The Calm Assurance

Psalm 69:1-3

“1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.

2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold;

I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.

3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched.

My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.”

My brother was once awakened in his home by water lapping at his bed.  The nearby river had overrun its banks and into his home.  He and his wife gathered their two small children and ran outside, leaving every material thing they owned behind.  In their arms they carried the only things in the world that mattered.

In the scripture above, David’s troubles made him feel as if he was drowning.  But at such a time, he remembered what was important; his faith; his God.  And no matter where he was, no matter what the circumstances, he carried his faith with him.

We may be weary, our eyes may have grown dim, and we may feel that the flood is sweeping over us.  But we can always rest in the calm assurance of God’s arms. 

Move Forward to God

Philippians 3: 12-14

“12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Christianity is not easy.  We struggle to live up to the example of Christ.  Each time we step off the path of righteousness, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, and we have a sense of not being worthy.  

In this scripture, Paul tells us to move forward, resting in the assurance that Christ has made us his own.  We are loved even when we sin.  We are children of God, even if we are not perfect.  This is the reason Christ came.  This is the reason for his sacrifice on the cross.  

 Move forward to the arms of God.

In All Things Pray

Matthew 6:25

“25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,or about your body, what you will wear.”

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Followers of Christ were told by Christ not to worry.  Then, Paul told the Christians in Thessalonica to always rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances.  

How are we to do this?  This seems humanly impossible.  

The answer lies in chapter 5 verse 17 of Paul’s letter.  In order to live in such a way, we are to give our lives over to prayer; we are to pray continuously.  In other words, we are to live in constant awareness of God’s presence, His love, His grace, and His mercy.

Rejoice in everything, worry about nothing.  But in all things pray.

The Hope of God

1Peter: 1:3-6

“3 Praise be to the God and 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, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”

When we come to faith, we are given a new birth which is a life in Christ.  We are changed, incrementally, over the course of our lifetime by the work of the Holy Spirit.  We are moved into an ever deepening relationship with God.  

Because of the resurrection of Christ, no matter how we may suffer in this life, we have hope; the hope of an eternal life in the company of God.

Even though our suffering in this life at times may seem great and unbearable, let us keep the hope of the resurrection ever before us.  And in this hope, let us be examples of Christ's love to the world.  

God’s Redemptive Love

Luke 19:2-5

“2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”

Zacchaeus was a short man.  He was also a very hated tax collector.  Not only was he a tax collector, but he was the chief tax collector.  

For some reason, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus.  But the people would not let him in front of them as they lined the streets.  So Zacchaeus, being resourceful, ran down the road and climbed into a tree, above the crowd.

I imagine the crowd had a good laugh about making the rich tax collector climb a tree. All they could see when they looked at Zacchaeus was a short man, a tax collector, a sinner.  When they looked at him they saw all the reasons for their own anger.

But Jesus looked up into the sycamore tree and saw a child of God who was worthy of God’s love.  And Christ invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home.  And the love of Christ did what all the anger in the world could not do; it changed Zacchaeus..

Christ looks at us, even the worst of us, and sees a child of God.  No one is beyond the redemptive love of God.

Showing Concern

Philippians 4: 11-14

“I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.”

The Apostle Paul told the Philippians that the secret to his contentment and his ability to face all manner of adversity was his faith in God.  God gave him the strength to deal with anything that the world threw at him.  

But, even though Paul had this great faith, he still appreciated someone being concerned about him.  

We may have a strong, unshakeable faith in God, but it is always good to know that someone is thinking about us and wondering how we are doing.  

Let someone know they are on your mind.  They will appreciate it. 

The Holy Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.”

The Apostle Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that the Holy Spirit was vastly important for their spiritual lives.  It is impossible to live as an example of Christ to the world without the power and assistance of the Holy Spirit.  

The Holy Spirit enables us to rejoice in God no matter where we are or what the circumstances.  The Holy Spirit enables us to live a life filled with prayer for others.  The Holy Spirit enables our hearts to be grateful instead of angry or distressed.

Finally, we are never to quench the Holy Spirit.  We quench the Holy Spirit by not listening to the Spirit’s voice when we pray, worship, or read scripture, or when we are in fellowship with others.  

Our lives as Christians are to be guided and developed by the Holy Spirit.  With the Holy Spirit’s assistance, we can become examples of Christ to the world.