When terrible things happen, when we lose everything we have, when our loved ones are gone—God is still with us. Because of the sin and brokenness in our world, suffering exists. Our Father has never promised us a life without sorrow, nor has He ever promised a life without loss or pain, but He has promised to be with us through everything we are required to endure. His love is everlasting and His peace is promised to us. It is a peace that the world simply cannot understand—a peace that allows us to praise Him even in the midst of pain. Finding Praise Amidst Sorrow (Psalm 147) Psalm 147 begins by telling us that it is good to sing praises to our God. Sometimes it may be hard for us to think of anything to praise Him for. In our great sadness we cry out, sometimes without words, not knowing what to say, needing and wanting to be comforted by Him. We have a choice to make when we experience pain and loss—do we trust God's loving character or do we blame Him? God Heals the Broken Hearted (Psalm 147:3) In Psalm 147:3, the psalmist tells us: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their sorrow." We know that this healing and binding are supernatural. We know it is only the Holy Spirit who can do this. He works in us, in our prayers, and in the prayers of those around us to do this. We can praise Him for this promise of healing our broken hearts. God's Nearness in Suffering (Psalm 34:17-18) He is especially near to those who are suffering. Psalm 34:17 tells us that God hears the cries of the righteous and delivers them. Psalm 34:18 continues to say: "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves the crushed in spirit." Trusting God's Plan (Isaiah 41:10) Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that we are not to fear because, no matter our circumstances, He is with us. He promises to strengthen us, help us, and uphold us. It may seem impossible, but only when we rely on Him and not ourselves will we feel His nearness. This cannot happen if we don't fully trust God. It is normal during bad times to be tempted to blame God for our suffering. However, suffering exists because we live in a fallen world. To trust God doesn't mean that we ignore our very real pain. We need to give that pain, that terrible burden, to God. We have to trust that, in our suffering, we will grow closer to Him. Suffering helps us examine our hearts and deepen our relationship with Him. We know that He loves us so much He sent His Son to die for us. Finding Hope and Peace in God Amidst Suffering and Loss (Romans 5:1-5) Paul speaks of finding hope and peace in God amidst suffering and loss in Romans 5:1-5. The passage is often described as "Faith Triumphs in Trouble." In it, Paul tells us that because our faith has justified us, we can have peace and rejoice in the glory of God. In Romans 5:3, Paul says, " Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, " (ESV). He then says that endurance produces character and character produces hope. This is a hope, Paul tells us, that does not disappoint because God pours his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The suffering and trials we experience build endurance, which then shapes our character and leads to hope. Our hope is not in what we have done, but in what the Holy Spirit has done. We do not find joy in the suffering itself, of course, but we can find joy in what it produces within us. Just as hope is born out of suffering, praise becomes an act of faith when everything seems lost. We can choose to praise God. This leads us to the importance of praising God even in the midst of our sorrow. Praising God When All Seems Lost (Psalm 22) How do we praise God when our world has collapsed around us? Psalm 22 is a prophecy concerning our Messiah, Jesus. In Psalm 22:3, it says, " But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel" (NKJV). We often hear this verse explained this way, " God inhabits the praises of His people. " We can choose to praise Him because, as Lamentations 3:24 tells us, “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him." Jesus, Our Model of Suffering and Trust Jesus was a " man of sorrows and acquainted with grief " Isaiah 53:3 tells us. He truly understands us when we are at our lowest. In the midst of Jesus's suffering, He placed absolute trust in God's plan, knowing that God was holy and worthy of praise. He knew that He would be delivered (Psalm 22:4-6). We have an eternal hope in Christ—this is a promise from God. We may not see our deliverance on this earth, but we will see it. God has promised. If even our Savior found strength in trusting God’s plan during His greatest suffering, how much more do we need to rely on prayer and praise to draw near to our Father in our own trials. The Power of Prayer and Praise Pray, pray from the heart. Pray for yourself and pray for others who may also be experiencing great loss. Praise Him for your salvation, for the beauty of His creation, for the small things that are blessings that we may not have appreciated before. Praise Him because He is in control and that He has a plan. We may not understand that plan. We may not be able to see it, but if we are His obedient servants it is there. God’s Compassion for Our Tears (2 Kings 20:5; Psalm 56:8) In 2 Kings 20:5, God says that He has heard King Hezekiah's prayer and seen his tears. This applies to us today as well. In Psalm 56:8, David tells us this of God: "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." (NLT) This is figurative language, indicating that God cares for us so much that He knows our sorrows and sees our tears. You may be wondering, " Where is God in all of this? " The answer is that He is by your side, watching you, loving you, just waiting for you to praise Him in the midst of your sorrow. He is waiting for you to realize that you have absolutely not been abandoned. Not only does God care for each of our tears, but He also sees the depths of our struggles. As Hagar experienced, He is a God who sees and meets us right where we are. The God Who Sees Us (Genesis 16) In Genesis 16, we read the story of Hagar. Hagar was an Egyptian maidservant of Abraham (Abram) and Sarah (Sarai). Sarah treated Hagar, who was pregnant with Abraham's child, very harshly, so she fled to the wilderness. There the Angel of the Lord appeared to her. This was how Jesus appeared to people in the Old Testament. He told her to return to Sarah and that she would have many descendants. Hagar called the Angel of the Lord the God who sees . God saw her, a lowly servant, and cared enough to watch over her, promising that she