December 8, 2012

“God is With Us"

Scripture:

Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those who are discerning listen carefully. The paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But sinners stumble and fall along the way.
(Hosea 14:9) NLT

Observation:

The Lord our God neither left us to chance nor to our own demise. When God expelled man from His Holy Presence to live on his own, God was always careful to keep watch over us so He could direct our way back into His Holy Presence once again, only this time, it would be forever lasting.

Application:

The Lord created us in such a way that we would always need to depend on Him for a life that would truly be worth living. God graciously gave us His Word so that we might gain the wisdom and understanding to live smartly and righteously while living in an evil world that is merciless. God gave us His Son as our Saving Light; that we might know our Savior in an up-close and personal way; that we could physically see the path to healthy living and then follow suit. And in the most dramatic way, the Lord gave up His life so we would be forever forgiven and recipients of God’s saving grace and salvation. And finally, the Lord sent His Holy Spirit to help us achieve what would have otherwise, been impossible—to give us the strength and the courage to stay on His path, where we would show other lost and desperate souls the way into His Presence and then on to everlasting life. But we also have a God who gives us many opportunities to choose the path of our choice. God allows us to make our mistakes that help us learn from our first-hand experiences. He gives us the mental capacity and the ability to research and weigh all the different options we are given. He gives us the plain truth and the common sense to see how our choices will affect us and what the end results will bring. Many people choose to take the world’s path, opting to go after those things that satisfy our selfish human desires, which in reality, leads us slowly into a darkness that is extremely difficult to navigate in and will eventually take us into the abyss. God’s path, on the other hand, is brightly lit with the glory of God and we can see clearly where we are going and able to choose the right paths that are not only good for us, but for those around us as well. And by remaining in the Light of God, we gain access to His personal touch; where the Lord can comfort us in our times of trouble, give us confidence in the choices we make, and the solid guarantee that we will make it safely Home; a glorious destination that awaits our arrival.

Prayer:

Thank You O God, for watching over my life even while I was rebelling against You. Thank You O God, for protecting me from dying in my sin. I hate to think where I would be without Your loving grace and salvation. You are an incredibly awesome God!    Amen