A Future And A Hope

A Future And A Hope

Jeremiah 29:11 CSB
“For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the LORD’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

God’s great plan for you and me is to offer us a future and a hope through His New Covenant, established in Jesus the Messiah. From before our birth, God has planned for those who have trusted in Jesus alone for their salvation to experience His forgiveness, His blessings, and His promise of eternal life.

I understand that life can throw us many curveballs. As followers of Jesus, we face rejection, scorn, ridicule, unexpected trials, and even heartbreaking medical news. Where does God fit into all of this?

We are reminded in Hebrews 12:2-3 of the remedy:

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

For those of us facing illness, we are reminded in James 5:14-15:

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”

And Psalm 41:3 reminds us:

“The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.”

And let’s remember what the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

When all is said and done today, let’s look to Jesus and trust and obey. God will work out His plan for us.

Looking At The Glory Of The Lord

 Looking At The Glory Of The Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:18 CSB says:

“We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

I believe this verse beautifully summarizes the transforming power of Jesus in the life of a follower of Christ.

As we look to Jesus, we are being transformed into His image. And what is it that we are looking at? We are looking at the glory of God revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6 BSB says:

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

So, how do you and I look at the glory of the Lord? We fix the eyes of faith on Jesus Christ as He is revealed to us in the Bible.

We saturate our minds and hearts with Scripture, especially the person and work of Jesus. As we read, study, memorize, and meditate on God’s Word, we see the holiness, humility, obedience, love, mercy, and grace of Christ. The Holy Spirit uses that truth to transform us and make us more like Jesus.

We also look to Jesus as we hear the faithful preaching of the Gospel, as we spend time in prayer and communion with Him, as we worship Him through song and corporate praise, and as we encourage one another through Christ-centered fellowship.

And perhaps some of the clearest moments of transformation come when we fix our eyes on Jesus in the middle of suffering, trials, and obedience. When life is difficult, we have a choice: we can focus on our circumstances, or we can keep looking to Jesus.

If you are outside of Christ, the first look must be the look of saving faith. Turn from your sin and behold Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Trust in Christ alone—His perfect righteousness and His atoning sacrifice for your sin. When we come to Jesus in faith, the veil is removed, and a lifelong journey of transformation begins.

And believer, keep looking to Jesus. There is a day coming when we will see Him face to face. First John 3:2 reminds us that when Christ appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.

That is our sure hope. And until that day, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus.

Why We Cling to Jesus

Why We Cling to Jesus

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

--- Romans 5:8-10 NLT

I was thinking this morning, why do we cling to Jesus?

We cling to Jesus because He is our lifeline to God. Through His death on the cross, Jesus made a way for our relationship with God to be restored. We did not earn this relationship, and we could never make ourselves right with God on our own. It was God’s great love for us that sent Jesus to the cross.

And by faith in Jesus alone, we are grounded in God’s constant love.

There will be days when life is difficult. There will be trials we do not understand and circumstances that may cause us to wonder what tomorrow will bring. But we can cling to Jesus because He is faithful.

Today, no event, no person, and nothing we face can separate us from God’s love and care for us in Christ Jesus. So, whatever you may be facing today, trust Jesus. Trust His love. Trust His guidance. Trust Him to lead you through every trial.

Cling to Jesus. He is our lifeline to God, and He will never let us go.

A Day Spent With Jesus

A Day Spent With Jesus

Psalm 25:5 ESV
“Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”

As I think about this verse, I am reminded of the wonderful blessing we have as believers in Jesus Christ.

Every day with Jesus is a day of discovery. Looking around us, we see the marvel of His creation. Not only that, but we discover more about Him and His ways. We open our Bibles and discover great treasures, golden nuggets of truth and blessing.

A day with Jesus is also a day of new adventures in faith. Even personal defeats can be re-created by Jesus into spiritual victories. With Jesus, all things work for our good.

So, let's look to Jesus right now and remember that He created us to know Him, to love Him, and to walk with Him.

Blessed is the person who finds Jesus, believes in Him, and chooses to spend each day walking with Him. Won't you look to Him right now?