Holding Onto What We Have Been Promised
In studying this morning, I found myself looking at the doubt John the Baptist experienced while he was held captive in a 1st Century prison. Imprisoned. Captured. Alone. Tortured. In Pain, living trapped within mental, physical, emotional—and what seemed even spiritual torment.
Life can be so tough.
Life can be so filled with daily, weekly, monthly, and even struggles that continue on for years.
Truly, we are such weak vessels, and sometimes I find myself asking why God would entrust His gospel with such weak vessels, but He does. God has gifted us—who know Him as our Savior—with His Salvation. Hallelujah. What an overwhelmingly amazing honor to be called a “child of God.”
Never, have I doubted the existence of my earthly dad. Always, I have been assured that the man I grew up calling “dad” was the man who really was my dad. Yet, I have known some who did not know their dad, or the dad they thought was their dad was found to really NOT be their dad when a DNA test was administered. I cannot imagine the turmoil that one feels when he finds that what he believed to be true is SUDDENLY NOT TRUE!
I absolutely love how the Bible provides us assurances for our belief.
Amazingly, God’s Word demonstrates examples of great men like John the Baptist who found himself beaten down, fatigued with life, living in pain, and facing the greatest battle ever—Jesus, are YOU really who YOU say YOU are?
That was John’s dilemma as he sat alone in prison, and this was the man who was a first cousin to Jesus, & this was the same man who was sent to be the “forerunner of the Messiah.”
That John experienced doubt. &
That John needed an encounter, a reminder, a word from the LORD to help him over this “mind-hurdle” he was up against as he sat alone in that dark, dank dungeon of a prison.
We can hold onto what we have been promised!
Yes, that’s correct—we can hold on tightly to this TRUTH.
Yes, we can because the Word of God gives us so many opportunities to see the examples of others, which allows us to remain steadfast.
See with me the apostle Paul’s discourse he had with the believers living in the city Thessalonica. In his letter to encourage them, recorded within the Word of God, we read—
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
(1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18)
- Did we see the TRUTH of what GOD PROMISED US?!
- Did we see WHO we will be with forevermore?!
- Did we see the PROMISE of GOD?!
- Who you see is who you’ll be!
- WE WILL BE JUST LIKE JESUS BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR!
- WE WILL BE JUST LIKE JESUS BECAUSE WE ARE NOW THE CHILDREN OF GOD!
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.
For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.
We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
(1 John 3: 1-3)
Who we see coming for us in the clouds IS EXACTLY WHO WE WILL BE!
When faced with life circumstances, John the Baptist needed this reminder, so he sent his disciples to ask Jesus “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” (Luke 7: 20b)
Then Jesus did what our Savior always does—HE assured John the Baptist with examples of the way HE was moving within the lives of others: Giving sight to the Blind, Giving Healing to the Lame, Cleansing those Who were Diseased, Healing the Deaf to Hear, Raising up the Dead, and Preaching the Gospel to those who were Without. Jesus gave of Himself to Save Humanity.
- What more do we need?
- What more assurance do we need to see?
- What more do we need—than the Promise of God?!
Lord,
Help me see what contaminates my heart and pollutes my life.
Give me faith to purify myself, getting rid of anything that makes me impure.
Give me faith to live a life of “hope fixed on YOU. . ., just as He is pure.”
Lord, I will never forget what you have done for me.
Lord, I know you will do just as you have promised.
Just as we are shown over and over in Your Word, how You always keep Your promises.
Help me stay transfixed on You.
Help me never doubt the truth that You have led me to believe and to see.
Lord, You are faithful; You never change.
You have promised to deliver us, to keep us forever in eternity with You, “and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
Help us reflect upon Your promises.
Hold us.
Keep us.
Deliver us.
Take away any dark corners of our minds that fear or doubt Your power to do exactly as You say that You will do.
Doubt may arise when we are living within the low minutes of life, so help us keep our eyes upon Your Son, Jesus.
Lead us to have eyes only for YOU.
Remind us of Your Promises.
Father, lead us, also, to those who need to meet You.
Help us continue to be “on mission” for YOU.
Help us remember who we are because of YOU.
Yes, Lord, help us not forget.
God’s Word calls us who believe—saints, conquerors, citizens of heaven, salt & light, & God’s very own Children.
Help us not forget WHOSE we are!
Help us ignore the lies of the devil & Help us hang onto YOUR TRUTH.
Father, we ask, praying in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
There is a Christian melody sung by the band Selah titled “God Leads His Dear Children Along.” On this beautiful day, listen and be blessed.
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.
We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
(1 John 3: 2-3)
Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
(1 Thessalonians 4: 18)