Blessed be the LORD, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah. Psalm 68:19.
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you, but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 1 Peter 4:12-13.
There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:6-7.
And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 189: His Character – Wisdom, Knowledge, et al. Isaiah 11:2: The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. And, Colossians 2:3: In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
I loved this today in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young: “You can live as close to Me as you choose. I set up no barriers between us; neither do I tear down barriers that you erect. People tend to think their circumstances determine the quality of their lives. So they pour their energy into trying to control those situations. They feel happy when things are going well and sad or frustrated when things don’t turn out as they’d hoped. They rarely question this correlation between their circumstances and feelings. Yet it is possible to be content in any and every situation. Put more energy into trusting Me and enjoying My Presence. Don’t let your well-being depend on your circumstances. Instead, connect your joy to My precious promises: I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will meet all your needs according to My glorious riches. Nothing in all creation will be able to separate you from My Love. Philippians 4:12; Genesis 28:15; Philippians 4:19; Romans 8:38-39.”
As I was praying this morning I thought about family and friends and began to worry for them. One errant thought of a possibility of harm took root and I was soon plunged into anguish and worry all out of proportion to what is really happening. An errant thought, and I was praying for God’s help. I know there is evil in our fallen world. I know there is darkness I can’t even begin to imagine and it terrifies me if I begin to worry about loved ones experiencing that darkness or evil. And I prayed for God’s help to come out of that awful moment of anguish. I know there is always the possibility for harm in our fallen world, but I don’t know that for certainty now or tomorrow or ever. God does know for certainty and He told us plainly the devastations that our sins cause. I thought about Jesus going to the Father often in prayer. He knew. He sees everything yet to be and He knows. The sufferings of Christ. How He doesn’t run away screaming and forget all of us I can’t truly imagine. I go to Him for help and I need to go to Him! And He is here. Always. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. And the amazing thing is, He knew before any of creation was created. He knows why there is evil and darkness in the world and in us – and He came to show us the Father’s Love for us that will not let evil and darkness rule our lives beyond the point He lays down. He took all of our evil and the evil of Satan to the Cross and let it do its worst, and the very Creator of all life died. He took that on Himself. And death could not hold Him. It will claim each of us because sin entered the world, and die we must to sin, for all sin. But because of Creator God, death, the final enemy, is defeated and will not hold us. That is what Creator God did for us in Jesus, the Son, Creator God. That is why I turn to Creator God. He is Life, He is Holy, He is Good, He is Truth, He is Steadfast and Faithful, He is Just, He is Love beyond anything we call love. And the amazing thing, probably why He doesn’t run away screaming, He is ours and we – are His!
***AT MY JOB – Dear God, thank You that I have a job. In so many countries, unemployment is dangerously high. Help me to enjoy my work even when things are dull or humdrum. I am aware that I represent You, so help me to arrive punctually, to strive for excellence, to be respectful to all, and to serve my superiors not only when their eyes are on me but also at the other times. When I’m working from home, let me have the same standards as I would in any workplace, aiming to do my best for You, LORD. As a follower of Christ, protect me from all involvement in shady practices. Let me speak and act honestly. Finally, let me never put the job above things that count more: my family, my integrity, and my faith. Douglas Jacoby, Amen and Amen. 2025.***