would be blessed. When we feel that our sadness is not seen by God, we are mistaken. He does see us, as a loving Father would. Peace in the Midst of Anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7) Sometimes, in the midst of tragedy, we have so much anxiety about the unknowns. What are we going to do? How will we survive? How can I ever have peace again? But God is the one who promises us a peace that passes understanding. Philippians 4:6 tells us not to be anxious but to bring everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving . This peace that is beyond human understanding will guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7). If we ask for that peace, believing that He can and will provide it for us, it can be ours. When anxiety overwhelms us, God’s peace can calm our minds. In the depths of mourning, we need a deep comfort—the comfort that only Christ, who experienced sorrow Himself, can provide. Jesus, Our Comforter in Mourning (Matthew 5:4; Isaiah 61:3) There is one who "sticks closer than a brother " (Proverbs 18:24). One who can be a blessing to you. That One is Jesus. This same Jesus who was a " man of sorrows. " As Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, those who mourn are blessed. Isaiah 61:3 tells us that Jesus wants to bring consolation to those who mourn, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. We need to trust His promises, and believe He is faithful, to be blessed. God’s Tenderness Towards the Brokenhearted (Zephaniah 3:17) Zephaniah 3:17 explains that God will quiet us with His love. When we are distraught, anxious, and close to the breaking point, what a comfort it is to know that God Himself will " quiet us with His love. " Praise God for His consolation here and praise Him for our eternal consolation in Heaven. How tender our Father is. How close to the brokenhearted. Dear Father, We pray that you would be a consolation and a hope for those grieving loss, suffering and troubled in spirit. We praise you for your love and faithfulness. We pray that you would give peace to all those in need. We thank you for the example your Son Jesus gave us. We pray this in His name, Amen

Jesus uses the example of a vine and its branches to teach his disciples about the importance of abiding in Him in John chapter 15. He tells them that they can only bear fruit if they remain in Him, just as a branch can only bear fruit if it remains in the vine. He also tells them that the Father is the vinedresser who prunes the branches so that they can bear more fruit. Abide in Christ What does it mean to abide in Christ? Sinclair Ferguson puts it this way: " In a nutshell, abiding in Christ means allowing His Word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections. In other words, our relationship to Christ is intimately connected to what we do with our Bibles! " How much time do we spend studying God's Word? We need to know that God has spoken to us. As I used to tell my Sunday School children, "The Bible is your instruction manual for life, have you read it?" Abiding Leads To Bearing Fruit Jesus elaborates on what it means to abide in Him in John 15:5 where He tells us that if we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit. We are nourished by the vine. So the way we know that we are abiding in Him is that we are bearing fruit. This means we are growing in holiness and becoming more like Christ. Jesus goes on in verse 7 to say that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us whatever we desire will be done for us. If we are truly abiding in Christ then our prayers, our requests, will be aligned with the will of God. God's desires will be our desires. We won't ask amiss as James 4:3 tells us. Pruning Leads To More Fruit When Jesus says He prunes the branches to bear more fruit (John 15:2), He is speaking about the process of spiritual growth. Just as a gardener prunes a fruit tree to remove dead or diseased branches, so God prunes us to remove the things in our lives that are preventing us from bearing fruit. This pruning can be painful, but it is necessary for our spiritual growth. We Are Pruned Because We Are Loved No one wants to be disciplined (pruned). But the Bible tells us that the Father does this because He loves us, just as we discipline our own children because we love them. The purpose of loving discipline is to train our children, so the Lord also trains us. " And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?" Hebrews 12: 5-7 Jacob Was Disciplined An example in the Old Testament of someone who was disciplined is Jacob. Jacob was a deceiver, a trickster. There are consequences to our decisions . As you read the story in the book of Genesis you see that Jacob himself was later tricked by his father-in-law Laban. Jacob was even deceived by his own sons who lied to him about what had happened to their brother, Joseph. These events were difficult for Jacob to endure. This chastening by God eventually transformed Jacob into a new man. Even his name was changed. God tells Jacob his name was now Israel. God Uses Right Judgment In the Psalms, David tells us how to respond to chastisement from God. He doesn't complain, he doesn't become bitter, he acknowledges that God's judgments are correct, and that they have happened to him because God is faithful to him. "I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me." Psalm 119: 75 There are many things in our lives that can prevent us from bearing fruit. These things can include sin, selfishness, pride, and fear. When we allow these things to grow in our lives, they choke out the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Pruning Is Ongoing What does pruning help a grape vine to do? Pruning creates maximum yields of high quality grapes. Also it creates an overall healthier vine that is not as susceptible to disease. Interestingly, this pruning needs to take place every year. It is an ongoing process, not "one and done". God prunes us so that we can bear more fruit. When we are pruned, we are made more dependent on God and more open to His will for our lives. We are also made more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who can help us to grow in the fruit of the Spirit. Life Lived Abiding In Him In John 15:8, Jesus explains the goal of abiding Christ: it is to glorify God by His disciples bearing much fruit. What a better world we would live in and how much more peaceful a life we would live if only we bore the fruit that our Father desires us to. We would be true witnesses to the world of what a life can be like when it abides in Christ.

