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Safe and Sound
Andrea Lende • July 11, 2021
John 3:14-15 and 17
Safe and Sound
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Safe-and-Sound-e149ni2
John 3:14-15 and 17
“And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross].”
“In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever.”
“For God did not send the Son into the world, in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.”
We have been offered such an amazing gift.
The gift of grace.
The Amplified Bible defines grace as undeserved favor.
We do not deserve the gift Jesus came to give us.
He left heaven’s door to live a life here on earth, teach, and ultimately allow His life to be taken from Him in a most painful and humiliating way.
He was accused right along with His fellow criminal crucifixion partners.
However, the only accusation against Him was His words.
He simply stated He was the Son of God.
A fact that could hardly be argued about.
After all, He healed the sick, blind, mute, brought the dead back to life, and yet was unseen as the Messiah by His own people.
This was the plan.
The plan Jesus knew about before He left heaven’s door.
The plan to save the world.
I love how our verse says, “that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.”
Safe and sound.
The words my parents often said to me.
And the words I’ve said to my children.
As parents and as God is our Father, we all want the same thing.
We want our children to be safe and sound.
I am thankful Jesus came to make it so.
No matter what is going on around us, we are safe and sound in Christ.
Today I am thankful for Jesus’s sacrifice to come to this world and ensure I am safe and sound.
May you find comfort in Jesus’s mission to make sure you are safe and sound in Him.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me more of Your grace. Thank You for showing me You are Father to us all. And as our Father You desire us to be safe in You. Thank You for sending Your Son to make it so. Lord, please infuse more faith into my heart and mind. Help me leave my anxious thoughts and worries at Your feet. Help me know that You are working out all the things in my life. The things I worry about. The things I care about. And the things I have no power to do anything about. Help me leave my burdens at Your feet today knowing You are big enough. You are big enough and more than enough to work out every detail of my life. Thank You, Lord, for rescuing me from all evil. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child and am working out all things for your good and My glory.
Response: Help me leave it all to You, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.