First of All, Pray: Blog
Bringing Biblical Truths to Daily Life
1 Peter 1:8-9—Faith in the unseen Lord
…and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and kamagra lemarocsportif.com full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9
… though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and… though you do not see Him now…
“You can’t prove that Jesus is real. Have you ever seen Him? Can you see Him now?”
Ever talked with someone like this? Our generation is loaded with cynics, forever questioning your faith in Jesus, demanding proof. If you can’t produce evidence, then Jesus doesn’t exist, according to their rationale.
Even back in Peter’s day, although he himself had been a part of the Lord’s inner circle, the vast majority of souls to whom the apostle ministered had no personal recollection of Jesus Christ.
Did Peter consider himself superior to folks like this? Did he possess an “edge” around the “less enlightened”—those who had never known Jesus personally as he did?
No! Instead of constantly name-dropping about his earthly connection to the Lord, Peter marveled at the faith that pulsated in those who had never seen.
…and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and… believe in Him…
Peter wrote this with wonder, a glowing assessment of the genuineness of their faith. They who had never seen Jesus walked by love and faith not based on sight.
On the other hand, Jesus had said to Peter’s friend Thomas (the one who had demanded to see), “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:29).
There’s something extremely potent about believing without seeing…
… you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory…
This was no phony fanaticism. Pure joy bubbled up from within them despite the opposition they encountered on a daily basis. This joy was deeply rooted and uncontainable. Not based on circumstances, its source was from above and beyond their ability to express in full measure—but God’s glory saturated every manifestation of their joy.
…obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
Faith is a state of being—being assured of the things you hope for and being convinced of the things you don’t see (see Hebrews 11:1).
And faith obtains. Always.
Hebrews 11:7-38 lists a sampling of all that faith obtained in the lives of those who went before us. By faith mountains move, bodies are healed, men are delivered, women are empowered, children are set free, and nations are turned to God.
But at the summit of all wonderful things which faith can obtain is this: Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your soul.
Nothing is more precious and nothing is more valuable than your soul. It cost the blood of Jesus to ransom you from the hater of your soul, the devil. Jesus paid an exorbitant price—a torturous death on the cross while bearing the sin of the world—to attain your freedom from the tyrant from hell.
And as you grab hold of Him as your Rescuer and Lord by faith…you obtain the best outcome available in the universe—the salvation of your soul.
Never downplay the magnitude of the faith that lives in your heart. Never dismiss the eternal value and significance of the salvation of your soul.
Because of your faith in Him whom you have not seen, you will have an inexpressibly joyful and http://aetechnologies.com/de/propecia-rezeptfrei-bestellen-deutschland/ glorious forever.
Dorothy
…Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. John 20:29
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
A dream warning
I had a dream early this morning and decided to interrupt our study of 1 Peter, chapter 1, to share it with you:
Had an interesting dream just before I woke up this morning. I was walking along a highway at a comfortable pace, and then saw the flow of traffic (at night) thick, fast, and loud, with cars zipping by, recognizable only by the streaks of light and sound they created.
Then I heard a voice say to me as I was about to step in to join the flow, “Don’t let yourself be destroyed by other people’s forward progress.”
That seems so backward in today’s society and even in the church world. But it rang true to me.
God’s not a frenetic God. He’s not nervously twitching to keep up with anyone. Nor is He a frenetic taskmaster. He doesn’t “clock” us with His stopwatch or berate us to keep up with the pack. No; He’s the Shepherd who walks ahead of the flock, not a driver who pushes the herd from behind with whips, sharp prods, and snapping dogs.
He’s the God who not only created the cheetah, but He’s also the God who created the turtle. I’ve never observed a turtle (or a dachshund or an elephant or any other member of the animal kingdom) berate itself because it can’t zip around the forest at 70 mph. No; the turtle is content to stroll at its own pace, filling its part in the Big Picture–the part it was uniquely created to fill.
May we have such wisdom and press on–at the unique pace God’s set for each one of us–and not let ourselves be destroyed by anyone else’s forward progress.
Dorothy
1 Peter 1:6-7—The proof of your faith
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…1 Peter1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice…
Why the rejoicing? Here’s why:
- You are protected by the power of God.
- You don’t have to depend on your own mental or physical prowess, but you receive this protection through faith.
