 3:23). Holy God cannot allow an unsaved sinner into Heaven, for that would defile Him. Because of His mercy, He does not give us what we deserve, which is eternal punishment in hell (Psalm 86:13). 

 

Instead, He loved us so much that He gave His Son (John 3:16) to pay the price in full for our sins, so that sinful man could be reconciled to Holy God (2 Corinthians 5:18). When God looks at born-again believers, He no longer sees our sins, but instead sees the perfect righteousness of His Son, which He has credited to our account. If we confess our sins, He forgives us (1 John 1:9), removing us from our sins as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). His mercies are new every morning (Psalm 59:16; Lamentations 3:22-23). 

 

3. God is full of grace. His mercy spares us from what we deserve, and His grace, freely given as unmerited favor, gives us what we do not deserve – eternal life in Heaven with Him and with our loved ones who have trusted Him by faith (Ephesians 2:3-8). There is no good work we can do to earn our way to Heaven, for our attempts to be righteous on our own are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6).   

 

While we look forward to eternal life in Heaven, He gives us abundant life here and now (John 10:10). His grace showers us with blessings every day (Ezekiel 34:26), grace upon grace. His grace is sufficient for us to endure trials (2 Corinthians 12:9) and empowers us to carry out the work He has appointed to us (1 Corinthians 15:10). 

 

4. God endures forever. He cannot change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8), so we don’t have to worry about an unstable god wresting our promised future away from us. We are not gambling on the whim of some capricious god finding favor with us when we die, or judging that our good deeds outweigh the bad. We have the blessed, living hope and promise of the One True God, our Rock (1 Samuel 2:2; Matthew 16:18) and Fortress (Psalm 18:2), returning for His children to spend eternity with Him in Heaven (Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:3). 

 

There is nothing we, He, nor anyone or anything else can do to reverse that, to rob us of salvation once we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Romans 8:35-39). We did nothing to earn it, and nothing can ever remove it from us. He is faithful and true (Jeremiah 42:5; Revelation 3:14; 19:11), steadfast and constant (Daniel 6:26), always delivering on His promises (James 1:17; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13). 

 

5. God is love (1 John 4:8). Because God loves us, He not only saved us, but He always acts toward us out of love. We may not always understand His ways, just as a rebellious child does not always understand why a loving father slaps the hand that is reaching for the hot stove (Hebrews 12:6-11). But we can always trust that He is working all things together for those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). He loves us infinitely, so He can’t love us any more, and we don’t have to work to earn His love. Similarly, He can’t love us any less, even when we rebel.  Because God is love, His Spirit in our heart teaches us to love and serve Him and one another, and our earthly relationships can thrive when motivated by love (John 13:34-35). 

 

6. God is all knowing and all powerful. Not only does God love us infinitely, but He has all wisdom about all things past, present and future (Psalm 139:1-6). He knows what is best for us, what we need before we even ask Him (Matthew 6:8,32), and what must be done to accomplish that. Is anything too hard for God? (Jeremiah 32:27) Can the One Who spoke the worlds into existence (Genesis 1), Who made the sun stand still (Joshua 10:12), and Who parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21) be unable to do whatever is best for us? 

 

7. God is light. Once His Holy Spirit enters our heart at the moment of salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13), His Word is a light to our path and a lamp to our feet (Psalm 119:105), showing us where to go, how to follow Him, and to understand His will and plan for our life. He is the Light of the world (John 8:12), yet His light shining through us and reflecting from us allows us to be lights (Matthew 5:14), illuminating a dark and wicked world with His truth. 

 

8. God provides for all our needs. If God cares for the birds of the air and clothes the flowers in beautiful apparel (Luke 12:22-33), will He not provide for His children? We are the crown jewel of His creation (Genesis 1:26-27), made for His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:5,9), and He will provide all we need to carry out the mission He has appointed to us (Philippians 4:14-19). If we seek Him first, and His righteousness, all other needs will be met (Matthew 6:33) – food, clothing, shelter, safety (Psalm 37:23-25). 

 

9. God gives us richly all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). He provides not only for our basic needs, but for special blessings to enrich our life. These may not be financial or material, appealing to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life, for these are of the world (1 John 2:16). Yet the beauty and majesty of His creation, freely available to all, is beyond measure (Genesis 1:31; Psalm 19:1). 

