God Has Victory in Store - Remain in His Love

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Quick Summary

Proverbs 2:7 says that God has victory in store. Living a live of faith doesn't mean we don't have problems, but it does mean God has victory in store for every problem we face. One of the biggest keys to victory is being steadfast in our focus on God's steadfast love for us. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for God's steadfast love is "Hesed," and it represents Gods unwavering loyalty and faithfulness to love and do good for us continually. This word Hesed also has ties to the concept of covenant. In the New Covenant God has obligated himself to hesed because of Jesus. When we fix our minds on God's steadfast unfailing love for us it helps us stand steadfast and immoveable in our faith and love when under pressure. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for all those watching, listening, or reading this and their families, friends, and all those connected to them along with our church and governmental leaders.

Thank you for releasing us from darkness and transferring us into the light, into the kingdom of your dear son. Thank you for your purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

I ask that you the father of glory would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation so we would know you better. That the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to know the hope to which you have called us, and the riches of your glorious inheritance that is in us, and the immeasurable greatness of your power to us who believe. The same power that you exercised in Christ when you raised him from the dead, and seated him at your right hand in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,and every name that is named. Not only in this age but also in the one to come. And you put all things under his feet and made him to be the head of all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Heavenly Father, bless us and make your face shine upon us. Let us find grace and favor in your eyes.Expand our borders and our territory. Expand our capacity to receive your purpose and grace, and all that you want to do in our lives, and to let it flow through us so that we do good and are a blessing to people all over the world. Keep your hand on us and help us do TODAY what is right and best in your eyes. And to do it with peace and joy, and confidence in you. And as we do stretch out your hand to heal and do signs and wonders. And keep us from evil and pain.

Through the mighty name of Jesus. Amen

Communion Meditation

The wafer in communion is symbolic of the sinless body of Jesus. As often as we take communion we are proclaiming the death of Jesus. His death is very important because it was the transition to the New Covenant. Hebrews 10 says that by his one sacrifice he has made us holy forever. The wafer is a reminder of the holiness of Jesus that has been given to us. To be holy is the opposite of common. To be holy is to be set apart for a special purpose. In Colossians chapter 3 the subtitle of is Rules for Holy Living. Here is what it says in Colossians 3. If you see an area where some adjustments need to be made it is not for condemnation. It is an area to bring to God, receive your forgiveness and ask for his help turning that area around. 

Colossians 3 - Rules for Holy Living

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Instructions for Christian Households
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

4 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Further Instructions
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

God Has Victory in Store - Remain in His Love

Last week we discussed Revelation 3 where Jesus tells the church of Sardis to "Wake Up! Strengthen the things that remain." Hebrews chapter 4 says the promise still remains of entering God's Sabbath rest, and the day is today. Every day we can enter into the rest found in Christ. 1 Corinthians 13 says that faith, hope, and love remain but the greatest of these is love. Remaining is God's steadfast love is very important and it is the key to victory. 

In the Old Testament it says over and over that the Spring of the year is when kings go to battle. Spring is a reminder that there may be battles and challenges in life but God always gives us the victory. The Bible has a lot to say about victory. In 2 Kings 13 it says it during the Spring of the year raiders came into the land and that is when Elisha told the king to shoot "God's arrow of victory." 

Proverbs 2:7 says

God holds victory in store for the upright; he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.

God has victory for every battle stored up in Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 says...

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Jesus said we would have trouble in the world but to be of good cheer because he has overcome the world. Other scriptures in the New Testament say he always cause us to triumph, we are overcomers, and more than conquerers. Sometimes when we see the amazing promises God has given us in Christ we may be led to believe that we won't have any more problems. A life of faith doesn't mean we won't have problems but it does mean God has victory in store for every problem and trouble we face and he always causes us to triumph. With this in mind we should be steadfast and immoveable. 

To be steadfast is to be consistent, fixed, immoveable, and unchanging. In the Old Testament there is a phrase "Steadfast love," that is used almost 250 times. In the Hebrew this is the word "Hesed." For example, in the gospels when blind Bartimaeus was calling out to Jesus he was saying in Hebrew " Have Hesed on me." 

Hesed is is a Hebrew word that is hard to translate into English because of its deep meaning but here is some of what it means. Fidelity or loyalty to a covenant with an eager or ardent desire for mercy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, loyalty, compassion, love, grace, and unfailing love. 

God is unwavering and steadfast in his commitment to the covenant in Christ. God is abounding with hesed. It is who he is. In our covenant relationship with God he has bound or obligated himself to hesed for us. 

We are going to get into several scriptures on God's steadfast love but before that lets look at John 15 where Jesus talks about remaining in his love. We must stay fixed and immoveable with our focus on God's steadfast love. This is the key to victory.

Here is John 15...

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

God's love is hesed, it is steadfast, immoveable, and unshakeable and our goal is to become more like him. We must learn to receive his love and let it flow through us to others causing us to hesed others and be steadfast in our love as well. 

Here are several scriptures on God's steadfast love. 

Psalm 136:5-6 To him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;To him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Psalm 36:5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds

Psalm 31:16 Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!

Lamentations 3:21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Exodus 34:6 “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness

Genesis 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Psalm 86:14 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Job 10:12 You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.

1 Chronicles 16:34 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 106:1 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 100 A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

Psalm 25:10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and testimonies.

Psalm 85:10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Proverbs 3:3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Psalm 107:43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Psalm 57:7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!

Psalm 118:4-5 Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.

Putting out hope and trust in God's steadfast love for us is what leads to security in our lives. When we face issues, troubles, and problems in our lives we can fix our minds onto God's steadfast love for us which leads to us being steadfast under pressure. Remaining in his steadfast love is what leads to the victory that is stored up in Christ. Our indicators of being steadfast in our focus on his steadfast love are giving thanks, praise, and singing. There seems to be a connection to steadfast love and singing. When problems and issues come we can sing and praise because we hope and trust in his steadfast love for us.