Sometimes, We Just Need to Read & Be Reminded
There is an important question every believer needs to answer:
If I were the only Christian in the world, would I proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ?
- Fear of retaliation.
- Fear of the tragedy of death as a martyr.
- Fear of the consequences of standing alone.
- Fear of rejection.
- Fear of _______________________.
We can come up with so many reasons NOT to share our testimony.
Pause for a moment and consider all the wars that have raged in the world since the beginning of time.
- So many wars. So many lives lost. So much death.
Then pause and consider if every soldier who fought and died had been a missionary fighting on the mission field.
- So many believers. So many lives found. So much life.
We who believe in the resurrection of Jesus have the ONLY thing that will bring forgiveness to the world—the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So I ask (myself & you)—What are we doing?
Sometimes we can see the wickedness found within this world and can be enticed by its beauty. God knows this about us, His creation. God knows about the weakness of our flesh. God knows we need to surround ourselves with other believers, other Christians, and as we do, collectively, we become stronger. God also knows that we need to be reminded that we never walk alone; His Holy Spirit continually dwells within us. We need to remember; it is the Holy Spirit dwelling within us & sealing us until the day we go home to be with the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is like our “stamp of approval” reminding us daily that we belong—we are God’s!
The psalmist Asaph was a man who struggled (like we do) with the beauty of the wickedness found in the world and with the question: Why, God, do the wicked seem to prosper? Why, God, do the righteous seem (at times) to suffer for doing Your will? Together, let’s see the Word of God as we are reminded of the GIFT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN!
“God certainly is good to Israel,
(Psalm 73:1-3 & 17-20 NASB)
To those who are pure in heart!
But as for me, my feet came
close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. . . .
Until I entered the sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their end.
You indeed put them on
slippery ground;
You dropped them into ruin.
How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away
by sudden terrors!
Like a dream when one awakes,
Lord, when stirred, You will
despise their image.”
Two lines within this passage break my heart.
“How they are destroyed in a moment!”
If a person does not accept Jesus as Savior, then in a split second, once death comes, the person is utterly and totally destroyed!
“They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!”
If a lost person does not SEE & BELIEVE IN & ACCEPT JESUS AS SAVIOR, then at the very moment of his death, the lost person is quickly faced with the horror of spending eternity separated by God. Oh, the sudden terrors that person must face!
There is NO RETURN!
Time is UP!
There is NO DECISION—AFTER DEATH!
A person is either: FOREVER LOST TO GOD—OR—FOREVER FOUND IN CHRIST!
The time of decision is NOW—WHILE BREATH FILLS A PERSON’S LUNGS!
So, if you are a believer, a Christian like me, I ask (myself & you)—What are we doing?
- What is more important than a person’s soul?
- What is more important than sharing the gospel message?
- What is more important than obeying the Great Commission of Jesus?
What is more important?
The psalmist Asaph reminds us that we are to remain connected to other Christians, to enter the sanctuary of God, to remember the lostness of the world that surrounds us. Yes, he reminds us of the destruction and demise the lost face at the moment of their death. He writes that the moment of death will be like the terror found within a nightmare, one that will never end but continue for eternity.
Then Asaph finally reminds us of a great truth, one that brings us great peace as we step into each day, armed with the armor of God, able and ready to share Jesus with those we encounter throughout our day. Together, let’s see the Word of God as we are reminded of the GIFT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN!
“Nevertheless I am
(Psalm 73: 23-26 NASB)
continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
You will guide me with Your plan,
And afterward receive me to glory.
Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire
nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my
heart and my portion forever.”
Truly, sometimes, we just need to Read God’s Word & Be Reminded of His Promise!
There is a melody that speaks of Asaph’s reminder found in his “psalm,” one that we can listen to through another type of “song” and be reminded: WE NEVER WALK ALONE!
Please pick up your earbuds, listen to “Desert Road” by Casting Crowns.
Enjoy God’s Reminder.
“But as for me, the nearness
(Psalm 73: 28 NASB)
of God is good for me;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
So that I may tell of all Your works.”