Belonging

"What the! I really wasn't expecting this but wow, I have a story to tell you about this guy Jesus and God's love for all people." 

Romans chapter 8 verses 1-4.

So there is no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit---and this power is mine through Christ Jesus---has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death. We are not saved from sin's grasp by knowing the commandments of God, because we cannot and do not keep them, but God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent His own Son in a human body like ours---except that ours are sinful---and destroyed sin's control over us by giving Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. So now we can obey God's laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the old nature within us. 

Are you ready to believe in who Jesus is? Maybe there is a God, someone who created this world. And maybe it is that same God who forms our bodies and breathes life into them. 

   God does not leave us after we are born. We just grow up in a world that is quick to manipulate our thoughts, and leave us to deal with the decisions we make. It would be nice if we did not have to experience death, sickness, finances, or relationships but that would not be the world that shapes us and forms who we become. 

   In order for us to know and understand God we need to want God and believe He is real and there to help us. To many people, God is just a figment of the imagination. Yet to many others God is the hope for His  saving grace, which is given freely to those who seek after Him. You may not care where the world, the stars and universe came from. You may not put any thought into how are bodies were created. All you know is that you are alive and continue to be alive each day. You know that death can happen and you know that sickness can affect our health. You know that money is needed to purchase the necessities of life and you are well aware of what attitudes are.

   1 Corinthians chapter 9 verses 25 and 26 say, "To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win. I'm not just shadow-boxing or playing around."

  It is going to be work. To you your situation may seem never ending with life going by as you are stuck in a rut. You think, what can it hurt to ask God for help? And the result astonishes you. Was that just a tease or was it really from God? It's very hard for you to trust. Your past experiences have proven that. 

   Isaiah chapter 7 talks about a King who was facing insurmountable enemies. God told Isaiah to tell him not to worry, but to trust in the Lord. And of course the King did not listen, because he could not overcome his concerns. The verses refer to God sending Jesus as our Savior. Even though we continue to follow our own paths and make wrong decisions, righteousness, and peaceful everlasting love can be ours through Jesus. 

   All God wants is for you to seek after Him and know it is He who has given us Jesus. 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 15 says, "Quietly trust yourself to Christ your Lord and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way." Your story is your confession of what has taken place in your life. So tell your story to those who want to know. You are no different than anyone else except now you have accepted Jesus and God's saving grace into your life.

   Everyday is a day to rejoice and be thankful, but not everyone sees it that way. The things we face can haunt us, the words others speak can hurt us, the demands we put on ourselves, to live up to standards, can exhaust us. Life is empty without Jesus. He brings us before God and the our want to live a life that is pleasing to Him. So be thankful to God for Jesus. You would be trying very hard to overcome your concerns on your own, but with Jesus, you see clearly the beauty of God's love for people. You once looked out for yourself, you still watch closely what you do, but now you walk with Jesus, prepared to help others find their way if they want to. 

   You love what you have become and all because God sent Jesus into your life. You cannot force others to believe as you do, they must find their way, so that they truly believe it is Jesus who is their savior. You are only an example of God's love, brought to life by Jesus. For example, you are like that object that catches someone's eye and sparks their interest.

   Thank you Father for Jesus. Words are not enough to tell You how thankful my heart is. I'm not everything You want me to be but I do live with You and Jesus is my shepherd. 😊  

Numbers chapter 24 verse 17.

Balaam the prophet said to the King Balak, "I see in the future of Israel, far down the distant trail, that there shall come a star from Jacob!"

Revelations chapter 5 verses 7 and 8.

He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of one sitting on the throne. And as He took the scroll, the twenty-four Elders fell down before the Lamb, each with a harp and golden vials filled with incense---the prayers of God's people.   

Psalms chapter 40 verses 1-3.

I waited patiently for God to help me; then He listened and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set me feet on a hard, firm path and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God.