In Genesis 16, we read the story of Hagar and Ishmael. Hagar had been brought to Abraham to conceive a child because Sarai, Abraham's wife, could not. But when Hagar became pregnant, Sarai was jealous and treated her harshly. Hagar Told To Submit Hagar fled to the wilderness to escape Sarai when an Angel of the Lord appeared to her. His first command to her was to return to Sarai and submit to her. God's promise is that her descendants would be many, so many they could not be counted. In verse 11 the Angel lets her know that: ". .. the Lord has heard your affliction. " Hagar declares: Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” Genesis 16: 13 God saw her and spoke a wonderful promise to her, but He also told her to "submit" to someone who had been unkind to her. Submit is not a word people like to use today. We don't want to allow people to have control over us. But God, who saw the future, He knew this was the best thing for her and the many people that would be her descendants. The God Who Sees Me - El Roi Many times we feel unseen. Many times we believe that our sorrows and pain are not seen by God. That He loves us, but from far away, sort of a general "Yeah, God loves everybody," kind of love. We forget, or maybe we don't know, that God sees us individually. He sees our sorrows. He is there for us. Fear Him, Hope in Mercy and Be Loyal In Psalm 33:18 David tells us that God's eye is on those who fear Him and hope in his mercy . Do we hope in God's mercy? Do we fear Him? In Psalm 34:15 David says that God sees the righteous and hears the righteous. To be seen and heard by God we must strive for righteousness. Second Chronicles 16: 9(a) says the Lord looks for those who are loyal to Him so he can show Himself strong for them. Are we loyal to Him? Do we try to follow Him and His commands with our whole heart? God Tests Our Heart In Jeremiah 12:3, the great prophet exclaims that God knows him and sees him. He tells us that God has tested his heart. God knows us better than we know ourselves. God sees and tests our heart. Is our heart truly set on Him? Proverbs 15:3 lets us know that whether we are good or evil, God sees us. God Sees All In the New Testament there are many verses letting us know that God sees us. "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13 It is a sobering thought to know that God sees all. He sees our good and sees our sin. And in all we must give an account to Him. Nothing is hidden from Him. This verse sounds much like Job 34:21 when Elihu tells Job, “ For His eyes are on the ways of man, And He sees all his steps." In I Peter 3:12, Peter tells us that when we are obedient to God He hears our prayers, He sees us. When we do evil, when we sin, He turns away. The God Who Sings One of my favorite verses is from the prophet Zephaniah in chapter 3:17: "The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” The God who saves is in our midst. His love quiets my troubled soul. He rejoices over me and will sing over me. What mother does not know the joy of singing over their child? What mother doesn't remember when her child was a baby that she could quiet their sobbing with her love? What mother doesn't remember rejoicing over her beloved child that God has blessed her with? How much more will God do those things for us, His children? God's Gifts As Jesus says in Matthew 7:11, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" Our gracious Father, our El Roi, watches over us just as we watch over our children, but His love is greater and His gifts are far more perfect. His greatest gift to His children is His own son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. God Watches With Love God doesn't just watch over us with disregard. God doesn't see us without love. God watches us to see how our lives reflect His love for us. God watches us as a parent who longs for their children to make righteous decisions. As a parent who wants their child to show love to others as love was shown to them. You mattered to God even before you were born. He sees us in the midst of our sorrows and comforts us like no other. Amen and Amen! Be blessed with The God Who Sees by Liz Cornwell!

All of God's creation will praise Him. Everything that has breath will cry out. They will praise Him for His power, His glory, and His provision. Creation knows that the God of the universe cares for it. Do we? The book of Psalms ends with this verse: " Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! " God is sovereign over all living things. In their own way, the animals praise and obey the Lord. What does the Bible have to say about the animals and their response to God? Jonah and the Obedience of the Fish I recently heard the story of Jonah , as I have many times, but one thing stood out to me that I had never noticed before. Jonah 2:10 says, " So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land." It struck me. The fish had to hear what the Lord said in order to obey God. The fish was immediately obedient. I wondered if there were other examples in Scripture and yes, indeed there are. The animals of this world are very obedient to God. The Ark and the Animals in Genesis We see examples everywhere in the Old Testament. In Genesis 7, the animals arrived at the ark that Noah built and file in two by two. Although it doesn't explicitly say it, it seems very likely that God directed them to do this. Balaam and His Donkey's Awareness of God In Numbers 22:28, we read about Balaam and his donkey. Balaam's disobedience to God led him to ride his donkey to Moab. The Angel of the Lord stood in his path as an adversary to stop Balaam the scriptures tell us. Now Balaam couldn't see the Angel of the Lord but we are told his donkey could see Him. The donkey desperately tried to avoid going in that direction, but Balaam kept hitting the donkey to force her. We are finally told that God opened the mouth of the donkey and allowed her to speak. She questioned Balaam as to why he was beating her. When she spoke to Balaam, his eyes were opened, allowing him to see the Angel of the Lord. The Angel told Balaam that if the donkey hadn't turned away He would have killed Balaam but let the donkey live. The donkey had an awareness of the spirit realm that you and I don't seem to have. The Cows that Carried the Ark of the Covenant In 1 Samuel 6:1-12, there is a story of the Philistines and the Ark of the Covenant. A plague had come upon the Philistines and to determine if it was from the Lord they were told to place the ark on a cart. In 1 Samuel 6:7, " Now therefore, make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart; and take their calves home, away from them. " If the cows went straight to the land of the Israelites, they would know it was the ark that had caused all the trouble. These cows will be obedient to the will of God.  