Word of Encouragment - Continued
There you have it clearly written in the infallible Word of God! We are citizens of Heaven. Satan absolutely is NOT a citizen of heaven. The truth is that you are God’s possession. That’s right, you are God’s property. He has purchased you for His glory, and there’s nothing Satan, or anyone else can do about it. I mean absolutely nothing, and Satan knows it.
How certain are you of this truth? Have you grasped the Scriptural meaning and the magnitude of this dynamic phrase?
"Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27b)
Let me ask this question with emphasis...Do you know that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit reside in your body, right at this very moment?
It’s also important to answer three pointed questions:
• Is God the Father sinkable?
• Can flames scorch God the Son?
• Can the Holy Spirit succumb to fire?
I cry out loud, NO, NO, and NO!
If the answer to all these questions is no -- then how dare you think that the vessel (you) in which They dwell can sink or be scorched while They are residing in you?
Now let’s go back to the book of Isaiah chapter 43, quoted above, and analyze this soul-stimulating, passage.
When it comes to our salvation, provision, and protection, it’s always God who initiates the first move. We read, “Do not fear for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name; you are Mine!" My friend, what else do you need? Isn’t this statement powerful enough to bring solace to your soul and to seal off your pipeline to cowardliness? Fear is the believer’s worst nightmare. It paralyzes the arsenal of Bible doctrine in your soul and causes your spiritual rocket launcher (prayer and application) to malfunction . It robs you of the power of the Holy Spirit, “the sword of the Spirit!” It causes you to lose sight of who you are in God’s plan. It makes you forget what it means to be in union with Christ. And above all, it disarms you of your iron grip on the assurance of God’s sovereignty!
Fear’s fatal effect is that it shuts off the memory center in your soul and makes it impossible for you to think. It totally blinds you from viewing your world through the high-powered binoculars of the infallible Word of God, or from having any divine viewpoint. That’s why “Do not fear" is the first thing God says in Isaiah 43:1. Here, He intends to communicate pertinent doctrine to His people Israel, and the first thing He does, is to bring their fear of uncertainty under control.
Right now, take a deep breath and wring out the anxiety and fear from your soul. Shake it free of the uncertainties of the future, and drink from the fountain of His Word:
"When you pass through the [troubled] waters [of this life] I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow [swallow] you [up]. When you walk through the fire—[when the pressures of this life close in on you from every side], you will not be scorched. Nor will the flame burn you [I guarantee it!]’(Isaiah 43:2).
What a promise! Read it again. We were never told that there wouldn’t be troubled waters along the way. God never said there’d be no storms to contend with. Instead, He gives us amazing promises, making sure that you are not consumed by unpleasant experiences! He said, “I will be with you...you will not be scorched!” So my dear friend, take your eyes off your suffering with all its twists and turns and concentrate on God’s promises! Why waste your time and energy measuring the size of your suffering? Rather, begin to meditate on the immeasurable height, length, width, and depth of God’s faithfulness! That’s the beauty of our heritage in Christ Jesus. As long as you are adjusting to His justice, and are growing “in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” you will never be left to battle the storms of life alone! Period.
“You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free”
(John 8:32)
