Saturday, January 8, 2011

Character: A Spirit of Assurance

Most of the things we are certain of in this world are not heart-warming!  Yet, the Christian spirit is blessed with a confidence that provides security.  The faithfulness of God is a rock-solid certainty in a world that is inconsistent on nearly every level.  The writer of Hebrews assures us Jesus is unchanging...the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Christ Himself assures us He will never leave us alone--God Himself is permanently with us.  God, the Father, assured Noah--and us--that as long as the earth remains seedtime and harvest will continue despite our impure hearts.  Those are promises which give security and allow us to live the full, abundant life Jesus came to provide for us. 

The Message translation of the Bible gives us a plain and simple result of this confidence:

So let's do it--full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.   (Hebrews 10:22-25)

God's promises and His equipping of us are more than sufficient.  We can walk forward into this new year with a courage based on the assurances of God.  HE is able and willing to meet every challenge we will encounter in this new year.  The 'fear nots' of the Bible are based on the identify of our Heavenly Father, not ourselves! 

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I have been posting 'Family Chat' pages on my other blog  for several weeks; however, I will give a few questions and scriptures at the end of each of these weekly posts from this point forward.  My other blog:  www.billiejoyoumans.blogspot.com is now a daily blog with devotions on chapters of scripture.  If you would like to receive those, you need to send me an email or go to the blog and sign up.  Blessings to all of you!

Family Chat possibilities:

What do you have the most confidence in?  Have you ever been disappointed by that--has it ever failed?
Do you have someone you can always count on to encourage you or listen to you just gripe...someone who is ALWAYS there for you?

What does God's Word say about trusting in self or man:  Proverbs 28:26; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Isaiah 2:22; Jeremiah 17:5
How about trusting in earthly riches?  Psalm 52:7; Proverbs 18:11; Luke 12:19-20
Can faithful people ever mis-diagnose their own faithfulness? Matthew 26:33

What does God say we can safely trust in?  Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 112:7; Hebrews 13:6

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