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Continuing in our study of the promise of God, and search deeper into the richness of it that declares the Lord will build Zion; and He shall appear in His glory. [Psalm 102:16] May His word come alive, and His Name be exalted in your circumstance this day. And may it take you closer to your divine destiny, His wondrous purpose for your life. The foundation of it all is a relationship; your relationship with God, as your Father, as you put your trust in His Son, Lord Jesus, and what He has accomplished on the Cross, and what He is continuing to do in your life, even today. For, without Him you and I can do nothing.
a] He became sin – that you can be made righteous, and no longer be in bondage to sin.
b] He became a curse, that you may receive the blessing of God.
c] He became poor, that you may be rich, and not in lack or inability, but empowered to do what is right.
d] And it was why He became flesh and blood, became man, and became obedient unto God, even death on the Cross, destroying the devil, freeing man from the bondage of fear. [Hebrews 2:14,15] The enemy, satan, was defeated, rendered powerless, by the victory of the Lord Jesus on the Cross. And how it works out in your life and mine is explained in the very next verse. For clearly He [Christ] does not give help to angels, but gives help to the descendants of Abraham. [Hebrews 2:16]
Descendants of Abraham – by faith:
Abraham believed God’s word that came to him, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. And similarly you and I, may not have been born of the Jewish race physically, but by faith in Jesus Christ, are reckoned to be the spiritual descendants of Abraham. [Galatians 3:7-9] And therefore, His help is available to you. The Cross, is where you can see His hands stretched out in love, as atonement for the sins of the whole world. But it is acknowledging your need for help from Him in your circumstance that could be the bottleneck, when it comes to receiving His help. It is such a person who is considered a ‘fool’ in the scriptures, the one who says in his heart there is no God. And there is no denying the truth of it!
Sin, makes you insensitive to God –
You and I are wise, when we know that we need God. And what stops man from accepting the very obvious truth is the fallen nature in him, or in other words, sin. Sin makes you insensitive to God, and continuing in sin, makes you even more so. And sin can seem to be having an influence in the ungodly because, man is ignorant regarding it, or has not appropriated the truth of the victorious Cross in his own life. Any addiction, even one of self validation, or approval addiction can all stem from it. But He became sin on the Cross, that you not remain a sinner, in slavery to the devil. And it is why the Lord stretches forth His hand of help, of deliverance, that you may lay hold of it.
The blessed, all inclusive invitation:
‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden , and I will give you rest’. [Matthew 11:28] Religious fatigue can lead to a spiritual anxiety to leave you emotionally drained in the spiritual realm. And it can so easily happen in any person, when you have been praying for a long long time for a change in your situation that is simply not happening. It can cause spiritual weariness, and lead you to the point of giving up praying and meditating upon the word of God. And if you are at the point of giving up on religion, and rituals, the Lord is inviting you to a relationship with Him. It is an open ended invitation, to lay hold of His helping hand to you, by learning from Him.
Learning from the Lord:
‘Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’. [vs 29] The Lord’s invitation is to come to Him , acknowledging within yourself your need for His help, that comes to you by learning from Him. For grace and peace is multiplied to you in the knowledge of God, and of Jesus, our Lord. [2 Peter 1:3] The knowledge of Him, or learning from Him involves a revelational knowledge that is combined with a revelational experience of His help in your need. It is what the apostle Paul experienced on that stormy voyage when all hope seemed lost, and he began to fear for his life, and also that of his co voyagers. But at that desperate point, he experienced God’s hand of help, that spoke to him of safety, a sparing of their lives from danger and harm. [Acts 27:24] He learned from the Lord, to receive the knowledge as a revelation in his spirit, that He was a Protector and Deliverer, who could be trusted wholeheartedly.
HIS Hand, holds it all –
And it is then that will find that, even when something negative happens ,you will know and experience that He is a God who causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. [Romans 8:28] For, even failure that makes you fall spiritually, can happen sometimes, but it will not make you lose heart, to become resigned to a life that does not compare with God’s promise to you. For, you will b able to declare and overcome the wily attack of the evil one to say, ‘Do not gloat over me, my enemy; though I fall, I will rise again; my God will bring me out into the light’. [Micah 7: 8,9] The last word in your life is God’s word; and it is always good! And may it come to pass in your life as you lay hold of His helping hand by learning from Him, as He teaches you what you need to hear, even though it may at times seem to offend you. But the truth is, He lovingly disciplines you, only so that you may be edified. And edification can be graciously entertaining and inviting, leading to a change in you from within. A multitude was blessed and fed when Jesus miraculously fed the five thousand. And following it there was a huge crowd that came, maybe expecting a similar miracle; but Jesus changed the message, to talk about partaking of His body and drinking His blood in order to be a part of Him, stunning many with the truth that caused them to leave Him! [John 6:67] But it need not be your response. Therefore in the learning moments that come to you from God, ask Him what He wants to speak to you, for we all need God to speak to us what we need to hear. Engulfed by weariness and fear, at a low point in his life, Elijah heard God’s soft whisper, pointing out to him that he was not in God’s appointed place. [1 kings 19:13] Truth is often bitter when it concerns one’s own self! But it is also true that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and need the grace of God in order to repent. You need God; and you lay hold of His hand that is there to help you, by receiving from Him.
Receiving from HIS nail scarred hand –
All that you need for life and godliness has already been granted to you. [2 Peter 1:3] The hand of God is stretched forth to give to you. It is the grace of God. And it is by faith that you stretch forth your hand, for Him to take your hand, that you may receive what He wants to give you; a faith that is child like, implicitly trusting the word that declares ‘Ask and it shall be given unto you’. And since anyone who asks receives, you can ask, to receive. The man by the pool of Bethesda, paralyzed for thirty eight years received from the Lord, to be healed in an instant. And sometimes it can take time, to be a step by step progress. But it is always the God who gives, who is at work. And those who believe in Him will never be disappointed.
Your hand will never be empty –
The hand that He stretches forth to give,is never an empty hand. Therefore even as you lay hold of His hand to receive, you will never be empty handed. May it be the wondrous truth that is imprinted in the tablet of your heart this day. His hand is a giving hand, and when He has taken your hand, He will never leave or forsake you., Your hand will always be blessed, for His hand is one that always blesses. On the night that He was betrayed, the Lord broke bread saying, ‘Take eat; this is My body, broken for you’. [1 Corinthians 11:24] And as you lift up your hands to receive from Him, you appropriate and partake of what He has already accomplished on the Cross. As you lay hold of His nail scarred hand, that is stretched forth to help you, you will never be the same again. On the Cross His hand was nailed, so that none should perish, but all should have eternal life. And lifting up your hands to Him, may the bliss of the glorious thought that all your sins have been nailed to the Cross, and you bear it no more, all by His wonderful grace and favor, cause you to give thanks for learning from Him. And humbly receiving what He is giving you, may the song of your heart be ‘Praise the Lord, O my soul’, in joyful and grateful adoration, now and in all the coming days of your life. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
