Who cares?

“Look to the right and see:
there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.”

—Psalm 142:4

“Humble yourselves . . . under the mighty hand of God,
casting all your anxieties on him,
because he cares for you.”

—1 Peter 5:6-7

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A God who …

We believe in a God who pardons iniquity, transgression and sin.

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Salvation is of the LORD

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved … so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God … so that no one may boast.

(Ephesians 2:4-9)

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He saved us not because of our righteousness …

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:3-7

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Learning to think, feel and pray …

Paul’s prayer teaches me how to think, feel and pray for other Christians. In all our disappointments and hurts in relationships with one another, if it were our hearts desire to see one another as we are seen by the gospel then we would have joy in one another when we see evidences of God’s Spirit at work in us and through us. That in turn would turn our affections for one another and further motivate us to pray for one another’s love, holiness, righteousness and experience of God’s glory. If we saw one another as co-sharers in God’s grace, confident that he who began this good work in us will bring it to completion, then our relationships would be transformed.

I thank my God every time I remember you.

In all my prayers for you, I always pray with joy

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about you, since I have you in my heart; for you share in God’s grace with me.

God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God.

(Philippians 1:3-11)

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Two people who really loved Jesus

The woman who wept and washed Jesus’ feet – just raw genuine heart felt emotion.

The woman caught in adultery – expecting judgment but receiving loving compassion.

Somehow I think these two stories uniquely capture what it truly is to be in relationship with Jesus from the human side of things. I think these stories have the capacity to humble us, break us and evoke a sense of love.

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God can restore and use broken vessels for divine purposes

Abraham

Abraham considered his body and Sarah’s body as though dead

due to old age and barrenness

but he placed his faith in the God who raises the dead.

(Romans 4:17-19)

David

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

(Psalm 40)

Joshua

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD,

and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.

And the angel said to those who were standing before him,

"Remove the garments of human excrement from him."

To Joshua the angel said,

"Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you,

and I will clothe you with pure vestments."

(Zechariah 3)

Paul

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.

For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.

But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

(2 Corinthians 1)

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Weeping may tarry for the night but joy comes with the morning

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5) for the steadfast love of the LORD is new every morning (Lam 3:21-22). Give thanks to the LORD, recall to remembrance his acts of love for he is good and in this you shall know his love for you! Pray in the Spirit that God will work that which you fear cannot be achieved. Contemplate the distances of earth to the heavens and east from the west and see the vastness of love and forgiveness. The LORD grants sleep to those he loves (Psa 127:2).

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For thy comfort here …

"It is true, Christian, the debt thou owest to God must be paid in good and lawful money, but, for thy comfort, here Christ is thy paymaster. Send Satan to him, bid him bring his charge against Christ, who is ready at God’s right hand to clear his accounts, and show his discharge for the whole debt." 

Source: William Gurnall, The Christian In Complete Armour, Vol I, Part Second, Direction I – Second General Part

“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him …”

Job 13:15 

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… even if not clean …

May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God — the LORD, the God of his fathers — even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.

2 Chronicles 30:18-19

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