Jesus did not leave us alone to fend for ourselves. He gave us His Holy Spirit to reside in us, to guide and care for us in God’s mercy and grace.
In Jesus God restores what Satan stole from us.
The Hebrew Jews were battling in their minds the tradition of Old Testament works vs the grace of God in the New Testament Covenant of Jesus Christ. The past was good but the new covenant was so much better. We are not under the severe conditions of the law. As believers we are children of grace. Jesus finished all the requirements of the Law.
Prophesy is the gift of God. The worse the world gets the closer we are to the Lord’s return.
Hebrews 12:20 21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
Israel feared and quaked at the presence of God knowing that man could never stand before our holy God. So terrible was the sight that even Moses feared. But now we are the church of the first born, written in heaven through the blood of Jesus, who is the mediator of the new covenant. He speaks through Holy Spirit in us where He sits at the right hand of the Father. The heavenly Jerusalem, in which we are citizens, brings us into the Kingdom of God.
Colossians 1:12-13 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Everything in the Old Testament was earthly and now in the New Testament they are spiritual. We are giving thanks continually to the Father who made us to be partakers of the inheritance of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
As believers we labor to be accepted of Him. We appear before Him, knowing our sins are forgiven, but we will be judged on the things we have done in His name as His hands and feet on earth.
Every man’s works will be tested by fire keeping those things done for Him and not for ourselves.
Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Paul was the apostle of grace to those set free from the Law through the blood of Jesus Christ. We have received the Spirit of adoption where we can cry, ABBA Father. As children we are co-heirs with Christ. God has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us in to the Kingdom of His Son.
Know that you are loved! Rest in that knowledge in the peace of God.
Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
"For the grace of God has appeared … training us … to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age." God's goodness and grace can actually train us in self-control. Proverbs 23:17 similarly counsels us to "continue in the fear (reverence) of the Lord all the day."
Living in awe of God and what He has done for us, in every moment of every day, will help us make better choices.
Titus 2:13 goes on to say the grace of God motivates us in self-control by reminding us that we are "waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."
Proverbs 23:18 similarly says, "Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off."
One day Jesus will return! He will come back for us and make everything perfect and new. Knowing that day is coming, that we will soon meet Jesus face to face, gives us strength to make hard but good choices today. First5
Another week when so many in our world feel alarmed or exhausted, scrambling in their minds to make sense of it all.
And I know this; when I’m tired, I prefer my head in the sand.
After all, “What can I do that would make a difference?”
I forget I can make a difference in the small world where I live and breathe.
When we see the light we carry, we change the way we measure what really matters. I love David Orr’s reminder, "The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it."
Now, we know the power of being kindred light spillers. Let us be these places for one another.
No wonder it is so easy to give up when we see only big world issues and are undone by big world distress. “It’s not my problem, after all.” And the big world takes us away from this moment... and the people who are right in front of us.
Where we are grounded, we pause. We say thank you. We will see beauty in places we didn’t expect, and we are gifted with surprises of grace. We will see craziness and pain, yes, but now we have the permission to engage, instead of resign. To care. To spill light. Even in small ways... to spill compassion, forgiveness, second changes, understanding. Sabbath Moments
Job 42:12-17
12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and full of days. The New King James Version
Job’s restored prosperity should not be seen as compensation for his piety. After Job had given up his demand for his former prosperity, the Lord could give it to him as a free gift. This conclusion shows that the Book of Job does not totally reject the principle of divine retribution but only its false application. It concurs with the Book of Proverbs that the fear of the Lord normally leads to an abundant and long life. But we cannot presume that God will always operate in this manner, as Job’s friends had done. The NKJV Study Bible
Before his affliction, Job was a very wealthy man. Now, God increases Job’s wealth to double his original holdings. In addition to being beautiful, Job’s daughters shared in the inheritance with their brothers. Typically, daughters did not receive any inheritance. The only other old testament record of daughters receiving inheritance was when their father died without producing any sons. This epitaph is similar to that of Abraham, Isaac, David, and Jehoiada the priest. Job’s long life is another way of God vindicating Job before other people and blessing him. Faithlife Study Bible
In the beginning of this book we had Job’s patience under his troubles, for an example; here, for our encouragement to follow that example, we have his happy end. His troubles began in Satan’s malice, which God restrained; his restoration began in God’s mercy, which Satan could not oppose. Mercy did not return when Job was disputing with his friends, but when he was praying for them. God is served and pleased with our warm devotions, not with our warm disputes. God doubled Job’s possessions. We may lose much for the Lord, but we shall not lose any thing by him. Whether the Lord gives us health and temporal blessings or not, if we patiently suffer according to his will, in the end we shall be happy. Job’s estate increased. The blessing of the Lord makes rich; it is he that gives us power to get wealth, and gives success in honest endeavours. The last days of a good man sometimes prove his best, his last works his best works, his last comforts his best comforts; for his path, like that of the morning light, shines more and more unto the perfect day. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 15:15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.
Job 5:26
You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
Job 8:7
Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.
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