Obedient Cows Directed by God Milk cows were not normally used to haul carts, especially cows that had young ones. By taking their calves from them the cows would have been heavy with milk and quite miserable. Also, they had never been yoked and that meant they really wouldn't know how to work well as a team. All of this means that the cows would have wanted to head back to their home in the land of the Philistines. Nevertheless, the cows headed straight to Israel, mooing as they went. Only God could have directed them to do so. The Lion that Spared the Donkey In 1 Kings 13:23-29, we read that a disobedient prophet of God was killed by a lion. The lion stood next to his corpse and next to the donkey the prophet was riding. The lion never attacked the donkey. This was a sign to passersby that this was the judgment of God. Again, God had directed an animal to do His will and the animal obeyed. Ravens Feeding Elijah Also in 1 Kings 17:3-4, there is the story of Elijah and the ravens. We are told that God commanded the ravens to bring food to Elijah. The ravens, like our other examples, were obedient to God. Elisha and the Youths of Bethel: Understanding a Difficult Story In 2 Kings 2:23-24, there is a story that many find disturbing (I know I did) until you understand the setting. The Prophet Elisha was on his way to Bethel—a town that was the center of golden calf idol worship and not a place where Elisha was admired. As he traveled, 42 youths—think of them as modern-day gang members—met him and taunted him for his baldness. There’s also a possibility that these youths were priestly servants of the idolatrous temple in Bethel. It's worth noting that Elisha was not an old man at the time. These youths were mocking God’s prophet, and they knew it. They told him to "go up," referring to the ascension of his mentor Elijah, who had been taken up by God. Elisha placed a curse on them, and two female bears came out of the woods and mauled them. It's important to note that the text does not say the bears killed them. Unless they wanted to stand in line and be attacked one by one, "mauling" likely refers to a generalized attack of scratching and tearing. The species of bear native to the area was a smaller species, and the females were even smaller than the males. So, the bears were obedient in dispersing this angry mob of taunting young men, not murdering a group of small children making idle threats. Job's Lessons from Animals Like the examples in Kings, we also see in the book of Job how animals reveal God's sovereignty. In Job 12:7-9, Job tells his friends that the beasts will teach them, the birds will tell them and the fish will explain to them that the Lord has brought these disasters upon Job. Creation itself can see God at work in Job's life. In Job 38:39-41, God speaks to Job and tells him that He is the one that satisfies the hunger of lions and provides food for the ravens. Animals in the Psalms The Psalms have a lot to say about the creatures God has created. In Psalm 24:1, we learn that all of the world and the living things that dwell in it are His. David tells us in Psalm 29:9* that it is the voice of the Lord that causes deer to give birth. Psalm 104:21 lets us know that the lions receive their food from God, and in verse 27, it says that all creatures are given their food by God. In Psalm 148, we are told that sea creatures praise the Lord (v. 7) and that creeping things, birds, cattle and beasts of all kinds praise the Lord (v. 10). How this exactly happens we don't know. We just know that it does.  Isaiah’s Prophetic Picture of Animals Praising God Isaiah 43 explains how God will do a new thing for Israel. They will be freed from their captivity in Babylon. They will be provided a road back to their home where even the animals know that God has provided water for them and His people. In Isaiah 43: 20-28, God says that all the beasts will honor Him, the jackal and the ostrich, because He provides water for them in the midst of the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Animals in the New Testament The New Testament also gives examples. In Matthew 17:27, Jesus tells the disciples to take the first fish they catch because it will have a coin in its mouth to pay the temple tax. Did the fish hear the Lord tell it to swallow a coin, or did it just happen, and the Lord knew the coin would be there? We can't know for sure but I lean towards the first explanation. In Matthew 26:34, the Lord tells Peter before the rooster will crow three times Peter will deny Him three times. And so it happened. Did the Lord command the rooster? Did the rooster hear? Perhaps. Animals praising and obeying God are found over and over in Scripture. Creation’s Hope for Redemption and Future Glory Romans 8:21 reminds us that all of creation, not just man, "looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. "(NLT). At that time the " wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard with the young goat...and a little child shall lead them. "(Isaiah 11:6). In this new heaven and new earth all of creation will rejoice with us! God's Creation Praises and Obeys Him: the Animals In Matthew 10:29, we learn that God cares for his creation so much that when a sparrow falls to the ground He knows. The Bible is clear: the animals praise God. They are obedient to His words. They hear Him. Certainly not exactly as we do, but in their own way. God's creation praises and obeys Him, including the animals. Do we do as much? They know who their provider is. Do we? "And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Revelation 5:13 Enjoy "A Place in the Choir" by Celtic Thunder here. *Some translations of Psalm 29:9 say, " twists the oaks and strips the forest bare" , they don't mention deer giving birth. I am using the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

Still Salty? Are you still salty? I don't mean this in the common slang way that "salty" can mean today but I mean it in the way that Jesus referred to it. Salt was so important in Jesus's day. Salt preserved food, salt seasoned food that otherwise might have not been very tasty. Salt can intensify sweetness and reduce the bitterness of food. If for some reason your salt couldn't do those things you would throw it out as useless. Cost of Discipleship In Luke 14, Jesus asks the disciples to count the cost of their discipleship. He uses a hyperbolic expression in verse 26 and says we must "hate" our family and our own lives to follow Him. He means that there is nothing we must love more than Him. Whatever sacrifices we must make to follow Him we have to be willing to do. Holy Spirit Living Our ability to love Him above all others actually comes from the Holy Spirit living in us. Without the Holy Spirit, we can't love Him more than others or more than ourselves. Without the Holy Spirit giving us the strength we need we can't be the salt we are supposed to be. The Holy Spirit functions in us to help us to understand God's word (I Corinthians 2: 10-13), He sanctifies us (Galatians 5: 16-18), He assists us in prayer (Jude 1:20), He regenerates and renews us (Titus 3:5), and He comforts us (2 Corinthians 13:14) among other things. His Power, Not Ours The Holy Spirit gives us our saltiness. It is His power and strength that helps us to love God more than ourselves or our family. It is He who makes us "salty". We simply cannot live a Christian life that makes a difference without the Holy Spirit. When our lives are fully surrendered to Jesus, we will live a life that would be impossible without the Holy Spirit. Salt of the Earth In Matthew 5:13, Jesus refers to His followers as " salt of the earth ". We are to make a difference in this world because if we don't, we are as useless as salt that has lost its flavor. What is it that Christians do that is comparable to salt? As Christians it doesn't take a large number of us to make a difference in the world. Just like salt, the quantity is not the reason for the change in taste, it is the quality of the ingredient. Our Fruit Makes a Difference Christians make the world a better place. Our love for others should be noticeable. Our forgiveness of others should be readily seen. The fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) describe the characteristics that should be seen in every Christian. They are "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control". These attributes distinguish us from the world. We so different that we are called strangers in the earth . If we seem to be the same as everyone else perhaps, we have lost our saltiness. The Cost is Self Christ asks a question in Luke 14, " Who doesn't count the cost? " Before we say we want to be Jesus's disciple Jesus says we should realize that there will be a cost for us to pay. We may lose friends, we may lose loved ones, we may even be asked to lose our life. But we certainly will be required to give up one thing - ourselves. No Going Back Jesus tells us to " take up your cross and follow Him " (Matthew 16:24). The cross was a humiliating and horrific death in Jesus's day. Once you took up your cross there was no going back. For us this means to die to our own selfish desires and surrender everything to God on a daily basis. This is a higher cost than many are willing to pay. Yes, there is a great cost in following Christ but there is a much greater cost when a person chooses not to follow Him. Not My Will - Yours In these passages Jesus challenges us to think about what we are about to do before we choose Him. Being a disciple means leaving everything for Him. Being a disciple means showing Christ to the world. All of our wants, all our desires are left at the foot of the Cross. We must be willing to say, as He did when he prayed to His Father, " not my will, but yours be done ."(Luke 22:42) in all that we do. STAY SALTY! Enjoy the hymn, "You are Salt for the Earth"

