Category Archives: Devotion

THINGS THAT DAVID SAID – 5

Devotion,

GOD LAUGHS!

Psalm 2…one of my favourite psalms. Why? I love it because it puts the world, my world, into the right perspective.

David looked out on his world. It seemed topsy-turvey compared with his understanding of God. Where was God in the mess he saw around him? Even in his day, and against the background of his own love and pursuit of God, people around him didn’t seem to care about God. He saw wickedness and unbelief flourishing. The surrounding nations were bent on destroying his own people. Even as a young lad, he was pulled into the conflict between his people and the neighbouring Philistines. He had a giant to kill, which he did in God’s name. Israel was in a never-ending struggle for survival.

Does this sound familiar?

When David stopped long enough to factor God into the picture, his understanding changed. He realised, despite all appearances, that God was really in charge.

This mob of godless rulers who were trying to unseat God were a joke. Really! Did they really think they could tip Him off His throne by their antics?

Psalms 2:2-3 NIV
[2] “The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, [3] “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

Like a mouse shaking its fist against an elephant!

God chuckled at their foolishness. Then… He laughed at their stupidity. Then… furious at their defiance, He announced His solution.

Psalms 2:5-6 NIV
[5] “He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, [6] “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”

Wow! This doesn’t sound much of a solution, does it? What? No military might? No nuclear bombs? No drones or stealth bombers? Just a new king?

Yes, just a new king, but…look who this New King is. It’s Jesus, God’s own Son! When He takes the throne, things look very different.

Who is this king?

Revelation 19:11-16 NIV
[11] “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. [12] His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. [13] He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. [14] The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. [16] On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.”

There is no doubt about the identity of this warrior-king, the same one John wrote about in his gospel but was now unveiled in all His glory.

John 1:1-2, 14 NIV
[1]” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning…
[14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The Word… the Son… Jesus! That’s who God’s king is, whom He has installed on His throne in Zion, His seat of government.

It’s this king who makes all the difference. He has the authority to govern and the power to overthrow all opposition. Why? He owns the nations. God gave Him the nations as a coronation gift.

Psalms 2:7-8 NIV
[7] “I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. [8] Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”

God gave His Son, His king, the mandate to rule the nations. His God-man-king set up the standard for humans to please God, lived as a human according to His own rules, was unjustly punished as a criminal for allegedly breaking His own laws, and then confirmed His own innocence by defying death and coming back to life again.

So, He is infinitely qualified to apply His rule to the nations. As God, the second Person in the Trinity, He has the power to control the nations and to guide them towards His desired end.

What are the standards by which He rules? First, His standards are inflexible. He never flip-flops from one policy to another to find out which ones work!

Psalms 2:9 NIV
[9] “You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Jesus is not capricious like earthly rulers. Although this sounds like despotic rule, another look at the original Hebrew words gives the sense that He will shatter the evil to reshape the nations with His rod or sceptre of authority, like a potter who works on clay, removing the impurities and creating a vessel to His serve purposes (understood).

His standards are those of a perfect government which are… justice, righteousness and peace.

Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV
[6] “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

God set the standard for earthly government…two requirements, to punish wrongdoing and to reward those who do right.

Romans 13:1, 3-4, 6 NIV
[1] “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God…
[3] For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. [4] For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer…
[6] This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.”

Human government, however imperfect, should be a reflection of the government of God’s kingdom.

However, even if it fails, and even if people are oppressed by wicked and despotic rulers, of one thing we can be absolutely sure. Jesus rules over the nations now. He is moving all history towards His intended end. He is coming again to shatter all evil and to establish His eternal kingdom of righteousness, justice, and peace.

Romans 14:17 NIV
[17] “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”…

So, don’t despair. Jesus is here. Jesus is in charge. Jesus is coming again. You see, God has already set up His throne in Zion and crowned His king to rule over the nations and, what’s more, He has given His people the honour of ruling with Him when He comes.


THINGS THAT DAVID SAID – 4

Devotion

FAITH OR FEAR?

Let’s backtrack to the first psalm in David’s song book. Here’s another statement that has eternal reality and reassurance, both for David then…and for us now!

Psalms 1:1-2 NIV
[1] “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, [2] but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

How necessary is an observation like this in our day! Like David, we are surrounded by evildoers, people who are wicked, sinners, mockers, who not only ignore God but also openly and deliberately defy Him. How do we who believe in Jesus survive in this cesspool of ungodliness?

David must have felt the same way as he contemplated his life in his world. Throughout his sacred songs, he dips into his experience of opposition, enmity, and sometimes extreme danger at the hands of godless people. His worst nightmare was King Saul, the one who was supposed to love him and protect him in his own household.

