Believers that serve the Lord know that God blesses them. They have “tasted that the Lord is gracious,” and are satisfied with His goodness to them.

This verse mentions that His goodness is great. It is also unending because He keeps on giving – even though we sometimes fail Him. It also implies that you never waste time trusting Him because His goodness is waiting to meet your needs.

Although He may come after you had just about given up hope, as He did in the case of Lazarus, we must remember that God is never late. His glory will be seen.

Now for the condition mentioned, the verse says that if you want to see that kind of goodness, you need to “fear” Him. It is not a fear that dreads God because you are afraid that He will hit you with a club if you step out of line. No, perfect love casts out that kind of fear.

The kind of fear He does want is respect. After all, He did not need to stoop to our level to become one of us and then to die a most shameful death. He wants us to remember that we are sinful, and except for His Son’s sacrifice, we could never come into His presence and wish for any blessing from Him.

When you remember Who He is and who you are in relation to Him it will help you respect Him. Also, when you understand that your relationship with Him is fragile and that He will not tolerate sin, you will not want to displease Him and lose your sweet fellowship with Him.

David loved being at the house of the Lord. In his days, it was in a tent – the Tabernacle. Later, his son Solomon would build the Temple.

Today, the place where God’s presence is made known, is in the church meeting. Not necessarily in a church building, because many so-called churches are not honoring to God in what they do.

Of course, He also dwells within our hearts, if you are saved. What a comfort it is to know that He is always present with the believer.

The primary thing that David emphasizes in this verse is that he loves the place that God has designated for Himself. He loved it because he enjoyed being in the presence of God. In his day, God especially met with His people at the Tabernacle, even though He could be prayed to anywhere. David was in tune with honoring the God of the Tabernacle.

Many believers have left coming to the place where God is honored – the local church. It makes me wonder if they really love God at all, and if they want to honor Him at all! Certainly, He has done so much for us in saving us and after our salvation! He is worthy of all honor and praise.

The Bible tells us that we honor God by obeying Him. How else can we call Him “Lord” if we do not let Him be Lord of our life? The word “Lord” is more than a title. It means boss. Is He your Boss today? Will you worship with other believers tomorrow – even if they are not perfect yet?

Jesus invites everyone to come to Him and He will save them. He plainly stated that no one will be rejected.

Someone’s past life does not matter – no matter how sinful or even what kind of sin they may have been involved in. He loves the world, but gives each person a choice to receive Him or reject Him.

Receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is eternal life, rejecting Him or not accepting Him is to be damned forever. It really is as simple as that. He will not force anyone to be saved, but your destination depends on your choice. Jesus died for you to give you eternal life.

Eternal blessing or eternal fire – your choice and a limited time to make it. Millions that have come to Christ have found that He is everything needed for life – and more – that the Bible declares.

Have you received Him as your Lord and Savior? If not, ask Him to forgive you and save you today, and to come into your heart and be your Boss.

As believers in Christ, we are – and should be engaged – in warfare against the Devil. Christmas time is no exception. During this season, it can be easy to forget the Lord and focus on buying gifts, decorating, preparing for company, and going to Christmas parties.

It can be easy to drift from the Lord and His will for us during this season. Let’s remember that God intends more than this from His people.

Here are some thoughts about the battle every believer should be engaged in.

1. Wrestling is a personal sport.

No one but you can wrestle with the Devil and win for you. You must fight personally with him. It is a choice.

2. Why we wrestle with the Devil.

We wrestle because the Devil seeks to cause us to sin and get out of the will of God and be rendered powerless to serve God. Once you yield to Satan’s temptation, you can no longer be effective in God’s service – until you repent and seek His forgiveness.

3. Wrestling requires giving your all.

If you intend to win a wrestling match, you cannot expect to do so half-heartedly. You must be determined to win (single-minded) and not allow distractions to weaken your resolve to win or the energy you exert in the match.

4. Wrestling has a time limit.

A wrestling match normally has a set time limit. Our fight with the Devil and his helpers does, too. For the believer, the time limit is your lifespan. The temptations will come – but you can be ready.

5. Wrestling match winners are experienced.

The only way you can continue to win over the world, the flesh, and the Devil is to practice winning each time you are tempted. Don’t give in to his devices or your own fleshly lusts. Ask God to help you each time – you can stand against him and be victorious if you wear God’s armor.

How well are you doing so far in your wrestling against the Devil?

Psalm 146 talks about how the Lord delights in helping people. This was especially seen when Christ was on earth in His many miracles. The chapter reveals many things that He does often.

The Lord also delights in some people and shows them special favor and blessing. It even says that He especially loves some and blesses them. Joshua and Caleb knew this, and they knew that God can do anything. In Numbers 14:8, they told the people who were hesitating to go into the Promised Land because of the giants: “If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.” Note here that God not only had power to give them the land if He delighted in them, but He also had power to prevent them from getting the land – which proved to be the case for 40 years.

David also testified that he knew that God delivered him many times besides he pleased God. He said, in Psalm 18:19: “He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.“

God wants to delight in His people. But He cannot delight in rebellion any more than you can tolerate it in your own children. He loves and blesses people that love Him and actively and faithfully serve Him. Moses declared to Israel the thing that God expected of them. He told them, “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12).

God’s blessing is conditional. He will not bless those that walk contrary to Him – whether it be an individual or a nation. Samuel the prophet told King Saul – after he disobeyed God: “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.“ (1Sa. 15:22,23).

If you want God to bless you, Christian, make sure you are doing what He desires. Once you are, in the long run, you will see that He loves to bless and truly give you an abundant life!

As believers, it is absolutely necessary that we are sure that God is behind what we do. Otherwise, it will not prosper. The labor you put into it – even if you work at it harder and harder – it will not succeed in the long run.

