God's Gracious Love

"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32, ESV)

This declarative statement about what God has already done for us also interrogates every doubt one may harbour as to God's willingness or ability to meet any of our needs.

In other words, our scripture text compels or challenges the believer to carefully consider the reality of their new creation status in Christ, how gracious God has been and how much more gracious He can be.

Beloved, rest assured that God withholds no good thing from those who do what is right (see Psalm 84:11).

REJOICING IN HOPE

“…Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5, NLT)

What God can do is not determined by whether or not we believe Him, but what we can receive from Him is. As Christians, the word of God, specifically His promises, is the foundation of our hope.

God who created the morning and the night, and upholds each ensuring that they arrive on schedule, says there will be joy with the arrival of the morning time. This gives us hope that change is coming. But more importantly, we have cause to “rejoice in hope”.

If you believe that God CAN do what He says and He WILL do it when He says He will do it, then even whilst it is still night you can stop weeping and start rejoicing. The weeping “may last”, but does not have to last through the night. Though it is yet night, you now know the darkness will not persist, it will roll away and give way to the light of morning time. And as surely as the morning will come, it will arrive with the expectations of your heart. So you rejoice in hope!

Believing in hope against hope on account of the promise of God, Abram, in Genesis 17:1-8, changed his name to Abraham. He did not feel any shame in repeating what God is saying about him. And he did not concern Himself with what his neighbours will think of his mental state when he, a childless old man with an equally aged wife, should suddenly go about introducing himself as “the father of a multitude of nations”. Rather Abraham was of a buoyant spirit, rejoicing in hope. He kept on giving glory to God because he was fully convinced that God is able to fulfil His word (see Romans 4:16-21).

Hope fills the heart with joy. If you can be hopeful in the midst of the difficult circumstances, then the devil, the enemy of your soul, cannot steal your joy.

Our “hope” as Christians is the expectation we have that future events concerning our lives will turn out just as God said they would. And “faith”, which is having "assurance of the things we hope for" compels us to “act now” (presently) in a way that accords with the future which the word of God gives us cause to expect. It is not “pie in the sky”; it is believing in God our Creator and Father, and therfore speaking, thinking, and acting like Him - He calls into existence the things that do not exist!

By choosing to “Rejoice in hope” we are making a faith decision to focus on the plans that God has for us and not to dwell on the contrary evidence of present circumstances. Difficult times will not last forever – “joy comes with the morning”. God will be God! He is not man that He should lie about His ability or about His desires for us! His thoughts for His people are thoughts of good, not of evil; to give them an expected end!

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). “Hope does not put us to shame…” (Romans 5:5)

HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?

Traveling on the train recently, I happened to pick up on a portion of a conversation between two friends, the essence of which prompts what I share here now.

The first friend said, “we are just going to get together for a drink and emm... drown our sorrows".

At that “emm…” moment, the other friend jumped in to complete the sentence as we sometimes do, and said “...Keep our spirits up". The obvious dichotomy of these two phrases, which were spoken with almost synchronized precision, instantly engaged my thought. Wow! Imagine that, I thought to myself. These two people may have had a somewhat common experience but their interpretation of it is certainly worlds apart.

Now, I don’t know how much drink it will take to drown one’s sorrow or to lift the spirits up, for that matter. And my interest in this is not in the merits of the use of alcohol to cope with life, nor indeed to give credence to any such usage of any intoxicants.

What holds the appeal for me in this brief dialogue is the thin line between pessimism and optimism so clearly displayed here, yet constituting a stark contrast between the friends in their outlook.

Two different attitudes to a problem situation, two different states of mind, and two inexorably different views on life! Here are two people looking at the same life situation yet whilst one responds in despair (“drown our sorrows”), the other responds in hope (keep our spirits up), albeit a transient lift.

Every now and then, we each come up against situations that compel us to decide whether the cup is half full or half empty – to fear the worst or hope for the best. What would you do? Drown your sorrows or keep your spirits up?

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the eternal optimist who believed the best about us even while we were yet sinners that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sin. His word working in us by the agency of His Spirit is the power that changes things. We are instructed in the Scriptures:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” - Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)

And we can respond with an optimism that is based on faith in God:

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" - Lam 3:21-23 (ESV).

The pessimist in you may despair, saying, “what’s the point”, but in Christ, you have the grace to rise on the wings of optimism, and say, “why are you downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God” – Psalm 42:5 (NIV).

HOW LONG...?