What was David’s protective armour, his secret weapon against all the threats hurled at him day after day? Can we find the same peace and safety David knew despite his circumstances?

Yes, we can! We may not have to face the same relentless threat to our very lives as David did, but we live in an environment of violence and hatred that might hit us at any time. Apart from human wickedness, we have an enemy whose avowed intention is to destroy us.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV
[8] “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Our protection lies in our confidence in what God has promised.

Psalms 91:1-2 NIV
[1] “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [2] I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

There is a place of protection where we can take shelter in the worst of circumstances and be safe from harm and danger if we remain in that space by faith in God.

Psalms 91:3-6 NIV
[3] “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. [4] He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. [5] You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, [6] nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.”

Living in the awareness of God’s presence through steadfast trust in His Word is a guarantee far more secure than any fortress or armour in which we can find refuge.

The only way we can escape the threats and dangers of the world around us to to fill our minds with God’s Word.

Psalms 1:3 NIV
[3] “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”

Not only do those who delight in God’s Word find protection but they also prosper in the midst of adversity. Like trees that flourish beside a stream because their roots go down deep into the moisture, those rooted in God can never be moved.

What is the secret of this life? When we are rooted in a source as reliable and trustworthy as God, we need never be afraid. Fear cancels faith. Faith drives out fear. Faith in a faithful God is our passport to security.

Psalms 119:165 NIV
[165] “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”

Confidence in the infallible love of God is our secure shelter and our secret weapon against fear. Our faith in God rests on one irrefutable fact.

1 John 4:10, 18 NIV
[10]” This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…
[18] There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

No sin? No fear!

Thank you, David, for reassuring us that we, too, can enjoy a fear-less, blessed life by living within the safe boundaries of God’s Word.

THINGS THAT DAVID SAID – 3

Devotion, ,

HE KNOWS ME!

When I consider some of the many things David said, my mind jumps to Psalm 139, one of the most profound of all his songs, beginning…

Psalms 139:1 NLT
[1] “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.”

This truth is something we could do well to weave into the very fabric of our everyday lives. God knows me!
This truth can either scare the living daylights out of us or bring comfort and hope in every situation, depending on the way we view God…Judge or Saviour?

The truth is…God knows us! David breaks this thought down to tiny details…thoughts, attitudes, motives, intentions, as well as actions and deeds, and even our coming and going.

The writer to the Hebrews expresses this thought like this…

Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT
[12], “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. [13] Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.”

A story in John’s gospel perfectly illustrates this truth.

The Pharisees, ever out to push Jesus into some infringement of the law, set up a trap. They staged an adultery, no doubt using one of their own, to force Jesus to make a choice, the law or mercy, knowing that He would lean towards mercy.

Throwing the guilty woman down before Him, they demanded His response, according to the law. Caught in the act! Guilty! Stoning was the penalty.

Jesus was unfazed. He said nothing. Instead, He knelt down and wrote in the dust. These foolish Pharisees didn’t reckon on His perfect knowledge of the law. They were too busy judging Him to judge themselves.

Remember the Scripture, the one about the Word of God exposing hearts? Jesus, the Word of God, was living out the Word that smacked them in the middle of their guilty foreheads.

Jeremiah 17:9-10, 13 NIV
[9] “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? [10] “I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”…
[13] Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be WRITTEN IN THE DUST because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

These same men, these religious leaders, had just sent temple guards to arrest Jesus.

John 7:32 NIV
[32] “The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.”

The guards returned empty handed because they were so impressed by Jesus’ words…

John 7:37-38 NIV
[37] “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

John 7:45-46 NIV
[45] “Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” [46] “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.”

The Pharisees’ contemptuous response…

John 7:47-49 NIV
[47] “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. [48] “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? [49] No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

… meant only one glaring thing…

Jeremiah 2:13 NIV
[13] “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

What did Jesus write in the dust?

Their names!!! He knew their names! How did He know their names? Only God knows all things! So… He must be God!

The guilty Pharisees fled the scene, leaving Jesus to show the woman mercy because there was no one to witness against her.

Does God’s perfect knowledge of you, (me, us), make you feel uncomfortable, or give you reassurance that you are okay with each other, God and you, because you hide nothing from Him, as if you could!

How do we respond to this discomforting disclosure? Again, David leads the way.

Psalms 139:23-24 NIV
[23] “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. [24] See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

There is only one way to play open cards with God… to be transparent. Since God already knows, we can hide nothing from Him. However, already He knows what we still need to know, hence the prayer, “Show me, God, who I really am.”

