The King's Manifesto

" Now when He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down.  His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying:
          'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
          Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
          Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
         Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
          Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
         Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
        Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
        Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against           you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the     same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'"
                                                                                                                          (Matthew 5:1-12)




     In Jesus' first, longest, and most beloved sermon in the gospels, He speaks to those who are heirs of God's promises.  He pours out His heart as He unveils the foundation and character of life within His kingdom. These teachings were not aspirational; they were directed to real-life circumstances that the hearers were experiencing.  The overall focus of these teachings is walking in righteousness.  His words instruct us that these promises are partly fulfilled now and will be completely fulfilled in the future.

     Prior to these declarations, Jesus preached a message of repentance.  This is important because salvation was the prerequisite for the fulfillment of these promises.  These teachings describe a righteousness that flows from within us, as opposed to the Pharisaical teachings that emphasized outward conformity.  In other words, Jesus wanted us to understand that true transformation begins in our hearts.

     With every promise Jesus gives to us, He begins by using the word "blessed".  The Greek word that is used in this passage means: " perfect happiness; fortunate; to be envied; inner satisfaction; spiritually prosperous- with life-joy and satisfaction, regardless of outward conditions".  Because these are the things that God values, we are instructed to give them value, as well.  When viewed correctly, we will obtain an accurate eternal perspective, as well as hope for today.

     The first four beatitudes deal with the longings in our hearts.  The Bible teaches us that " God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble". ( James 4:6).  Authentic humility is the framework of: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

     The "poor in spirit" recognize their inability to be whole without God.  It is an honest acknowledgement to realize our inadequacy- that is, we are not all we could or should be without Jesus.  This is a condition that should be embraced because it is in our insufficiency that we receive the sufficiency of the kingdom of heaven.

     When Jesus refers to "those who mourn", He is referring to a penitent people who are sorrowful of their sin.  This mourning is truly a gift because it points us to the solution, which is the Cross.  This can also include mourning to the sinful conditions around us, but it must be associated with a broken heart or else that is self-righteousness.  When we are truly sorrowful over spiritual bankruptcy, God's grace and forgiveness fills the void.  Jesus assures us that the mourners will be comforted.

     The "gentle" or "meek" that Jesus references are not weak people.  These are people who have responded to God's training and use their maturity and grace for constructive purposes.  These are powerful people who utilize their "strength under control".  Oftentimes, meek people are not accurately understood by others but are definitely celebrated by the Lord.  The promise for these is that they will inherit the earth.

     When a person "hungers and thirsts for righteousness", they desperately long to see God's standards established in the earth.  This includes personal righteousness, as well as righteousness throughout our culture.  True restoration will always begin in our own heart and flow outward toward others.  Additionally, we also have the assurance that God's righteousness will totally be fulfilled.

     The next three beatitudes have to do with the tenderness of our hearts.  Love is the driving force for: the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers.  John R. W. Stott describes it this way: "Christian love is not the victim of our emotions but the servant of our will."

     When we serve the King, our hearts should reflect His.  Since we have been recipients of God's mercy, it should be our desire to extend that mercy to others.  We become generous with our forgiveness and compassionate towards all suffering.  The promise for these is that if they dispense mercy they shall also receive it.

     To be "pure in heart" is to be clean and pure morally.  This encompasses more than just pure motives- it also includes moral uprightness.  Once again, the focus is on our hearts because it is very possible to be  involved in holy activities and still possess a carnal heart.  Jesus stresses internal holiness, which is an honest devotion to God that only comes from following Christ.  It is the blood of Jesus that continues to cleanse us.  The promise for the pure in heart is that they will see God and enter into His presence.

     Peacemakers are the ones who work for wholeness and harmony- not strife.  The reason Jesus came to earth was to establish peace.  This is the very heart of God and it is why we exist.  This peace will flow naturally out of the love we have for others.  The promise for peacemakers is that they shall be called sons of God.

     The last beatitude is given for those who are persecuted for doing right things.  This is when other people target those for righteousness sake.  The persecuted have the applause of heaven and a great reward eternally.  The promise is that the King of heaven will Himself provide a place of security, safety, and validation for those who have endured for His names' sake.

