Skip to main content

Saturday... He has the upper hand.


Saturday... He has the upper hand.

As I read in Psalms 74, Isaiah 14 and Hebrews 12 this morning I came to the conclusion that no matter what is happening around us, God has the upper hand. 

In the last two verses of Hebrews 12, verses 28 & 29 (NLT) says, "Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire."  He has the upper hand. He really does. He knows what he is doing. He has been through this before.

The writer stars this chapter in verse 1 by saying, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." They know that God has the upper hand but they also know what will hold us back and they know what we need to do. 

Verse 2 says, "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne." Then verse 3 says, "Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up." 

In Jesus' humanness he had times that I'm sure he wanted to give up but he also knew his Father and that he has the upper hand. Yes the agony of the cross was happening but just around the corner there was the resurrection and a "place of honor beside God's throne."

Yes, "Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up." Jesus knew that his Father had the upper hand.

Two verses in Hebrews 11 are important for us to see. Verse 1 says, "Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see." And we need to remember what verse 6 says, "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."

Remember, God has the upper hand. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

   

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Monday... He did it by Himself

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...

Wednesday... It didn't just happen.

Psalm 16;10 (NLT), "For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave." Wednesday... It didn't just happen. We are headed into a weekend of deep emotion. One that we really really love was killed and it didn't just happen. David in Psalm 16:10 (NLT) writes of this happening. He says about God, "For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave." We read over in the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament in the Bible of the life of God's Son who came to earth to be our sacrifice so that our soul would not be left among the dead. Jesus came so that we wouldn't have to be buried at death and just left there. But he also shares that Jesus who was going to be killed as a sacrifice for our sins would not have to rot in a grave. David many generations before foretold this and that is what happened. Now that had to be a God thing. We can guess a lot about our future and we d...

Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...