Only this kind of honesty, and the willingness to take responsibility for who I really am, will keep the lines of communication open between me and God, and exchange my weakness for His grace.

A truly life-saving way to live life, indeed!

THINGS THAT DAVID SAID – 2

Devotion,

THE BEST WAY TO SAY THANK YOU.

Let’s consider the next one of the things David said that throw light on our way as we pursue our life in Jesus.

Sometimes, in moments of worship, we fumble around, trying to find ways of expressing our gratitude to God for His great goodness to us. Somehow, we think that we can repay Him by some good work or gift. We are like the little child who picks mommy’s prize flower, the one she has been tending for so long, waiting to see its full glory in her garden, and gives it to her with anticipation of her pleasure. He thinks that she will be pleased with her own flower.

David expressed a similar desire, a longing to express his gratitude to God in some appropriate way. He contemplated giving God a gift, something that would adequately express his gratitude for God’s goodness to him. Is this really possible? Can we say “thank you” to God in some way that gives Him pleasure? Like mommy’s flower, we come with something He gave us. Whatever we give to Him is from Him anyway.

David realised that there was only one thing he could give to God that was from himself. There was something he could do that came from his own heart and desire that was not simply giving back to God which was already His.

Psalms 116:12-14 NIV

[12] “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? [13] I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. [14] I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

What was David’s solution…his gift that would please God?

Here’s the thought. What is the best way to show appreciation for a thoughtful gift? Put it in a prominent place to admire it? Give it back to the giver as your gift to show your appreciation? Put it away in some safe place so it won’t get spoilt?

These are foolish ways to say thank you for a gift.

The best way to value a gift is to use it. The giver is pleased when he/she can see that the gift is fulfilling a purpose. The same with God! Imagine how glad He is when the benefits of His goodness are on display in our lives, when He sees the fruit of His Spirit growing in us. How happy He is when we learn to overcome the ravages of our sin nature, how delighted when love, peace, and unity flourish in our homes and in the fellowship of believers.

Think about the many ingredients in the “cup of salvation”. What a graphic way to express God’s goodness which has provided everything we need for “life and godliness . He has forgiven our sin. Drink that when we fall do wrong!

1 John 1:8-9 NIV
[8] “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

God has not only forgiven our sin but He has also taken away the desire to sin. Take a deep draught of the holiness He has orivided in an ungodly world.

1 John 3:6, 9 NIV
[6] “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him…
[9] No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

God has provided infinite grace for all our weakness. Drink of His grace when we are unjustly treated.

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
[9]” But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

He has given us everything we need to live godly lives in a corrupt world.

2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV
[3] “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [4] Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

He has promised to those who obey and endure to the end a grand welcome into His eternal kingdom and an indestructible inheritance which we will share with Jesus.

2 Peter 1:10-11 NIV
[10] “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, [11] and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

God’s cup of salvation is brimful of indescribable blessings, not to be admired but to be enjoyed as we slake our thirst from His divine gifts.

John 7:37-38 NIV
[37] “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

There is a second way in which we show our gratitude to God for His goodness. Imagine you are in trouble. A good friend tells you, “Just call on me. I’ll help you in any way I can.” Despite the offer, you struggle on alone, feeling isolated and abandoned, resentful and angry because no one has come to your aid. How foolish is that! What does your friend think, how does he feel when you brush his generous offer and then complain?

How often we treat our heavenly Father in the same way! Despite His many invitations to come to Him for help, we struggle on alone. What did David resolve to do?

I will “call on the name of the Lord.” I will invoke the one whose name enshrines everything I need in my situation. Is that not the way to honour God who has put us under His care, protection, and provision in every situation and circumstance?

A third way to express our gratitude to the Father is to do what we have promised.

“I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people.”

I will publicly do what I said I would do, even if it costs me to do so.

Psalms 15:1-2, 4 NIV
[1] “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? [2] The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart…
[4…. who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind…”

Ouch! That one hurts because we know how easy it is to change our mind when the promise we made, especially in an unguarded moment, begins to cost!

We can give God nothing but a response to His goodness by taking advantage of everything He promised and not reneging on our own promises to him.

Obedience to the Lord is the best and only way to express our gratitude to Him for all His goodness to us.

John 14:21 NLT
[21] Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

This was David’s way of returning thanks to the Lord for His goodness. We can add one more way we can honour the Lord for His goodness.

Psalms 50:14-15 NLT
[14] “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. [15] Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

This is the heart of our obedience to the Lord. It all begins with the expression of a grateful heart!!!!

JOHN SAW HIM!

