Through Christ we are conformed to the Will of the Father.
Christ has saved us and reconciled us according to His Will. The desire for the entire world to come to repentance (changing of mind) and consequent salvation (reconciliation unto eternal Life) – that has been placed into our own hearts, and is integrated into all our actions, reactions, responses and words.
As Christ shines His life, light and love upon us, so we project His grace and glory for all to see.
God’s grace is His goodness that leads to repentance.
God’s glory brings us to the end of ourselves – and also leads to repentance.
I am thankful for this coming into mind today, considering all that we can be distracted by, especially in this world full of folks who would literally kill for our attention.
I am reminded, and brought into a renewed appreciation of Christ being the Author and Finisher of our faith. For since it was written into us by His blood and not by our works, it has been precisely authored, and absolutely, permanently marked into our hearts and minds. Therefore, though we be blindsided, though we be threatened or harmed for our belief – though we be persecuted, Christ can never be erased from us – surely as we are always with Him and He will never leave us, so we are… well, as Rick Astley puts it – together forever, and never to part.
And while we’re at it, indeed, it was God who moved heaven and earth to be together forever with us.
Such is His will, which is now also our will.
Does that count as a Rick Roll?
Psalm 11
The LORD Is in His Holy Temple
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF DAVID.
1 In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5 The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.
I find it quite timely that, again, when folks have our attention, they serve similar threats as mentioned here. Be in fear – so much fear that you move, and you move away… Be in fear to flee, and to flee quickly. Flee, because enemies have you in their sights. Flee, because all that you stand on is compromised – flee, before all of it is destroyed.
They move your mind to move you – they kill for your attention, to control you. They present you with threats, real and imagined, from the outside and all around you (‘the wicked’), and they have you question your own integrity (‘foundations’)… But, again, we give thanks to God, specifically for the finished work of Christ, and even more specifically His death and resurrection (reconciliation) leading to His ascension – His going up, and the Spirit coming down; We give thanks to God for the Holy Spirit that (1) convicts us of our righteousness no matter what, and (2) reminds us that because of our righteousness (our right-standing with God, our Father):
- We are always in the refuge of our Father in His Holy Temple.
- We are tested, but we see His hatred towards the wicked and violent.
- We shall behold His face, while the wicked partake of their portion.
God is our Father who upholds our reconciliation – here, apparently, by way of exacting judgment on the wicked.
Are we, therefore, to revel in the punishment of our enemies? No, see, though we can do so, our focus should continually be on Him and His face.
It gives new meaning and a fresh perspective to how we read 1 Peter 5:7. We cast all our cares upon Him, not for the sake of the cares primarily, but because He is always thinking about us. In other words, we’re focused on Him, thankful because He’s focused on us. He cares for us, and we’re to take refuge in Him, first and foremost.
I hope this is making sense. We’ve been talking in length about how we acknowledge God in our plans and before we take action, but if you’re going to remember anything from all we’ve dug up today, well, it’s that we should always be aware of our Father’s presence (God with us as we are with God), in our reactions as much as our actions.
It doesn’t take too much effort – after all, this is the infinite and eternal, borderless and timeless Creator of all things seen and unseen that we are talking about here. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Great I Am – Always with us, always strong and wise for us, He is always close to us as we are always close to Him, no matter what happens to us, and no matter what we make happen… and, really, the only thing closest to work or effort on our part is to give thanks to God for Christ, who did everything, and gave everything…
…that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Still so much on my plate, and it just reminds me of how much I need our God. Indeed, may He be glorified in all we’ve endured, in all we’re going through, and in all we have in front of us – and may we always revel in the Truth of His love.
He is our Father, who never leaves us, never forsakes us.
He deserves all the glory and praise.
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