"Lord, how long will You look on [without action]? Rescue me... (Psalm 35:17)

Have you ever felt like that? The feeling that God is not dealing with your concerns as fast as you need Him to. “Why”, you wonder, “is He not doing anything? Has God forgotten about my desperate situation?” No, He has not forgotten. God will never forget to be faithful. He will never forget to look out for you.

You know what? We may not always understand why God does what He does or allows the things He allows to happen, but one thing is sure: God loves you. He always works for your ultimate good!

God's ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts higher than our thoughts. He says His thoughts for you are not thoughts of evil; He’s got a good plan for your life! Nevertheless, it is by faith that we receive the promises of God, and eventually your faith will be tried. When you face such trials, the wisdom of God suggests that you respond by waiting patiently for the Lord.

The “virtue of patience” is a concept that does not chime in sync with the mood of secular society today, a culture that is marked by an increasing appetite for everything fast - from fast cars to fast food, instant messages to fast computers. There is a growing intolerance for any form of delay. But be assured: with God, delay is not denial!

The Word of God does not change with the culture of the day; rather we should be transformed by the word of God. Our attitude to the delays we experience in life should be defined not by the changing world standards but by the unchanging Word of God that says, "through faith and patience inherit the promises of God” (Hebrews 6:12).

Tried faith necessitates a release of the spirit of patience: Be patient and “you will be perfect and complete lacking nothing” (James 1:3-4). I used to think (like most people) that “suffering” was the main point about Job’s life. But I soon found out that God wants to focus our minds primarily on Job’s “patience” in suffering. This is a life-changing insight. Without patience, a victorious Christian life is impossible.

“Behold, we count them happy which endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11).

Patience does not suggest inactivity. Patience, feeding off your knowledge of God's love and faithfulness, will preserve your trust in Him and sustain your faith. God declares you blessed who patiently waits for Him. He will never fail you!

In the same way that the Lord was merciful, and blessed Job, so will He bless you also with blessings that will not only bring restoration and update your life but will also upgrade it and take you to another level in your enjoyment of God.

"How long...?" is a genuine cry of desperation, but don’t get stressed about “how long...” it is taking for help or solution to come. Trust God and wait for Him with patience. In time He will complete that which concerns you if you endure.

Though it sometimes appears as if God is taking too long to respond or act, especially when we are being severely tested, Scriptures, however, assure us that He is always on time. God will never leave us without help or forsake us. So whatever challenge you face today, go through it with faith. This will require you to learn how to allow patience to have its way in you.

There is joy to be experienced; one that does not depend on everything being 100% perfect but flows from God being present and active even in our daily messy situations. God is always near those who fear Him. This is the believer's source of strength and assurance of victory!

Grace and peace to you!

Pastor Victor Ubani

HOLD ON!

Grace and peace to you by Christ Jesus our Lord!

September, the ninth month of the calendar year, is a month of great spiritual significance. It marks the start of the third and final period of the year and signals a shift in focus from beginning and intermediate periods to ending period.

In this period more than others we are preoccupied with questions about of how the year is progressing with regards to whether we are on track to attaining our expectations and goals. With the shrinking time available to the end of the year an inevitably increasing sense of urgency ensues in our hearts, we can sometimes easily succumb to panic and make costly mistakes which then throws us further off course or we may simply resign helplessly to doing nothing and murmur about how time flies. However, neither panic nor doing nothing is God’s design for the time.

God who we serve and whose we are is a God of time and purpose. I would like to encourage your heart and indeed challenge you with two words the Lord inspired in my heart as I waited on Him concerning this month. It is simply this: “Hold On”! Hold on to God trusting Him, hold on to that which you believed from the beginning concerning 2009, hold on to hope which is the anchor for you life.

I believe that God is releasing a special anointing upon His people at this “time” to see us through this third period of 2009, a year that has so far proven to be the most testing year most of us have ever known. It is a finishing anointing, a consolidating anointing to finish what you started and achieve your goals for this year. "Hold On: you will yet see the goodness of Jehovah"!

Believe God to walk in this fresh anointing that enables you to go the rest of the year with a sound mind, a renewed strength and determination, and precise steps that are ordered by God unto fulfilling purpose.

Let me commend to you a beautifully inspiring passage of scripture in Psalm 27 which says, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living”(NIV).

It is my heartfelt and fervent pray that the LORD will teach you His ways and guide your every step this month. May your faith, the key that unlocks the grace of God, be strengthened to obtain every grace and wisdom you need in this third and final period of 2009, so that you are able to get to where you desire to be in every area of your life by the end of the year.

“Hold On”, the Lord will reward your confidence richly!