Mysterious reasons behind our salvation are revealed to us in this amazing verse. The redemption we have obtained through the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness that has been granted us, and the riches of His amazing grace that He has showered upon us are infinitely valuable and completely undeserved. Why has this amazing grace been so lavishly bestowed upon us? Because it is God’s good pleasure to do so, for reasons which He purposed in Himself. In short, He did all this because He wanted to.
Just as it gives parents pleasure to give gifts to our children on Christmas morning, it gives God infinite pleasure to give us grace and mercy. This is why the death of Jesus is so precious, because it is the event that changed everything. Because of God’s infinite holiness, He cannot ignore our God-belittling sin. So grievous is our iniquity that all of us deserve nothing but eternal punishment. So impossible was our desperate and sinful condition, it required the death of His perfectly innocent Son to satisfy His requirement of holy justice.
It is just one of the many mysteries of God’s nature that His seemingly opposite eternal attributes of Justice and Mercy could meet in one event: the death of His Son on the cross. Jesus met God’s requirement for Justice on the cross so that mercy could be extended toward us. Praise His holy name!
Tom Day
The body of Christ consists of many people of many different talents, giftings, and callings. Despite the diversity within all these different types, the goal is for everyone in the church to do their part. When everyone is doing their part, the body grows, it gets stronger and the most distinguishing factor that will be evident when this is all working correctly is love.
At the end of the day, it’s not about us, it’s about Jesus, the head of the body, and what He has called each of us to do. Focus on doing that well, and we are that much closer to showcasing the love that makes the church a beautiful sight to see!
Pastor Jason Witt
A few verses earlier, Paul tells the Philippians to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6) but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. We have a Father in heaven who loves us; who wants to be in our lives. I know for me, this verse is easy to quote. It’s easy to tell people just to give it to the Lord. It’s also easy to be in a situation when all you can think about is the situation you are currently in.
I do know that these last few months have been a nightmare. I know that worry and anxiety have come into our minds. Instead of thinking of these things, let’s meditate on God’s goodness. I have found myself going back to the cross; going back to those last days Jesus had to endure. Then I find myself going to the resurrection.
You’ve heard it before, “count your blessings.” During all that we have been going through, I have been doing just that. Counting my blessings. Meditating on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, anything that is praiseworthy. I’m able to do that because I have given anything and everything that might cause me to worry or anxious to the Lord.
Give it to the Lord and meditate on His goodness.
Joshua Navarro
Cares. Man, we all have those, don’t we? We care about our loved ones. We care about our finances. We care about ourselves and what the future holds. At times, we find ourselves sunk into predicaments that appear to have no solution. That’s when God’s promises change from words on paper to a lifeboat afloat on a raging sea.
Let’s focus on the word “casting” in this verse. Casting is translated from the Greek word epiripsantes. Literally, it means to throw something upon something else. It is a word that describes action. You and I are to throw our care and our anxiety to Jesus. He wants you to; He will gladly catch that pass. He will hold it, bear it, and deal with it. Why? Because He cares for you. Imagine that, your Creator, your Redeemer, your Savior, your King….He cares for you. Today, let’s step up and throw all of our cares upon Jesus. We don’t have to hold onto them one minute longer.
Jeff Deal
Can you imagine what it would look like to do everything for the glory of God? Everything, not just worship on Sunday mornings, but every aspect of life dedicated to glorifying our Lord. As you step out of bed in the morning, your mind is praising the Lord for His mercies. As you eat, you are thanking God for the food He has provided. As you sit in a traffic jam, you are singing praises to God for your life and that opportunity to be still and know He is God. Yes, anything and everything can be a sweet offering to our Lord when we purpose in our hearts to glorify His Name.
Our purpose and meaning in life is to glorify our Lord and He is blessed as we serve Him with all our heart. So, whatever you do in the course of your day, set your mind on glorifying God and watch as He uses you to be a blessing to others and a witness of His grace.
Pastor Doug Hardin
I cannot count the times I have done the exact opposite of the above verse. Every time I do, I come to regret it. The Lord calls us to be quick to listen to people, and notice it does not say “only when they agree with you.” It is easy to listen to people when they are saying things you agree with, but they moment they don’t, it is easy to cut them off and “set them straight.”
Sadly, our society thrives on this type of behavior. So many talk shows feature two or more people “debating,” when in reality all they do is yell over each other. As followers of the Lord, we are not to live by this model. Every time we have conversations with people, our goal should be to point them to Christ, and as James writes, our wrath will not produce the righteousness of God. Instead, we are to listen to what they are saying and after they are finished, we respond out of love and give them the hope of the gospel. We need to listen to understand and not listen to respond. How are you listening?
For the King,
Pastor Daniel Batistelli
Have you been in a conversation where you sense that if you push your point any harder it’s going to turn into a fight? In your mind you can look at the edge of the dam and realize that little leak is about to cause a full on burst. And yet how often do we push through anyway. This happens a lot in marriages between a husband and wife. But how do we “stop contention before a quarrel starts”? You simply need to be willing to turn from the situation and look straight into the face of your loving Savior “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return.” (1 Peter 2:23)
God did not put us on this earth to set the record straight or prove our point. He put us here to reflect His grace, mercy, and love. The next time you see a leak in the dam, look to Him and be thankful for His forgiveness and let it go.
Buttoning the lip,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
The English language is not the best language to describe love. The same word love is used to describe our love for our wives, our cars, or chocolate chip cookies. In the Greek language, there are multiple words for love. Included in those words is the one used in this verse, agape. It describes a love that gives of self and doesn’t expect to be repaid. It is the love God has for us.
People think because God is love, the opposite, love is God, is also true, but that’s not the case. Just because we love something doesn’t mean that feeling comes from God. We can have love of those things listed above and we can also love things God would absolutely abhor.
If you have given your life to Jesus, understand it’s because God is love and offered a sacrifice of His Son for your benefit. He did this despite the fact we don’t deserve it and can in no way pay Him back. We just need to accept God’s love for us and live our lives accordingly.
Loving God’s love,
Pastor Ron Kitchell
A good friend is willing to wound us with loving correction. Though the wounds really hurt, they are indeed expression of his love and true friendship. His efforts are made to help, to heal, to restore and deliver. The fair weather friend however is much like the kisses of an enemy. He will tell you what you want to hear, will feign concern but will be of no real help. Seek friends that are honest with you, they are few and far between, but worth their weight in gold.
Wanting to be a faithful friend,
Pastor Jack Abeelen
Deuteronomy 31:6
Fear is to the Devil what faith is to the Lord. That is, Satan responds to, takes advantage of, and delights in fear the same way our Lord responds to, works through, and delights in faith. When I don’t know how the bills will get paid or if the relationship will be restored, or if the Covid-19 virus will prevail, the Devil will try to get me to become full of anxiety and fear. God, however, “has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Faith is like a muscle. It doesn’t grow unless it’s exercised. And we need to exercise faith in a most practical way. In the midst of the storm, when it seems as though our boat is sinking, we need to choose to be of good cheer. I have discovered over and over that when I make the decision to be strong, to be of good cheer, to not give into tears and fears, that the Lord is truly near.
Faith that works is not only a matter of having devotions in the morning or going to Bible study in the evening, but it’s a matter of speaking out that which we have taken in.
For he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do to me. – Hebrews 13:5–6. Next time you are fearful about the future, boldly speak out what He has already said, and watch your faith grow.
Pastor William Del Casale
