Hope

17
Jan
2024
No Word is Wasted

No Word is Wasted

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

Like Rain on Thirsty Ground

God’s Word powerfully accomplishes His purposes, just as rain satiates dry ground.

Scripture promises that God’s true and living Word will bear fruit in our lives when received with faith.

God wastes nothing. His Word nourishes souls and transforms hearts, bringing refreshment and bountiful growth. But we must welcome the Word into our innermost being.

Believe in Scripture’s Power

Do you doubt God’s voice can reshape your desires? His Word breaks strongholds and aligns us with His will when embraced in faith. Scripture is living and active!

God’s words are eternal and authoritative. His promises will come to pass.

Believe Scripture’s power. Allow God’s Word of Life be to water your soul and spur growth.

Yield to What God Speaks

What areas of your life need God’s truth most?

Lean into Bible passages addressing those topics. Ask God to use His Word to cut, heal, correct, encourage, and guide you into His purposes.

Lord, Accomplish Your Work in Me

Lord, cause Your Word to take deep root in me and bear fruit. Soften and till the soil of my heart to receive Scripture as life-giving rain. Thank You that Your Word will not return void but achieve Your purposes as I respond in faith.

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Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration
06
Jan
2024
United in Christ

United in Christ

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:19-20

Scripture unveils a stunning vision of Jesus Christ; the visible image of the invisible God. For the fullness of God’s nature, attributes and divinity live fully within Christ.

He is the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of His being.

Recognizing Christ as the full revelation of God revolutionizes how we relate to Him. All we long to know of the Father is perfectly personified in the Son.

Reconciling All Things

Not only is Jesus the full embodiment of God, but also the agent of universal reconciliation. Through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, God reconciles all things to Himself, whether in heaven or on earth.

Sin ruptured the relationship between God and humankind. But Christ’s blood shed on the cross sealed the peace and paved the way for restored union with God.

Now we can approach our Holy Creator without fear or shame.

Not only are people reconciled, but all creation is reconciled in Christ. The redemptive purposes of God extend to everything He has made. All things find their purpose fulfilled in Jesus.

Scope of Salvation

Some stumbled at this cosmic scope of reconciliation. But Scripture presents Christ’s lordship extending over every realm, visible and invisible.

One day every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God. No power or principality escapes the reign of the triumphant Lamb. Even the demonic trembles before His mighty name.

All creation finds renewal in submission to Christ. Let this breathtaking vision inspire awe and surrender to such an almighty, all-reconciling Savior!

Christ Alone

No force in heaven or on earth compares to the unifying power of Christ. In Him, fragmented relationships are made whole.

Through faith in Him, we are united to God and each other across all dividing lines.

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Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration
02
Jan
2024
Call to Reverent Living

Call to Reverent Living

1 Peter 1:17 “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.”

Imagine standing trial before a judge who knows you fully and judges you only by your actions, without bias or preconceived notions. This illustration gives us a glimpse into how God judges us.

God knows our hearts intimately. Yet He judges each person’s work impartially, not showing favoritism.

This means we cannot take God’s mercy for granted or presume upon His grace. Our relationship with Him as His children does not exempt us from His impartial judgment.

Recognizing that we will stand before our impartial Father and Judge should inspire reverent fear and Motivate us to live uprightly. We answer to a perfect standard of justice.

Foreigners in a Fallen World

As followers of Christ, we are foreigners and strangers in this world. Our true home is with our Father in heaven.

We know this world is corrupted by sin, injustice, suffering and death. One day God will make all things right, but for now we live as temporary residents of a deeply flawed place.

Being a foreigner elicits a sense of displacement and non-conformity. We cannot fully assimilate into the values and practices of this fallen world because our allegiance is to a much greater Kingdom.

We are called to live as pilgrims on a journey homeward.

This identity as foreigners should keep us from becoming too settled or invested here. Our hope remains set on our eternal destination.

Living in Reverent Fear

What does it look like to live in reverent fear as foreigners? Firstly, reverent fear entails an awe and respect for God, regarding Him as holy and glorious.

Casualness has no place in how we approach our Father and Judge.

Secondly, this reverent posture will permeate our actions. Knowing God sees all we do, we will strive to walk uprightly and honor Him.

Sin’s allure loses its grip as we live every moment before His searching yet loving eyes.

Thirdly, fearing God includes turning from evil. Just as we avoid actions that would displease an respected earthly authority, so we flee anything that would mar our relationship with our perfect Heavenly Father.

Motivated to Please God

Standing between the judgment seat of Christ and the lure of the world, we fix our eyes on Jesus.

Only His grace empowers us to live as faithful foreigners revering God in awe and action.