     The reason Jesus preached this sermon was to instruct us not to fight the conditions in our lives, but to welcome them as from the Lord.  The beatitudes are an expression of God's grace and tender mercies to us.  His promises are sure and faithful.  It is as if Jesus puts His arms around each one of us and whispers: " It is not for nothing; it is for something."



" God often comforts us, not by changing the circumstances of our lives, but by changing our attitude toward them."
                                                                                                                             S.H.B. Masterman

Unchangeable Purpose

" For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him?  His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"                                                                                                
                                                                                                                         ( Isaiah 42:17)




     Over approximately a twenty-four year time span (1589-1613), William Shakespeare produced: 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 long narrative poems.  Today, his plays have been translated into every major language and are performed more than any other playwright.  He is currently regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.

     These accolades, however, were not given to Shakespeare during his lifetime.  Contemporaries referred to Shakespeare as "common" and "second-rate".  They also accused Shakespeare of trying to reach above his rank by competing with university-educated writers, such as: Christopher Marlow, Thomas Nashe, and Robert Greene.

     Despite his critics, Shakespeare was not deterred in sharing his talent.  Over time, he did, however, shift his focus and change the genre of his writings.  His early writings consisted of comedies and histories.  He then transitioned to tragedies and finally to tragicomedies, which are also known as romances. The complexities of both issues and plots intensified in his latter years.

     While it is documented that Shakespeare had some religious influences in his life, it is unclear as to his personal beliefs.  Biblical references are intertwined in his subject matter, but he seems to vacillate between both ideas of free-will and fatalism.  He certainly never points to God as a Sovereign, loving, and merciful Father.  Instead, he focuses on social mores and moral obligations that war with one another to produce angst in the souls of man.

     In one of his early comedies,  As You Like It,  he portrays people as pawns in the game of life.  One of his most famous monologues is in this play, where Jacques states,  " All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts..."  ( Act II, Scene VII ).

     Shakespeare was gifted with extraordinary insight in seeing the world from a carnal man's perspective.  However, it would seem that his enigmatic writings lacked the personal knowledge of an intimate relationship with his loving Father in heaven.  The one absolute he leaves with his readers is that his faith is concealed to be a divine mystery.

     As believers, our lives are never left to chance (or fate).  God desires to show us convincingly who He is and the unchangeableness of His purpose and plans for our lives. We are all created with untold purpose and fashioned by God's own loving hands.  We are unequivocally and passionately loved. No matter how we feel, what we are suffering, or even what we are hoping- the Bible gives us a clear Word and direction to provide the guidance that we seek.

     God, Himself, is described as "the same- yesterday, today, and forever". (Hebrews 13:8).  His attributes, character, words and promises do not change.  They are eternally immutable and unwavering.  Through reading the Bible and through prayer, we have access to Him personally.  The author of the book of Hebrews says, " let us go right to God Himself with true hearts and fully trusting Him". ( Hebrews 10:22).

     It is possible to see the world from God's vantage point.  When we seek Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, His Word promises us that He will give us wisdom and clarity in our lives.  God would never give us over to confusion and duress when He is what we seek.  It is also impossible for God to deceive us when we flee to Him for refuge.

     He also gives us strength and encouragement so we can grasp and hold fast to the hope appointed for us.  He sets before us two unchangeable things- His promises and His oath to us who believe.  Hope then becomes the steadfast anchor of our souls.

     Before we ever see God move on our behalf, He will give us assurances.  These assurances provide a complete and peaceful confidence in a particular matter.  Often, God will use others to give us a scripture regarding a matter in which we have been praying.  He always confirms His Word.  Paul, and his contemporaries, tell us, "What we told you produced a powerful effect on you, for the Holy Spirit gave you great and full assurance".  ( 1 Thessalonians 1:5).

     Once God gives us inner assurance, it brings a calming effect that settles our minds and spirits.  God's still, small voice prompts our perception that everything is going to be all right.  We find our confidence in knowing God's character, wisdom, and power will carry us through every circumstance we face.  This gives us the confidence to move from petitioning God to thanking Him in advance for our answers.

