Be of Good Courage! - By Greg Laurie -
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. -Hebrews 4:16
The apostle Paul had gone to Jerusalem to share the gospel, and the next thing he knew, he was locked up in a cold, damp, dark prison cell.
I'm sure that on his first night there, he was a discouraged man, because the Lord said to him, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome" (Acts 23:11 NKJV). That phrase be of good cheer could be translated, "be of good courage." I conclude that Paul was a little bit discouraged, a little bit frustrated.
Whenever we read in the Bible of angels of the Lord appearing and saying, "Fear not," it was usually because someone was afraid at that given moment. So when the Lord Himself said, "Be of good cheer, Paul," he needed that special word at that particular moment.
Verse 11 of Acts 23 also tells us, "But the following night the Lord stood by [Paul]" (NKJV). Sometimes it seems as though the Lord is the only one standing by us. But if everyone else forsook Paul, Jesus was company enough. If all the others despised him, the smile of Jesus was approval enough. Though his circumstances were less than ideal, I'm sure Paul knew it was better to be in that jail with the Lord than anywhere else without Him.
Jesus is there in your prison as well, whatever and wherever that prison is in your life. He knows what you're going through. You have a God who knows what it's like to face what you're facing. Therefore, go to Him. Bring your problems to Him. Bring your concerns to Him. Go boldly to His throne and receive the mercy and grace He will give to help you in your time of need.
What is the 'Bad Eye' in Matthew 6:23?John Piper
A verse in Matthew is somewhat difficult to understand. It seems to dangle in the Sermon on the Mount with little connection to what goes before and after: "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23).Before it: the familiar saying about not laying up treasures on earth: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
After it: the equally familiar saying about not serving God and money: "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24).
Therefore, the sayings before and after Matthew 6:22-23 deal with treasure or money. In fact, the first would flow really well into the second if we simply left out the intervening verses 22-23. The gist would be "Treasure God in heaven, not money on earth . . . because you can't serve two masters, God and money." So why does Jesus link these two sayings about money and God with a saying about the good eye and the bad eye?
The key is found in Matthew 20:15. Jesus had just told the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Some of them had agreed to work from 6 am to 6 pm for a denarius. Some the master hired at 9 am. Others at noon. Finally some he hired at 5 pm. When the day was done at 6 pm he paid all the workers the same thing--a denarius. In other words, he was lavishly generous to those who worked only one hour, and he paid the agreed amount to those who worked twelve hours.
Those who worked all day "grumbled at the master of the house" (Matthew 20:11). They were angry that those who worked so little were paid so much. Then the master used a phrase about "the bad eye" which is just like the one back in Matthew 6:23. He said, "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?" (Matthew 20:15).
Unfortunately that last clause is a total paraphrase, not a translation. "Or do you begrudge my generosity" is a very loose paraphrase of "Or is your eye bad because I am good (ē ho ophthalmos sou ponēros estin hoti egō agathos eimi?)" The "bad eye" here parallels the "bad eye" in Matthew 6:23.
What does the bad eye refer to in Matthew 20:15? It refers to an eye that cannot see the beauty of grace. It cannot see the brightness of generosity. It cannot see unexpected blessing to others as a precious treasure. It is an eye that is blind to what is truly beautiful and bright and precious and God-like. It is a worldly eye. It sees money and material reward as more to be desired than a beautiful display of free, gracious, God-like generosity.
That is exactly what the bad eye means in chapter six of the Sermon on the Mount. And that meaning gives verses 22-23 a perfect fitness between a saying on true treasure (vv. 19-21) and the necessity of choosing between the mastery of God and the mastery of money (vv. 24).
So the flow of thought would go like this: Don't lay up treasures on earth, but lay up treasures in heaven. Show that your heart is fixed on the value that God is for you in Christ. Make sure that your eye is good not bad. That is, make sure that you see heavenly treasure as infinitely more precious than earthly material treasure. When your eye sees things this way, you are full of light. And if you don't see things this way, even the light you think you see (the glitz and flash and skin and muscle of this world) is all darkness. You are sleepwalking through life. You are serving money as a slave without even knowing it, because it has lulled you to sleep. Far better is to be swayed by the truth--the infinite value of God.
So if you are emotionally drawn more by material things than by Christ, pray that God would give you a good eye and awaken you from the blindness of "the bad eye."
Pastor John
The Gospel of Prosperity
“Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.” (Romans 1:10)
Seven Days
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” (John 8:56)
Lord, I Love You, but...
