Knowing Christ and making Him known
Where would we be today were it not for the mercy of God? We would be lost and without hope. Surely, then, we ought to be the first to show mercy to others.
We cannot change ourselves and so we need to pray for a pure heart. God will give this to us if we ask! And the other thing we need to do is soak ourselves in scripture.
Meekness is evidenced as humility towards God and gentleness towards other people. We were made for a relationship with God and so it stands to reason that only he can satisfy our souls. May we hunger and thirst after his righteousness.
When we turn our lives over to Christ, we are transformed and we will become more like him. Are you ready to pursue the kind of life Jesus wants you to? If you are, the Sermon on the Mount is a great place to start. It begins with the beatitudes.
Jesus issue the most astonishing invitation; ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28)
Stop carrying the heavy load of sin and guilt and meaninglessness and rebellion. Instead, come to Jesus in prayer. Ask for forgiveness. Learn from him. And you will know rest.
Scripture makes it plain that there will be a day when we are all brought to account for how we have lived. We cannot live any way we please and ignore God with impunity. Judgement will come and we need to be ready for it, by becoming followers of Jesus.
However challenging it can be to witness our faith to believers, God uses the witness of his people in a powerful and often far-reaching way.
Do you ever feel like God has forgotten about you? Do you ever feel that he doesn’t care? In fact, it’s good when we come to the place where we realise we cannot cope on our own. It’s good when we stop relying on our own limited strength. Because only then will come to God in prayer and wait upon him for strength from above.
In times of trouble, where can we turn to for help? Psalm 46 opens with an amazing confidence in God: ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.’
Time and again, God proves to be there with us to help and support us.
If you do want to live a life knowing Jesus’ light flooding into you, then treasure up, memorise, apply, and pray over his Word. Ask God for the light of understanding and the ability to obey it. And you shall know the power and fellowship of God himself in an enriched life.
‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’ (Luke 18:16)
We come to God, we need to come with the attitude of a needy child and a prayer such as, ‘God, I am empty; please fill me. I am a sinner; please forgive me. I don’t deserve your love; but please love me on account of your grace and mercy.’
Have you come to Jesus like this? You won’t get to Heaven any other way!