I Will Never Leave You

We have a God of new beginnings.  Every day is a new day, and with it comes the promise, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  So we can say with confidence,

 “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid."  Hebrews 13:5,6.

 

God is a God of grace, hope, and new life.  The Bible teaches this from the first page to the last, and we must believe it and act upon it every day.  If we want to be change how we act and think, there are 3 things we must not do: 

1.  Our failures must be left behind                                                                                         
The devil wants to keep us prisoners of the past, and that's why he fills our mind with lies about our past.    Instead, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sin and CLEANSE US from all our unrighteousness."  (1John 1:9).  "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) 

If we believe and have truly repented of past sin God freely and immediately forgives because of Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross.  In His sight we are completely cleansed and free of all condemnation.  Our part is to RECEIVE His full pardon.  rejoice in it, and live for now on in obedience to God's Word... and not look back. 

2.   Our hurts must be left behind    
If you ever have been hurt by anyone, even someone we love and trusted, we want the wounds done to our heart to heal over time, but sometimes they don't. You may have forgiven them, but are still hurting.  Unless we completely release them from the wrongs done to us we will never completely heal.  If there is any bitterness at all or holding on to what that person has made you to become, or wish punishment would still come to them, then our forgiveness is incomplete and we are still left in chains. 

Christ did not hold back anything, not even a grudge.  He prayed for God's mercy for those who drove the nails into his hands.  It's not worth going through another day holding on the to wounds that God is able to completely heal when we completely forgive. 

3.  Our low expectations must be left behind
God wants to establish His kingdom here and He want to do it through His people.  Your perceptions and expectation we hold for ourselves as a child of God will determine to what extent we will give God use of our life.  If we are convinced that there are others around us who can do the job better... people more spiritual or courageous, we leave no room in our heart for God to use us.  God's Word says this about us as believers:

• It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  (Galatians 2:20)
• You shall have power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you... (Acts 1:8)
• God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline. (2Timothy 1:7)
• For whatever is born of God overcomes... and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our FAITH.  (1 John 5:4)

We must believe what God says we can do through Christ and be used by God in ways we never imagined.  pray for one another that we will walk with Jesus in such a way that will bring glory and honor to His name.