This principle can be applied to almost anything. When you go to work to build a career, build a family, get an education, build a retirement fund, buy things like a home or boat, etc. – He can ensure that you never succeed – if it is not His will. Or, He can also take away the joy that you have once you have obtained it.

In this Bible verse, God says that if He is not helping you to build, your labor is going to be in vain – or, to no worth. It will be empty and come to nothing. Although He may let you work at something for a while, it needs to be remembered that He can both build and tear down if He does not approve of it.

By the grace of God, though, He can and will help you build the things He desires, as long as you do it under His direction and power. Although there may be some delays – it will happen if He is behind it and nothing can stop it.

Think about Nehemiah rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem that had been destroyed. It went from being a trash heap to a completed city wall in just 52 days! Although there were enemies and obstacles to overcome, it succeeded!

The most important thing any Christian can build into your life with God’s help is a close, daily walk with God. Once this happens, your spiritual life will be stable, you will bear spiritual fruit, see powerful victories over sin in your personal life, and those within your sphere of influence will be impacted by your life and testimony. God will also be able to guide you into His perfect will and your life will be a success in God’s eyes.

When Jesus Christ was born, the world had many misconceptions of the nature of God – and they still persist. Various religions taught various views about God: some had gods that were harsh and cruel, or vengeful, or warlike, or even indifferent. Some had a God that was very legalistic – but very few understood that God loved man and wanted to fellowship with him.

God wanted people to see Him for Who He really is – and He sent Jesus as a Gift to show us what God is like. After living among us for 33 years, He would fulfill His purpose when He died on the Cross to show us God’s ultimate love for the people of the world in all ages. This was declared in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

It is worthy of note to see what various people and angels said about the One in the manger (before and after the event):

• Elizabeth said: “And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43).
• The angel told Mary before her conception: “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” The angel also told her in verse 35: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God“ (Luke 1:31-33).
• The angel told the shepherds, in Luke 2:10-12: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ”
• Notice what Zecharias prophesied about his son John the Baptist, in Luke 1:76-78: “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins.”
• Simeon, who had looked for the Messiah all his long life, said to Mary and Joseph in the Temple when he saw them: “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).
• The angel told Joseph in a dream, in Matthew 1:20-21: “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
• Also, note Who the Bible says this special Son of Mary really is, in Matthew 1:23 (which is a repeat of Isaiah 7:14): “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
• Note also what God told the angels about the One in the cradle: “when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him“ (Hebrews 1:6).

Christmas is certainly a time of rejoicing because of what God has done for us. It is especially so for those who already know Him personally as their Savior. They can rejoice that Heaven will be their Home for sure; now that is something to get excited about!

Is He your Savior today? I hope and pray that He is – or will be today. Follow the link to learn more about Christ and salvation.

God does so much for every person every single day that it would be impossible to name it all. Certainly, none of us would even exist if it were not for His daily kindness.

Some of the reasons that God should be thanked today include the following blessings:

• Still being alive
• Able to breathe
• Not having COVID (hopefully)
• Friends and family
• Food on the table
• Clothes on your back
• A place to live and stay warm
• Being able to work and earn a living.

These are just a few of the physical blessings that we need to survive on this planet. Have you called on God and thanked Him today for these things? Think what life would be like without any one of them! Many people do not have some of these basic things.

Note that the above verse indicates that if we are truly thankful to God, that He wants us to do more than just thank Him. He also desires that we tell others about His goodness to us so that they can turn to Him and benefit from His goodness as well.

Over the years, I have come to thank God more and more for the local church. I find it a joy to be able to meet with other sincere believers to spend some time together worshipping the Lord and fellowshipping with fellow believers.

What a blessing it is to sing the old songs about what He has done for me and for everyone! It is good to be reminded of His sacrifice for my sin and those of the entire world.

It is also an occasion to be challenged to continue to live for Christ in this dark world and to be reminded that He is coming again soon! What a day of joy that will be when my Jesus I see!

Although the number of faithful believers seems to be dwindling – thank God for those who are still obedient and have not forsaken the assembling together as God commands.

I hope and pray that if you are a believer in Christ and have been redeemed that you also will be in church today.

Jesus died on the Cross for all

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

So many people make salvation a complicated and difficult thing. The good news is that God never intended for it to be complex. He desires that even the children come to Him and be saved and He has made it possible. In fact, He made salvation so simple that anyone could be saved and have everlasting life.

He made salvation simple because He loves and He wants everyone to live with Him in eternity. Getting forgiveness and salvation is easy, and everyone must obtain it the same way – as a gift. It cannot be earned.

You see, the price for sin has already been paid for you. Jesus Christ, God’s Son in human form, came to earth to pay a debt that would be impossible for you or me to pay. The Word of God reveals that God considers every human to be guilty of breaking His Law: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

God tells us, in the Bible, that the price tag (“wages”) for our sin is death in Hell – “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). In God’s Judgment Hall, no one will be excused of sin as long as their sin is on His books!

Because our sin is punishable by eternal death, we could never pay our debt. Jesus Christ was sent by God to pay the price that we owed. He was and is the only hope of forgiveness. He willingly went to the cross – as prophesied – for us: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

To be saved and have your sins forgiven by God, He asks that you be willing in your heart to turn from sin and believe that God can and will save you because of what Christ did for you on the cross. You need to talk straight to God in prayer and ask for His forgiveness of your sin. Then, ask the Lord Jesus to save you and enter your heart as the Boss (the meaning of “Lord”) of your life. Then, in faith, thank Him for saving you and giving to you at that moment eternal life.

Yes, my friend, salvation is simple – but only because He already paid for it for you. He did the hard part. If you are tired of sin, why not ask Him to forgive and save you right now? As a gift, you need to be willing to receive it.