Blog Layout
Safe and Sound in Christ
Andrea Lende • March 13, 2021
John 3:17
Safe and Sound in Christ
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Safe-and-Sound-in-Christ-esfv98
John 3:17
“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.”
Judgment.
It is all around us.
People judge us at first glance.
And we do the same.
As I put more and more of myself in front of others, there is a constant stream of judgment coming my way.
There is hardly a time when I don’t feel I’m being judged.
And then those feelings transfer to feelings of judgment coming from the Lord as well.
But Jesus said God didn’t send Him to judge us.
He didn’t send a Savior to separate us from Himself and pass His judgment and inflict subsequent wrath upon us.
He sent His Son to save us.
The words further explained through the Amplified Version of this passage gave me such comfort.
Jesus came so we can be “be made safe and sound through Him”.
Safe and sound.
This sounds like something I wish this for my children as well.
I want my children to be safe and sound.
As the forecast for Denver calls for many feet of snow, I am thankful we are all tucked in.
Of course, I made preparations ahead of time.
Bought the groceries and the water.
Filled the propane tanks just in case we need to cook outside.
Found the matches, the candles, and the flashlights.
All the things are done in preparation for this storm.
And now we wait.
We wait to see the full impact.
And when the storm has passed, we will be thankful for the preparations made and thankful we were kept safe and sound.
This world is wrought with trials and tribulations.
But our preparedness for these trials rest in Jesus.
When we know we are saved by His sacrifice, we ride the storms out in this life knowing we are safe and sound.
Safe and sound in Christ.
Today I am thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice to save us and make us safe and sound through Him.
May you find you are prepared for all things through Christ Who has made a way for you to be kept safe and sound.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for watching over and protecting me and the family You have given me. Thank You for sending Your Son to offer salvation to us and all Your people. You have made a way for us to be safe and sound in Your care. Thank You for offering us peace and rest even in the storms of this life. Thank You for leading us beside still waters and green pastures. Thank You for ministering to our every need. Help us find the rest You offer. Help us feel the peace You give. Don’t let us miss You, Lord. May Your Spirit gently whisper sweet words of salvation to our hearts. May You bathe our spirits in grace. Thank You for Your tender care of us. Help us bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing our prayer.
Answer: I AM the God of salvation and offer it to all My people as they come unto Me.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and loving Father.
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.