Saturday, February 2, 2008
One of the most comforting verses in the Bible for a Christian is Hebrews 13:5:
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
This verse tells you God is with you when everything is going great, which is the hardest time to remember Who made your success possible. You can cry out to Him in despair, which is the easiest time to remember Who can lift you out of your circumstances.
While reading this verse a few years ago, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the fact that our Lord is with us even when sin is conceived and then carried out. I cannot think of one area of my life that this experience did not have an effect on me. The result was not fear of condemnation, but a source of strength in times of weakness. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 we see: "And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." This should tell us that when we are at our worst, that's the time to call on Him, because that's when He's at His best. Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Jesus Christ is our intercessor. "God is the one who justifies; who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is ever at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:33-34) Who better to intercede than He who was tempted in all ways, but rose above it and walked in the Spirit and not in the flesh. We will all stumble, but l John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins,and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God the Father will do this because Jesus Christ shed His blood and paid our sin debt on the cross.
I can't help wondering how much sin would be stopped before it ever got started, if only we had these and other Scriptures ingrained in our mind. They tell us who Jesus Christ is, His character, what He wants for us, and what He can do for us, if we'll let Him.
Jesus said "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
FEEL the BEAT.