Devotion, ,

Revelation 1:10-18 NIV
[10] “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, [11] which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” [12] I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, [13] and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. [14] The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. [15] His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. [16] In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. [17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. [18] I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

John was in a terrible situation. Like his fellow believers in the Roman Empire, his bold proclamation of Jesus as Lord, landed him in very hot water. To muzzle his witness, he was exiled to a lonely, remote prison island called Patmos, a Greek island in a cluster of islands in the Aegean Sea.

How did he weigh up his current experience against his memories of Jesus? How did his suffering and the suffering of his fellow believers fit into the picture of God’s kingdom he had gleaned from Jesus’ teachings?

Jesus had warned that connection with him would bring persecution, but that seemed a remote threat until it really happened. John had no idea what would be the next step in this lethal collision with Rome. Torture? Wild animals? Fire? The prospect was terrifying, to say the least!

Little did the authorities know that John’s solitary confinement was the perfect place for him to receive the visions that foretold their destruction.

To ward off the fear that could easily overwhelm him, John turned away from his situation to think about Jesus, the rabbi he followed for years. Days of solitude on the island meant hours of fellowship with Jesus, “in the Spirit”. There were no interruptions or distractions to pull him away from contemplation and prayer. Did John use his situation to pen his immortal gospel?

He must have wrestled with the reality of his suffering entwined with the equally real message of the kingdom of God from the lips of Jesus.

In this atmosphere of despair and hope, alone, on a remote island in the middle of nowhere, something truly remarkable happened.

He heard a voice! Someone was there! He turned around… and saw a person! But no ordinary person, and not anywhere near like the person who had left the disciples with the words… “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

He saw the “now” Jesus, the one who was… veiled in human flesh, the one who is… reigning over all the kings of the earth, and the one who is to come… the one who is coming to put everything back in order as it was in the beginning. To be the Jesus who would do all these things, He had to be more glorious, more majestic, more powerful, with more authority than John ever knew Him to be as a human on earth.

John was so overwhelmed that he fell flat on his face before Jesus. Like Job, he was terrified out of his wits, and he had nothing to say. He couldn’t look at the glory he had just glimpsed. The Jesus he saw on the “Mountain of Transfiguration”, together with Peter and his bother, James, as Peter had described it, was only a pale reflection of what he was seeing at that moment.

2 Peter 1:16-18 NIV
[16] “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” [18] We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.”

What did John see? He saw light, a human-like person bathed in light, light so bright that he could not gaze at Him. His fleeting glimpses were sufficient to form a picture so glorious that he could only describe it by comparing it with earthly things within the range of his experience…hair like snow, eyes like fire, feet like burnished bronze, a voice like a thunderous waterfall, and a face brighter than the midday sun. This figure was clothed in white and gold. His words sliced like a sharpened sword and his right hand held seven stars! Seven stars as in…real stars, not symbolic, neat, five-pointed stars cut out of cardboard and sprayed with gold paint!

A vision of such glory, majesty, power, and authority momentarily filled his gaze, and John dropped like a stone to the floor on his face in terror. This person, who identified Himself as Yahweh, the “I Am”, the eternal One, was the same one who had walked on the earth veiled in a human body, who died a real death, and who defeated death forever by rising again.

John felt His touch on his shoulder. He heard His gentle voice, the same voice that had sounded like a thundering waterfall, the crashing waves on a rocky shore, speaking reassuring words, “Don’t be terrified, John. It’s me, Jesus, the one who died and came back to life…that one.”

What was Jesus telling John? “Everything you see, John…hair, face, eyes, mouth, hands, feet, light…are the real me. I am the one who holds everything in my right hand…the hand that has power and authority. When I speak, stuff happens. What I say, goes. I Am, John. Not even death and the grave escape me. I’ve got everything in my hand.”

John’s very real and current situation faded from his consciousness. He could relax. No more fear about what might happen. This Jesus was right there, behind him, in front of him, above and below him. Nothing would ever get past His power or authority that He did not authorise or permit.

Was this only John’s experience, John’s privilege as a chosen Apostle? What about us? Can we claim the same reality even though we don’t see Him. Can we trust the promise that Jesus is with us always, even when the chips are down, even when we are faced with a choice? Life, or death?

1 Peter 1:8-9 NLT
[8] “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. [9] The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.”

Peter said we can, and so did John, and so did the other apostles who wrote letters… They all testify to the confidence we can have in this Jesus whom John saw…on an island…

Why is that possible?

2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT
[20] “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”

What can be better than that! Yes! Since God never tells a lie, we can confidently grow this awareness in our hearts that, no matter what, where, or when, He’s there, the same Jesus who both frightened and reassured John, “Don’t be afraid. I AM!”

When Jesus is around, everything will be okay!