The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
Ecclesiastes 8:11 reminds us that, when a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. “Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice; with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. But understand this, if the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.” My brothers and sisters in Christ, God has been patient with us, but his promises are true; therefore, let every one of us come to repentance and be found ready when the Son of Man appears.
The Lord gives His people strength; the Lord blesses His people with peace. Psalm 29:11
“I was young and now I am old, yet, I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your instruction; nothing can make them stumble.” The Lord’s chosen are blessed!
The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12
”Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Do not participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.”
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5
“The acts of the flesh are obvious, when you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear; sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Lord, our desires forces us give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds; cleanse us from all fleshy thoughts and set our minds on the things of the spirit. Amen!
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9
“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere; and those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. A harvest that has God’s approval comes from the peace planted by peacemakers; blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
Do not be deceived. You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7
My brothers and sisters in Christ, “The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:8
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness. James 3:18
“Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain. For He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.” Lord, for too long we have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; we have eaten the fruit of lies because we have trusted in our own way. Help us, Lord, to trust you completely, so that we may sow in peace, in order to reap the fruit of righteousness. Amen!
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. Psalm 25:9
“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. I will walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice. Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.” Amen!
Too many of us are living out our lives on a roller coaster. We go from one extreme to the other each day. We are restless, we are tossed to and fro by every which wind, but my brothers and sisters in Christ, you and I will have no peace until our all on the altar is laid.
“Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blest, and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul. Would you walk with the Lord, in the light of His word, and have peace and contentment alway? You must do His sweet will, to be free from all ill, on the altar your all you must lay. Oh, we never can know, what the Lord will bestow, of the blessings for which we have prayed, ‘till our body and soul, he doth fully control, and our all on the altar is laid. Who can tell all the love, he will send from above, and how happy our hearts will be made; of the fellowship sweet, we shall share at His feet, when our all on the altar is laid.”
“I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; then the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me now safe am I. LOVE LIFTED ME!”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, you may be feeling down in the dumps this morning, you may feel like you are drifting far from shore, you may be feeling lost and alone, but you need not be, just cry out to Jesus, because at one point in my life that too was my experience, but something within me urged me to cry out to Jesus and his love lifted me. So, let me remind you of this; “Souls in danger look above, Jesus completely saves, he will lift you by his love, out of the angry waves, love so mighty and so true, merits my souls bless song, faithful loving service too to him belong. Yes, love, lifted me, love lifted me, when nothing else could help, love lifted me, hallelujah, love lifted me, love lifted me, when nothing else could help, LOVE LIFTED ME.”