Feelings No Evidence of Rejection
The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. Psalm 145:18, 19.
I would call your attention to the precious promises in the Word of God. All who are children of God have not the same powers, the same temperaments, the same confidence and boldness. I am glad indeed that our feelings are no evidence that we are not children of God. The enemy will tempt you to think that you have done things that have separated you from God and that He no longer loves you, but our Lord loves us still, and we may know by the words He has placed on record for just such cases as yours. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). . . .
God loves you; and the precious Saviour, who gave Himself for you, will not thrust you from Him because you are tempted and in your weakness may have been overcome. He loves you still.
Peter denied his Lord in the hour of trial, but Jesus did not forsake His poor disciple. Although Peter hated himself, the Lord loved him, and after His resurrection He called him by name and sent him a loving message. O what a kind, loving, compassionate Saviour we have! And He loves us though we err.
Now do not worry yourself out of the arms of the dear Saviour, but rest trustingly in faith. He loves you; He cares for you. He is blessing you and will give you His peace and grace. He is saying to you, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” You may be depressed with bodily infirmities, but that is not evidence that the Lord is not working in your behalf every day. He will pardon you, and that abundantly. Gather to your soul the sweet promises of God. Jesus is our constant, unfailing friend, and He wants you to trust in Him. . . . Look away from yourself to the perfection of Christ.
That I May Know Him p. 285
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Prayer Requests
——Please pray that I can overcome drinking and smoking. Chiinga
—–Pray God will meet all Mary’s health and financial needs because He is the only one who knows everything that she needs. I pray he will give her peace and take away all her worries. I pray he will bless her with good health and help her develop good health habits. I pray God will bless her in every way. Thank you, Fran
—–Prayers for mom, she is in the hospital, with pneumonia. It’s been a little bit of a perfect storm, won’t go into details because it would take too long. . Please lift her up in prayer. Susan
—–I will be traveling back home Monday and Tuesday. Please pray for safe travels. Rose
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Dear Friends,
Many years ago, my mother discovered an old family Bible in the attic. The first entry in the title page of that Book was “Jeremiah Carpenter, 1749.” As she was leafing through the pages in the front of the book, she found a genealogy page that began from that point. From that moment, she became interested in researching our family tree on both the Harmon and the Phillips sides. She really put her whole heart and soul into this project interviewing elderly relatives, checking birth and death records, etc.
As I was reading it one day, I noticed that in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds, the infant mortality rate was very high. Many of my ancestors had lots of children, but only one or two of them reached adulthood. It made me feel so sad for them. How hopeful they must have been as they held their little one in their arms and how devastated they were when that little one was snatched away from them by death. The saddest of all was a man and his wife who, as they began to have children, started naming them according to what was in their heart. “Hope,” “Faith,” “Victory,” but there was no victory for them. Every one of their babies died. Eventually, they died childless. It was passed down through the generations that they died of a broken heart.
Our pastor, Vernon Bliss, used to say that no one ever died of natural causes. Death is always unnatural because death was never in God’s plan. He desired this world to be like the rest of the universe: perfect, beautiful, filled with happy, holy beings. God assures us, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil. Jer 29:11 What sadness must fill His heart as we live our lives with hardly a thought heavenward. How His eyes must fill with tears as He watches us destroy ourselves through our own selfish desires. He pleads with us, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Eze 33:11
Praise God! He has provided a way of escape. He has sent His only Son, to save us, not in our sins, but from our sins. Paul tells us, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Phil 2:5-8
All Heaven is abustle with activity to help mankind find “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Jesus bids us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev 22:17 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
May we come to Him just as we are—all sin-sick and weary, full of cares and sorrows and disappointments. May we give ourselves to Him unreservedly. May we serve Him this day with our whole heart and mind and strength is my prayer.
Rose