- The complete package of all that belongs to you in salvation will be revealed in the last times (verse 5).
… even though now for a little while if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials…
However, despite that incomparable salvation and acquista cenforce 100mg bibleembroidery.com wonderful hope you have attained through faith, there is this awkward thing called the troubled here and now…
Think about it. There you are, with the full counsel of the Word of God sitting in your lap, and yet you have experienced the intensity of hard times and trials that never seem to end! And if that’s the way you feel right now, there’s some good news packed up in what Peter said. He boldly wrote “now for a little while”.
Before you snort, “Yea, right! ‘A little while’”, here’s a devil-busting nugget of truth you can cling to when all hell is breaking loose: It IS just for a little while! The Bible says so!
You still don’t believe it? Well, here’s a second witness—Paul the apostle. In the middle of all of the craziness and compounded persecution that Paul faced in his life, he stated, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” (2 Corinthians 4: 17, NIV).
Yes, trials are distressing. But the key to enduring to the end is in the perspective—it’s just for a little while. It’s only temporary —momentary.
…so that the proof of your faith…even though tested by fire…
When you are experiencing the bitter difficulties of life, it’s extremely valuable to not only view them as momentary—lasting for only a little time—but to recognize that every single bummer you face can be counted as a test. Why? Because tests—like the ones you took in school—come to an end!
That’s what the word “proof” means here—a test. And what is being tested is your faith—your assurance, confidence, and solid trust in Jesus Christ and His loving provision for you.
The tester—the one whose goal is to rip your faith out of your inner man and to desecrate it by impelling you to cast away your confidence in Christ with every fiery circumstance, thought, mood, and attack he can orchestrate—is the devil. The one who throws fiery ordeals your way with an ugly vengeance is not the Lover of your soul.
But in the middle of every difficulty and http://www.updev.fr/viagra-au-meilleur-prix/ every ordeal, you have the right to walk through it with the Teacher—the One who is the Lover of your soul—Who will hold your hand, helping and guiding you every step of the way. And the only thing He’ll test you with is this: Will you cling to His Word in the midst of the enemy’s evil test? The evil is from the enemy; the Word you receive in your heart is from God. (See John 10:10.)
The wonderful thing is that Satan always overplays his hand. His attacks, meant to destroy your faith, actually prove your faith as you hold fast to the Lord. All those fiery darts he launches your way—with all their hateful intent—will only serve to purify and beautify your trust in Jesus as you keep your gaze fixed on Him.
Paul said it this way: “…look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Keep your sights fixed on your Teacher and His Word; don’t fixate on the circumstances threatening your demise. This is the time-tested method by which God brings His kids through every test safe and sound.
… being more precious than gold which is perishable…
Peter said “the proof of your faith” is “more precious than gold which is perishable”. Is it the faith itself or the testing of your faith that is more precious than gold? I’ve heard both interpretations. But this is what I truly believe Peter was saying here: Your tested faith—the very faith you carried with you into the furnace of testing and then by it emerged—victorious, despite the hateful storms that blew your way—that is the faith which is more precious than gold. That kind of faith is imperishable. And that kind of faith—in embryonic form—is the very substance God planted in your heart when you first believed—whether you feel it or not.
… may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
It isn’t the test that brings glory to God; it’s the faith that comes out of the test, despite the test, even though battered by the test, but triumphant nonetheless; that—your proven faith—is what will result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
May the proof of your faith result in praise and glory and honor to God.
Dorothy
But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:10
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
1 Peter 1:5—Protected by the power of God
…who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:5
I have experienced amazing close calls and supernatural deliverances from death and harm in my life. I have documented several of these experiences in this blog, FirstOfAllPray.com. Here are a few of my testimonies:
“Ever thought you might be martyred???”
God’s supplemental insurance policy, Part 3
I definitely have confidence that part of our inheritance from the Lord is access to His protection for our physical bodies here on the earth. I believe, however, that this particular verse refers to our spiritual protection even more so than our physical safety.
… who are protected by the power of God through faith…
A very important nugget is revealed in this portion of Scripture: You are protected by the power of God through faith. Whether you seek God for physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual protection, all protection from God is best accessed by faith in His faithfulness, His covenant, and His great mercy. And as I have seen in my own life, sometimes my faith is very small—yet even then He has come through for me. When you experience Divine intervention in any way—whether you exercised your faith for it or not—rejoice and give thanks to God for what He accomplished on your behalf. I believe that a thankful heart paves the way for future help from Him even when your faith starts to falter.
