COME THIRSTY!!

WEEK 6 OF OUR 6 WEEK STUDY IS HERE : )

I ask you friend, where does your hope lie? I have challenged not only you, but myself as well the last 6 weeks to really dig deep into our personal relationship with the LORD. How on earth did we forget the significance of a personal relationship with Jesus? There is nothing more important. Without Him we are nothing. Without Him we have no strength, direction or comfort.

We are a people with a Living Hope for our Savior Lives!

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:3-9 ESV.

Salvation in Christ is kept by the Father. Guarded for it is precious. Our faith strengthens through the trials that are necessary to forge our image to reflect the Son. On that day of great rejoicing, the clouds will be rolled back like a scroll and our eyes will behold our LORD. The keeper of our souls. Our redeemer and KING! What a glorious day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see and I look upon His face, the one who saved me by His grace. When he takes me by the hand and leads me to the Promised Land. What a day glorious day that will be.

I want to be found genuine in my Faith, don’t you? May we glory in the cross from now until he calls us home and may we light a path for all generations coming behind us that they may be the image bearers God has called us all to be.

Peter was encouraging the Jews in this passage to not forget their living hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were facing many trials being “resident aliens” in foreign lands, but Peter was attempting to help them see past their temporary trials that would be only for a little while and would be well worth the journey. He encourages us all in this passage to stay true to our faith and who we are in Christ.

We like the Jews get caught up in the temporary issues and situations that bombard our lives, but we must remember to keep that focus on what matters. Live Your Truth! Point to the only hope anyone will ever have in this life and the next. The more aware we become of God the more Intune we will be with His will for our lives.

James continues with the encouragement in James chapter 1 ESV

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Now in the NKJV instead of servant the term used is bondservant. This is defined as a person bound in service without wages.

The Jewish people had been scattered by God as prophesied because they had rejected the covenant of God. James goes on to encourage that the testing of our faith produces good things that we may be complete and lack nothing. To inquire of God and truly seek Him asking for wisdom. God would never frown on a child asking for wisdom for we need it. It is good for us to seek the wisdom of God for guidance in our lives.

The condition however is to ask in faith without any doubt. This passage goes on to compare one with doubt like a wave of the sea tossed about by the wind. When we come to God in prayer, we should pray with expectations in a God that can and will do all things for our good. Doubt is straddling the fence. Questioning God and his ability to move and work in your life. Either you’re in or you’re out. 110% or none at all. The Christian walk is not for the faint of heart. When I think of a good example in the bible about seeking the wisdom of God and his faithfulness in answering our request it is the story of Gideon. In the book of Judges chapter 6:

³⁶ Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, ³⁷ behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” ³⁸ And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. ³⁹ Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” ⁴⁰ And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

God honored Gideon’s request. Gideon received God’s instruction and sought wisdom in faith he asked and in faith he responded once he received his answer. He built an alter to honor God and tore down the alter of Baal as instructed. Even though God’s people had lost their way, God provided a way for them to return to Him and get them back on track. Let us not forget the powerful God we serve. A God who deserves to be first in our lives. May we not be found doubting or being referenced as a double-minded (undecided) man unstable in all his ways. So, I ask you again friend, where does your hope lie?

Gideon was mighty alright, mighty brave. Whenever I think of the way that played out and how he doubted and questioned, but God honored and guided in wisdom. Truly a beautiful story of God’s love and understanding when it comes to His children. Which leads us to our final point with this next incredible story.

²² Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet ²³ and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” ²⁴ And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. ²⁵ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. ²⁷ She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” ²⁹ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰ And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ³¹ And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ³² And he looked around to see who had done it. ³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ³⁴ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.”

³⁵ While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” ³⁶ But overhearing^[e] what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷ And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸ They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus^[f] saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰ And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. ⁴¹ Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴² And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 

Mark 5: 22-42

What a beautiful story of faith. She reached out in faith and was made whole. She merely touched the hem of his garment, and He was very much aware of her presence. May we choose to be aware of God for He is always aware of us. He knows what we need before we do. Remain steadfast in your walk and faithful to God. Surround yourself with fellow Christians so that you can be encouragers of one another. We need to hold ourselves accountable and do better. God deserves our very best and nothing less. He deserves to be ruler of our hearts and lives.

I have truly enjoyed this 6-week study. God has spoken to my heart and His word has taken root and revealed some areas in my life that really need work. We are always a work in progress so don’t get discouraged. My plan is to continue working on improving myself for God and my commitment to him. I hope to reflect only the goodness of God from my life for others to come to His saving grace. What is done for Christ in this life is all that matters. I want to build a legacy for my family around Him and Him alone. One that is promised for the generations to come. May you seek God in all His wisdom in faith for your lives.

Until next time my fellow brothers and sisters : )

God Bless.