What desert are you and I wandering in? Perhaps we have heard our parents talk about wondrous things the Lord has done for them, but we have never seen this in our own lives. Maybe we have grown to believe we never will. Those stories of miracles and blessings aren’t for us—at least that’s what we are tempted to believe. Maybe we have moved so far from God we can't believe He would ever bless us again. Our depression and sorrows feel overwhelming. They keep us from believing that God has abundant blessings prepared for us. God’s Promises: Greater Than We Can Imagine "But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” I Corinthians 2: 9 The Legacy of Stories: Living on Second-Hand Faith The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. Not one of the men who had seen Moses part the Red Sea, who were warriors, was still alive, except Joshua and Caleb. For most of these people the stories of Moses and the Red Sea were tales told to them by their parents. Stories of renown that they had never experienced. Crossing the Jordan: Stepping into the Promised Land What they had endured were hardships, sufferings, boredom, and loneliness for as long as they could remember. But now, finally, God told them that they would be making another crossing, this time over the Jordan River, into a land promised long ago by God. Consecrate Yourselves: Preparing for God's Blessings But first they must do something. They must consecrate themselves to God. The blessings He has for them will never come if they don't. This wasn't an easy thing for them to do. The stories of Moses the deliverer were dusty tales that may not have seemed to have meaning for them. Yes, God had saved them before, but would He really do it this time? God has saved us before (or our parents or loved ones), but will He really do it now? To be consecrated means to be set apart for God. Joshua 3:5 says: "Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” As the Israelites approached the Jordan River, Joshua told them to "set themselves apart" and consecrate themselves. To do this, they needed to repent, put God first, and follow Him fully. If they do this, what will happen? "The Lord will do amazing things among you." The Challenge of Trust: Do We Dare to Get Our Feet Wet? This time when the waters parted there was no mighty staff raised high, there were no pillars of fire leading the way. Before, it took hours for the seabed to dry enough to cross; this time, it would happen immediately. Before, the Israelites never touched the water. In this place there were no mighty signs that a miracle was about to take place. This time, they had to get their feet wet before the waters parted. They had to trust God completely that they were truly set apart for Him. Do we, today, have this much trust? Do we doubt as they may have? Do we believe God can do a good thing, but doubt that He will? Will you get your feet wet? Overwhelmed by Waters: A Cry from the Psalms In Psalm 69, David speaks of being overwhelmed by water. That strange feeling of drowning that many people who are deeply depressed or troubled often speak of. In verses 1-5 he says, "Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, Where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, Where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God." But by verse 30 we hear David say this, "I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving." Seeking, Consecrating, and Praising in the Midst of the Desert When we are in our desert— as surely we will find ourselves at times— let us seek God like David did, consecrate ourselves anew to the Holy One like the Israelites did, and praise the name of God. When crossing your Jordan place your faith and trust in God's amazing work. Crossing Your Jordan: Faith, Trust and God's Amazing Work - A Prayer God of Hope, We consecrate ourselves to You today. We put our faith in You. We praise You, seek You and trust You . We expect You, God , to do an amazing work. In Your Son's name, Amen

Jonah ran from God. Jonah's journey to Nineveh taught him many things about God's mercy. His journey taught others much as well. These blessings and lessons might not have happened if Jonah had never gone to Nineveh. Are there blessings waiting for you that you and others have not received because you have been running from the will of God? If Jonah had never gone to Nineveh, the sailors that were with Jonah when he was running away from God, would never have realized the power of God. They saw God's power and feared God when they threw Jonah overboard and saw the raging seas calmed, just as Jonah said they would be. The sailors would never have done what we read in Jonah 1: 16 "Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows." If Jonah had never gone to Nineveh , Jonah would never have cried out to God from the belly of the fish and said: "But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” Jonah 2: 9 Jonah learned some important lessons when he was in the fish's belly for three days. He learned that God answers the cries of the afflicted (Jonah 2:1), he learned that God saved him from the pit of destruction (Jonah 2:6) and when he felt like dying, Jonah remembered the Lord (Jonah 2: 7). When Jonah acknowledged these things, only then did the fish vomit him up on dry land. If Jonah had never gone to Nineveh, the people of Nineveh would not have heard the word of God. They would not have repented and Nineveh and all its people would have been destroyed (Jonah 3: 6-9). If Jonah had never gone to Nineveh and the people of Nineveh repented, Jonah would not have gotten angry at God. Jonah would not have had the opportunity to see God's grace in action. Jonah would not have seen the darkness in his own heart toward the people of Nineveh that caused him to be angry with God for God's forgiveness of them. Jonah, to whom much grace had been given, could not give grace to the people of Nineveh. And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. Jonah 4: 6 If Jonah had never gone to Nineveh, he would not have learned the lesson of the plant God provided him. He would not have experienced the kindness of God who prepared shade for him, even when Jonah was angry that God had spared Nineveh. When God caused the plant to die, Jonah was once again angry with God. Jonah pitied the plant. God was gently showing him that if Jonah could have pity on a plant, surely God could have pity on a city of 120,000 souls, even their livestock! Jonah saw his selfishness contrasted against the merciful love of God. When we obey God and do what He would have us to do, it doesn't just affect us but those around us as well. We learn from obedience and our obedience blesses others. Where is our Nineveh? What would God have us do that we are running from? What people have not been blessed because of our disobedience?

