God has made Peace with us...

I was in a bit of a quandary for a bit on what to title this blog entry.

Should I focus on the negative aspect of "Failures, All of Us...", or the positive aspect of "God has made Peace with Men..."?

I'll choose the high road, and go with making Him the topic, and thereby giving Him the glory as it should be.

I've been contemplating this subject for a while now, thinking back on my childhood, recent passings in both my wife's family tree and in mine. And also that too, of neighbors and friends and their kin. It seems mortality creeps up on us all, and how easy it is for all of us to lose track of the years that have passed in our lives.

I have considered also the years wasted in grudge and hate and anger over things and events unchangeable, and praise God for the distance He has brought me in change of heart and spirit. I have further to go of course until my very last breath in mortality, when I go to my creator and wait along with those who went before me, for His finishing work in the redemption and judgment of men.

Now, it's pretty much a fundamental truth in life that people will fail you. In truth also, we fail others ourselves, daily.

No one is able to solve all their problems in full, any more than we can solve all of our own.

The wisest among us, know and accept that the good wisdom and common sense comes from the Lord, and the pursuit of the Lord in our faith.

Fear God, not man.

We are not to hope in, trust, nor worship any man (or woman). We are not to let any earthly relationship damage or ruin our relationship with God.

When people fail us, we should be ready for the possibility, ready to forgive, plan for a contingency, not take it personally to heart, realize that we all fail, understand that there may have been a larger reason they failed you from God's design, and celebrate when they come through by acknowledging them, and with thanksgiving to God for His Grace and His Mercy in all of our lives.

These days, I expect nothing from anyone, and know that all things are from God in the day-to-day playout of life. The thing I treasure most, and where my heart is, is Jesus my Lord, His sacrifice for me, His promise of eternal life (which has already begun even here in this mortal stage), and His promise of His soon return for us all who are His own, our adoption, our heritage, our inheritance, our victory, our shield, our sword, our help, our wisdom, our comfort, His provision for us in the here-and-now, and our future beyond the flesh.

With this as a foundation, I reflect and examine myself daily, before responses, before decisions, etc, since His command to us is to love others as He loved us. And Paul warns us about these days, not only to not participate in deeds of darkness, but also to Clothe ourselves in Christ, to be Children of Light, to be sober and conscious of our walk in these times.

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Ephesians 5:15-20

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Romans 13:11-14

And do this, understanding the occasion.

The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber,

for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

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.

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime,

not in carousing and drunkenness,

not in sexual immorality and debauchery,

not in dissension and jealousy.

Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,

and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

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May our days be fruitful for His will, in rest or in trials... He is our strength, when we have little or none.

Rejoice at all times.

Pray without ceasing.

Give thanks in every circumstance.

Hold fast to what is good.

Abstain from every form of evil.

Grace and Peace to you all in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord, God in the Flesh!

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Proverbs 1:7 The fear (respect and reverence) of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear (respect and reverence) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear (respect and reverence) of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.

Romans 3:21-24 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets. And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:17-20 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

1 Enoch 1:8 But with the Righteous He will make peace. And will protect the Elect, And mercy shall be upon them. And they shall all belong to God, And they shall be prospered, And they shall all be blessed. And He will help them all, And light shall appear unto them, And He will make peace with them.

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Don't be a grape. 🚫 🍇

🦊 Jack [ The Foxman on the Wall ]