Hebrews 6:10-12
Most of us are quick to declare our love for God, but at times our reluctance to serve Him tells a different story. Honestly consider whether you have ever found yourself saying or thinking, I love you, Lord, but don't call me to do that! Or perhaps you served Him, but with a flawed attitude: If no one else will do it, then I guess I will. What causes us to be reluctant servants?
Busyness: Sometimes our schedules are so full that there's no space to follow the Lord when we hear Him calling us to minister in a certain area. We all need "margins" in our lives if we want to abide in God's will.
Inadequacy: Perhaps you feel unqualified to serve, and you're thinking, Surely there's someone more gifted who could do that job. But that's just an excuse; the Lord promises to equip those He calls (2 Cor. 3:4-6).
Selfishness: Sacrificial service is never convenient. It may require that we change our plans, give up our comforts, or even make financial sacrifices.
Lack of love: This is the hardest for us to admit--that we just don't care enough. Our reluctance to serve others reveals a lack of devotion to the Lord. Those who love Christ with all their heart will joyfully serve Him by ministering to those in their families, workplaces, communities, and churches.
Are you quick to follow the Lord's leading when a need arises, or are you a reluctant servant who's preoccupied with your own plans and desires? Any service we offer in Jesus' name will not be in vain. You'll experience the joy of giving and the assurance that the Lord won't forget your sacrifice.
Our Inseparable Relationship
Romans 8:31-39
Far too many relationships in today's world are uncertain. Disunity is found in marriages, churches, and international alliances. Yet there's one relationship that is sure and permanent.
The Lord designed people for intimate fellowship with Him. His love toward each of us is evident throughout the Bible. In fact, there is nothing tangible, intangible, past, present, or future that can separate believers from the Father's love. John 10:14 draws a comparison between Jesus and a good shepherd--a man whose ultimate task is providing for and protecting the flock. Christ's character is one of passionate care for His people. First John 4:16 clearly states, "God is love." If we believe the Bible, then we cannot deny this fact about His nature.
We also see evidence of divine love through the Lord's gifts and actions. For example, He created us in His image (Gen. 1:26). He sent His only Son to die in our place, and He forgives us of our sin debt (1 Cor. 15:3). John 15:15 tells us that Christ calls us His friends--and what's more, when we trust in Jesus, God adopts us and considers us His children (Rom. 8:15). He even blesses us with an Intercessor and Helper--the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). The Word is clear: God loves us passionately.
The affection we experience in our families is only a glimpse of the great compassion and care that God has for you. Think about the people you treasure most. Imagine what you would be willing to do if they experienced a need. How much more will our heavenly Father be devoted to you!
The Grip of Fear - By Greg Laurie -
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? -Psalm 27:1
We all know what it's like to be gripped by fear. And fear works with its close buddy, worry. The two often work together. You can get caught up playing that what-if game, tying your stomach in knots.
In fact, modern medical research has proved that worry can actually break down your resistance to disease. More than that, it actually diseases the nervous system, specifically that of the digestive organs and the heart. Excessive worry can even shorten your life.
We all know what it is like to be afraid of something, but far too often we are afraid of the wrong things in life. At the same time, we are not afraid of the right things in life-or maybe I should say the right One in life. We don't fear God. Yet the Bible tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
To fear God doesn't mean cowering in terror before Him. Rather, the fear of God has been properly defined as a wholesome dread of displeasing Him. If I have sinned, it is not the fear of what God will do to me. Rather, it's the fear of what I have done to Him. That is what it is to fear the Lord.
The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else. On the other hand, if you don't fear God, you fear everything else.
David said, "The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1 NKJV). Only the person who can say, "The Lord is the strength of my life" can then say, "of whom shall I be afraid?"
Are you gripped by fear and worry right now? Then let the Lord be the strength of your life.
Love in the Old Testament
�And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.� (Genesis 29:20)
It is well known that �love� in the New Testament almost always means unselfish agape love. The Greek word for sexual love or romantic love, eros, is never used at all in the New Testament. Even marital love is ideally agape love in its main expression, as in Paul�s exhortation in Ephesians 5:25: �Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.�
In the Old Testament, on the other hand, there are about a dozen different Hebrew words used for �love,� and these often have wide variations in meaning, depending on context, often including romantic love as one of them. For example, Jacob�s willingness to work for Laban seven years in order to obtain Rachel for his wife clearly must have involved a high degree of romantic love on his part. He also loved her sister Leah, after Laban insisted he marry her first, but �he loved also Rachel more than Leah� (Genesis 29:30).