How do you develop faith to counter all the fearful thoughts, events, and lurking dangers out there? The best way I know to do this is to find Bible verses on God’s protection, copy them, and absorb them. Live in them until they become a part of your very being—a part of your DNA. Although I believe that 1 Peter 1:5 has more to do with spiritual protection than with physical safety, the Bible is loaded with other verses that promise His protection for our bodies in the here and now. But again…as Peter stated in verse 5, this protection is accessed through faith in Him.
… for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Jesus once said, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36) You can live a secure, prosperous, satisfying life throughout your time on the planet, but if you haven’t invested in your eternal soul through a relationship with God built on faith in Jesus, everything you’ve built and worked for will evaporate the very instant you take your last breath.
Conversely, you may have struggles, issues, lack, and unanswered, nagging questions during your lifetime. However, if you have invested in your eternal soul through entering into a relationship with God through faith in Christ, for you the doors of Heaven will open wide on the day you breathe your last. For you, salvation is ready to be revealed in that last time.
Why then, does someone who is already a believer need to be protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed? Because so many pitfalls, snares, temptations, and trials cross our paths that without the keeping power of God, many of us would likely follow the advice of Job’s wife, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9)
Have you ever been tempted to give up on your faith? On God? On the church? On life? Evidently, you’re not alone, and God has made provision for this very possibility by providing for you His keeping, protective power. All He requires is faith—not great faith (which, at low times, you will not have)—He requires a tiny grain of faith—a mustard seed of faith, a barely utterable squeak of faith—and in return, He will be the unseen Presence with you in the midst of your darkest hour, guarding you, helping you, steadying you until you come out on the other side of your pain, chaos, and confusion.
Yes, I have been delivered out of many potentially deadly scenarios, and for that I will be ever grateful. But even more amazing, humbling, and praiseworthy is that God—time and again—has rescued me and kept me safe and secure from the unseen, spiritual forces of darkness intent upon leveraging me away from the blessed hope and assurance that I have in Jesus Christ—forces bent upon robbing me of that salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. God’s keeping power toward me—and you—is sufficient to preserve us in Him for the rest of our lives.
And for that, I am eternally thankful!
Dorothy
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:27-29
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
1 Peter 1:4—An inheritance
…to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…1 Peter 1:4
INHERITANCE!
Think about it! You have been named as the beneficiary of an unlimited, immeasurable inheritance.
Every single person who believes in Jesus is named in this magnificent will, written and signed in the blood of Jesus, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and authorized by none other than the Creator of the universe Himself.
And if I’m reading Peter’s letter correctly, you obtain this amazing inheritance through your living hope in Christ (see verse 3).
No doubt—it’s a good thing to be named as someone’s heir. They may still be alive, but your name is right there in the will. Their assets are still their own—you can’t access them as long as the person is alive—but upon their death (and then a waiting period of roughly six or so months in many cases in the US), those assets start showing up in your account.
Jesus shared some of His treasure—forgiveness, healings, deliverances—while He was alive on the earth, but it wasn’t until He died at Calvary that there was a transfer of funds from His account to yours. And again, according to Peter, the avenue by which you obtain this inheritance is through the living hope birthed in your heart by faith in His resurrection from the dead.
… reserved in heaven for you…
When my dad passed away seven years ago, I didn’t automatically gain access to the entire portion that he willed to me, even though when he was alive, he would bless me from time to time from his accounts. I did, however, receive a part of the inheritance he had specifically placed in my name to be received immediately upon his death. All I had to do to access those assets was to present the death certificate to the one in charge of that particular account. Life insurance is distributed in a similar manner—no probate and no waiting upon creditors to claim their share.
I have a theory that our inheritance in Christ is similar to this. First, all of us receive from Christ’s treasure before we know Him. We may not be aware of it; most of the time we are clueless when the Lord intervenes on our behalf and bestows a blessing on us—but Jesus is generous to the godly and the ungodly alike—and He pulls from His treasure chest of kindness as He seeks to bring each one of us to repentance.