     The anointing of the Holy Spirit provides a peaceful calm that erases doubts and confusion.  This peace of assurance will always precede our breakthrough.  Isaiah 32:17 tells us, " the effect of righteousness will be peace [ internal and external] and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever."

     When God provides us with the assurance that He is, and He will be, moving on our behalf, the result is a mental, physical, and spiritual rest.  Hebrews 4:13 tells us, " For we which have believed do enter into rest."  When faith and assurance collide, we can be at rest even in the midst of the most severe storm.

     Jesus was able to sleep through a storm because He knew He was going to the other side ( Luke 8:22-25).  He enables us to do the same.  Jesus designed it so that danger would no longer bring fear to us,  but an expectation of divine intervention.   And, when our dangers are past, we give Christ the glory of our deliverance.

     In 1699, Jonathan Swift wrote, "Vision is the art of seeing the invisible."  God has a vision and a dream and a destiny for our lives.  To fulfill the calling He has for us we have to be plugged into Him.  We are to pray and look to the future with much expectancy.  Daily we are given opportunities to walk within the will of God. Paul describes it this way, " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."  (Ephesians 2:10).

     What a comfort it is to know that all things, good and evil, are under Jesus' control and power!  How blessed we are to be under the care and initiative of a loving Father who has good plans and purposes for our lives!  How thankful I am for the peace, assurances, and rest that God provides for us!  He is always good and His goodness toward us is forever unchangeable!



" Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and Yours it is to be exalted as Head over all."
                                                                                                                            ( 1 Chronicles 29:11)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

   
   

   

   

One Thing

" You are not a better person because you are praised; neither are you any worse if somebody denigrates you.  God knows what you are.  People consider actions, but God evaluates intentions."
                                                                             Thomas a Kempis, author, The Imitation of Christ



     God knows every heart, thought, and action of His created.  Most importantly, though, God examines our motives.  In fact, the Bible says that God even weighs our motives to determine if they are adequate or deficient.  The book of Proverbs tells us that, " All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but it is the Lord who weighs the motives."  ( Proverbs 16:2).

     I don't know about you, but this thought can be quite unsettling to me at times.  It would be nice to believe that we always have clean hands and a pure heart, but not quite realistic.  In fact, there is rarely a day that goes by in my life where it is not necessary to make a course correction in my attitude or my motives.  How grateful I am for God's abundant grace!

     Oftentimes, I have good intentions for the day at hand, but I don't always have the determination to see it to fruition.  This is because it is very easy for me to lose focus and not remain single-minded. It seems there are distractions, diversions, and detours at every turn.

     Thankfully, God faithfully provides us with examples of people in the Bible who successfully aligned their priorities with God. There are three that stand out to me who were able to keep the main thing the main thing : David, Mary ( the sister of Martha and Lazarus), and Paul. These three individuals understood the importance of communing with God.

     God refers to David as a man after His own heart.  In the 27th Psalm, David reveals what his top priority is.  He says, " One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple."  ( Psalm 27:4).

     Everyday, David took the time to fellowship with God and seek direction from Him.  David realized that the most important part of his life was the part that only God could see.  In spending time with God, David witnessed not only the glory of God's character, but also the richness of His goodness and favor to His people.  Meditating on the wonders of God's grace while he gazed on the beauty of his God, David surrendered his whole heart in complete abandon to his beloved.

     Another person who chose the best of priorities was Mary.  As Jesus and His disciples were traveling to Jerusalem, they stopped at Mary and Martha's home ( Luke 10: 38-42).  Martha was frenetically working and worrying over preparing the dinner for them. Mary, on the other hand, sat on the floor absorbing every word Jesus had to say.

     This agitated Martha! When she tried to get Jesus to rebuke Mary for not helping her, Jesus rose to Mary's defense.  He said,  " Martha, dear friend, you are so upset over all these details!  There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it- and I won't take it away from her!"  ( Luke 10:42).

