February 18 –Moving Majestic Mountains

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”-  Isaiah 54:10 (ESV)

Have you ever enjoyed the view of a majestic mountain and stood at its foot looking up to the last visible peak? They are pretty immovable and we rarely think about them being removed. Yet there have been portions of mountains that have been removed when necessary. It’s called mountain top removal for the purpose of mining coal and other minerals.  So this promise means a great deal when God says that His love is more solid and permanent than a mountain. This is the difference between the things God has created and God Himself. Even the mountains which seem so majestic and imposing can be shaken by earthquakes, changed by weather, and man, if he is determined enough. Mountains are a part of our world but not eternal, not even the greatest of the great. God is eternal. He has always been and He will always be. He has always been a God of love and He will always be loving. The world will change, but not God’s love for His own. He reminds us and promises that “His unfailing love for us will not be shaken.”

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February 7 – New Creation Within

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” -  2 Corinthians 5:17.” (ESV)

It is all the non-believers in the world who should convince us who believe in God Almighty that we have a different spirit than we had before we believed; for by God’s grace and because of the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, we became Christians. As we read in John 3:6 where Jesus explained to his night-time visitor, Nikodemus “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”  A true believer can soon tell whether he is born of the Spirit by the change in his life. Just as we considered a few days ago, our new spiritual birth brings to us new love. Our love results in joyfulness. Joyfulness fills our heart and we have peace. Our peace is present in establishing our patience. Patiently we offer kindness to all. Kindness develops into goodness. We advance in faithfulness because of the goodness. We learn self-control from faithfully trusting.  None of this fruit happens if we do not first receive a new-spirit from God who has given us a new creation and done away with the old. What blessed promises.   

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March 29 – Long Time In Preparation

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”   Matthew 25:34 (NIV)

These words were spoken by Jesus in His teaching about the Judgment Day.  He was predicting how He will take part in that judgment at the end of times.  We have selected this verse because they show us how God has prepared to reward those who follow Him faithfully.  God has promised certain outcomes for those who choose to reject Him and blessings for those who choose to respond with faith believing and receive the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.  This preparation began long long ago.  Our verse reminds us that God has been preparing these blessings since He created the world.  Nothing catches our Lord God by surprise and we cannot, as some say “pull the wool over His eyes.”  God knows exactly what is happening, what has happened and what will happen.  The promise of what will happen for those who believe is from Him and the preparation is in His hands.  It is going to happen, God promises that. 

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October 21 – Overflowing Grace

“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” John 1:16 (NIV)

We all want to be showered with unending blessings from God each day. Today's verse is the promise of that. It is from the Apostle John's record of how Jesus came out of eternity to spend time as a human being here on earth. Jesus the Son was with God the Father at the creation of the world. John wrote in the Gospel of John recording how Jesus spent nearly 33 years living as a human and walking among His human creatures. In this verse we are reminded how much Jesus has provided for us. He speaks of grace upon grace which is the abundance of our blessing when we have trusted in Jesus. Through Him we have become children of God. He gives joy and peace and the assurance of His presence. 

August 5

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.” Psalm 18:16 (NIV)

This is a quote from another of David’s songs written after he was delivered from those who had tried to kill him. These words are like a picture of what God does for His children. He is in heaven. He is ruling over the whole of His creation. But although He is a great God, He is concerned about His children and He does watch over us. Although He is in heaven He does get involved with our situations. He reaches down from on high. And He does deliver us when we trust Him. He gets personally involved with us. David’s God is our God. 

July 5

“The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you.”  Psalm 145:9-10 (NIV)

These verses tell us of God’s attitude toward His creation and then of the response which His creation makes to Him. I believe that the emphasis in these verses is upon God’s work in a spiritual realm. When we accept Jesus as Savior we become a new creation by faith. God has a special feeling for us His children. He makes us new and then has a special compassion for us. And those who experience God’s love and compassion want to praise Him and to extol Him. So you, as His child, can apply these words to yourself.

February 18

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

This is the difference between the things God has created and God Himself. Even the mountains which seem so majestic and imposing can be shaken. They are a part of our world but not eternal. God is eternal. He has always been and He will always be. He has always been a God of love and He will always be loving. The world will change, but not God’s love for His own. He reminds us that “His unfailing love for us will not be shaken.”