Beautiful excerpts (Part 2)

Let’s go for 2 Peter 3 & Jude.

For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2 Peter 3:5-7 ESV)

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:11-13 ESV)

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18 ESV)

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:3-4 ESV)

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 1:20-23 ESV)

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25 ESV)

Have a blessed week in the Lord!!!

Why?

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

So many whys and so many questions and sometimes it seems as if God does not take the time to answer. He seems like He does whatever He wants and asks us to worship him, fear Him and trust Him in the midst of our circumstances, despite past, hurts, and silences. And we feel like Job: desperate for God to provide us with an answer,  a sign that will give an explanation.

But contrary to Job, we know the story. We know who is God and we know what He has done, how marvelous are His deeds and how far beyond our understanding they stand. But we also know His goodness and His kindness. Yes God has always been kind and good and faithful, but He has revealed it in an extraordinary way in the coming, death and resurrection of His son. Yes, it is sometimes difficult to trust God. Yes, it is difficult to understand His way. But we can still our hearts and rest on His goodness. At least there is no uncertainty about His goodness and His faithfulness.

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Job 42:2-3

Asking, trusting in God’s mercy

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:21-28)

What in the faith of that woman was great? I asked myself that question many times. I don’t know if I have the answer, but there is something she had that is indeed great: she knew that she was unworthy, and she came to receive mercy, trusting in God’s faithfulness.

She came calling Jesus Lord and Son of David. She acknowledged His power and His compassion, basically telling Him: “You have the power and the good will to help me so I cry for mercy.” When Jesus rejected her at first, she answered by asking for help. Then He called her “dog” and she said: “Yes, I am a dog, but I am your dog so I am expecting your mercy.” She never doubted of God’s goodness.

Generally, we don’t persevere as she did. When God seemed to push us away, we are desperate and it becomes difficult to pray, or at least to pray for that specific thing we want so much. Or we are frustrated as if God owes us something.  Faith believes that God has the power to do anything and rests on His mercy to ask Him again and again, trusting that His mercy will never fail.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Goodbye fears

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” Matthew 8:23-27

Jesus did not mind to be disturbed when sleeping. He minded that they came to Him filled win fears. Their fears displeased Him for they came from a lack of faith. We can pray as we want, knock at God’s door as often as we wish, we will always be welcome. Our heavenly Father showed us that He is always ready to help us. But only let us go to Him with faith and not with fears, overwhelmed by storming circumstances. We are praying the One who is sovereign on the sea as on the land.
Jesus was asleep, but He was still Lord of the entire creation and beyond.
When God seems silent, when it feels like He is blind to our sufferings, He is still God. He is watching in the night, ready to quiet not only the storms of our lives, but also the effects of those storms. He just has to say a word. And after He speaks, everything becomes calm.

It is our privilege

But now you have been set free from sin and are the slaves of God. Your gain is a life fully dedicated to him, and the result is eternal life. Romans 6:22 (GNT)

Being slave is generally a curse, but being slave of God is a blessing, a gain.
When it is hard, when we are looking for reasons to keep fighting, not just to keep going to church services or have quiet times in the morning, but to be fully dedicated to God, we need to remember that it is our gain.
Living for Jesus, dying for His name, denying ourselves, carrying our crosses, all of these are our gain.
The Holy Spirit through Paul said it this way: “For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in Him, but also by suffering for Him.” Philippians 1:29 (GNT)
We are unworthy of suffering for Christ. Our best gift, our greatest efforts in His are a privilege. He grants us to serve Him, to be devoted to Him. And He paid for this privilege on the cross.
So next time you struggle with serving in His name, remember: it is a gain.