God’s impartial judgment and our displacement as pilgrims motivates us to live Holy Lives. When tempted, may we remember we will give an account to our Father who sees all.

As citizen of heaven, refuse conformity to the sinful patterns of this world.

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Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration
29
Dec
2023
Making Peace

Making Peace

    “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18

Peace is an elusive commodity in our world.

Turn on the news and you’ll be bombarded with stories of strife and discord: wars, protests, political clashes, interpersonal conflicts.

Maintaining peace with others can seem like an impossible aspiration when there are so many forces working against it.

Yet as followers of Christ, we are called to “make every effort” to live at peace (Hebrews 12:14). This directive in Romans 12 makes clear our responsibility.

Peacemaking must begin with us, regardless of others’ attitudes and actions. We are to do all we can to promote peace.

Removing Barriers

Making peace requires examining our own hearts.

Do we harbor bitterness, nurse grudges, gossip, or cast judgment on others?

These destroy relationships and grieve the Holy Spirit. God wants us to take responsibility for removing inner barriers that hinder peace.

As we surrender past hurts to the Lord and walk in forgiveness, it clears away debris that chokes relationships.

Praying blessings over those who have wronged us cultivates empathy and softens hardened hearts.

And asking God to refine our speech and filter our words prevents many conflicts from igniting in the first place.

Depositing Seeds of Peace

Once inner walls come down through dealing with our own hearts, we can turn outward and actively deposit seeds of peace.

This starts with modeling qualities that defuse tension like patience, kindness, and self-control.

Taming our tongue and not returning insult for insult deprives quarrels of oxygen.

Lovingly confronting issues in their early stages, before they intensify, can prevent ruptured relationships.

Seeking to truly understand others’ perspectives rather than forcing our opinions fosters mutual edification.

God’s Peace in Us

Of course, living at peace is not fully up to us. We will encounter people who are difficult, divisive or downright antagonistic.

As much as it depends on us, we should pursue peace while trusting God with results that are out of our control.

And we can take comfort that God’s peace in our hearts is not contingent on perfect relationships.

By drawing near to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we tap into a wellspring of serenity that transcends circumstances.

His Spirit calms anxious thoughts, soothing relational tensions. Even when surrounded by hostility and chaos, we can know God’s peace guarding our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7).

Agents of Reconciliation

God calls peacemakers His children and tasks us with spreading peace in our spheres of influence (Matthew 5:9).

As ambassadors of reconciliation, we bring the ministry entrusted to us – one conversation, act of forgiveness, gesture of goodwill at a time (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

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Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration
28
Dec
2023
Overcoming Evil with Good

Overcoming Evil with Good

    “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” Romans 12:17

When someone wrongs us, our instinctive reaction is to strike back – to give them a taste of their own medicine.

If we’re insulted, we insult them back. If we’re mistreated, we seek to even the score. We tell ourselves we’re just standing up for what’s right and not letting them get away with it.

But while retaliation can provide a fleeting sense of satisfaction, it fails to heal the hurt we feel.

Trading evil for evil only breeds more animosity and discord.

Paul exhorts us to break free from reactionary retaliation. As followers of Christ, we’re called to take the high road and not mirror the wrong behavior of others.

Overcoming Evil

How do we overcome evil with good?

First, we refrain from reacting in kind. Rather than being controlled by evil events, we ask God for strength to control our response.

This requires tapping into God’s power to rein in our tongue, temper, and thoughts. We refrain from angry outbursts, bitter speech, or plotting revenge.

Instead, we bless those who hurt us through prayer and acts of kindness.

Luke 6:28

Second, we do what is right and honorable in God’s eyes. This means speaking truth with love, readily forgiving injuries, and trying to be at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).

We extend mercy not to condone wrongdoing but to point others to the transforming grace that’s changed our own hearts.

Breaking the Cycle

Each act of retaliation, no matter how slight, fuels a cycle of ongoing tit-for-tat. But by absorbing the blow without returning it, we interrupt the downward spiral.

Like detonating a bomb in mid-air, responding to evil with good defuses volatile situations.

It often pricks the conscience of our offender, prompting them to self-reflect. And it testifies that the love of Christ can overcome hatred and conflict.

Of course, not repaying evil for evil does not mean staying in abusive situations.

We may need to maintain firm boundaries or utilize the law to protect ourselves and others from harm. But even then, we do so without harboring bitterness.

Power of Good

Battling evil with evil unleashes more forces of destruction into the world. Battling evil with good unleashes the power of God.

When we let go of anger and embrace love, we are never overcome by evil.

God infuses each act of mercy and forgiveness with redemptive potential. By relying on His strength, evil can be overcome each time we choose good.

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Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration