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2 Chron 20:15b, 17a, Is 7:9b, Eph 6:13b,14, 12 For the battle is not yours, but God's. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. After you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place... For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  So many times in our everyday lives, we are encouraged to compromise to keep the peace. After all, a little compromise won't cause problems. Will it? We can only answer with the gospel of peace and truth that the Word of God has given us. Compromise in the lives of the Israelites cost them God's peace and sent them into slavery. It caused God to take the Shekinah glory from the temple of Jerusalem because His people chose to serve other gods.
When we are willing to stand firm in our faith, we will not be swayed by fads or the preferences of others. It may be one of the most difficult decisions we make but it does make a difference to the God we have chosen to serve. He has asked us to stand firm in the presence of great pressures. He has asked us to not be like the waves of the sea, blown and tossed by the winds. James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. We are promised trials and temptations in this life. The Bible tells us not if but when we face trials in our lives. Those who stand firm will receive the crown of life. We will stand before the Eternal Judge and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." He will invite us to share in our Master's happiness. We will stand in the temple of God and sing with the saints, "Holy, Holy, Holy." We will see the Shekinah glory that lights the New Jerusalem.
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Malachi 3:16-18 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name. "They will be mine," says the Lord Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."  While serving in different groups and positions, I have felt frustrated when those who are serving their own agendas seem to be promoted and acknowledged. Others serve quietly in the background, working just as hard, but with a heart for serving the Lord. The quiet servants go about in their service with barely any appreciation.
Samuel told David's father, Jesse, that God looks on the heart, not the exterior. Jesse felt his older sons should have been chosen as king but Samuel was aware of God's plan to prosper Israel. He knew that God had it all in control despite the youth and inexperience of David. David's brothers served David in his armies and showed their true colors as the challenges of David's reign tested them. God called David a man after God's own heart. David was loved by God despite all the weaknesses in him. We also are deeply loved by God. He calls those who serve Him His 'treasured possessions'. He has written their names in the book of remembrance. He has written their names in the palm of His hand. The God of creation has created an eternal city where they may live and serve and worship Him. We were never promised that serving the Lord would be easy. We aren't promised to be honored and exalted in this lifetime. We are promised a crown of glory. We are promised to stand in the presence of the Messiah. We will see Him high and lifted up. We will see Him in the throne room and there will be no need for a sun because He is the Light of the world. When we serve the Lord out of love and devotion, we are guaranteed a place in eternity, a place prepared for us by the One Who created and redeemed us. When we talk to each other about serving the Lord, we are called His treasured possession. Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  Recently, while talking with a friend, she told me of a lady that is becoming tied up in the rules and regulations of what she must wear, do, not do, etc. She is so concerned that she will sin if she doesn't follow strict rules of conduct, she has lost sight of the grace and mercy that we have through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. (Gal 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.)
We are saved by grace alone and trying to live under the law negates the work of the cross. We no longer need to be tied up in the Pharisee style of living. Jesus has given us the privilege of living in freedom from fear. We need not fear losing our salvation because of what we do or don't do. We came to Christ by accepting the gift of eternal life that was priceless but free. When we add 'things' to what we must do to be 'good Christians', we lose sight of the freedom we have to be who God has created us to be. We have the freedom to live according to grace we have been given. Jesus desires us to feel free to run to Him no matter the circumstances. We are welcomed into the throne room of grace because He delights in us. He wants us to understand that we well be given trials and struggles to help us become more of who He wants us to be, but He does not expect us to conform to man-made laws that take away our joy and spontaneity of worshiping Him whenever we choose. Our relationship with the Redeemer of our souls is far more important than the 'things' we do. Jesus delights in us. He rejoices over us with singing. We are the apple of His eye. He loves us with a love that is beyond anything we can begin to comprehend. How can we add to that? |
AuthorPlease join us as we grow in Christ through our weekly devotions, written by Catherine Donaldson 
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