Sue O’Donnell. 11.02.21
“ ‘They shall be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him’.” (Malachi 3 v 17)
Sadly, sometimes catastrophically,
Our life is full of preconceptions.
Misconceptions arise out of unexamined assumptions.
Is this why so many discount the Lord Jesus?
Do they not recognise, or maybe not own
Their dire need, everybody’s need of a Saviour?
Do they think it impossible for this to be found in a Brother?
Do they do nothing to discover the Lord’s love,
His amazing mercy gifted us through Jesus?
We need openness, not a closed down heart,
Nor mind, nor will, nor conscience.
For God will fill an empty chasm,
But only if we pray and ask Him to help with this task.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29 v 11)
Let affirmation come through serious scriptural study,
Undergirded by earnest prayer of seeking.
With a humility which accepts divinity,
In all its wondrous, marvellous, most mysterious
Ways of working in and amongst us.
Active through the living presence of the Lord Jesus,
By the impact and influence of His Spirit.
Let discovery lead to victory thereby.
For why we believe is to do with how
We receive Jesus and perceive Him,
Uniting and unifying ourselves with His infinite merits.
Only the holiness of the Lord Jesus,
Can, will, does, repair our fractured life,
Broken away from our Father, as sinfulness separates us.
“Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.” (Malachi 3 v 18)
The love of the Lord Jesus, His life given for us
Upon the †of salvation, a saving plan for man,
Means we must make reparation too.
Lent is a special time for such as this, and arrives soon.
Do not waste, not squander this time of grace.
Sooner or later, we will meet Jesus, face to face.
What will you then say to Him?
Are there any excuses sufficient to cover our failure to pray,
Asking to believe and receive of our Saviour?
Unity is in our ability to accept the Lord Jesus,
As Saviour, Lord, Master, God’s living Word.
Our highest, most precious resource in faith.
The Lord Jesus teaches us regarding holy love and mercy,
In all its incredible, marvellous and somewhat mysterious
Life changing power successful over our sinfulness.
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when You search for Me with all your heart I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity...” (Jeremiah 29 v 12, 13, 14)
As we journey in faith’s discovery,
We move towards the fullest, richest spiritual maturity,
As found by us in sharing life with the Person of the Lord Jesus.
Let not anything nor anyone stand in the way of this,
But develop an openness, eagerly seeking and searching,
Desirous increasingly of living through sharing the love of Jesus.
Because we see, hear, feel something exceptional in Him,
Thereby reaching a fuller understanding of the love of Jesus.
Let us ever be open to the Spirit of His promptings,
Always calling us to put love into service in all holiness.
As working together we learn to deal graciously with each other.
We must be both reliant upon and fully compliant with
The grace of holy love poured out upon us in Christ Jesus.
“ ‘And try Me now in this’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it’.” (Malachi 3 v 10)
“ ‘And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ says the LORD of hosts; ‘And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land’, says the LORD of hosts. ” (Malachi 3 v 11, 12)
Dearest Father, let us all see, hear, recognise, understand and appreciate the truth of Your love and mercy as made clear to us by the Lord Jesus. For “He was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins.” (Isaiah 53 v 5)
We praise and thank You that the punishment for our peace, through this we are healed by the saving grace of salvation, the Lord Jesus’ saving love for us.
Thank You that whenever we commit to You Lord God, You work out everything to its right and proper end, always with an eye to our salvation. Jesus is our Rescuer from satan, Your covenanted promise.
Thank You too, that the correct reverence of You, is life to us, a full life when we turn to Jesus. May His Spirit grant us the wisdom and courage in the face of opposition to the gospel message. May we remain faithful to Jesus, as Your living Word.
Thank You for making us an Easter people. I ask for full understanding of the peace, the hope, the joy this brings to us, for all who as yet discount Jesus’ life and death as not being worth anything significant.
May the Spirit invade every closed heart, so we each make the Lord Jesus our refuge against all that is evil. His love is our protection to put on like armour. In danger of sinning we must flee to Him readily, without hesitation.
Let our life be in Jesus, without any reserve at all, as we respond to the Spirit’s call to be purified and sanctified, that You Father, are glorified. Thank You for the loving care offered us, such a mercy.
How rich is the constancy of this holy love, our defence against all evil, a love which never abandons us. Thank You for the counsel of wisdom and truth given to guide us in all promised faithfulness.
The Lord Jesus proves to us Your “Mercy is everlasting and Your truth endures to all generations,” (based on Psalm 100 v 5) as holy love redeems our life from destruction. What loving kindness is this!
“You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3 v 3) expectantly. I know You answer prayer and rejoice in this full understanding of Your merciful kindness shielding us at the †.
Your promise is for all people at all times, as the Lord Jesus died to save us from sins’ separation, cutting us off from You, Lord God. You say “Because (s)he has set his (her) love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him (her). (Psalm 91 v 14) Let each of us hear this spoken directly to us, now we have a Saviour in Christ
Jesus.
“I will set him (her) on high because (s)he has known My name.” (Cont) Thank You. “(S)he shall call upon Me and I will answer him (her); I will be with him (her) in trouble. I will deliver and honour him (her).” (v 15) What more could we possibly want or ask for?
May all come to believe this: “He will teach us His ways and we shall walk in His paths.” (Isaiah 2 v 3) The learning found comes from the living Word of the Lord Jesus, truth manifest, Your covenant promise fulfilled. There should be no doubt as to this.
Praise be for eternal glory as “With long life I will satisfy him (her) and show hm (her) My salvation.” (v 16) In Jesus we will always have the peace of reassurance, His saving strength.
Let us then live fully as we live through Jesus, led by the Spirit. “Let us walk in the light of the LORD” (Isaiah 2 v 5) evermore rejoicing in the full understanding of all that His saving love means to us, working to glorify You, Father God. Amen.
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
Season
Key Themes
UNDERSTANDING
