Do you want to have the peace of God? Rejoice! Don’t worry, fret, and have anxiety about anything. How do you do that? Remember always, The Lord is at Hand. He is with you and He is returning. As I wrote yesterday, God goes before you to prepare the way. By such, even those moments of great sorrow and trial, He is there. The questions then become, do you believe that God is Good? Do you believe that God is Sovereign? Do you believe that God is omnipotent? Do you believe that God will do all that He has promised? Do you believe in Future Grace? and Do you believe that God loves you? If your belief system does not include a resounding "yes" to all 6 questions; then peace is hard to find and rejoicing always is difficult. Philippians 4 is a command to rejoice and not fret with the key words as to why being "The Lord is at hand". Over the next few days, let us look at how that answers the six questions proposed.
“Mountaintop Experiences in the Valley” ©2011 Ronald Barba
Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
1. Do you believe that God is good?
Exodus 34: 5-7 "The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty" Oh, so you stumble on the final part "that will by no means clear the guilty"? Aren’t we all guilty? What about all the natural disasters which devastate so many? Is that because of someone’s guilt? Let me try to explain. God is merciful, gracious and abundant in goodness. He sent Christ to die on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin and yours for which we never again are considered guilty once we accept that gift. The "guilty" are those who never accept His gift of mercy, those who prefer to worship themselves or idolize anything so much that they reject His gift of salvation. Romans 3: " 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
So then, what about the natural disasters that affect believers and unbelievers? God allows these during this dispensation because His focus is ever on eternity and only He knows how many eternity’s will be changed and how many will come to a saving knowledge of Christ in the midst of tragedy. His promise to all who believe remains the same. In the midst of pain, suffering, and imprisonment Paul proclaimed in Romans 8:28 "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." He did not say we hope; he said we KNOW. Paul saw this based on the Grace provided at the cross on His behalf which then extends itself into eternity as future grace on which we are able to stand. So, let me ask you again, Do You Believe that God is good?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZS_Fq8ksJU
Question: Can you tell me of a time when God revealed His Goodness in the midst of a dark valley in your life? Comment Here
© 2013 Effie Darlene Barba
Artwork by Ronald Barba ©2011 used by written permission. Available at: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/mountaintop-experiences-in-the-valley-ronald-barba.html
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