God Is In The Forgiveness Business

 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

For the law of Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2 

Man is in condemnation business. God is in the forgiveness business.

Manna Again

 

"We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone.  There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”

…When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.

Numbers 11:5-6, 9

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom, God provided everything they needed.  He gave them free food, manna.  The manna fell from heaven every day and all the people had to do was gather it, prepare it and eat. 

However, the people complained about the food and lamented that they had better food in Egypt, all the while forgetting that they were slaves and brutally treated and nearly worked to death.  They lost sight of what their journey was really about – getting to the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey. 

When we set out on a journey at God’s direction, we need to remember what the big purpose is and be willing to sacrifice a little comfort to get there.  It is not until we are at the end of our journey that we can see the whole picture of God’s plan. 

And, there is not a better place to be than the Promised Land.  

 

Enjoy your journey. 

In The Beginning

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 

In Him was life and the life was the light of men.

John 1:1-5

What is so powerful about this scripture is that even a child can read it and experience the power of God’s Word. 

We gain sense of the vastness of God’s plan for us.  He planned from the beginning for us to know Him.  God reveals Himself through His word, and His Son, Jesus, redeems us and reclaims us as God’s own children. 

 

In the beginning God already knew you, get to know Him. 

The Harvest Is Plentiful

 

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into this harvest.”

Matthew 9:35-38  

 

Jesus saw many needy people and He ministered to everyone of them.  He understood that it was not only the physical bodies which needed healing but also those who were suffering from distress.  

 

We need not be doctors to minister to the needs of the sick or those who are distressed.  We can listen and show compassion and consideration and pray with those who are suffering.  We can direct people to those who can help them.  All this is the least we can do. 

 

Remember, Jesus calls us to help others. 

 

Wait Patiently

I waited patiently for the Lord;

And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He brought me out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay.

And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;

Many will see and fear

And will trust in the Lord.

 

Psalm 40:1-3

God gives us courage to wait out the bad times.  We survive not by yelling, swearing and taking our anger out on the world, but by patiently waiting to see what God is going to do.  

 

It is when we come through tough times, still standing in our faith that others witness the power of God. 

 

Remember His Wonders

 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples.

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;

Speak of all His wonders.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.

Seek the Lord and His strength;

Seek is face continually.

Remember His wonders which He has done….

Psalm 105:1-5

We need to do some bragging about what God has done for us.  Not to rub the noses of others in our blessings, but to give witness that God is with us and that He is with them, too.

The blessing just keep coming and we need to take time to recognize the blessings.  Do you have a car that always starts?  That is a blessing.  And, how about when you drive to work and every light along the way is green?  Or, when we are able to help someone out, and we bless them and we are blessed? We are blessed in hundreds of ways every day.  

Seek the Lord and His strength and remember the wonders He has done for you. 

What Are Our Motives?

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

The Apostle Paul points out a common human flaw - we want what we want and to get what we want we may not act in the best interests of others.  

Paul encourages us to examine our motives; that is, are we merely working to achieve our financial and personal goals, or are we interested in achieving our goals while looking out for others and their interests? 

I think this comes down to asking:  What would Jesus do?  And, then doing it.