Thursday, March 22
The Lord Reigns
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns."1 Chronicles 16:31
Recommended Reading
Psalm 97:1-6
Five times the Bible declares: "The Lord reigns!" When we really believe that, our thinking changes about every situation in life. Take the way people treat us, for example. It's easy to fly off the handle, harbor bitterness, and let resentment eat away at our souls. Humanly speaking, such reactions may seem justified, for people can do terrible things to us.
But when we recognize the absolute rule of God over even the smallest matters, we can trust Him to use even those injuries for glorious good. Think of Joseph, who forgave His brothers for their horrible mistreatment. He understood they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.
Think of the hymnist, Fanny Crosby. Once when asked about the doctor who had blinded her in infancy, she said, "If I could meet him, I would tell him that he unwittingly did me the greatest favor in the world . . . . How in the world could I have lived such a helpful life as I have lived had I not been blind?"
Because He reigns, we can forgive others and trust God with the hurts.
The sin of unforgiveness is a cancer that destroys relationships, eats away at one's own psyche, and—worst of all—shuts us off from God's grace.
Robertson McQuilkin
Read-Thru-the-Bible
1 Samuel 4:1 - 8:22
Turning Point Online
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Praise You In This Storm (click on link to see music video)
by Casting Crowns
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An email I received today:
Dear Chris,
May you be blessed by a few notable quotes to see you through the week -
- Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it!
- You can't hang out with negative people and hope to live a positive life.
- Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of
how much you already have.
There are many great quotes about life, but nobody put it quite the way Jesus
did:
Victory Verse of the Week
"Never did a man speak, the way this man (Jesus) spoke" John 7:46
Listed are some of the great words from our Lord - that'll make your day!
"I am with you always" (Mt. 28:20); "All things are possible to him who
believes" (Mk. 9:23); "Everyone who believes in Me will never die" (Jn.11:26).
What words! What a Saviour!! Keep discovering more of His Words, in God's Word -
the Bible.
Until the weekend.
Be blessed,
Pastor Shawn
Hi Christine:
ReplyDeleteWhat perfect timing our Lord has! Your listening ear and obedience gets better and better. Thank you for another beautiful post to end my work week here in Jerusalem.
"Flying off the handle" came easy for this writer just yesterday in her office. I was walking in my corrupt flesh. Not once, but twice it happened over petty things. Of course I was convicted on the spot and asked forgiveness from the two coworkers I spoke to with harsh and unkind words. Forgiveness is a blessing. Praise the Lord.
Shabbat Shalom and much love to my “little” sister on the West Coast… (ss)
That's right Susan. Forgiveness is such a blessing...
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen the music video that I linked to a while back? It is certainly gripping. It was done with a song called, "A Better Way" by Downhere. The gist of the lyrics shares that Jesus could not have said, "I love you" in a better way than when he laid down his life for us, to cover our sins, at the cross.
Here's the link. Get out the tissues...
Nothing that we endure here on earth could ever compare to knowing Jesus Christ, what he did for us and the mercy and grace that has been undeservedly bestowed upon us through him.
That thought gets me through a multitude of "storms" in this life...whether they be ones that I caused, or just because of circumstances with those around me. It is how I can find joy amidst the pain and hurt that is often so prevalent in this fallen world.
All we can do as believers in Christ is share the Gospel with others. It is the hope that surpasses all understanding.
God bless you this day!
Love,
Christine