 

The spiritual blessings He gives us of peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and joy in Him (Psalm 21:1; 35:9; etc.) cannot be bought at any price, except for that of His shed blood on Calvary’s cross (Hebrews 9:22). How can we compare to any earthly treasure the joy of knowing that we will see our sisters and brothers in Christ once more and forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), never having to say goodbye; in glorified bodies without tears, pain, sickness, aging or death? (1 Corinthians 15:35-58) 

 

10. God has a plan for our life. Praise God, He has freed us from the bondage of sin, death and hell! Praise God, we are no longer His enemies (Romans 5:10), but His children (Galatians 3:26), joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17) to His inheritance of eternal life, and united as the body (Romans 12:5) and bride (Revelation 21:2) of Christ! But it gets even better – we are His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and His fellow-laborers (1 Corinthians 3:9). 

 

His general plan for our lives is that all be saved (2 Peter 3:9; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13), and that once saved, to keep His commandments, to tell others about Him, to pray, and study His Word. Beyond that, He has a specific plan for each of us (Ephesians 2:10), which He designed before time even began (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5,11). If we have faith, He will reveal that plan to us, piece by piece. If we yield to His Holy Spirit and follow that plan, we will have the joy of hearing Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21) 

 

Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endures forever! 

 

© 2016 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

What Kind of Light Are You?

 

Photo by Godot13 2007

As my husband and I sat reading our morning devotionals, I noticed that the motion-activated security light on the balcony turned on in broad daylight, triggered by the antics of a playful squirrel.

Such lights are useful protection against intruders, who in theory would be frightened away by the bright light if they ventured too close to the house with some nefarious purpose in mind. They are also useful to illuminate a dark entry if we return home late at night, protecting us from falling or being bitten by mosquitos as we search for our keys.

And yet, as in the case of the squirrel, the motion detector light lacks the discernment to distinguish an intruder from a harmless visitor, or our return home from a moth flying near the sensor, so some energy is wasted. Eventually the bulb burns out and the batteries lose their charge and both need to be replaced.

Other lights turn on only in the darkness, so they save energy during the day, or even store it if they are solar powered, and emit light only in the dark. Yet even in Florida, solar lights often fail if it is a cloudy day, or if trees block the direct sun, or even if it is too hot and humid for the solar cells to operate at optimum efficiency.

Other lights, like the strings of festive Christmas lights meant to lift our spirits and remind us of Jesus Christ, the true Light of the world (John 8:12), are set on a timer to shine only at night. This saves energy, but seeing the unlit plastic bulbs and tangle of electric cords and switches during the day detracts from the decorative effect.

Still, unlit Christmas lights are not as bad as the inflatable snowmen or Santas on timers that melt into a flat, plastic puddle by day – a disturbing sight for children enjoying their lifelike appearance at night!

And finally, there are security lights, often inside near the entry of businesses, visible through the glass doors to deter break-ins. These are always on, for maximum security, yet at the cost of higher energy bills and need to replace the bulbs more often.

These different types of lights got me thinking about our Christian life, once we have been saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). Jesus said that we who are born-again (John 3:3-8) are also the light of the world, and that our light must not be hidden under a basket, but set high on a lampstand for all to see and glorify Him  (Matthew 5:14-16).

To me, that sounds like our light should always be brightly burning. In the wilderness tabernacle and later in the temple, the golden lampstand (Exodus 25:31–39; 37:17–24) was always to be filled with oil and burning continually, as it was the only source of light in a room without windows. It was also a reminder and foreshadowing of God’s light illuminating our lives, through His Word (Psalm 119:105) and through His Son Jesus Christ Who is the true Light.

Jesus referred to this symbolically in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, in that we are to be like the wise virgins who kept their lamps trimmed and filled with oil while awaiting the return of the Bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13). We too must be ready for Christ’s imminent return at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-54), for once the trumpet sounds, it will be too late to be filled with the Holy Spirit, if we are not already by having asked Jesus into our heart to be Lord of our life (Ephesians 1:13).

But sometimes it seems we are more like the motion detector light, turning on only when we think someone is nearby to notice and appreciate our illuminating comments or behavior. Jesus spoke harshly of the Pharisees who made a big show of wearing religious garments and speaking pretentious prayers in public, yet whose heart was far from Christ (Matthew 23).

