Dear brothers and sisters, we have been given the most beautiful gift!! When I realize the fullness of our salvation, it makes me want to sing and clap, dance and shout. We are redeemed! Forgiven! Sealed by God! Forever! Forever free! Hallelujah!
But we must not merely sit and be glad about this, we need to be ALIVE and ACTIVE. Don't wallow in shame and guilt of past or present sin - Christ has taken all of it! As God has told me, pick up your mat and walk. (analogy: Mark 2:1-12) You have been healed from your old self and forgiven of your sin, so don't sit on your mat as if you were still lame! Tell the world of the Gospel! Encourage the body of Christ! Follow your Shepherd wherever He leads you and run with zeal and thanksgiving to your Father in heaven!
By starting this blog, I stepped out in obedience to God. I’m shy and fearful, so this was/is a big step for me. God is working on me and taking me to new places. These new places are uncharted by me, so I’m not entirely sure where I’m going. I keep looking to God with a concerned face and ask, “Am I going the right way?” He is telling me to keep walking, resting in the knowledge that if I mess up, He’ll tell me I got off track. I am to walk by faith. I thank God He knows the way and that He knows where I’m going. Wow, get this - He’s already been there. He goes before us. (Deuteronomy 31:8) And yet He is with us. I love this verse in Isaiah: “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (41:13, NIV)
I have thought through that verse, section by section. “For I am the Lord…” He is Ruler over everything and everyone. He’s got it all in control; nothing can happen that hasn’t gone through His fingers first. “your God…” He’s yours and you are His in Christ! “who takes hold of your right hand…” I don’t know about you, but the thought of my Lord taking my hand in His is very comforting! “and says to you,…” How personal! God talking right to you. “Do not fear; I will help you.” I picture Him looking at me and gently saying this last part. To be promised help directly from God…I can’t quite explain it. Relief…comfort…
So in summary, I guess Hebrews 12:1-2 sums it up pretty good:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
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