Save Point – July 22, 2024 (206/365)

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!

Praise Him, all creatures here below!

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host!

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

Amen.

It’s been a while since I did this – I mean, just typing with nothing in mind, typing with nothing to achieve, just to let out whatever is lingering in my mind.

I have the confidence to declare that I am stable and I am not only surviving, but thriving. Not stopping too long lest I overanalyze everything that happens, not hesitating to declare everything that happens in this world is an opportunity to glorify God.

Right now, with everything I have in my mind, everything that’s being processed, everything I’m holding back on, everything I’m waiting on, everything I’m enduring, everything that I’m frustrated over… with everything, I say, God is good.

God continues to be good: He IS good, He WAS good, and will be good – and all I have to justify saying this, all I have to back this up is nothing of my own knowledge or actions, but all from the knowledge of Jesus Christ and HIS finished action.

There’s that beautiful older song by Brian Litrell, and the chorus goes like this:

‘In Christ alone, I place my trust,

and find my glory in the power of the cross!

In every victory, let is be said of me:

‘My source of strength, my source of hope, is Christ alone!’

Romans 11:36 says from Christ is all things, and to Christ is all things – to Him be all the glory and praise, forever. Now I may be paraphrasing that, but the point remains clear, and it’s a point I wish to remind myself of at this time… that is, the only reason I’m still surviving, the only reason I’m still thriving, the only reason I’m still standing, and not only standing but walking, and not only walking, but running – is that in every step that I do take, Christ is with me.

That’s what Emmanuel means, doesn’t it? God is with us. God is with me. Christ made it possible for me to make such the arrogant-sounding claim, that the Creator of the Universe and all that is seen and unseen; Yes, He IS with me, and I AM with Him!

And lest anyone say I say it so lightly and without regard, I do acknowledge that a great price was paid, the ULTIMATE price was paid just so we can clearly and boldly say it.

Christ stepped down from His throne, and His birth was proof of His desire to be with us.

His death was proof of His love for us, in that He was willing, not only to leave His glory but to offer Himself (1) to become sin and die the death we deserved in His body and (2) to declare us justified and righteous unto the eternal life He has through the shedding of His blood.

His resurrection was proof of His power to do as He had promised, for by Him living again He proved (1) that all death (and, therefore, all sin) has been overtaken and overcome, and (2) that those who believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting Life.

If Christ’s birth was proof of His desire to be with us, Christ’s ascension was His desire for us to be with Him.

The ultimate price was paid, and the work was complete and finished.

It’s in the hustle and bustle of life, much as it is in the quietness we are blessed to have at times… no matter how busy we may be, or no matter how still it gets, the Holy Spirit just continues to prove His faithfulness to us, by convicting us of our righteousness at any moment… by reminding us of the Gospel, the good news of Christ and His finished work.

I’m not sure where the Anglican/Episcopalian Church based this line in what they call the Eucharistic Prayer (from their Book of Common Prayer), but I find it fitting. Take out the priest’s singing it (or keep it in, if it works for you – I don’t mind), and you have such a nice reminder:

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

And I’m pretty sure it’s past their observance of Pentecost so I’m sharing this Preface:

Because you are greatly glorified in the assembly of your saints. All your creatures praise you, and your faithful servants bless you, confessing before the rulers of this world the great Name of your only Son.

As we start this week, I pray that we would just continue in Christ – that is not to imply that we don’t actually continue with Him (for He never leaves us nor forsakes us, and nothing can ever separate us from His love), but I pray we just take some extra moments to stop and smell the roses take in the fact that we are always with our Father, and our Father is always with us.

Who am I kidding, I’m telling myself this. And if you happen to be reading up until this point, well, first of all thank you, and yeah, don’t forget Christ – He doesn’t forget you. God is always thinking about us. God is always thinking about you.

Until the next post which would probably make more sense than this one… I pray that the Lord catches us by surprise this week, with something good – and not just something good, but something as good as only He could give, something that would leave us undeniably amazed at how precise and direct and loving He and He alone is towards His children.

Until the next post… Be blessed.

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