Or sometimes we are like the darkness-activated light, quick to shine a spotlight at the first sign of evil in someone else, to criticize their flaws and draw attention to our own self-assumed holiness. It is true that men love the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds are evil (John 3:19). Yet Jesus said we are not to judge others, lest we ourselves be judged (Matthew 7:1-5).

Then there are the Christians who seem to be on a timer, being all sweetness and light in the Sunday church service, yet darkened by a bad attitude, words, or behavior as soon as they drive out of the parking lot. Rather, as the apostle Paul said, we should be ready to preach the Word at all times (2 Timothy 4:2), which we can hardly do if our lifestyle discredits our testimony.

So how can we keep our lights brightly burning at all times, to encourage ourselves, to be a blessing to others, and to bring the Gospel light into a dark, sin-filled, dying world? Only by being constantly filled with the Holy Spirit, by yielding to His power and not grieving (Ephesians 4:30) or quenching Him by disobedience, disbelief, or indifference (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Physical lights need constant replenishment of their energy source and bulbs, yet the power of Almighty God (Revelation 11:17; 15:3; etc.) is limitless and infinite. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). If we allow His power to flow through us, our light will never burn out, but will always burn ever more brightly for Him! (Philippians 4:13)

We should be like the eternal flame, perpetually burning to honor the memory of a fallen soldier, just as our life can honor the memory of our Lord and Savior Who sacrificed Himself for us. Or like the Olympic torch, carried from one race to the next by faithful runners, just as we are to run the race set before us and light the way for those running with us (1 Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 12:1).

Or like the trustworthy lighthouse, set on the rugged cliffs to warn all of impending danger, we can caution against the eternal dangers of hell and damnation while beckoning others to the refuge (Psalm 46:1) and eternal life (John 3:16) we have in Jesus Christ!

What kind of light are you? Yield to the Holy Spirit and He will not only illuminate you like a candle that never burns out, but allow you to pass that flame on to others, to brighten their world until He brings us home to His everlasting light! (Revelation 21:23)   

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.   

© 2021 Laurie Collett

Top Ten Thankful Thoughts

Photo by Ms Jones 2005

As Christians, we have so many blessings for which to thank God, not only at Thanksgiving but every day, that a list of only ten cannot even begin to describe it! Every good and perfect gift comes from God above (James 1:17), for the unsaved as well as for born-again believers (Matthew 5:45; John 3:3-8). The Psalms repeatedly echo what was first said in 1 Chronicles 16 (v. 34; 41): “Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1,29; 136:1,3). So let’s use this verse as a departure point! 

 

1.God is good. Only the Triune God (the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit) is good (Lamentations 3:25), meaning holy, without sin, righteous (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). Because He is good, He desires only the best for His children (Romans 8:16-17), meaning those who are saved by our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). Because He is righteous, God sees all who have trusted Him as righteous, for He has clothed us in His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; Psalm 132:9). 

 

2. God is merciful (1 Kings 8:23; 2 Chronicles 6:14; Nehemiah 1:5; Psalm 52:8; 66:20; Micah 7:18; Luke 1:78; Romans 9:16; Ephesians 2:4; 1 Peter 1:3; Jude 1:21; etc.). It is great news that God is good, but it is also the worst possible news if we cannot meet His standard of holiness, and none can (Romans 3:23). Holy God cannot allow an unsaved sinner into Heaven, for that would defile Him. Because of His mercy, He does not give us what we deserve, which is eternal punishment in hell (Psalm 86:13). 

 

Instead, He loved us so much that He gave His Son (John 3:16) to pay the price in full for our sins, so that sinful man could be reconciled to Holy God (2 Corinthians 5:18). When God looks at born-again believers, He no longer sees our sins, but instead sees the perfect righteousness of His Son, which He has credited to our account. If we confess our sins, He forgives us (1 John 1:9), removing us from our sins as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). His mercies are new every morning (Psalm 59:16; Lamentations 3:22-23). 

 

3. God is full of grace. His mercy spares us from what we deserve, and His grace, freely given as unmerited favor, gives us what we do not deserve – eternal life in Heaven with Him and with our loved ones who have trusted Him by faith (Ephesians 2:3-8). There is no good work we can do to earn our way to Heaven, for our attempts to be righteous on our own are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6).   

 

While we look forward to eternal life in Heaven, He gives us abundant life here and now (John 10:10). His grace showers us with blessings every day (Ezekiel 34:26), grace upon grace. His grace is sufficient for us to endure trials (2 Corinthians 12:9) and empowers us to carry out the work He has appointed to us (1 Corinthians 15:10). 