     Mary understood that what she did with Christ was far more important than what she did for Christ.  Defying society's conventions, Mary cared more for the Lord than doing what was culturally appropriate. Mary's priority was Jesus first, followed by her concern for others, leaving herself as the third priority.  As Christ followers, we are ambassadors, neighbors, and worshippers. The greatest of these three is to be a worshipper.

     The apostle Paul is the third example of someone who was closely aligned with God's priorities. Even though he got off to a rocky start,  Jesus told Ananias that Paul was " a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel". ( Acts 9:15). God would then allow Paul to pen fourteen out of twenty-seven books in the New Testament.

     In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul describes himself as an athlete for the sake of the Gospel.  He addresses his spiritual vigor as he presses toward the finish line in the Christian faith.  While he admits he has not attained complete satisfaction in his spiritual journey, he emphasizes his most important accomplishment.

     He says, " One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  ( Philippians 3:13b-14).

     In other words, Paul had decided that he was going to run the race in such a way that he would win.  He chose to respond to the upward, onward call on his life with his whole heart.  His concern was not to compete with other believers, but to continue to grow into the likeness of Christ.  His eyes were on Jesus and he was passionately pursuing becoming like Him.  He was willing to give everything he had in order to accomplish this goal.

     Despite the obstacles Paul had encountered, he was determined to finish strong.  The life he had been given paled in comparison to the goal set before him.  He stated, " Neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have obtained from [which was entrusted to me by] the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest to the good news (gospel) of God's grace."  (Acts 20:24).

     If you were to evaluate the lives of : David, Mary, and Paul to determine the "one thing" that propelled their lives, I believe it would be their passionate, relentless pursuit of God.  Each one of them loved God with a fiery zeal that fueled their existence.  Their motivation and intention was to give God their whole heart and trust Him to sort out the other details.  As a result, they fulfilled God's purposes for their lives.

     Determining our "one thing" is very crucial to our faith.  It poses the following questions:

       * What is the "one thing" that drives your life?
       * What is the "one thing" you lack to be everything God has called you to be?  ( Mk 10:21)
       * What is the "one thing" you know when it comes to your relationship to Christ?  (Jn 9:25)
       * What is the " one thing" in your life that you love the most?  (Rev 2:4)
       * What is the "one thing" to which you are willing to devote your life with everything that is in you?


     If we want power in our lives, we have to concentrate and focus on the main thing.  If a river is allowed to overflow, it will become a swamp.  But, if that river is dammed up and controlled, it becomes a source of power.  It all comes down to a matter of our values and priorities- that is, living for the "one thing" that matters the most.



When Jesus was asked about the most important thing, He replied, " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. "  ( Matthew 22:37).


   

 

Trusting God's Timing

                              God not only orders our steps; He orders our stops."
                                                                                                George Muller




     God is the author of each one of our grace stories.  Every detail is completely intentional and purposeful.  When all is said and done, and we have completed our journey on this earth, we will be able to understand every nuance in our lives with certainty and clarity.  We will also be able to know, with assurance, that God's timing in each and every matter was flawless and orchestrated in complete perfection.

     Before we were ever born, God numbered our days and ordered our steps.  He created us in His image and planned every detail of our existence.  There is nothing or no one that could ever thwart God's purposes and plans.  The prophet, Isaiah, tells us, " The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, 'Surely, as I have thought and planned, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand'...   For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who can annul it?  And His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"  ( Isaiah 14:24;27).

     In eternity, we will not have a problem understanding God's will, God's ways, and God's timing.
The problem we have sometimes lies in the here and now.  There can, at times, be a disconnect because God tells us, "' For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' says the Lord."  ( Isaiah 55:8).

     There are even times that we can be caught completely off-guard with the things that happen in our lives and in our world.  But, God is never surprised.  Every occurrence that happens to us has first been sifted through the loving hands of God, our Father. From the time of creation until the second coming of Christ, God is scripting the plan that allows both the fullness of righteousness and the fullness of evil to come to fruition. As A.T Pierson used to say, " History is His story."

     As much as I long to completely trust God, I have to admit that sometimes my biggest frustration in my walk with Him is understanding His timing.  While we have seen God answer many prayers in astonishing ways, we still have some items on our prayer list about which we have continued to pray  for years. Even decades.

