Tag: mercy

Thank You Jesus

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As we near the end of the Lenten season and enter Holy Week next week, let us remember what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Psalm 103:3-13 gives a vivid picture of our gracious and marvelous God and Savior.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

I am so thankful that God is filled with love and mercy towards me. When I disobey His word, he disciplines me with justice and leads me towards what He desires for me. He doesn’t punish me for my sins as I deserve but is forgiving and totally removes my sins away. God has compassion for me and shows me His continual steadfast love day after day. What parts of this psalm do you identify with?

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can feel His love, compassion, forgiveness and grace poured over my life. Thank you Jesus for making this relationship with God possible through your work on the cross. I am humbled by your great sacrifice.

Linda

Happy New Year! 2024

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Since this is January 1, 2024, Happy New Year is appropriate! What about this New Year to come? What hopes and dreams do you hold for the next 365 days? My daughter posted recently that the 365 days seem very long until you get to the end and then it seem like it passed in the blink of an eye. Since I’ve spent the last 5 days in bed with a virus cold, the first hope I have during the days to come is for health. This is such a fragile gift and yet we so often take it for granted. 

My favorite verses to begin any New Year come from Lamentations 3:19-24. The prophet Jeremiah, had seen and experienced great hardship both physically and spiritually. The people of Israel were rebelling against God and Jeremiah felt that deeply as he sought to speak to the people about God. I have given you 3 translations for this passage. Each one brings new things to light and causes us to begin this year anew for the Lord with great Hope.

Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
    and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:                                 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.” (ESV)

The thought of my suffering and homelessness
    is bitter beyond words.
20 I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
21 Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:                                  22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!” (NLT)

19-21 I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
    the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
    the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
    and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:                           22-24 God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
    his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
    How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
    He’s all I’ve got left. (Message)

In spite of last years trials, will you like Jeremiah place your trust and hope in the Lord? He alone is faithful and will give us new mercies each and every morning. NO Place else can we get that assurance and hope. If you don’t feel His mercy in the midst of your turmoil, turn to Him and ask Him for insight to see where He is being merciful to you. Through Christ we have received God’s greatest mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 “9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” Sending Jesus was God’s greatest gift of mercy towards us, begin this New Year with thanksgiving on your lips.

Happy New Year! Walk the next 365 with the Lord and experience HIs mercies each and every morning!

Linda

A Song of Praise from Zachariah

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After 9 long months of not being able to speak, Zachariah’s silence ends with the naming of his son John, just as the angel had said. The Lord graciously gave Zachariah words of prophecy that burst forth along with his praises. What a wonderful confirmation to Zachariah and Elizbeth that their son John was to have a part in God’s plan for mankind along with the coming savior. They knew Mary, who was staying in their home, was carrying God’s child. I am dividing Zachariah’s prophecy into two days. Here is part 1 of   Zechariah’s Prophecy, Luke 1:67-75:

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy                          68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.          Praise God, He is accessible.
                                69 He has sent us a mighty Savior
    from the royal line of his servant David,  Praise God, Savior Jesus is coming.
70 just as he promised            Praises, God keeps His promises   
    through his holy prophets long ago.       from generation to generation.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies
    and from all who hate us.         Praise God, The Savior will bring salvation.
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors
    by remembering his sacred covenant—   Praise God, He is merciful and faithful.
73 the covenant he swore with an oath
    to our ancestor Abraham.        Praise God He kept His covenant with Abraham..
74 We have been rescued from our enemies
    so we can serve God without fear,     Praise God, He removes our fears.
75 in holiness and righteousness       Praise God, He provides holiness and righteousness.
    for as long as we live.

Zachariah knew the Lord and his prophecy is filled with the character of God. He tells what God has done and will do in the future.

How long is your memory? Do you recall things God has done in your life and continue to give Him praise? What about your salvation, His precious promises to you that He makes in His Word, His mercy and faithfulness? Do you thank Him for providing Jesus and a way to be reconciled to Him in spite of your sin? Do you thank Him for answered prayer and the fact that you can go to Him 24/7? Do you thank Him that He is willing to hear about you and your struggles and that He cares for you and about you? What would your own song of prayer be like? What would you include? Both Zachariah and Mary were overcome with who God was and what He was doing that they burst into song. Think about your life. What excites you to praise and thank God? May this season of giving and loving others stimulate you to thoughts of praise to Almighty God! May you sing your own song of Praise to God.

Linda

Thankfulness, After the Long Wait

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The angel spoke to Zachariah and told him, much to his disbelief, that he and Elizabeth would have a child who would be used mightily by God. What of Elizabeth’s response? Did she say, “Oh, No, that can’t be as I’m well advanced in years?” “What do you mean I’m going to have a child, after all this time? Are you kidding?” Remembering that she was described as a godly woman who sought to serve the Lord, let’s consider her reply. Luke 1:23-25.