 

4. God endures forever. He cannot change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8), so we don’t have to worry about an unstable god wresting our promised future away from us. We are not gambling on the whim of some capricious god finding favor with us when we die, or judging that our good deeds outweigh the bad. We have the blessed, living hope and promise of the One True God, our Rock (1 Samuel 2:2; Matthew 16:18) and Fortress (Psalm 18:2), returning for His children to spend eternity with Him in Heaven (Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:3). 

 

There is nothing we, He, nor anyone or anything else can do to reverse that, to rob us of salvation once we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Romans 8:35-39). We did nothing to earn it, and nothing can ever remove it from us. He is faithful and true (Jeremiah 42:5; Revelation 3:14; 19:11), steadfast and constant (Daniel 6:26), always delivering on His promises (James 1:17; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13). 

 

5. God is love (1 John 4:8). Because God loves us, He not only saved us, but He always acts toward us out of love. We may not always understand His ways, just as a rebellious child does not always understand why a loving father slaps the hand that is reaching for the hot stove (Hebrews 12:6-11). But we can always trust that He is working all things together for those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). He loves us infinitely, so He can’t love us any more, and we don’t have to work to earn His love. Similarly, He can’t love us any less, even when we rebel.  Because God is love, His Spirit in our heart teaches us to love and serve Him and one another, and our earthly relationships can thrive when motivated by love (John 13:34-35). 

 

6. God is all knowing and all powerful. Not only does God love us infinitely, but He has all wisdom about all things past, present and future (Psalm 139:1-6). He knows what is best for us, what we need before we even ask Him (Matthew 6:8,32), and what must be done to accomplish that. Is anything too hard for God? (Jeremiah 32:27) Can the One Who spoke the worlds into existence (Genesis 1), Who made the sun stand still (Joshua 10:12), and Who parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21) be unable to do whatever is best for us? 

 

7. God is light. Once His Holy Spirit enters our heart at the moment of salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13), His Word is a light to our path and a lamp to our feet (Psalm 119:105), showing us where to go, how to follow Him, and to understand His will and plan for our life. He is the Light of the world (John 8:12), yet His light shining through us and reflecting from us allows us to be lights (Matthew 5:14), illuminating a dark and wicked world with His truth. 

 

8. God provides for all our needs. If God cares for the birds of the air and clothes the flowers in beautiful apparel (Luke 12:22-33), will He not provide for His children? We are the crown jewel of His creation (Genesis 1:26-27), made for His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:5,9), and He will provide all we need to carry out the mission He has appointed to us (Philippians 4:14-19). If we seek Him first, and His righteousness, all other needs will be met (Matthew 6:33) – food, clothing, shelter, safety (Psalm 37:23-25). 

 

9. God gives us richly all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). He provides not only for our basic needs, but for special blessings to enrich our life. These may not be financial or material, appealing to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life, for these are of the world (1 John 2:16). Yet the beauty and majesty of His creation, freely available to all, is beyond measure (Genesis 1:31; Psalm 19:1). 

 

The spiritual blessings He gives us of peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and joy in Him (Psalm 21:1; 35:9; etc.) cannot be bought at any price, except for that of His shed blood on Calvary’s cross (Hebrews 9:22). How can we compare to any earthly treasure the joy of knowing that we will see our sisters and brothers in Christ once more and forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), never having to say goodbye; in glorified bodies without tears, pain, sickness, aging or death? (1 Corinthians 15:35-58) 

 

10. God has a plan for our life. Praise God, He has freed us from the bondage of sin, death and hell! Praise God, we are no longer His enemies (Romans 5:10), but His children (Galatians 3:26), joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17) to His inheritance of eternal life, and united as the body (Romans 12:5) and bride (Revelation 21:2) of Christ! But it gets even better – we are His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and His fellow-laborers (1 Corinthians 3:9). 

 

His general plan for our lives is that all be saved (2 Peter 3:9; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13), and that once saved, to keep His commandments, to tell others about Him, to pray, and study His Word. Beyond that, He has a specific plan for each of us (Ephesians 2:10), which He designed before time even began (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5,11). If we have faith, He will reveal that plan to us, piece by piece. If we yield to His Holy Spirit and follow that plan, we will have the joy of hearing Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21) 

 

Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endures forever! 

 

© 2016 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives