Since We Do, Therefore, WE MUST!
“Therefore, brethren,
(The Letter to the Hebrews 10: 19-25 NASB)
since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil,
that is,
His flesh,
and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
[therefore we MUST]
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful;
and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
not forsaking our own assembling together,
as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another;
and
all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
The Lord led me to begin talking with a sales associate one day last year. Maybe you do not find that strange because I am a BIG TALKER; however, I must admit how I was drawn to this young lady of sixty-two. Maybe I was drawn to her from the start because she wears the same name as my sister (although spelled differently), and maybe I was drawn to her from the start because she has recently retired and now works part-time (something I see myself doing one day). Despite what brought us together, each time I step into this particular store to shop, I find myself looking for her.
A few weeks back, I stopped in the store for a few supplies and immediately saw my new friend stocking shelves near the front door. We spoke a greeting to one another, and then she said:
“Come here. I need to tell you something.”
Now, I do not know all the details of this person’s life—
- I did not know her deceased husband.
- I do not know her daughter.
- I do not know her previous employer.
- I do not know her home address.
I do not know much, but this I do know—She called me over so she could tell me something.
“I have cancer.”
There are so many foreign invaders that can come crashing into our lives: Death of a Loved One, Physical Disease, Sudden Tragedy, Job Loss, a Struggle with a Child, Environmental Disaster, or . . . . Surely, the list is long. We cannot control the invaders found in this world, but we can control inside us the way we respond to the world.
When an unexpected foreign invader attacks us, we have two distinct choices.
We Can Fear—OR—We Can Trust in Whom We Have Believed.
Since We Do Have—FAITH in JESUS!
Therefore We MUST Focus Upon—GOD’S PROMISES!
Isaiah, the prophet of God wrote these words of the LORD.
‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
(The Book of Isaiah 41: 10 NASB)
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Even in the midst of the awful, there is still much reason to rejoice in who CHRIST is!
Since We Do have Faith; and since We Do trust God; and since the LORD Has Placed His Holy Spirit Inside Us;
Therefore, WE MUST—
Obey God. &
Do the Will of God. &
Endure Whatever Testing or Struggle the Lord Allows Us. &
Walk Beside Others Who Are Walking in the Midst of Suffering. &
Meet Their Physical Needs.
And Therefore, WE MUST—
Encourage Them Along the Life-Path. &
Keep Our Faith. &
Witness to the Lost, As We Testify of Our SAVIOR. &
Keep Our Spiritual Eyes Focused on JESUS. &
Remember—GOD—Who Is Faithful, Can Be Trusted to Keep His Promises!
“Therefore,
(The Letter to the Hebrews 10: 35-39 NASB)
do not throw away your confidence,
which has a great reward.
For you have need of endurance,
so that
when you have done the will of God,
you may receive what was promised.
FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE,
HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME,
AND WILL NOT DELAY.
[JESUS CHRIST WILL BRING THE BELIEVERS, GOD’S FAITHFUL CHILDREN, HOME]
BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH;
AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK,
MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.
But we are not those who shrink back to destruction,
but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”