As Christians what does it mean that we are blessed with " all spiritual blessings " in Christ, as Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:3? In Greek the word blessing simply means to speak well of someone. In this case, it is God speaking well of us. Paul continues on in verses 4-14 to tell us what some of those spiritual blessings are. Blessed With All Spiritual Blessings - In verse 4, we find out that we are spiritually blessed because we have been chosen from the beginning of time to be holy and blameless, because God loves us so very much. In verse 5, we are told that we are spiritually blessed because we have been adopted into God's family. We are truly His sons and daughters. Our belief allows us to call Him Father. In verse 6, we discover we are spiritually blessed because God's grace has allowed us to be accepted as His own beloved Son is accepted. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus covering our sins with His sacrifice. In verse 7, we are spiritually blessed because we have been redeemed , literally bought with a price, by the blood of Jesus on the cross. He is our Redeemer from everlasting . Again in verse 7, we are spiritually blessed because, since Jesus has redeemed us and our sins are forgiven, the burden of our sin has been removed . In verses 8-10, we discover that we are blessed because He has made known to us the "mysteries of His will" . Our faith has allowed us to participate in the ultimate will of God which is that all things, in Heaven and on Earth, will glorify His Son. At the end of the age, this perfect will of God will be fulfilled. How do we glorify Him in this present moment? John 15: 8 tells us: " By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." We glorify God not by our faith but by the fruits of it, for that is how we prove we are His. Verse 11 tells us another spiritual blessing is that Christ gives us an inheritance. 1 Corinthians 2: 9 tells us that we really can't imagine the things that God has prepared for us when we reach our Heavenly home. An eternity with our Savior has blessings beyond our comprehension. In verse 12 ,Paul tells us that the Jews and Ephesians were some of the first believers, and that this should " be to the praise of His glory ." They found their hope in Christ. Finally, in verses 13 and 14, we are " sealed with the Holy Spirit " which " guarantees our inheritance ". In Biblical times, a seal was placed on something or given to someone as proof of ownership. The fact that we have the Holy Spirit is proof that God has purchased us with the blood of His Son and guarantees us the inheritance He has promised us. The Holy Spirit is the gift of God . There are even more spiritual blessings to be found in scripture. All of these are blessings that we have access to as children of the living God. Through faith and repentance we become His children, sealed with His Spirit and blessed beyond measure.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that we are not struggling against a flesh and blood enemy that we can see. We are struggling, Paul says, against principalities, powers, rulers of the " darkness of this age " and against hosts of wickedness in Heavenly places. We fight against these forces not with physical weapons but with the armor of God that He has provided to us (Ephesians 6:10-18). We fight darkness by putting on the "armor of light" (Romans 13:12) But how did these spiritual enemies come to be? Rebellion in Heaven Revelation 12:7-12 tells of a rebellion in Heaven. The Archangel Michael threw Satan and his rebellious angels down to earth. These rebellious angels we call demons. There is debate among Bible scholars as to the exact timing of these events. We know that in Job, Satan appears before God to accuse Job. Satan told God that he had been roaming back and forth through the Earth. Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-17 described Satan as the most beautiful of God's creations. This beautiful angel fell because of the sin of pride. He wanted to BE God. Angel Gabriel In the book of Daniel, we are told about two of God's special angels - Gabriel and Michael, the archangel. Gabriel's name means "warrior of God" and Michael's name means "Who is like God". Names are significant in the Bible. In Daniel 8:15-16 Gabriel interprets a vision of Daniel for him. In Daniel 9:21, he again explains to Daniel, so he can understand a vision he was given. Gabriel appears again in the Nativity stories in Luke 1:26. Archangel Michael Michael appears in Daniel 10:2-21. In these verses Michael is described as a chief prince (of Israel). We are told that a messenger was sent to Daniel to explain a vision but he was delayed by the demonic " prince of Persia " for 21 days until Michael came and helped the messenger. The messenger then tells Daniel that he will have to go and continue his fight against the prince of Persia but that after him will come another prince, the " prince of Greece ". We know historically that after the defeat of Persia the nation of Greece will defeat the Persians and will attack Israel. Michael is described in Daniel 12:1 as, " The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;". Michael is mentioned again in the New Testament in Jude 1:9 and once more in the book of Revelation as described above. Unseen Angels This unseen angelic realm is allowed to be seen in 2 Kings 6:17 when Elisha asks God to open the eyes of his servant so that he would be able to see the great hosts of angelic armies that were on the side of Israel and that he need not fear. Angels are created by God and they serve Him. One of their mission s is to defend His people. Strangers As Angels Angels have appeared to people several times as physical beings. The story of Abraham entertaining three visitors in Genesis 18 is one example. In Genesis 19:1, two angels appeared to Lot to warn him. They appeared in human form. Hebrews 13:2 reminds us to be hospitable to strangers because sometimes they are angels. Fallen Angels Demonic angels, fallen angels, that serve Satan are busy in the world working to destroy the people of God. They can quite literally possess people causing them physical and spiritual harm (Matthew 12:22; Mark 5; Luke 22:3-4). They can influence Christians but not possess them because Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit. They can blind the minds of unbelievers to the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). They can deceive people because they can disguise themselves as " servants of righteousness " (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). They promote false doctrines (I Timothy 4:1). They can perform signs to deceive humans (Revelation 16:14). They can even torment believers (2 Corinthians 12:7). Pride Is Our Weakness Demons and even Satan himself are not all knowing, they are not all present, they are not all powerful. These are attributes of God only. They are however very clever in their understanding of humans and what "makes us tick", as the expression goes. They know, that just as Satan rebelled because of pride, pride is our huge weakness. Prowling Lion Satan, according to Peter in 1 Peter 5:8, prowls the world seeking those whom he can devour and destroy. The lie of sin is that if we ignore God and His will, and put ourselves in God's place, we will be happy. Satan whispers to us, just like he did to Eve in the beginning, "did God really say that?" (Genesis 3:1). He plants doubt in our minds that God loves us. He makes us question if God is truly faithful to us. Fighting Darkness With Light Satan knows he is defeated already. So why does he continue to battle God? Perhaps he is deluded by his own pride. Or perhaps he just wants others to be as miserable as he is. He knows his time is short to take as many as he can with him to Hell. He knows this because he is very aware of the scriptures. What Satan doesn't know is when Christ will return. As Christians we need to remember that this physical world we live in, is only a part of reality. We may not see the battles going on between darkness and light but they are happening. Keep Us From The Evil One When Jesus is tempted in the desert by Satan, He defeats Satan by quoting scripture. Knowledge of God and of His word is essential in our walk as Christians to successfully defeat the attacks from Satan that we all face. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, Paul reminds us that we are not waging war according to the flesh. Our weapons are " mighty in God " he tells us. We are fighting darkness with light. This is a war between darkness and light. In John 17:15, Jesus prayed for us to God that He would keep us from the evil one. And to this we say Amen and Amen!

