The Righteous Abide Forever

What does it mean to ‘abide forever’? This is talking about living in eternity in bliss and joy, in the center of eternal glory with a holy God and Savior. There is no sin, sickness, suffering, or misery of any kind with the Lord. Death will be unknown.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. (Ps 112:6 NIV)

The righteous will never be upset or knocked off balance, spiritually, because they cling to this promise and it strengthens them. Righteous people will be remembered forever.

The mentioning of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. (Pro 10:7 NASB)

Remembering the life of a righteous person is a blessing.

Throw your burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the godly to be shaken. (Ps 55:22 NET)

When we rely upon the Lord, He will support and uphold us. He will not allow us to be surprised because He knows how to warn us and to prepare us for difficult battles ahead.

And our faithfulness to Him and to His Word will be repaid by untold blessings. Glory to God!

We Shall NOT Lack

The Scriptures tell us that we shall not be in need nor have a shortage of daily provisions. In fact, the Bible says that we who seek the Lord won’t lack ANY GOOD thing. Wow! What a precious and powerful promise that is.

The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. (Ps 34:10 NKJV, emphasis added)

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give favor and glory, for no good thing will He withhold from the one who walks uprightly. (Ps 84:11 MEV, emphasis added)

The verse above goes on to say that NO GOOD THING will the Lord deny from those who walk uprightly. Hallelujah! This applies to believers because we are justified through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Jesus is our righteousness. (Jer 23:6) Also, spending time reading and meditating upon God’s Word cleanses each one of us daily. This means that we may claim this verse for ourselves.

. . . for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Pet 1:3 NASB)

This passage in second Peter, above, is very clear that the Lord has already given to us everything that we would ever need for a righteous and holy life through our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom 8:32 NIV)

This is a resounding declaration by the Holy Spirit that every believer who has accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord has been FREELY given ALL THINGS. This is a mighty promise from God the Father to every believer. Believe it and stand upon it.

Rejoice in God’s promises and blessing to you, and worship Him with thanksgiving. You are blessed.

Seek Good Not Evil

The Bible exhorts us to seek good and not evil on a daily basis. We’re encouraged to try to live at peace with others. Let’s have a look at some of those verses:

Do you want to live and enjoy a long life? ¹³Then don’t say cruel things and don’t tell lies. ¹⁴Do good instead of evil and try to live at peace. ¹⁵If you obey the Lord, he will watch over you and answer your prayers. (Ps 34:12-15 CEV)

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, ¹⁷learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isa 1:16-17 ESV)

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. (Amos 5:14 NIV)

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Mic 6:8 NLT)

Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt 6:33 CEB)

There is a promise to us that if we seek good and not evil, and be at peace with others, we will enjoy a long life. Not only that, but the Lord says that He will be with us. Another promise is that the Lord will watch over us and answer our prayers. Wow! Those are wonderful promises that God is giving us and notice that these are very desirable blessings.

We are also exhorted to be humble. In other words, we should treat others with the respect that they deserve since all human beings have been made in the image of God.

Desire to see God’s kingdom and righteousness established, and when we do, every other blessing that we could ever desire will be given to us. So today’s lesson is: Live an upright and holy life, and reap the blessings that Jesus Christ purchased for everyone who would believe in Him. Glory to God!

Call Out to God

God wants us to call out to Him and to ask Him for His help when we are in need. His word shows us this truth repeatedly.

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. (Jer 33:3 NKJV)

God tells us that when we call out to Him that He will answer us and show us wondrous things which we never imagined. Hallelujah!

It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. (Isa 65:24 NKJV)

This Bible passage (above) says that even BEFORE we call to the Lord, He has already answered us. And while we are still telling God what we need, He has already heard our cry! What a loving, kind and responsive God we have.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Ps 145:18 NIV)

The Scriptures say that God is close to those who call out to Him in truth and honesty.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Ac 2:21 ESV) This is a sweeping promise that God gives us that EVERYONE who calls upon Him for help shall be saved—without a doubt. Glory to God most High!

Life is About Much More Than Possessions

Life on earth is comprised of human beings, needs, wants/desires, relationships, jobs/callings, accomplishments, and many more categories. It would be a challenge to try to list everything that is included in day to day human life because it can be very broad and very detailed. It would cover too much to be able to list, in reality.

One trait that is negative that is sometimes a part of human life is greed. Thankfully, it isn’t everywhere or in all people, but it is certainly there and it is definitely negative.

The Lord has been teaching humanity various lessons since the beginning of creation. Here are some samples from His Word.

But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” (Lk 12:15 NASB) This is a warning against greed and an inordinate affection for possessions.

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Col 3:5 NKJV) Covetousness (another word for greed) is named among a list of sins in the Bible.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb 13:5 NKJV) This passage in the Bible instructs us to be free of greed, and to be content with what we have.

Rather, we are told to remember what is TRULY important: that Jesus has promised us that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

What a beautiful and meaningful promise from our Savior!

God’s Great Love for Us

Something that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, may not meditate upon enough is His great love for us. This article will help us focus on that today.

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the Lord who has compassion on you. (Isa 54:10 NASB) The Lord is saying that even when immovable objects (like hills and mountains) start shaking and even being removed, that His loving peace and kindness will NOT leave His children. The Lord says that He has compassion upon us. What a blessed promise!

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. (Mt 18:20 NIV) When believers in Jesus come together and meet as Christians, the Lord reminds us that He is right there among us. His presence abides with us.

