His Own Purpose And Grace

His Own Purpose And Grace

2 Timothy 1:9 NIV

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”

Just think about it. Before the beginning of time, God established His own purpose and grace for your life. And that life is lived out by faith in Jesus the Messiah and by following Him.

This is confirmed by what we are told in 1 Corinthians 1:9:

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

God has called us into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. What an incredible thought! Our salvation and calling are not based upon anything we have done, but upon God’s own purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus.

And now that you have been called by God, you have the assurance given to us in Romans 11:29:

“For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”

Think about that. God’s call is irrevocable. You can rest in the assurance that God has a purpose for your life, and His grace is sufficient to accomplish what He has called you to do.

Knowing all this, we can rest in God’s will and trust Him, even when we cannot see what He is doing.

As we are told in Romans 8:28:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Fellow follower of Jesus, your life is not an accident. God has called you according to His purpose and grace, and that purpose is found in Jesus Christ. So keep following Jesus, trust His purpose, and rest in His grace.

Called By Your Name

Called By Your Name

John 10:3 NIV

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

It caught my attention this morning when Jesus said that, as our Good Shepherd, He calls each of us by name. Jesus makes our calling to Him personal and very special. His plan all along has been to call His own. And when He calls, He reaches out to our hearts and calls us to be His own sheep.

Think about that for a moment. Jesus knows you by name. You are not just another person in the crowd. He knows you personally, and He calls you to follow Him.

And His sheep follow Him because they know His voice. They will not follow a stranger.

As Jesus says in John 10:5 NIV:

“But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

So be blessed today, fellow follower of Jesus. You are unique, special, and personally called to follow your Good Shepherd. Jesus knows your name, He knows your heart, and He is calling you to follow Him.

Let’s look to Him right now and follow His teachings and allow them to guide us today.

He That Keepeth Thee

He That Keepeth Thee

Psalm 121:3 KJV

“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.”

Fellow follower of Jesus, be comforted by this encouragement: your Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are watching over you day and night. He never slumbers, and He never stops watching over those who belong to Him.

One example of a believer whom God protected is Daniel. In the book of Daniel, we see how Daniel was taken captive to Babylon, yet he remained faithful to God.

In Daniel 6, King Darius issued a decree that no one could pray to any god or man except the king for thirty days. Despite this decree, Daniel continued to pray to God three times a day, just as he had always done.

As a result, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. But God was watching over him. God protected Daniel, and the lions did not harm him.

The Scripture tells us:

Daniel 6:22 NIV

“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight; nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

Daniel remained faithful to God, and God was faithful to Daniel. The same God who watched over Daniel watches over His people today.

Fellow follower of Jesus, you may not know what lies ahead. You may face circumstances that seem frightening or uncertain. But remember this: the One who keeps you never sleeps.

Jesus is with you. He sees you. He knows what you are facing, and He is able to keep you through it.

So take comfort today in the words of Psalm 121: “He that keepeth thee will not slumber.”

Keep trusting Jesus. He is watching over you.

Following The Commands Of Jesus

Following The Commands Of Jesus

Psalm 119:73 NLT

“You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands.”

This verse reminds us that God created us, and because He created us, He knows what is best for our lives. 

As followers of Jesus, we also need wisdom and understanding to follow His commands and live according to His Word.

Why should we follow the commands of Jesus?

First, loving Jesus is demonstrated through obedience.

Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.”

Our obedience doesn’t earn Jesus’ love. Rather, obedience is one way we demonstrate our love for Him. When we love Jesus, we should desire to listen to Him and follow His teachings.

Second, obediently following Jesus leads us to remain in His love. 

Jesus said in John 15:10-11, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love... I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Third, obeying Jesus gives us a strong foundation for life.

In Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus compared those who hear His words and put them into practice to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Life will bring storms—trials, disappointments, temptations, and difficulties. But when our lives are built upon Jesus and His Word, we have a foundation that can withstand those storms.

And finally, Jesus reminds us that there is a blessing in hearing God's Word and obeying it.

Jesus said in Luke 11:28, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

My fellow follower of Jesus, are we simply hearing the words of Jesus, or are we putting them into practice?

Let’s ask Jesus for the wisdom and understanding to obey Him, love Him, and follow Him every day.