     Trusting and waiting.  These are two things that do not occur easily for me. They elude me intuitively.  If they are going to be evident in my life, it will require intentionality on my part and empowerment from the Holy Spirit.  Determination is part of this equation for me.  The prophet, Jeremiah, describes such intentionality when he said, " I say to myself, ' The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him.'"  ( Lamentations 3:24).

     There is great purpose in the wait.  When the power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed in our seasons of waiting, it will yield a bountiful harvest.  The fruit of this harvest is as follows: renewal, refreshing, revival, and revelation.  We might also see God's mighty hand of deliverance, provision, and protection as He becomes our refuge.  But mostly, we can be assured that God is preparing us for something greater to come.

     All of this requires both patience and perserverance.  In the book of James,  when the author talks about perservering in the midst of trials ( James 1:3-4), he is referring to a military term.  The meaning of his terminology is to stand your ground when you are in a battle and caught in a crossfire.  To achieve this, we are to be patient under fire, carry on the fight, and never give up, quit, or surrender.

     God empowered James to pen these words in the midst of severe persecution and martyrdom in the church.  This occurred during a time when the attacks were relentless and unbearable.  He explained that if we view our trials as an opportunity to "let endurance and stedfastness and patience do a thorough work" then we will " be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete."
( James 1:4).

     James also explained that such perserverance was an opportunity for us to experience the true joy that is found only in God.  This was not joy derived from present circumstances.  This joy would come from looking forward to and living in expectation of the coming of Jesus- our Blessed Hope.

     There are  three examples that James gives to us to outline the secret of patience while we are waiting for the Lord's return ( James 5:7-11).  First, he describes the patience of a farmer who is waiting for his harvest.  Next, he describes how the prophets displayed patience in their suffering.  Finally, he describes Job, who continued to trust God in the midst of sorrow.

     The farmer is a picture for us of someone who waits and watches for the return of Jesus.  Even while he waits for his crops to mature, he is never idle.  In a spiritual sense, he continues to : pray, intercede, witness, study, and give. He understands that God is continually producing a harvest in our lives.  He waits patiently for the latter rain because he knows the harvest will be worth the wait.  Even when he doesn't see fruit instantly from his labor, he accepts the fact that God continues to germinate the seed.

     The prophets provide us with a second visual to understand.  The lives of the prophets teach us that even when we are fully committed to obedience, there will be opposition and obstacles.  In fact, sometimes persecution is a direct result of our obedience.  Every one of the disciples also suffered for speaking the truth, but their suffering only made them stronger, not weaker.  They suffered so that God's power would be manifested in them. This power is what turned the world upside down for the sake of the Gospel.

     Job is the last example James gives to us.  Job is a person who shows us that we can remain faithful to God in the midst of suffering and sorrow.  Everything in Job's life turned against him- his circumstances, his wife, and his friends.  ( At times, he even thought that God had turned against him, too.)  He lost everything and went through excruciating pain (physically, emotionally, and spiritually).  Behind the scenes, God was weaving a tapestry for Job's good.  After God humbled Job, He honored his faithfulness and his suffering and gave him double for everything he lost.

     The choices we make in solitude while we wait on God are the most important ones.  When we completely trust God, we will endure and triumph victoriously.  What we become in our private battles is what we will become in our public battles.  D.L. Moody explains, " Character is formed in the dark."

     God's purposes are greater than we can even imagine.  When we trust in Him and in His timing, He will lift us up.  And, when He gives us victory and success, we are to respond in humility, gratitude, and wisdom.  Ironically, it is victory that will often reveal either the dross or the gold in our lives.

     The battle is the Lord's.  The victory is the Lord's.  And, the glory is the Lord's.  All things are only by the grace of God and for the glory of God.  James assures us that God's plans will always end in good, " for He is full of tenderness and mercy"  ( James 5:11).  Trust not only in God's plans, but trust also in His timing!


