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Saved for Eternity
Andrea Lende • August 30, 2021
Acts 2:21
Saved for Eternity
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Saved-for-Eternity-e16lfps
Acts 2:21
“And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord – Christ] shall be saved.”
This verse brought comfort to my spirit today.
The disciples were gathered together waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
They were waiting for the power, wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy Spirit.
And they were not disappointed.
They were gifted with many wonderful things.
One of these things was a different tongue.
When the people jeered at them saying they were drunk, Peter rose up and began to speak.
He told the message of Christ.
The message that He saves us.
In a time when there is so much unrest and devastation, I found comfort in his words.
“And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord – Christ] shall be saved.”
Worship.
Worship the Lord.
Worship lifts my spirit.
Praising God changes my countenance.
I reflect on all the things He has done for me, and my burden is lightened.
I meditate on His goodness, and He soothes my soul.
I think of all He has done from the beginning of time until now and see Him as Creator.
The One Who set this earth on its axis and spun it in His hands.
The One Who set the seas in their place and gave them sand for borders.
The One Who raised the earth into majestic mountains.
The One Who formed the skies, space, and galaxies yet to be discovered.
The One Who thought of man as He desired companionship.
He thought of you and thought of me.
Yes, this Lord is easy to worship and adore.
And as we worship Him and His Son we are saved.
Saved for eternity.
Today I choose to worship the Lord, and my soul is comforted because I am saved by Jesus’ blood. I am His forever.
May your soul be comforted today as you worship the Lord and are lifted into His presence now and forever.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for sending Your Son to save me for You for eternity. Lord, as this world turns and churns in chaos, Your message of salvation lifts my spirit. As I worship You and Your Son, my spirit is transcended into Your presence. The troubles of this world disappear from my view. Your peace descends upon me and covers me completely. Your mercy washes over me. The past, present, and future no longer have a hold on me or grip me in fear. You lift me out of the troubles of this world and wrap Your arms around me. Keep my eyes on You today, Lord. Keep me close to You. Thank You for making a place for me with You. Thank You for allowing me to sit at Your feet and worship You today. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM delighted to spend time with you My child, and you will always be cared for by Me.
Response: Undeserving of Your grace and mercy, thank You Almighty God 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.