23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Elizabeth was accepting of God’s gift of a child and filled with thankfulness. She deemed God’s actions toward her, causing her to be with child, as an act of great kindness. Here we see that the stigma of not being able to have a child had been a burden and a cause for great sorrow in her life. Instead of questioning the why’s of her situation, she accepted it gracefully and gave thanks. Because of her age the 5 months in seclusion were probably precautionary incase of miscarriage and to keep tongues from wagging on her behalf.

Think about your own life. How have you reacted to a long awaited person, place or event in your life? Do you say, “Well finally!” or Do you accept the timing and move forward? We see grace from Elizabeth. She accepted the favor and kindness from the Lord and used the opportunity to give thanks and glory to God. Does this resonate with you? Is your first response one of gratitude. Paul wrote to the Corinthians about gratitude for Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:15 speaks to us about why we need to respond with gratitude for God’s hand in our lives. “All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.” Our gratitude is pleasing to Him and brings Him glory.

What do we learn about God from Elizabeth’s story? God is compassionate and desires to bless us. His timing is not our timing and we need to trust Him. God wanted this specific child, John, to be born to Zachariah and Elizabeth at just this time prior to His own son’s arrival. He wanted a godly couple who would love and care for this special child, and He chose the timing of his arrival. Zachariah and Elizabeth were blessed as they waited upon the Lord in their lives and when the timing was right, God gave them a child. Here we can see the reason for God’s timing but that is not always the case. As we go through life and experience God’s timing, we grow in faith and learn to trust Him more.

Linda

P.S. Like Elizabeth, I waited 14 years for the arrival of my Elizabeth. God’s timing was perfect for her to enter our lives. As I look back, I see that had she arrived earlier we would have struggled mightily. God knew when it was just the perfect time for us to have a child. It helped me to grow in faith and see His timing as a blessing.

Important facts about God

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In Isaiah Chapters 61 and 62, the prophet us a glimpse into God’s love for the city of Jerusalem. He had dwelt in the temple and was present with the people for years. He had left because of their rampant sinfulness but God cherished this city. You can hear the grief in scripture over the destruction of the city that was to come at the hands of the Babylonians. He wanted the exiled Jews to know it was destroyed because of their sinfulness. God wanted to reassure them that He loved Jerusalem and would see it restored and redeemed. He refers to the city as ‘her’ and promises restoration.

Isaiah 62:1-4 “Because I love Zion,
    I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,   I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her  until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
    and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
2 The nations will see your righteousness.    World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth.
3 The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
    a splendid crown in the hand of God.

The word pictures of shining, blazing, new name and splendid crown speak of God’s love for this city.

Not only does God love His city, He also loves the people who live within. He promised believers a savior to redeem and purify them.

Isaiah 62:12-13 “The Lord has sent this message to every land:
    “Tell the people of Israel,
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
12 They will be called “The Holy People”
    and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”
And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”
    and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”

In Chapter 63, Isaiah continues to be reminded of the past, recalling their sins. However, he does not focus upon these facts but proclaims the goodness of God. Keeping the right focus is everything!

Isaiah 63:7-8 “I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
    I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
    which he has granted according to his mercy and love.” 8 He said, “They are my very own people.
    Surely they will not betray me again.”
    And he became their Savior.

Why is this perspective important? We can see those things that are important to God. The place where God dwells is sacred. In the Old Testament it was in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple. In New Testament times it is within the heart of the believer! God expects us to treat His dwelling place with honor and respect. We are to strive to keep His ways within us. We also see that God loves the believer and rejoices over, claims and seeks to cover them with mercy and love. God considers us His very own!

Just like how God did not give up on the children of Israel, He will not give up on each of us. He seeks to love and bestow mercy and love lavishly upon each of us! Praise God! Thank you Jesus!

Linda

Unshakable with God!

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After telling us to not be afraid in Isaiah 54:4-5, the Lord explains the brief punishment the Israelites will suffer. It may have seemed to them that God was abandoning or turning His back on them. Isaiah 54:7-9

“For a brief moment I abandoned you,
    but with great compassion I will take you back.
8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while.
    But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
    says the Lord, your Redeemer. 9 “Just as I swore in the time of Noah
    that I would never again let a flood cover the earth,
so now I swear
    that I will never again be angry and punish you.

It may seem to you too, that you are being abandoned, and are not loved and cared for by God. But God promises that He loves us with an everlasting love. He makes promises to us that He alone can and will keep. God keeps all of His promises! See how God concludes this conversation in verse 10.