When you become born again to a living hope through your faith in His resurrection, you’re still alive and well on planet earth, yet you are an entirely new being. You start learning about Him, His loving nature, and the specific treasure He has stored up for those who are called by His name. And you start making withdrawals on that inheritance which is reserved—stored away—in Heaven for you. Prayers get answered and you grow in grace.
But the full inheritance is not what we see, hear, or experience here on the earth. The full inheritance—from which we make prayer withdrawals now in this life—is reserved for us in Heaven—to be revealed to us on that Day when we see Him face to face. Right now, as the apostle Paul wrote, we only know in part. But then—when we arrive in Heaven—we will know fully, as fully as He has known us (see 1 Corinthians 13:12).
… an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away…
The inheritance we humans receive from our parents can perish all too easily. We can spend it all; the banks that hold it can collapse; the stock market in which it is stored may crash; someone could sue us for every dime, and, whoosh! there it goes; the buildings and properties we’ve received from our parents can burn down or blow away in a raging storm.
But the inheritance from God is imperishable. It will never be spent up; it will never collapse, crash, burn, or blow away. The inheritance you have received from God is indestructible and limitless.
Your inheritance from God is undefiled. Whereas wealth can be accumulated by unscrupulous methods—through fraud, taking bribes, charging outrageous interest, lying, stealing, and all other manner of devious, manipulative scheming—the inheritance from God is clean. It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it (see Proverbs 10:22). The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds (Psalm 145:17).
The inheritance of the Lord will not fade away. God will never slowly lose interest in you; He will never phase you out of His good graces—nor will His inheritance for you ever run out or lose its magnificence. It is imperishable; it is undefiled; it will never fade away.
It is reserved in Heaven—for you.
Dorothy
But as it is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9, International Standard Version
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
1 Peter 1:3—The living hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…1 Peter 1:3
Blessed. Great mercy. Born again. Living hope. Resurrection from the dead. This is the vocabulary of the redeemed. These are the flashing neon lights pointing ever upward in a dark and fallen world.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…
Your God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is blessed. Before time began He was blessed; He has remained blessed throughout history; He is blessed now; and He will always be blessed forever and ever. He will never not be blessed—this fact stands as a pillar of truth for all eternity.
… who according to His great mercy…
Everything that God does, He does in mercy—the mercy which endures forever. It never runs out; it never stops; it never ends.
God plans according to mercy; He works behind the scenes according to mercy; He displays His power according to mercy; He enacts His great promises according to His mercy. He moves silently among us according to His great mercy.
… has caused us to be born again…
It is according to His great mercy that you have been drawn to Him. Your curiosity, your hunger, your restless questions—all were stimulated and agitated by His tender mercy toward you. And that moment you recognized your very real need for a Savior? It was brought to you by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—according to His great mercy. You responded; the Son of God entered your life by your invitation; and you were born again.
… to a living hope…
One key ingredient that is birthed within you when you are born again is an undeniable, unquenchable, unfading hope. This hope is not the fleeting, fickle hope of one who wishes to win the lottery or who hopes for the sun to come out tomorrow; no. This hope is alive. It was born within you when you were born from above; and it permeates your very being every day, quietly propelling you to keep going; prompting you to look up; helping you to stay strong; and steadying you like an anchor. As you fix your hope on the living God, you come to realize that He carries you through the ups and downs of life as your personal Guide, Instructor, Counselor, and Security Guard. This is your birth right—an indestructible living hope.
…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Your hope is supported by nothing less than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Hope that clings to anything less is wasted energy, but the hope that draws its strength from that certain dawn when the stone was rolled away and the Lord rose victorious over death and the grave—now that’s a hope that’s been to hell and back—and lives triumphantly to rejoice over every other foe through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Dorothy
…we have fixed our hope on the living God…1 Timothy 4:10a
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
1 Peter 1:1-2—Greetings
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. 1 Peter 1:1-2
I have a confession to make: Whenever I start one of the New Testament letters, I zip right through the opening part, scanning until I land on the “meat” of the section.
If you’re anything like me, you do the same thing. And, like me, you run the risk of passing over some life-changing, mini-explosions of truth.
Take Peter’s first letter, for example. His salutation is loaded with power-packed nuggets.
