Reading the context that surrounds this week's verse adds to our understanding of it....
John 13:33-36 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."
Jesus had just been talking to His disciples about His departure to somewhere they did not know or understand, and then He tells them that they too will eventually join Him there. Unsettling? Just a bit!
But then he follows it with our verse, "Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me."
Right along with His discussion regarding His departure, Jesus also spoke of His deep love for them. Minutes before He had demonstrated that sweet love by humbling Himself in the service of washing their feet...an action that probably really had them baffled.
The Jews were fiercely proud of their belief in God. After all, they were His chosen people. They believed in God. When you read the Old Testament, you understand multiple aspects of God's character....power, justice, holiness, mercy, and there is also the mentioning of God's love for His people. But the word Jesus now uses in explaining His feelings for His disciples is agape, a deep, affectionate love. This is a love that is directed to each and every one of them on a very personal level.
My paraphrase of this verse (please note paraphrase and not translation...totally subject to interpretation!) would be....
"I know you don't understand what I'm telling you...but if you really have come to trust me, demonstrate that trust by having complete confidence in me and relieve your hearts of any concern. Believe in God as you always have, believe in His power and His might and His ability. And now, believe in me as well, and in my deep and abiding love for you. I have tried to demonstrate it to you, and you will see further demonstration of it, but believe in me, for I love you."
Jesus came to show God's love for us - a love that without Jesus, we would never be able to understand. But because of Him, we know that not only have a God who can do anything, but one that will do anything to bring His children to life in Him. He loves us.
What a verse of assurance when we see God's love written in every word.
Thank You God for loving me...deeply...personally....me. Help me to love others in that same way, just as You have asked of me.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Day 2 - Week 21 - John 14:1 "Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me."
Sometimes we need to look at statements in reverse to better understand their impact...to me, that method works on this verse.
When I believe in Christ as He instructs me to, alongside my belief in God Almighty, then my heart changes from a state of uneasiness to a state of rest. Belief in Jesus Christ brings about peace in my life.
That's a pretty simplistic analysis of this verse, but sometimes that kind of analysis is just want we need for the day. For today, I need to know that I have a Savior, God's own Son, and that because of Him, no matter what happens around me, my heart will not, must not be troubled. For when I, as a believer, have a troubled heart, I am showing doubt in my Savior's capability to care for me. And if I believe that God Almighty, God the Father, is capable of doing whatever needs to be done, and if I believe that His Son, Jesus Christ, loved me enough to go to the cross for me, then I can be assured that I will be well taken care of.
The news around us is troubling --- the economic future of our country is in a perilous state. No one truly knows what will happen, or what the resolution to our current problems will be. We hope that compromises are made and that a solution can be found that will avoid catastrophe. But again, as believers, our security does not lie in the hands of our government and it doesn't lie in our financial investments. Our security lies in our knowledge that our God can handle anything and that He will always act on behalf of His children with love, a love that works toward our eternal good.
"Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me."
We must show our confidence in Jesus Christ through our unwavering belief in His ability to care for us.
"Hallelujah, what a Savior!"
When I believe in Christ as He instructs me to, alongside my belief in God Almighty, then my heart changes from a state of uneasiness to a state of rest. Belief in Jesus Christ brings about peace in my life.
That's a pretty simplistic analysis of this verse, but sometimes that kind of analysis is just want we need for the day. For today, I need to know that I have a Savior, God's own Son, and that because of Him, no matter what happens around me, my heart will not, must not be troubled. For when I, as a believer, have a troubled heart, I am showing doubt in my Savior's capability to care for me. And if I believe that God Almighty, God the Father, is capable of doing whatever needs to be done, and if I believe that His Son, Jesus Christ, loved me enough to go to the cross for me, then I can be assured that I will be well taken care of.
The news around us is troubling --- the economic future of our country is in a perilous state. No one truly knows what will happen, or what the resolution to our current problems will be. We hope that compromises are made and that a solution can be found that will avoid catastrophe. But again, as believers, our security does not lie in the hands of our government and it doesn't lie in our financial investments. Our security lies in our knowledge that our God can handle anything and that He will always act on behalf of His children with love, a love that works toward our eternal good.
"Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me."
We must show our confidence in Jesus Christ through our unwavering belief in His ability to care for us.
"Hallelujah, what a Savior!"
Day 1 - Week 21 - You know it's Tuesday when....
....we do our review to date...okey dokey....let's get started!
Romans Road to Salvation (5 verses)
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, dear brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this your spiritual worship.
The Gift of Scripture (6 verses)2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correction, for training in righteousness.