It might be surprising to learn that Jesus spoke more about Hell than he did Heaven. Jesus actually spoke more about Hell than anyone else in the Bible. Hell is the eternal destination of those who die without Christ. The purpose of Jesus's death and resurrection was to save us from this horrific fate. Quite literally His resurrection provided the only way to save us from our sins. Only perfectly righteous souls can be in the presence of God. Our righteousness cannot come from within, it must come from the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. As 1 john 2:2 says, He is the propitiation for our sins. That word propitiation means to satisfy the wrath of God against sin. The Road To Hell Matthew 7:13 tells us that the road to Hell is easy. It is broad and the gate is wide. It is, like the old rock song says, a " Highway to Hell ". Many people go in through its wide gate. But the narrow gate is described differently in Matthew 7:14. It is difficult and not so many find it. In John 10: 9 (a), Jesus describes Himself as the gate. He says, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. "(NIV) How is hell described by Jesus? In Matthew 8:12, Jesus describes it as a place of darkness where there will be " weeping and gnashing of teeth ". Where Heaven is always described as light, Hell will be the antithesis of this. This expression is used in 4 other places by Jesus. In Matthew 5:22, Hell (here translated from the word Gehenna) is said to be a place filled with fire. Again, in Matthew 18:9, he refers to Hell fire. In Revelation 20:14, we read about the Lake of Fire. In Matthew 24:41, the fires of Hell are said to be everlasting, i.e. eternal. In Mark 9:48, it is described as a place of eternal torment or torture. The fire never goes out. In Matthew 25:46, Jesus describes Hell as a place of eternal punishment. In Luke 16:19-29, we discover that there is a vast gulf between Heaven and Hell. No one can pass between the two. In Luke 12:5, we are told that God alone has the power to cast someone into Hell. Gehenna The Greek word ' gehenna ' refers to a place where dead animals and refuse from Jerusalem was piled up and burned. It was a place where the fires smoldered constantly. It was also the place in the Old Testament where child sacrifices were made to the false god Molech. Children were burned alive to this god whose image was a bull. It was a perfect metaphor for the reality of Hell which is described in Mark 9:48 as place where the fire never goes away. Hell Was Prepared For The Rebellious In Matthew 25:41, Jesus tells us that Hell was prepared for Satan and the demonic angels who rebelled against God. Second Thessalonians 1:9 says that those who don't know Jesus will be " punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power ". Jesus will bring recompense t o the world. The Devil Seeks To Destroy You The Devil hates God and hates His creation. The Devil's greatest joy comes from destroying the souls of men. The Devil lies to us and tries to consume us. 1 Peter 5:8 says the devil is like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. God's Escape Plan We talk so much about God's love that sometimes we don't want to think about judgment. The people around us who we know and love need to realize that Hell is real. God, thankfully, has graciously provided a way of escape. C.S. Lewis once said, "The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." We don't have to live the most wicked of lives to go to hell, we only have to live a life without God. Fear Not For Christians we need not fear. Isaiah sums up God's love and protection so well in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’" Ask yourself, "Who is it that is with you?"; "Who is it that is your God?"; "Who is it that strengthens and helps you?"; "Who is it that upholds you against evil?". If you don't know or you know it isn't God, reach out to Him now, before time runs out.

We do not serve a stingy God. Our Father wants to bless us. So many times in Scripture we read the expression, ' how much more' , in reference to what God has for us. We recognize what this means. We often say things like, "Johnny studied for an hour and made a C on his test, how much more would he have achieved if he had studied all week," or "Julie got much more fit running twice a week. How much more progress would she make if she had run every day?" Just as we recognize this concept in everyday situations, the Bible frequently uses 'how much more' to describe God's generosity and blessings toward us. We serve a God of the how much more . Matthew 7:11: God As A Loving Father Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:11 that God is our loving Father. Here, he compares our Heavenly Father to our earthly parents. Compared to God, our earthly parents are evil, and yet they wouldn't give their child a rock if they asked for bread or a snake instead of a fish if their child asked. Our Father may not give us exactly what we ask for, but how much more will He provide good things for us when we ask? Romans 5:9-10: Justified By His Blood One of the most treasured expressions of His love is found in Romans 5:9-10. Romans 5:9 tells us that we have been justified by the blood of Jesus. Paul then says, " how much more " will we be saved from the wrath of God. To be justified means to be forgiven and declared righteous. Paul has already explained how none of us are good, none are righteous, in themselves. So, since it is true that the blood of Jesus justifies us, it is even more true that we who have been justified will never see the wrath of God. Romans 5:10: Saved By Christ’s Life In Romans 5:10, Paul tells us that while we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him. We are reconciled, even though we in no way deserve it. Reconciliation is peace between humans and God, made possible by Christ's sacrifice. So, " how much more " Paul says, shall we be saved by Christ's sinless life? To the world, Christ's death looked like defeat, but God used His death to reconcile us to Himself. How much more shall His powers as an exalted Redeemer be able to keep and save us? Romans 5:17: Reigning In Life With Christ Paul continues in Romans 5:17 and reminds us that through one man, Adam, death reigned—death comes to us all. Then how much more will those who receive God's grace and gift of righteousness reign with Him in life? Since we are the children of God by adoption, God allows us to be exalted to a glorious state of happiness in heaven; triumphant over all our enemies; gaining an ultimate victory; and partaking with our Savior in the splendors of Heaven. What a great and undeserved reward awaits us. Romans 8:32: God's Abundant Blessings Sometimes in life, we may feel very disconnected from God. We may be experiencing difficult times in our lives, or periods where we have fallen into old sins. It is especially during these times that Paul again uses a similar expression in Romans 8:32 when he explains, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Every good gift comes from the God who loves us, not because we are good, but because He is. If He loved us enough to send His Son to die for us, how much more will He give us all our needs? He gives us hope and forgiveness to find our way back to Him. Ephesians 3:20: God Provides Beyond Our Imagination When my children were small and hungry, they might ask me for a sweet snack before supper. I love my children, but I wouldn't give them exactly what they wanted. I gave them what was best for them: vegetables, meat, potatoes or rice. In other words, I fed them healthy foods, even though it might not be their favorite thing. So too, our Heavenly Father provides for us in better ways than we can often understand. Paul tells us this in Ephesians 3:20 when he says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" Hebrews 12:9: God’s Loving Discipline Just as parents take care of us, they also discipline us. In Hebrews 12:9, the author tells us that we respect our parents for loving us enough to discipline us when we do wrong. How much more should we be subject to the discipline of God, knowing that it is because He loves us and wants to train us up rightly? An undisciplined child is a child that is unloved. No parent who loves his child would ever let them run wild and not discipline bad behavior. If we, as human parents, know this, how much more does God love us and want what is best for us? God trains us in the way we should go. The Contrast Of "How Much More" This expression, " how much more ", is a contrast between what was and what will be. Each of these scriptures shows us how much more God has in store for us. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:19, that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory through Jesus. God's abundant blessings are all around us. Our lives are never the same after an encounter with God. They become so much more. Thanks be to God. God's Blessings In Our Walk With Him God's desire is to bless us. He has blessed us with salvation through His Son for which we will always be thankful. He has blessed us with His Holy Spirit who lives in us, "For God is the One working in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13). The Lord has blessed us with His peace (Psalm 29:11), His power (2 Timothy 1:7), His hope (Psalm 62:5-6), His joy (John 15:11) and more. Ask For More How much more joy do you have than before you believed? How much more peace? How much more power and strength? How much more hope? If something is missing in your walk with Christ, ask for it. He is ready and willing to give you so much more than you can imagine or hope for— immeasurably more ! Enjoy the Goodness of God by Cece Winans here .