Several different �love� words are used in the Song of Solomon, as Solomon and his bride frequently speak of their romantic love for each other. There is no doubt that God approves of such love when it is pure and true and involves self-sacrificing agape love as well. �Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge� (Hebrews 13:4). The word for �whoremonger,� incidentally, is also often translated �fornicator� and can refer to any kind of sexual activity (some may call it �love,� but this is a caricature) outside of monogamous, man-and-woman, lifelong marriage.
The greatest love of all, of course, in both Old and New Testaments, is God�s love for the men and women He has created and redeemed. HMM
�And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.� (Genesis 29:20)
The Lively Oracles
�This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.� (Acts 7:38)
�This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.� (Acts 7:38)
This pungent expression, �lively oracles,� is the felicitous King James translation of zao logion, �utterances that are vibrantly alive.� In Stephen�s address, he was referring, of course, to the tables of the law, �written with the finger of God� (Exodus 31:18) and received by Moses on Mount Sinai directly from the Lord.
The Greek word logion is derived from logos (�word�) and occurs just four times. In the other three references, it appears in the phrase �oracles of God� (Romans 3:2; Hebrews 5:12; 1 Peter 4:11). These �oracles� are living words precisely because they do come from God. They include not only the Ten Commandments but all the Holy Scriptures.
The word �lively� is the Greek zao, occurring over 140 times and translated variously (depending on context) as �alive,� �live,� �living,� �quick,� etc. It is significant that it occurs, first of all, on the lips of Christ Himself when He said, �It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God� (Matthew 4:4). We are truly alive only through the life-giving words of the living God! �For the word [that is, each individual saying] of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword . . . and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart� (Hebrews 4:12).
The Bible is not just a book but the Book. Its content is �for ever . . . settled in heaven� (Psalm 119:89), �able to make thee wise unto salvation� (2 Timothy 3:15), and is �given by inspiration of God� (�God-breathed�) (2 Timothy 3:16). Its words must guide our very lives! HMM
The Call of the Twelve
�And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.� (Mark 3:14)
�And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.� (Mark 3:14)
Early in His public ministry, Jesus gathered around Himself those to whom He would eventually entrust the Christian message. Many others had also been attracted to Him and His works, as indicated in the previous verse: �And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would [emphasis in the Greek is on he; the choice was His alone]: and they came unto him� (v. 13). Of those He invited, He �ordained twelve.�
Such a momentous selection could not be taken lightly, and we should not pass over it either. Luke gives us further information: �He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God� (Luke 6:12) before choosing the twelve. As a sidelight, it bears mentioning that if God the Son so relied on the wisdom from God the Father before making an important decision, how can we neglect prayer as we so often do?
Four purposes are listed for these appointees, but the last three flow from the first: �That they should be with him.� They would see Him in action, learn truth from Him, assist Him in His work; but most importantly they would see His character and habits, and would never be the same.
Part of their training included being sent out to put in practice what they had learned, �that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils� (Mark 3:14-15). He gave them a message to preach and the ability to authenticate that message.
A study of these disciples as revealed in the gospels makes one wonder if Jesus made a proper choice. However, in the book of Acts, once He was gone and the Holy Spirit empowered them, we recognize that their training was complete. We are the result of their effective ministry. JDM
No Greater Love John 15:12-14
Perhaps the most intense love and protective instinct in the experience of mankind is that of parents toward their children. There is little that most mothers or fathers wouldn't do for a baby. If a truck posed a threat to the little one, it wouldn't surprise us if they jumped in front of the moving vehicle without a second thought.
Wouldn't you like to be cared for with this kind of intensity? You are. In fact, the Lord's love toward you is far deeper and more secure than that of even the most caring, tuned-in human parent. And what God did for us is proof. Romans 5:8 says that while we were living in disobedience, He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us.
Think about a father giving up his child for people who choose to rebel against him. What a tremendous sacrifice and cost! Jesus' death took the place of the punishment that we deserved. If we accept this gift and decide to follow God, He no longer sees us as guilty. Rather, He justifies us, makes us righteous, and changes our ultimate destiny: instead of facing everlasting separation from Him, we will enjoy His presence eternally. What's more, almighty God adopts us as His children forever. Our heavenly Father guides, protects, and counsels us as we walk through life--and promises us that we are secure in Him throughout eternity.
How incredible that the Creator of the universe would love you and me in this way! Do you know and experience the security and sweetness of His care? Gratitude and praise should flow from your heart. In turn, love others deeply out of thankfulness for the love that you have received.
Our Heavenly Father's Unconditional Love
Romans 5:6-11
Scripture tells us that love is the very essence of who God is (1 John 4:7). So if you don't believe that He loves you unconditionally, you'll never really know Him or have genuine peace about your relationship with Him.