“For the mountains may move
    and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
    My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”
    says the Lord, who has mercy on you.”

God promises no matter how things appear His faithful love remains placed upon us. His word and His new covenant through Jesus will not be broken. He always has love and mercy for us.

What do we know about God’s love and mercy? His Love– In Ephesians 6:16-18 Paul explains God’s love to the Ephesian Christians, “ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” Psalm 23:6 by King David, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” From Daniel in Daniel 9:4, “I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands.” His Mercy– It is God’s decision who will receive His mercy. Romans 9:15-16 explains God’s position. “ For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose,  and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” 16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.” Mercy and love are part of God’s character, attributes of His, Psalm 86:15 “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” We can ask God for His mercy. David repeatedly asks God for mercy as in Psalm 25:16 “Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress.” In Daniel 9:8, Daniel pleads for mercy for the nation of Israel who were in captivity in Babylon, “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.” Paul explains in Ephesians 2:4-5 how God’s mercy towards us led to our salvation, “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)’

Isaiah 54:10 is a verse we can claim and hold onto in our lives. No matter what is happening around us we can count on God’s love and mercy. He delivers on His promises!

Linda

Let this NOT be you! Have a clean heart before God!

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Isaiah begins in the first chapter listing Judah’s sins against God. What were they doing that was so offensive to Holy God? Here are a few specifics the Lord gives to Isaiah:

Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth!
    This is what the Lord says:
“The children I raised and cared for
    have rebelled against me. REBELLION against God who has lovingly cared for them.

4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are—
    loaded down with a burden of guilt.
They are evil people,
    corrupt children who have rejected the Lord.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel
    and turned their backs on him. They have regarded God with contempt, scorn and turned away from Him.

12 When you come to worship me,
    who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;
    the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
    and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false. Their worship was filled with ceremony but not sincerity.
    I want no more of your pious meetings. Their offerings and special celebrations were meaningless.

In what ways do your sins mirror those of the people of Judah? Are you rebelling against God and denying your faith? Are you treating God with contempt or scorning His ways? Are you just going about the motions of worship? Are you seeking to bargain with God and offer meaningless actions to Him? Let your heart be clean before Him and confess your sins. He desires to create a clean heart within you.

Isaiah adds that if it was not for the mercy of God there would have been devastation like Sodom and Gomorrah. God tires of their sinfulness and admonishes them to ‘straighten up and fly right’ so to speak in verses 16-17.

16 Wash yourselves and be clean!
    Get your sins out of my sight.
    Give up your evil ways.
17 Learn to do good.
    Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
    Defend the cause of orphans.
    Fight for the rights of widows

These straight forward verses lay out how God desires that we are to relate to Him and act towards others. Just like Isaiah in Chapter 6 had to be clean and have his sins forgiven to come before Holy God, so it is with us. To be in a relationship with God, to do God’s work and show His love to others we need to be clean! The only way to do that is through Jesus. Just as Jesus cleansed the leper in Matthew 8:3 “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” Jesus’ touch will clean your willing heart and erase your sins. Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us. Seek his touch and repent of your sins. Remember this from Lamentations 3:22 and be encouraged. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness.”

Each day is a new day with the Lord. He will forgive you and help you start anew with Him. Enjoy this wonderful song by Michael W Smith about the heart of worship. May you worship be sincere and uplift you into the very presence of God.

Linda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPC22XHc8tQ

Ancient Problems are Here and Now, Too!

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November 17, 2022

Psalm 107:16-22 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
    and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food
    and drew near the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them;
    he rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
    and tell of his works with songs of joy.

When you read this portion of the psalm you see the Israelites suffered from illnesses cause by eating disorders and from their own afflictions caused by sin. I was pondering this and the first thing that came to mind was addictions we have today for drugs and alcohol. The eating disorders and the wasting away reminded me of anorexia and bulimia. That these disease and afflictions would be in our present day but addressed in this ancient text shows the depth and applicability of God’s Word. What the psalmist is saying is that God can and does address these problems. If the sufferer cries out to Him, he will be heard. God can and does save people out of addiction each and every day. God can rescue them from the grave so to speak as He breaths life and hope into the individual through faith in Christ. Verse 20 says that God sent out His Word. Jesus is the Word and faith in Jesus will heal and save both physically and spiritually. Those who have been rescued out of these conditions along with their loved ones live lives fill with praise for God’s powerful healing in their lives. Why does God do this? He heals and rescues because He loves us. His love is unfailing unlike human love His is eternal and always full. His is a faithful love that is unconditional and unending. Praise God!