" If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him.  He is worth waiting for.  The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, excercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes.  The Lord's people have always been a waiting people."
                                                                                                                         Charles Spurgeon

Grace Fills The Void

" Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, 'Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.'  Elisha said to her, 'What shall I do for you?  Tell me, what do you have in the house?'  And she said, ' Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.'  Then he said, 'Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few.  And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.'  So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured.  When the vessels were full, she said to her son, ' Bring me another vessel.'  And he said to her, 'There is not one vessel more.'  And the oil stopped.  Then she came and told the man of God.  And he said, ' Go, sell the oil and pay your debt and you and your sons can live on the rest.'"    ( 2 Kings 4:1-7).




     Elijah's prophetic mantle fell from the skies as he rose into heaven.  Elisha was the recipient of his predecessors anointing and power.  In addition to this powerful anointing, Elisha also had a gentler spirit of his ministration that would foreshadow the love and mercy of Christ, Himself.

     Elisha's miracles are markedly similar to those of the Messiah, as they are almost always performed out of the compassion of a tender heart.  This widow who approached him out of her distress would prove to be no exception.  She explained to Elisha that her husbands death had left her in so much debt that, by law, her sons were about to be sold into slavery to repay what she owed.

     Upon questioning, Elisha quickly realized that the only asset this widow had was a single pot of oil.  He instructed her and her sons to borrow vessels from all their neighbors.  After gathering as many vessels as they could, the widow began to pour the oil from her own single jar and the oil began to flow. And flow. And flow.  That is, until every receptacle they had gathered was full. She then sold her oil, paid off all her debt, and was able to dwell in comfort afterward.

     It was grace that provided the solution.  It was grace that supplied the oil.  It was grace that filled the widows deeper needs.  Grace continued to overflow into bounty.  This resulted in pleasure and joy.  And, ultimately, grace would reign instead of the slavery that had threatened to ravage these children of God.

     The beauty of this gift of grace is that it is freely given to each of us today.  The only prerequisite is that we believe- in God who gives it and in the promises of His Word.  Romans 4:16 says, "Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all His descendants."

     We all have empty places in our hearts and in our lives that are designed for God alone to fill.  All of our longings are intended to lead us back to Him.  Only His unconditional acceptance, approval, and affirmation can fill those voids in our hearts.  When we seek God, He will show us how to position our hearts to be filled and fulfilled by His promises and the power of His love.

     One thing I love about God is that He always fills that which is empty!  He is constantly offering us: forgiveness,  freedom, wholeness, peace, joy, salvation, and eternal life.  Our emptiness is the catalyst to being filled.  The greates miracle that God will ever offer to us is the gracious forgiveness of our debts.  Ephesians 1:7 tells us that " In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and generosity of His gracious favor".

     In addition to our salvation, God is also deeply concerned for us and with our day to day needs.  He not only sees the empty places in our hearts, but He also sees the ways we try to fill the voids on our own.  All of our methods to fill will only be transient fillers, at best.

     What we really need is His power because He is All-powerful.  God magnifies His goodness with His power, so that He is able to help us in any situation.  The prophet, Jeremiah, prayed, " O Sovereign Lord!  You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power. Nothing is too hard for You!"  ( Jeremiah 32:17).

     When the earth was formless and void, God merely spoke the universe ( containing 100 billion galaxies) into being.  All power has always been His and will continue to be for all eternity.  Therefore, there is no taks that is too big or too hard for Him.

     No matter what we face in our lives, there is no problem that is too complicated for God to handle.  No need is too great for Him to meet.  No void is too expansive for Him to fill.  He longs to cover every aspect of our lives with His grace.

     The most important thing to God is our relationship with Him.  When we are connected to Him, "He will give [us], through His great power, everything [we] need for living a truly good life: He even shares His own glory and His own goodness with us!"  ( 2 Peter 1:3).

     As God pours into our lives, we move from being filled to overflowing with His presence and purpose.  Each one of us should need more of God today than we did yesterday. When we embrace the gospel and seek God's heart, the Cross will continue to grow bigger and bigger in our lives.  As the Cross gets bigger in our lives we will see that it is grace that fills every void!


                           " The purpose of the Cross is to repair the irreparable."
                                 Erwin Lutzer, Pastor of Moody Church