How do you define "love"? It is Jesus unselfishly reaching out to mankind, giving Himself to us and bringing good into our life regardless of whether or not we accept Him. Romans 5:8 tells us that His care and concern are so immeasurable that He laid down His life for us while we were still His enemies. In fact, the Bible says that He first began to express His love toward us before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:3-5). That means your actions had absolutely nothing to do with His love for you!
God's commitment to us has absolutely no conditions or restrictions and isn't based on whether we love Him back. Nor does He have more love for "good" people who may strike us as more worthy. He loves us even in our sin, even when we don't repent. Does that give us license to disobey? No. It gives us power to live holy lives, walk obediently with Him, and learn to love Him the way He deserves. To follow Him is to receive the love He has been offering all along.
Every single moment, whether awake or asleep, we all live under the canopy of the Lord's wondrous, absolute love for us. But to fully experience that love, you must receive it. Say yes to this amazing gift that God wants to pour out on you. Bask in it, and let it overflow to those around you.
No Fear - By Greg Laurie -
Perhaps the most intense love and protective instinct in the experience of mankind is that of parents toward their children. There is little that most mothers or fathers wouldn't do for a baby. If a truck posed a threat to the little one, it wouldn't surprise us if they jumped in front of the moving vehicle without a second thought.
Wouldn't you like to be cared for with this kind of intensity? You are. In fact, the Lord's love toward you is far deeper and more secure than that of even the most caring, tuned-in human parent. And what God did for us is proof. Romans 5:8 says that while we were living in disobedience, He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us.
Think about a father giving up his child for people who choose to rebel against him. What a tremendous sacrifice and cost! Jesus' death took the place of the punishment that we deserved. If we accept this gift and decide to follow God, He no longer sees us as guilty. Rather, He justifies us, makes us righteous, and changes our ultimate destiny: instead of facing everlasting separation from Him, we will enjoy His presence eternally. What's more, almighty God adopts us as His children forever. Our heavenly Father guides, protects, and counsels us as we walk through life--and promises us that we are secure in Him throughout eternity.
How incredible that the Creator of the universe would love you and me in this way! Do you know and experience the security and sweetness of His care? Gratitude and praise should flow from your heart. In turn, love others deeply out of thankfulness for the love that you have received.
Our Heavenly Father's Unconditional Love
Romans 5:6-11
Scripture tells us that love is the very essence of who God is (1 John 4:7). So if you don't believe that He loves you unconditionally, you'll never really know Him or have genuine peace about your relationship with Him.
How do you define "love"? It is Jesus unselfishly reaching out to mankind, giving Himself to us and bringing good into our life regardless of whether or not we accept Him. Romans 5:8 tells us that His care and concern are so immeasurable that He laid down His life for us while we were still His enemies. In fact, the Bible says that He first began to express His love toward us before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:3-5). That means your actions had absolutely nothing to do with His love for you!
God's commitment to us has absolutely no conditions or restrictions and isn't based on whether we love Him back. Nor does He have more love for "good" people who may strike us as more worthy. He loves us even in our sin, even when we don't repent. Does that give us license to disobey? No. It gives us power to live holy lives, walk obediently with Him, and learn to love Him the way He deserves. To follow Him is to receive the love He has been offering all along.
Every single moment, whether awake or asleep, we all live under the canopy of the Lord's wondrous, absolute love for us. But to fully experience that love, you must receive it. Say yes to this amazing gift that God wants to pour out on you. Bask in it, and let it overflow to those around you.
No Fear - By Greg Laurie -
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. -Psalm 27:5
Sometimes when we end up in a certain situation, we'll say, "Why did God allow this to happen to me?" Then later on, after a few years pass by and we have the hindsight of 20/20, we are able to look back on certain circumstances and see why the Lord did what He did-or why He did not do what we thought He should do.
To be honest, I'm glad that I don't always know what is going on around me. We may not know the things that are happening in the supernatural as well as the natural realm, about the plots that might be out there against us, or about those who want to destroy us. But we know this: the Lord is with us wherever we are.
David, who knew something about potentially fearing for his life, wrote these words in Psalm 27:5: "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock" (NKJV).
Then we're told in Isaiah 54:17, "'No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,' says the Lord" (NKJV).
People may be able to lie and fool everyone for a time, but eventually it all will come to light. It all will be declared for what it is. The good thing is that even if people are plotting against you as a child of God, you don't have to be afraid. The Lord is with you. He was there with Paul in his prison cell, and He is there with you wherever you are.