Joshua 1:8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
Psalm 119:11 I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.
Deuteronomy 6:6 (4-6) Listen O Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words I am giving you today are to be in your heart.
Deuteronomy 6:7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up.
Hebrews 4:12 The Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints and marrow. It is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart.
The Gift of Prayer (3 verses)
Hebrews 4:16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.
1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him, whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
1 John 5:15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, then we know that we have whatever we have asked Him for.
The Gift of Assurance (10 verses!)
1 John 5:11 This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1 John 5:12 (12-13) The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life.
So ready to add #21? Another addition to our gifts of assurance...rest easy - this week is a simple one!
John 14:1 - Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
Christ's words to His followers here on earth...simple, isn't it? But I just bet that the longer we look at this simple verse the more we will see in it. Scripture is intriguing in that way, isn't it? Don't you love that!
Rest well tonight sweet sojourners!
Romans Road to Salvation (5 verses)
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, dear brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this your spiritual worship.
The Gift of Scripture (6 verses)2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correction, for training in righteousness.
Joshua 1:8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
Psalm 119:11 I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.
Deuteronomy 6:6 (4-6) Listen O Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words I am giving you today are to be in your heart.
Deuteronomy 6:7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up.
Hebrews 4:12 The Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints and marrow. It is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart.
The Gift of Prayer (3 verses)
Hebrews 4:16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.
1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him, whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
1 John 5:15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, then we know that we have whatever we have asked Him for.
The Gift of Assurance (10 verses!)
1 John 5:11 This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1 John 5:12 (12-13) The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life.
So ready to add #21? Another addition to our gifts of assurance...rest easy - this week is a simple one!
John 14:1 - Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
Christ's words to His followers here on earth...simple, isn't it? But I just bet that the longer we look at this simple verse the more we will see in it. Scripture is intriguing in that way, isn't it? Don't you love that!
Rest well tonight sweet sojourners!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Day 7 - Week 20 - 1 John 5:12 "The one who has the Son has life; the one who doesn't have the Son of God, does not have life."
1 John 5:11-15
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life; the one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things so that you who believe in the name of the Son of God will know you have eternal life. Now this is the confidence we have before Him, we know that whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And we know that if He hears whatever we ask, we have whatever we have asked Him for.
Some days we wonder just what kind of life we have. Things just don't seem all that great. People don't seem to appreciate us. Efforts seem to go unnoticed. Health may be not as good as it was yesterday. Pains, both physical and emotional, are more noticeable. Some days, that little black cloud seems to hover right above our head no matter what we do. God seems not to notice. And we say, "so this is life?"
Now we can chastise ourselves over our bouts of self-pity (and we probably should), but unless you're a very unusual person, you will have these times, and thankfully they usually pass pretty quickly. There are several things we need to remember during these times of questioning---
1. We are blessed. No matter what our current circumstances are, we have the blessing of Christ as our Savior. I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13
2. God is with us at our mountaintops and He is with us in our valleys. He is our constant companion and He cares. Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7
3. "In Christ, all our problems are temporary; all our blessings are eternal. Don't give up. There'll be joy in the morning." David Jeremiah. With Christ living within us we are empowered and we are reminded that He has brought to us the promise of eternal life. A life that will be perfect in every way
David long ago had gone through one of "those" times...Psalm 13 expresses it very well, from the depths of his gut-wrenching blues back to the time of his ability to see God's blessing over his life:
This life can be tough sometimes and we can get down. Christians are not perpetual Snow White's with the bluebird of happiness constantly sitting on our shoulders. But we need to remember that JOY is one element of the fruit of the Spirit, and if we find ourselves not exhibiting joy in our lives for a period of time, then it is time for some serious "heart checks" and see what we are missing so we can get back to a life that displays something more to those around us.
And, yes, it really was one of those days!
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life; the one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things so that you who believe in the name of the Son of God will know you have eternal life. Now this is the confidence we have before Him, we know that whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And we know that if He hears whatever we ask, we have whatever we have asked Him for.
Some days we wonder just what kind of life we have. Things just don't seem all that great. People don't seem to appreciate us. Efforts seem to go unnoticed. Health may be not as good as it was yesterday. Pains, both physical and emotional, are more noticeable. Some days, that little black cloud seems to hover right above our head no matter what we do. God seems not to notice. And we say, "so this is life?"