In the Bible, rivers play an important symbolic role. The Jordan River, mentioned many times in Scripture, flows south to the Sea of Galilee and from there on to the Dead Sea near Jericho. It was the Jordan River that the Jews crossed to reach the Promised Land. This crossing ended years of wandering in the desert. Symbolically, the Jordan River takes us, as followers of Christ, from the years we may have spent wandering in our lives, lost and confused without God, to the salvation and new life that Jesus offers us. It symbolizes a transition, " once I was lost but now, I am found ", as the great hymn Amazing Grace reminds us. Naaman and Baptism: Cleansing through Water The Jordan River also plays a role in the story of Naaman, who was required to go there to cleanse himself of leprosy. For us the waters of baptism are a symbolic cleansing of sin—a rising from death to life. In the New Testament, the Jordan River is where the baptism of Jesus takes place. It was the beginning of a new chapter in His life because His ministry began at this point. In His baptism we see God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, descending on Jesus like a dove. Jesus as the Source of Living Water Beyond the Jordan River’s symbolic meaning in baptism, Jesus takes this imagery further. In John 4: 7-26, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well that He has " living water " to give her. In verse 14, He says: "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” God's Provision: A Life Without Thirst In John 6:35, Jesus tells the disciples that those who come to Him will never hunger or thirst again. Jesus is our source of living water! In the same way that God provided for His children wandering in the desert, He provides for us. In the desert, the Jews were miraculously provided manna from Heaven and water flowing from a rock. His chosen people did not hunger or thirst, nor do we. Later in John 7:37-38, Jesus tells the disciples: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” The Promise of the Holy Spirit and Living Water This was a promise to believers of the gift of the Holy Spirit that had not yet come. This water of life was not just for us but would flow from us as a blessing to others. These waters offer an answer for the spiritual thirst that every man has. They offer us cleansing and a constant source of refreshment to our soul. These waters sustain us and give us true life—life everlasting . Revelation gives us a final vision of a river flowing from the throne of God. The River of Life in Revelation In Revelation 21:6, God says that He will freely give to anyone who is thirsty from the fountain of the water of life. In the vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22:1, we learn about a crystal clear river that flows from the throne of God and from the Lamb. This river can be understood symbolically as a symbol of life giving purity and perfection. The Invitation to Drink Freely In Revelation 22:17 we read, the Holy Spirit and the bride (the church) encourage " whoever desires " to freely drink from the water of life. This is the final invitation sent to the world to claim the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers to all. Are you looking for more in life than you could possibly imagine? Are you sick of the sin that has overwhelmed your life and made you feel that there is no hope? We agree with Revelation 22:17 and say, Come! Come to these waters of life because there is a vast supply. The Need for Desire to Drink from the Living Water This invitation to drink from the waters of life is extended to all, but Revelation 22:17 also reminds us that there must be a 'desire' to drink. We often realize that something is missing in our lives, but too often instead of drinking from the source that offers life, we try to find what's missing in things of this world: success, money, sex, drugs, just to name a few. We chase a dream, an illusion, that never gives any real, sustainable joy. Is there any living water in your cup or are you drinking something foul and fleeting? Life-Giving Water Throughout Scripture Throughout the Bible, we see this life-giving water in many forms. As Psalm 36:8 describes so beautifully, God causes us to drink of the river of His pleasures; in Psalm 46:4, the Psalmist describes a river who makes glad the City of God; and in Ezekiel 47, the great prophet has a vision of water flowing from the threshold of the temple bringing life wherever it goes. This water brings all of the blessings that God would have us receive. Ultimately, it brings the gift of eternal life with Him. The Call to Drink from Living Water What a sad thing to realize that some of us choose not to drink from that living water. Just as Jesus describes in Matthew 23:37 when He says that He would have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks, but you wouldn't come. We have to be willing to submit to Him. He doesn't force us to drink, but He does plead with us. Christ's Simple Request: Trust in Him What is Christ asking? Very simply, " trust my poor, sinful self wholly and confidently and constantly and obediently to Him " (MacLaren's Exposition). We don't have to do anything to accept His offer, but wholly trust in Jesus. It is He who made the sacrifice for us, He who offered everything on the cross, and He who calls us to Himself. What is your answer? Please enjoy, "There is a River" by the Gaither Vocal Band, here .