A Pasture for the Soul When God gave the Ten Commandments and it came to Sabbath rest, His message was clear: If creation didn�t crash when I rested, it won�t crash when you do! You know we need to rest. For a field to bear fruit, it must occasionally lie fallow. And for you to be healthy, you must rest. When David says in the 23rdPsalm, �He makes me to lie down in green pastures,� he�s saying, �My shepherd makes me lie down in his finished work.�
With His own pierced hands, Jesus created a pasture for the soul. He pried loose the huge boulders of sin. In their place He planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy. Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of the shepherd when the work is completed and he sees his sheep rest in the tender grass? Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of God when we do the same?
Accepting God's Gift of Love
1 John 4:7-12
Many people simply can't believe that the Lord loves them. Others believe that He loves them, but only when they are pleasing Him in some way. Why is it so hard for us to accept His unconditional love?
One reason is that we have a hard time loving others without condition. We might say the words "I love you" to our spouse, children, friends, co-workers, or fellow believers but all too often are calculating in our mind whether or not they've lived up to our standard. We sometimes excuse ourselves from loving certain people because their behavior upsets or annoys us. The fact that we place restrictions on extending favor causes us to wrongly assume that the Lord does likewise.
Another reason is poor self-image. Considering ourselves unworthy, we refuse to accept God's love. You know what? None of us are worthy of the heavenly Father's goodness and mercy--so you can let go of that excuse once and for all. We're not coming to Him based on our worth. Rather, we're coming to Him based on His grace, and our position is secure in Christ. To put yourself down as "beneath His grace" is to trample on His loving, generous gift. God arranged an awesome divine way for us to be reconciled to Him, and His greatest desire is for relationship with each of us.
If you feel unloved or struggle to accept yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of our heavenly Father's love for you--and to sink it deep into your heart. Receive the truth that He reveals. It will be a completely different story about your value as an individual.
Faith in All the Ages
�And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets.� (Hebrews 11:32)
Hebrews 11 is a thrilling catalog of the faithful servants of God in all the ancient ages. There were Abel, Enoch, and Noah before the Flood; then Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph in the patriarchal age; followed by Moses, Joshua, and Rahab in the time of the exodus and conquest. Finally, today�s verse summarizes the periods of the judges (Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthae), the kings (Samuel, David), and the prophets.
All these were men and women of great faith, though each had to endure great testing. They, as the writer says, �stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword . . . had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder . . . destitute, afflicted, tormented� (Hebrews 11:33-37).
In every age, men and women of faith were more often than not despised and persecuted by the world (even by the religious world!), but the Bible notes, parenthetically, that it was they �of whom the world was not worthy� (Hebrews 11:38). In God�s sight, they all �obtained a good report through faith� (Hebrews 11:39), and this is worth more than all the world, for it is the entrance into a far better and eternal world.
Note that faith is not a sentimental wishfulness but a strong confidence in God and His Word, through Jesus Christ, who is Himself �the author and finisher of our faith� (Hebrews 12:2). Like those of past ages, we can also �run with patience the race that is set before us� (Hebrews 12:1) through the faith He offers us. HMM
With His own pierced hands, Jesus created a pasture for the soul. He pried loose the huge boulders of sin. In their place He planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy. Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of the shepherd when the work is completed and he sees his sheep rest in the tender grass? Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of God when we do the same?
Accepting God's Gift of Love
1 John 4:7-12
Many people simply can't believe that the Lord loves them. Others believe that He loves them, but only when they are pleasing Him in some way. Why is it so hard for us to accept His unconditional love?
One reason is that we have a hard time loving others without condition. We might say the words "I love you" to our spouse, children, friends, co-workers, or fellow believers but all too often are calculating in our mind whether or not they've lived up to our standard. We sometimes excuse ourselves from loving certain people because their behavior upsets or annoys us. The fact that we place restrictions on extending favor causes us to wrongly assume that the Lord does likewise.
Another reason is poor self-image. Considering ourselves unworthy, we refuse to accept God's love. You know what? None of us are worthy of the heavenly Father's goodness and mercy--so you can let go of that excuse once and for all. We're not coming to Him based on our worth. Rather, we're coming to Him based on His grace, and our position is secure in Christ. To put yourself down as "beneath His grace" is to trample on His loving, generous gift. God arranged an awesome divine way for us to be reconciled to Him, and His greatest desire is for relationship with each of us.
If you feel unloved or struggle to accept yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of our heavenly Father's love for you--and to sink it deep into your heart. Receive the truth that He reveals. It will be a completely different story about your value as an individual.
Faith in All the Ages
�And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets.� (Hebrews 11:32)
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