May 18: Celebrating His Victory.
HIS DEPENDABILITY.
"Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told."--Acts 27:25
I had just finished preaching from the book of Ruth, on the topic of the Go'el, the kinsman-redeemer, which is my favorite theme, as it relates to Jesus in the whole Bible. A scholar came up to me at the end and said: "And Jesus is not the type of Go'el who removes His sandal!" It was a clever observation because, in the book of Ruth, the closest relative that could redeem Naomi and Ruth refused to do so, signifying his decision by removing his sandal according to the custom of the time (see Ruth 4:7, 8). Then Boaz, the second kinsman-redeemer in line, bought the land and married Ruth. Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer, never refuses to act on our behalf; he never removes His sandal. We can always trust His word and depend on His presence, His promises, and the efficacy of His sacrifice for us.
Everything around us constantly changes: including people, circumstances, economy, and relationships. But there is something you can always depend on: God with us, Immanuel. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is always there, His word is reliable, and so is His assurance of salvation through the blood of Jesus. You can depend on it! In the book of Acts, Paul learned to depend on God's words through thick and thin. When they were at sea, in the middle of a fierce and devastating storm that would cause a shipwreck, God sent an angel with a message for Paul: "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar...God has granted you all those who are sailing with you" (Acts 27:24). Paul absolutely believed the message and spoke to the men in the ship: "There will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship" (verse 22). He had no proof of this other than God's word, and that was enough for him. "And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land" (verse 44). God has promised that believers in Jesus will be saved through His sacrifice on the cross. He has also promised to be with us every day, until the end of this world. You can depend on Him! His promises are reliable, His victory is assured, and His sacrifice is more than sufficient!
My Response:_________________________________________________________
HIS DEPENDABILITY.
"Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told."--Acts 27:25
I had just finished preaching from the book of Ruth, on the topic of the Go'el, the kinsman-redeemer, which is my favorite theme, as it relates to Jesus in the whole Bible. A scholar came up to me at the end and said: "And Jesus is not the type of Go'el who removes His sandal!" It was a clever observation because, in the book of Ruth, the closest relative that could redeem Naomi and Ruth refused to do so, signifying his decision by removing his sandal according to the custom of the time (see Ruth 4:7, 8). Then Boaz, the second kinsman-redeemer in line, bought the land and married Ruth. Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer, never refuses to act on our behalf; he never removes His sandal. We can always trust His word and depend on His presence, His promises, and the efficacy of His sacrifice for us.
Everything around us constantly changes: including people, circumstances, economy, and relationships. But there is something you can always depend on: God with us, Immanuel. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is always there, His word is reliable, and so is His assurance of salvation through the blood of Jesus. You can depend on it! In the book of Acts, Paul learned to depend on God's words through thick and thin. When they were at sea, in the middle of a fierce and devastating storm that would cause a shipwreck, God sent an angel with a message for Paul: "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar...God has granted you all those who are sailing with you" (Acts 27:24). Paul absolutely believed the message and spoke to the men in the ship: "There will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship" (verse 22). He had no proof of this other than God's word, and that was enough for him. "And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land" (verse 44). God has promised that believers in Jesus will be saved through His sacrifice on the cross. He has also promised to be with us every day, until the end of this world. You can depend on Him! His promises are reliable, His victory is assured, and His sacrifice is more than sufficient!
My Response:_________________________________________________________
RSS Feed