A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I can find grace and mercy in a time of need. This truth is so wonderful. You can claim it with hope in your heart day and night. God is accessible and we can come to him any time or any place. He promises in Deuteronomy 31:6 to never leave us. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” We can have courage for living each day and assurance of His presence with us. Knowing we can come to God in prayer, what can we be assured we will find there in His presence? First of all we can find peace and relief from fear. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” We are also assured in Hebrews 14:6 of grace and mercy. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” God would not have told us that He has peace, grace and mercy unless He means it! God does not lie. God is truth. You can count upon Him to always be with you, give you peace, grace and mercy exactly when you need it most. Come into His presence today and ask Him for these things. He is faithful and will answer just as He promises.

Are you facing difficulties right now in your life? Do you suffer from an addiction or are you stressed out from the pressures of life? Call upon Him. Come into His presence today and feel His love and support. He has what you need in abundance.

Linda

Love Language for Thanking God

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What type of language do you use to thank God? Are your words plain and simple, direct and forthright? If you want others to understand how you feel about God and why you feel the need to thank Him, then you should say what is in your heart with emotion and love. In Psalm 145 the psalmist lays out his feelings about God, who He is and why God should receive his (ours too) thanks and praise.

 I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever. Eternal God and King
2 Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, Unsearchable in His greatness
    and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, Majestic, Wonderous
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, Awesome deeds, His Greatness
    and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. His Goodness and Righteousness

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. His Grace, Mercy, Patience and Love
9 The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made. His Goodness and Mercy

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, All Creation will give thanks to Him!
    and all your saints shall bless you!

What an amazing list of attributes of our God! He is all those and so much more. Let your heart overflow with gratitude and thanks towards Almighty God!

Linda

A Walk of Faith

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And the journey continues….Hebrews. The book of Hebrews was a letter intended for Jewish Christians who were very familiar with the Old Testament. The first century Jewish converts faced many challenges as they sought to establish themselves apart from Judaism and stand firmly with Christ as Messiah. The letter presents Christ as supreme and sufficient in all, and the revealer of God’s grace. It can be a difficult book to understand, and yet holds such beautiful promises that are clear and strengthening. It was at first thought this letter was written by Paul but the authorship is unknown. My favorite chapter is Chapter 11 which focuses on faith in Christ and its benefits.

Hebrews 11:1,6 focuses on faith. ” Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” I love the simplicity of these verses as they truly ‘hit the nail on the head’ in regard to what faith is and why it is totally necessary. The author’s first example of faith is Enoch. Here was a man of faith that pleased God so much that he was taken directly to heaven! The author then goes into more examples of faith for us to follow and tells us of Noah who built an ark to save his family when he was warned about things he had never seen. In the time of Noah it had never rained, as scripture tells us the mist came up from the ground. (Genesis 2:5-6) He had no concept of rain and floods, yet he built the ark as God commanded by faith thereby saving himself and all his family. Abraham was called to leave his home and go to a place he had never seen. He did and was greatly blessed with descendants and land beyond measure. Sarah who was Abraham’s childless wife conceived a child in her old age and believed God that it would come to pass. The author continues with examples from Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Moses was born Jewish, saved from death by God’s hand through Pharaoh’s daughter from the Nile. He was raised to privilege then called reluctantly after running from events in Egypt. He was in the desert for 40 years before being called to lead the people out of Egypt by God’s command at the age of 80! He trusted God to provide and experienced the plagues and hurried escape after the Passover of the angel of death. God then led them through the Red Sea in victory. The author then points to the walls of Jericho falling when they faithfully followed God’s leading. Rahab’s rescue of the spies and others like Gideon, David and countless events that showed the faithfulness of God to His people. God commended the people for their faith just as He loves and desires our faithfulness. I find great strength and encouragement from reading about the faith of these ‘heroes’. I know they were mortal and weak individuals just like me who overcame, persevered and were victorious through God’s hand in their lives because of their faith. It encourages me to be faithful knowing He will always be faithful to me and rewards those who seek Him.

There are a couple of other portions in Hebrews that I want to mention. Hebrews 4:12-13 speaks of the power of God’s Word and extols the omniscience of our God. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 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.“

Hebrews 4:14-16 speaks of Christ as our high priest and gives such hope to every believer that God will be gracious towards us. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 7:25 points to the sufficiency of Christ to save completely and how He continues to intercede for us even now in heaven. “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” That is encouraging and so reassuring!!

Hebrews 10:10 speaks of the total sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross. “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.“ Praise God!

Hebrews 10:22-23 are some of my favorite verses as they encourage us to draw near to God and hold onto our faith in Him. “ Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Lastly, Hebrews 13:8 reminds me that Christ is immutable and a reliable foundation for my faith.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

May the truths of faith penetrate into your heart and soul today and may you know of His rewards of faith personally as you walk trusting Him.

Linda