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb 13:5 NKJV) This is the Lord’s promise that He will never leave us nor abandon us—under any circumstances. This is a promise that can be relied upon.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Cor 6:19 NKJV) Here the Bible reminds us that all who have accepted Jesus as our Savior, have become the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within the children of God. We are children of God.

Rejoice in the precious promises that God has given to all who love Him. Take some time to reflect upon God’s great, abiding love for you, and thank Him for it. God bless you.

Wisdom to Speak

God has promised over and over in the Bible, that when we need to know what to say and how to give an answer for our faith, the Spirit of the Lord shall give us wise words to speak. We need to trust Him to fulfill this promise, and we must place our faith in the Lord in the moment when we are tested.

And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. (Mk 13:11 ESV)

The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. (2 Sam 23:2)

Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; ¹⁵for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. (Lk 21:14-15, emphasis added)

But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak . . . (Mt 10:19, underlining added)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (Jam 1:5)

When we lack wisdom, the Bible instructs us to ask God for it, and reminds us that He will answer our prayer without criticism but with abundant generosity. Hallelujah!

We need to settle it in our hearts—ahead of time—that God will supply us with wisdom in the midst of any challenging ordeal. Simply ask Him to give you the words to speak. And the wisdom that God gives to us will not be able to be opposed. (Lk 21:15) Glory to God!

Our Lives Are a Message

Would it surprise you to learn that the life of each and every follower of Jesus Christ is an epistle (letter) to the world?

. . . clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (2 Cor 3:3)

The word epistle means: letter, communication, or message. Every person who has accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord is a message to the world! The Holy Spirit, who has sealed us for the day of redemption (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 4:30), has been given to us as our guarantee or promise that we are born-again.

I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart. (Ps 40:8)

The verse above teaches us that every human being [saved or unsaved] inherently knows the moral law of God. (Rom 2:14-15) One reason that this is true is that all mankind has been created in the image of God. (Gen 1:27)

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart . . . (Pro 3:3)

Mercy and truth are bound up in the Scriptures. When we memorize and meditate upon God’s Word, we are cooperating with “writing” them upon our hearts.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Heb 8:10)

The Holy Spirit will bless every believer with grace to enable us to memorize passages of the Bible, thereby putting God’s laws in our minds and sowing it into our hearts. Only the Spirit of the Living God has the necessary power to “write” God’s moral laws upon the heart of a believer. This Bible passage says that God has made a covenant with us to do these things, and also to be our God.

The Lord calls us His people, and what an awesome blessing that is. God bless you!

Hold Fast

Today, we are meditating upon “holding fast to the confession of our hope,” as well as to the faithfulness of God.

Our hope is in the perfect and eternal salvation that was provided by God through Jesus Christ. Once we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we confess that He IS our Savior.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Heb 10:23)

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. (2 Thes 3:3)

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. (Heb 4:14)

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, set your focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. (Heb 3:1 BSB)

When we “hold fast” to something, we cling to it or grip it securely so as not to let it go.

A confession is a declaration, affirmation, profession or statement. So, we must hold fast to our declaration that Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Lord.

Since we have made Him our Lord, that means that we love His Word and we obey His Word. We live according to the standards He established in His Word, and we trust in His faithfulness to every single promise that He has made to us in His Word.

As you research the Bible, you will see that salvation through Jesus Christ furnishes us who love and obey Him with many blessings and benefits:

He gives us the desires of our hearts. (Ps 37:4)
He daily loads us with benefits and blessings. (Ps 68:19)
He gives good things to those who ask Him. (Mt 7:11)
He promises us a long life. (Ps 91:16; Pro 3:2; Eph 6:2-3)
He is with us always. (Mt 28:20)

This is just a small sampling of the many promises that God has showered upon us through His Word. And the fulfillment of each and every promise was paid for by Jesus’ sacrifice. Hallelujah!

SPECIAL ARTICLE: Hope in the Midst of Crisis

In the midst of this worldwide health crisis known as the Corona virus, it’s important that we recognize that we believers have a hope that the world does not know. It’s at times like these that we must hold onto our faith, and be a light in the midst of darkness.

Let’s consider some Biblical truths:

. . . according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. (Eph 3:11-12)

Our Father God accomplished His eternal purpose through Jesus Christ by giving mankind the gift of salvation. In Jesus, through Him and by Him, all who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, have been given access to our Father God; and as a result, we may have full confidence in our relationship with Him. Hallelujah!

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. (Heb 10:35)

So do not abandon your assurance and faith in Jesus Christ and in His salvation. Hold onto your faith; take a firm grasp of your salvation and never let it go!

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 Joh 5:14-15)

This is a precious promise from God for us TODAY. We know that when we ask for something that agrees with the will of God, He hears us AND He gives us the specific answer for which we have asked.

You may ask, “How do I know if it’s God will for me to be healthy and well?” Here is how you may KNOW:

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 Joh 2) This passage would not be in the Bible if God did not want us to be healthy.
My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. (Pro 3:1-2) God shares His wisdom with us that as we hide His Word in our hearts, it will add long life and peace to us.
It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. (Pro 3:8) God is again telling us that His Word, sown into our hearts and minds, will give health to our physical bodies and strength to our very bones.
For I am the Lord who heals you. (Ex 15:26c) The Lord declares that He is our Healer! If it was not His will for us to be healthy, He would not declare Himself to be the Mighty One who heals us.

Believe in and rely upon these supernatural words of power from God. Place your faith in Him and in His Word. Be unshakeable and stubborn in your faith in God, dear brothers and sisters! Hope in Christ who is our health, our strength, our life.

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Tag: promise