Now we can chastise ourselves over our bouts of self-pity (and we probably should), but unless you're a very unusual person, you will have these times, and thankfully they usually pass pretty quickly. There are several things we need to remember during these times of questioning---
1. We are blessed. No matter what our current circumstances are, we have the blessing of Christ as our Savior. I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13
2. God is with us at our mountaintops and He is with us in our valleys. He is our constant companion and He cares. Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7
3. "In Christ, all our problems are temporary; all our blessings are eternal. Don't give up. There'll be joy in the morning." David Jeremiah. With Christ living within us we are empowered and we are reminded that He has brought to us the promise of eternal life. A life that will be perfect in every way
David long ago had gone through one of "those" times...Psalm 13 expresses it very well, from the depths of his gut-wrenching blues back to the time of his ability to see God's blessing over his life:
Lord, how long must I wait? Will you forget me forever? How long will you turn your face away from me? How long must I struggle with my thoughts? How long must my heart be sad day after day? How long will my enemies keep winning the battle over me? LORD my God, look at me and answer me. Give me new life, or I will die. Then my enemies will say, "We have beaten him." They will be filled with joy when I die. But I trust in your faithful love. My heart is filled with joy because you will save me. I will sing to the Lord. He has been so good to me.We can sing with David, "Lord, You have been so good to me." We can look up and we can know with certainty that we have been given new life, a life that surpasses everything we know now. We can know that God loves us so absolutely that He gave His Son for us and that should fill us with joy. We can know that God hears us and that He answers us. We can know - we can know - we can know!
This life can be tough sometimes and we can get down. Christians are not perpetual Snow White's with the bluebird of happiness constantly sitting on our shoulders. But we need to remember that JOY is one element of the fruit of the Spirit, and if we find ourselves not exhibiting joy in our lives for a period of time, then it is time for some serious "heart checks" and see what we are missing so we can get back to a life that displays something more to those around us.
And, yes, it really was one of those days!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day 6 - Week 20 - 1 John 5:12 - "The one who has the Son has life; the one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life."
1 John 5:11-15
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life; the one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things so that you who believe in the name of the Son of God will know you have eternal life. Now this is the confidence we have before Him, we know that whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And we know that if He hears whatever we ask, we have whatever we have asked Him for.
We attended the wedding of our great niece yesterday in Hurst. It was a beautiful wedding and Cassie was a beautiful bride. The minister did a very good job of stressing the miracle that God performs when He brings two people together and out of two very separate people, a single union is formed that becomes much stronger than the two separate people could ever have been apart from each other. He talked about the mirrored image that Paul refers to as a man loving his wife just as Christ loves the church.
As I reflected on marriage and the start of a new life as a married couple, I thought back on our verse about eternal life. Just as we cannot truly picture what married life will be like before we are actually married, we also don't understand how our lives change when we enter into a covenant relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. We become His promised bride and our lives are truly changed forever because we now belong to our Lord.
For in this earthly life, the church (the body of believers) is Christ's fiancee, awaiting our groom to return for us. We have entered into the "engagement" period of our new life with Christ...the wedding is yet to come! We have a glorious wedding feast being prepared for us, and a beautiful home awaiting us. Our groom will return when all things are ready and we will begin our glorious, promised life. The life that we can know with certainty awaits those who believe in the name of the Son of God.
Every time you go to a wedding be reminded that we are engaged to the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and He is coming to take His bride home!
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life; the one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things so that you who believe in the name of the Son of God will know you have eternal life. Now this is the confidence we have before Him, we know that whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And we know that if He hears whatever we ask, we have whatever we have asked Him for.
We attended the wedding of our great niece yesterday in Hurst. It was a beautiful wedding and Cassie was a beautiful bride. The minister did a very good job of stressing the miracle that God performs when He brings two people together and out of two very separate people, a single union is formed that becomes much stronger than the two separate people could ever have been apart from each other. He talked about the mirrored image that Paul refers to as a man loving his wife just as Christ loves the church.
As I reflected on marriage and the start of a new life as a married couple, I thought back on our verse about eternal life. Just as we cannot truly picture what married life will be like before we are actually married, we also don't understand how our lives change when we enter into a covenant relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. We become His promised bride and our lives are truly changed forever because we now belong to our Lord.
For in this earthly life, the church (the body of believers) is Christ's fiancee, awaiting our groom to return for us. We have entered into the "engagement" period of our new life with Christ...the wedding is yet to come! We have a glorious wedding feast being prepared for us, and a beautiful home awaiting us. Our groom will return when all things are ready and we will begin our glorious, promised life. The life that we can know with certainty awaits those who believe in the name of the Son of God.
Every time you go to a wedding be reminded that we are engaged to the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and He is coming to take His bride home!
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