Bible thoughts to reflect on

- Live your life like you are answering what Jesus asked Peter three times: “Do you love me?” and “Feed my sheep.”

- As children of God we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow!

- Satan got Eve to forget all that God had done for her and to focus on the one thing she couldn’t have. The next time we feel sorry for ourselves, think about all the blessings God has given us and thank Him.

- “He learned obedience from what he suffered…” Hebrews 5:8

- From the book of Job: Regardless of how much Job suffered, he clung to God and God rewarded him. Job was tested. With a life filled with prestige, possessions and people, he was suddenly assaulted on every side – devastated, stripped down to his foundation. But, his life was built on God and he endured.

- I read this in Christianity Today, “Early church leaders wrote about the distinction between virtue and innocence. Innocence is when we've faced no temptation. Virtue is when we've been tempted but stayed strong. A similar distinction can be found in faith. Innocent faith can trust God because it hasn't seen darkness and trial; virtuous faith has known hardship and still chooses to trust God.”

- You can answer a lot of ‘what should I do’ questions by remembering that Jesus said the 2 greatest commandments are: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” For example: ask yourself, “Does this honor and glorify God?” or, remembering that some of your closest neighbors are your family, “Will this make my family closer?” (Adding more activities to your already busy schedule may sacrifice family time, etc.)

God was not caught by surprise

Isaiah 53:10 says, “Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief; when He makes Himself an offering for sin, He shall see His offspring, He shall prolong His days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand;”

It was no accident. God was not caught by surprise when His servant was crushed and put to grief. It was God’s eternal plan for the redemption of Israel. There was no hostile intent, only a righteous God, dealing with the transgressions of His people. The emphasis Isaiah makes is, God did it. God is the author, God is in control. Not the Roman soldiers or the Jewish religious leaders. They could accomplish their evil deed only as a sovereign God allowed them. The only adequate answer to the question of why God did it is found in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

God reached out to us from the beginning. He has always come to us. In the Garden of Eden He came down to walk with Adam and Eve and to teach them. In Exodus He was there in the form of a fire and a cloud leading and guiding the Israelites. Later He dwelled in their most holy of Holies. Much later He came to earth as Jesus. He became one of us and lived on earth. Now, He is inside every believer in the form of the Holy Spirit, where He’s promised to stay until the end of time.

God loves us! He wants to BE with us, have a relationship with us now and for eternity. His plan is that, as many people as can, will be saved. It is totally up to us, whether we are or not.