“The Cure”

Scripture:

James 4:7-10
So humble yourselves before God.
Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hears, you hypocrites.
Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done.
Let there be sorrow and deep grief.
Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.
When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him,
He will lift you up and give you honor. (NLT)

Observation:

If we are to escape the coming night of darkness and judgment we must first and foremost acknowledge that God exists and that He is the One who created the universe and everything in it, and that He has an ultimate plan for His creation. We must, if we are to share in God’s glorious plan, separate ourselves from the world’s view, which is man created and Satan directed.

Application:

It’s never easy to admit that there is One who is bigger and better than we are and that it is He who is in control and not ourselves. Many of us, like myself, who were shaped by the worlds take on life, failed to discover a valid and meaningful reason for life in this cruel and unforgiving world. And many, like myself, have had the joy and hope of living sucked right out of our very being; leaving us miserable and hopeless and barely hanging on. Without the hope our glorious God has given us through our Lord, Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9,10), there is no hope. All this world has to offer you in the end, my friends, is death; not an unconsciousness type of death but an eternity of conscious darkness and hopelessness. God has been more than gracious since the dawn of creation, but in order to know how and why you must first believe God is real and that He has a wonderful plan in place. All of His creation will one day be restored to its fullest glory and you can share in His glory when you live by His terms and not that of the worlds. Even though God leaves this choice up to you, you can believe that He will never stop reaching out to save your life as long as you breathe and live in this world.

Prayer:

Thank You, O God, for the Hope You have provided. Thank You for never giving up on me. Since I have known You I can look back and see Your sovereign touch in my entire life. What a blessing it has been just knowing how much you love me and all Your children, no matter how many mistakes we have made. You are our Father, the only One who can shape us into the people You want us to be—not perfect, but holy as you are holy.

Amen