To those who reside as aliens, scattered…
The very minute these folks opened their hearts to the redemptive touch of Jesus Christ, they became branded as enemies of the state and of traditional religious concerns. As a result, new converts were forced to go underground or to pull up roots, scattering in all directions from the epicenter of anti-Christian persecution. They were now aliens in their own land…and foreigners in the lands to which they escaped.
Not only were they displaced physically—making them aliens in a natural sense—but as Peter pointed out later in his letter, by their faith in Jesus, they had also become spiritual aliens to the entire world system:
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
Like them, you, too, are an alien to this current world system if you have received Jesus as your Lord. As uncomfortable or uncool as that may seem, it is the rock-bottom, sober truth. You have been born from above; never again are you to take your cues or calling from the course of this world—your directives and identity from here on out are from the Father and His Word.
… who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father…
You may have been chosen last on every team; you may have always sat home on prom night, dateless; you may still experience being overlooked or dismissed by your peers. But there is One—the only One who really matters when all is said and done—who searched through the annals of time and found you…and chose you—from among the cream of the crop—to be His own. And now, through faith in His Son, you are His. You are chosen. You will always be His chosen one.
… by the sanctifying work of the Spirit…
There is so much that degrades and defiles on this earth. None of us have remained unaffected by the downward spiral of this world’s fallen system. From gloomy depression to fiery rage; from uncontrollable lust to uncontainable greed; from insatiable violence to inconsolable self-pity—each of us has experienced the tyranny of sin. Whether you are stuck in the perpetual role of the defeated underdog, or you find yourself groping blindly in unending invisibility, or you’ve become bloated with the heady hot air of perceived self-importance—none of us have emerged entirely unscathed.
Enter the Spirit of God upon the cry of a man when he first recognizes his need for a Savior. From that very moment the sanctifying work of the Spirit begins—setting the man apart as God’s child and continuing with the man for the rest of his days. Though the man falls a time or two, the Spirit of God will pick him up and dust him off and will continue to guide him and help him throughout life. On the day the man takes his last breath, the Spirit of God will be with him and will usher him to his eternal home.
… to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood…
The Holy Spirit sets us apart; the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Because of this, we are free agents—no longer bogged down in the quagmire of sin and destruction—liberated to obey Jesus, the Shepherd of our souls, and to be His disciples.
May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
This is the heart of the New Covenant. Grace has been poured out upon you for the taking. Peace—depth of peace in the midst of the world’s turbulence—has been reserved for you in Christ. Grace and peace are stored up to your account, ready to be accessed, never running out, fully supplied for you in this life and throughout the span of eternity. In the fullest measure, grace and peace are yours…in Christ Jesus.
Dorothy
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
God’s supplemental insurance policy, Part 6
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.” Psalm 41:1-3
This entry is the last in this series. If you haven’t read the other parts, go ahead and scroll down to read them first. There are qualifications to be met in this policy; you need to determine if you want to pay the price before you take advantage of it.
How blessed is he who considers the helpless… The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.
Changes stemming from a fundamental transformation in healthcare, governing style, and societal focus are taking hold all around us. Added to this mix is an upswing in the number and virulence of dangerous diseases and pathogens. Because of that, it is essential, now more than ever, that you take to heart the provisions listed in Psalm 41:1-3.
According to the psalmist, you are blessed when you consider the helpless; the benefits that you receive in return will be a lifeline and refuge in times of instability and uncertainty. By blessing those who are less fortunate, you are investing in a policy with great dividends for your life, both now and in the future. And as you listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and step out to assist someone else—whether in word, encouragement, listening, finances, service, or giving of your resources—you will build upon God’s stability and safety in your own life and will sow blessing into your later years.
Folks have expressed concern over what will happen to the quality and ease-of-access to healthcare in the years to come. In light of this, a very interesting provision of policy #PS41-1-3 is “The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.” This provision is supplemental to “The Finished Work” policy (TFW) which was made available to you through the atoning death of Jesus Christ.
In the TFW policy, Jesus bore your sicknesses and carried your diseases, and by His stripes you were healed (see Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:17, and 1 Peter 2:24). He did so freely and without charge to you. He heals all your diseases (Psalm 103:3b). He sent His Word to heal you and delivered you from your destructions (see Psalm 107:20). He desires that in all respects you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers (see 3 John 2).
