2024-02-29
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Transformation is a result of ever-growing faith in the Lord Jesus. One’s life can be a mishmash of emotional and spiritual chaos due to immaturity. As a young person in this situation, finding direction and purpose can be delayed causing all sorts of problems. But the Lord loves that person as much as one who is the opposite. One use of His magnificent power to do good is to intervene in this person’s life and work to transform it. The person with chaos doesn’t have to be young; he can be any age, including old enough to be having his last illness before death. HE 4: 13, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account.”
Consider the hope that Job’s faith gave him. He knew the Lord hadn’t forgotten him, even while he was suffering. JOB 19: 25-27, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes-- I and not another. How my heart yearns within me.” Just in case we question Job’s sanity for having such hope, let’s hear from Jesus Himself: MT 11: 28-30, “Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The best thing that ever came into my life was taking an interest in attending church and studying God’s “Love Letter,” the Bible. It changed my life, and it will change anyone’s who opens his heart to the Lord. If a person feels shackled by lack of self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness, he doesn’t have to live his whole life that way. Our Lord Jesus opens His arms and gives us the acceptance we truly deserve. GA 5: 1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened by the yoke of slavery.”
We must remember that the hope we have has its origins in what Christ did for us on the cross. 1 PET 1: 3-4, “Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into the inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade—kept in heaven for you.” Having said all of this, we need to look into the nature of our faith. It’s compelling that Job, who never even heard the name, Jesus Christ, would know that He will return to stand on the earth. The same can be said of Zechariah, who prophesied, in ZECH 14: 4, “On that day [when the Lord fights against those nations that try to capture Jerusalem], His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, and it will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving north and half south.”
We can’t question that these two men had faith which burned within them, and knowledge given to them by the Lord. Stop to think that the Lord Jesus in His sermon on the mount said, in MT 5: 6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Job and Zechariah are the embodiment of such a person. Anyone with real faith can be, faith that comes from Jesus Christ regardless of the time in history.
The definition of hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Faith is defined as the means by which believers come to God and put their trust in Him for salvation [see EPH 2: 8-9]. These are the things that lead to godly transformation.
PRAYER: O Lord, Your use your power to do good in transforming lives from mindless chaos and lack of faith to the faith that can lead us to “move mountains.” HE 11: 1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faithfulness is a gift of the Holy Spirit that You are only too eager to give us. Your heart is one of compassion and kindness. Since You don’t miss anything that is going on You find delight in the heart of a potential believer who needs Your intervention in his spiritual life, who wants escape from the chaos in his life. Anyone, even those who haven’t thought through their plight far enough to know how to approach it, can receive Your help. One may or may not be raised in a Christian home to enjoy the benefit of Your effort to bring them to faith and understand the loving help You offer. We praise, thank, and offer You our acknowledgement of Your loving use of Your power to give us faith. We place our hope in You and trust in Your promise of salvation, justification, and eternal forgiveness for our sins. In the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: Dear Ones, we have arrived at what I think is a very important topic---levels of faith. Just as Job, Zechariah, and so many others mentioned in the Scriptures have gone through these steps in their spiritual lives, I write with the hope that you will find this as compelling as I did when the Holy Spirit led me to it in my research. Our foundational passage for this series of messages certainly applies throughout the discussion to come [GA 5: 22-23]. Moreover, the ever-growing faith that our Lord gives us can be seen so much more clearly when we think in eternal and not just earthly terms. While God has made it clear as to which judgments are His alone to make and which ones we are challenged to make, He wants us not to jump to conclusions about matters of faith, the people around us, or even the Lord Himself. He wants us to learn to think first and then to speak, so that we can live the righteous lives He wants for us. Let me end with PS 89: 14-16, “Righteousness and justice are the foundations of Your throne; love and faithfulness go before You. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, Lord. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they celebrate Your righteousness.” Praise and thanks be to Him.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2024. All Rights Reserved.
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