God's Wisdom In A Nutshell

Today I want to discuss something that was “news” to me when I first picked up the Bible.

In Catholic religion class as a child (I am no longer a Catholic), I was taught that God died for our sins and because of this we should repent.  The cross  with Jesus, was placed behind the altar and reminded parishioners how far Jesus went to keep us out of hell. His blood covers our sins if we repent.

What always baffled me as a young girl was how this truth applied to my life as a kid.  I mean, what sin was so bad that Jesus had to die for me? My siblings and I were pretty good kids. Our sins included arguing with each other, not wanting to do chores like cut the grass, clean the bathrooms, make our beds and set the table for dinner. So every time I went to church I thought of Jesus hanging there as  more of a warning to stay on the right path so that I don’t end up in hell!

It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom and my life was torn to shreds, that  I finally dug deep to figure out what God wants from us and MORE IMPORTANTLY what He did for us.

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT)

This means those of us who believe in the resurrection of Christ, have only to take hold of Christ in order to overcome any circumstance in life.

“And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.”(Mark 10:49)

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”(Matt 14:27)

“But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.” (Matt 9:22)

Notice the word “take” in these verses.  It is up to us to take hold of our power otherwise the devil steps in with discouragement and can defeat you by leading you down paths of addiction, depression, illness and the like.

It’s a “Have No Fear, God Is Near” insurance policy.  This doesn’t mean to sit back and let God accomplish your work.  It’s a reminder that you aren’t alone navigating through the highs and lows of life.  You have God by your side and the more you trust God the less fear you will have about the future.

People may have multiple insurance policies and a great plan for their future however, anyone who puts their trust in anything other than the Lord, won’t  have the peace and security like a follower of Christ. We are more than conquerors through Christ.

Let me ask you this…what happens when illness strikes?  Our healer, the Lord Jesus Christ can perform miracles for His followers. There are many miracle stories in the Bible to illustrate this point.  Did He heal everyone He encountered? No. But I can tell you this – those He healed had faith that He could.  If you take anything other than the Lord as your insurance policy or security in life,  you can’t possibly understand what God can do for you and your family.

Take courage, your relationship with the Lord is the most powerful possession you have!

Enjoy your day,

Lisa