Now is the time to soak up these truths—truths straight from the Word of God. Yes, the times are challenging and will likely become more challenging still, but God has equipped you—by His Word, by the rich heritage of precept and example handed down through the decades and centuries past by men and women of God, and by the Holy Spirit Himself—to stand fast in the face of every contrary decree against the truth.
Into this mix add Psalm 41. The number of helpless folks could very well increase even more in the near future, and the Lord is poised to help them; He longs to help some of them through you. As He leads you to this one or that, granting you wisdom and insight as to how to help, don’t be afraid to part with of some of your hard-earned resources in the process. The expenditures will be worth it, and the dividends will be rich.
Always hang onto your #PS41-1-3 policy, and keep it up to date. It is a privilege and a pleasure to sow into it as the Lord leads—whether in large amounts or small. While others around you may be in dread, you can smile with confidence at your future as one who keeps your policy current. Will you get sick? Policy #PS41-1-3 states that the Lord will sustain you upon your sickbed. Will you become ill? Policy #PS41-1-3 also declares that in your illness, God will restore you to health.
This amazing policy will remain in effect despite what happens around you. As you purpose in your heart to obey the Lord in considering the helpless, you will be blessed.
- The Lord will deliver you in the day of trouble
- The Lord will protect you and keep you alive
- You will be called blessed upon the earth
- You will not be delivered to the desires of your enemies
- The Lord will sustain you upon your sickbed
- In illness, the Lord will restore you to health.
How blessed are you! You will be sustained; you will be restored!
Dorothy
God’s supplemental insurance policy, Part 5
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.” Psalm 41:1-3
This entry is the fifth of a series. If you haven’t read the first four parts, go ahead and scroll down to read them first. There are qualifications to be met in this policy; you need to determine if you want to pay the price before you take advantage of it.
Blessed is he who considers the poor…You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. (NKJV)
Included in “The Finished Work” policy (TFW), made possible by the shed blood of Jesus, you will find this mission statement: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8b). You can rest assured that the living God, your Insurer, is very aware of the schemes, plots, and attacks against you; it was because of your Number One enemy, the devil, that He was manifested in the flesh in the first place—to destroy Satan’s mastery over your life. Remember, everything included in the TFW policy is yours free of charge and paid for in full.
However, even though the TFW policy is more than enough, God has also offered you the supplemental policy, #PS41-1-3, as a help to you, assisting you as you navigate the unseen realm of your faith. And one provision of this policy is that He will not give you over to the will of your enemies.
Have you ever experienced the rage of someone who hated you for no reason? Have you ever been targeted by those who seemed intent on destroying your reputation—or your life? Although someone may, at this very moment, be zeroing in on you to intimidate or ruin you, there is one thing they haven’t counted on—God will not deliver you to the will of your enemies. God will not leave you or forsake you to their devices.
Here’s how you have already paid into this policy, #PS41-1-3: you’ve given to the poor and have blessed the helpless. You have been sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and you lent a hand to someone in need. Moved with compassion, you gave your shoulder to a rejected or grieving soul to cry upon; you yielded to the Counselor as you gently spoke His Word to the hurting. You are blessed—you have considered the helpless. You are doing your part.
Blessed is he who considers the poor…You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
No matter what strategies or tactics your enemy may employ, God has pre-strategized to give you the edge. You can count on it—God will not deliver you to the will of your enemies.
It is written, “A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.” (Psalm 91:7-10)
Despite the threats you may see or hear, if you have made the Lord your refuge and the Most High your dwelling place, no evil will befall you. He will not deliver you to the desire of your foe.
It is also written, “‘No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,’ declares the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17).
No matter how powerful the weapon formed against you may be, it will not prosper. When you are accused in judgment, you yourself will condemn every word spoken. This is your heritage, and your vindication is from God. He will not deliver you to the desire of your enemies.
You, like David of old, may be under extreme attack. “O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no deliverance for him in God’” (Psalm 3:1-2).
Like David, however, you can proclaim with confidence, “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head” (Psalm 3:3).
No matter how many rise up against you, no matter how they mock or jeer, the Lord is a shield for you. He is your glory and the lifter of your head. And He will not give you over to the will of your foes.
I challenge you to meditate often upon these truths. Treasure God’s mighty provision of deliverance in your heart. Boast before Him about His faithfulness toward you as you approach His Throne, and make mention of His personal kindness wherever you go.
You are a blessed one; you consider the helpless. God will not deliver you to the will of your enemies. Bank on it.
Dorothy
God’s supplemental insurance policy, Part 4
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.” Psalm 41:1-3
This entry is the fourth of a series. If you haven’t read the first three parts, go ahead and scroll down and read them first. There are qualifications to be met in this policy; you need to determine if you want to pay the price before you take advantage of it.
How blessed is he who considers the helpless…he shall be called blessed upon the earth.
An interesting aspect of the #PS41-1-3 insurance policy is that it provides coverage for the reputation of the holder. I know of no other policy like it.
However, having taught eighth grade for over two decades, I became very familiar with an obsession that gripped many of the youth I taught—and indeed much of the culture: FAME. At any cost. A huge majority of my young teens craved to be famous and wanted to grow up to be known by the masses as the “it” singer, dancer, musician, basketball player, football player, actor, actress, model, or stand-up comic. For so many of them, the district’s mandated career education curriculum was valuable only so long as it could support their dream of popularity and renown. And during my career, as social media became more widespread, the intensity of this obsession only increased.
…he shall be called blessed upon the earth.
Fame, wealth, and popularity add up to being “blessed”, right? In the minds of many Americans (and even Christians), the answer to that question is YES. Yet, how many famous individuals do we hear stating their thankfulness for all their blessings—their fame and fortune—and then they appear nude in their next film, video, or photo shoot, or they end up on the wrong side of the law, cussing out some fan, striking a photographer, resisting a police officer…or taking their own life?
I wonder if we really “get it” as a society anymore.
So many precious, talented young ones from Christian homes have been “blessed” with fame and wealth; yet sadly, their lifestyles all too often decry the God they once said they loved. Instead of despising these individuals, however, my heart groans for them to see truth and to turn back to the God of their childhood. Are the adults in their lives, for fear of judging them, enabling the demise of their talented prodigies as they plunge unchallenged into destruction? Ezekiel 33:6 comes to mind: “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’”
What does “blessed” mean, then? Perhaps, in light of our culture’s current use of that word, it’s helpful to take a look at what it doesn’t mean.
Jesus said this. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way” (Luke 6:26). Evidently, having others speak well of you isn’t always the same thing as being called blessed in the earth. Sometimes, popularity is not a great thing; sometimes it is an indication of being an accomplished man-pleaser.
Ask a few of the heavyweights in the Bible about popularity. How about Joseph when he was thrown into the pit and imprisoned? How about David when Saul sought to hunt him down and kill him? How about Moses when he fled into the desert from his fellow Israelites in fear of their rage at his attempted intervention? Ask Jeremiah about popularity when his prophecies were called false by the leaders of his time, and he was placed in stocks (see Jeremiah 20) or thrown into a cistern (see Jeremiah 38). Ask the apostle Paul if he was the most popular preacher of his day. Ask the Lord if He prioritized popularity during the three years of His earth ministry.
Indeed, Paul said this about the sum total of what others would call his personal blessings: “…whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7). As for being called blessed during his own lifetime, other Christians said of Paul, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible” (see 2 Corinthians 10:10).
How blessed is he who considers the helpless…he shall be called blessed upon the earth…
Discern your own life by God’s standards. You may not always feel blessed; others may not always perceive you as blessed; but if you honor God in considering the helpless, you are blessed whether it is apparent or not.
There’s a stark contrast between the one who ministers—often secretly—to a needy soul and the one who is obsessed with how he appears to others. When you consider the helpless, you will be called blessed upon the earth—perhaps not by others, but most definitely by the Lord. “And your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:4b).
In this age of glitz, glam, and greed for prestige, you are free not to walk in lock-step with the false values by which this culture derives its measure of worth and effectiveness. You are free to obey God, however He may lead you—and as you go, consider the helpless. The door to true blessing—the eternal variety—will open before you. And no man will be able to shut it. Ask Joseph, David, or Moses. Ask Jeremiah or Paul. Ask Jesus Himself.
Consider the helpless, and your blessings will be blessings indeed.
Dorothy
How blessed is he who considers the helpless…he shall be called blessed upon the earth…