Assurance

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Acts 4:24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them."

God is the great creator of the universe and all that is in it. In spite of what the ungodly say, common sense, common observation, common thought, and common wisdom know this. The heart of man, however much an unbeliever denies it, knows that he is a created being. God's word also tells us that the earth did not make itself from nothing:

Psalm 19:1 ...The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 
5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

But, who is this God? The creation of itself does not give any man, neither shaman, child, nor physicist, a direct, personal knowledge of its creator. And so, before a personal knowledge of God comes, doubts come. Is there really a God? What is He like? Does He see me? How far away is He? Can I reach Him? Does He hear me? Does He even know that I exist?

The meek and the lowly, those with problems greater than themselves, the weak, those in bondage to sin which they themselves despise, these kinds of people yearn for a being higher than themselves. They yearn for a God who would be able to pull them out of the pit, redeem their life from ruin, and give them morning and joy in their hearts. Contemplating creation does not satisfy the heart that truly seeks and yearns after God.

The Bible is a wonderful book, because it teaches and reveals to the human heart what no other book on earth has ever or shall ever reveal. The Bible reveals the heart of God. The Bible is God's gift to the human race. The Bible shows a God who desires personal relationship with mankind as individuals even more than men and women desire relationship with Him. The Bible goes beyond creation and reveals the creator Himself.

Who unlocks the Bible to a human heart? God. He is the source of all wisdom and knowledge. The Bible cannot be apprehended apart from the giving of it by God to an individual's understanding. Step One is to Ask Him.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

God reveals Himself. He who created the universe is so far above even the loftiest mind on earth that no one can ascend to Him. It is He who must descend to us. And He has descended to us.

John 3:13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-- the Son of Man.

Who is this Son of Man? None other than God Himself.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
2 He was with God in the beginning.  
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  
5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
......
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The gift of Christmas is the Word--the eternal, living, creating Son of God--become flesh, human flesh who lived among us. The Bible reveals Him. The Holy Spirit also makes Him known. The Holy Spirit is the Helper, the Spirit of God, sent by God into the world to help people apprehend the light of the Son of God and the light of the Bible.

The Son in His life on earth revealed the nature and character of the all-powerful Creator God. Jesus the Son died naked, nailed to a wooden cross, in order to save humans from the death their sin caused them. This is love. This is who God is. God gave His own life in the life of Jesus His Son.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 
14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

The very good news for the meek, the lowly, those in bondage to sin against their wills, those who desire with all their hearts a better life, is that God lives, He is good, He is just, He is righteous, holy, powerful, and He is love. Who does God love? All who want Him. How does He love? Through His Son Jesus Christ, God's only-anointed for this task.

The gift of the New Year is a new beginning, a new day, a new time in our hearts that is called "Today".

Hebrews 3:7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, 
8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,

Today is the time to turn to Jesus Christ to ask Him into your heart for salvation and new life. If you have already done so, rejoice! Today is also a good time to renew your vows of belief and to ask God for more knowledge of Him through His Son, His Word, and His Holy Spirit.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Because the very same God who created the world sent His own Son, His great gift of love, to redeem the world, I know that everything will be okay. This is the assurance with which God is blessing my heart today.

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Heavenly Father, thank You for creating the world and all it contains. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ into the world to reveal Yourself to us, to save us from our sins, and to make a Way for us back to You. Thank You for the assurance of Your Holy Spirit in our hearts that in Jeus Christ everything will be okay. I pray, Lord, that You would just send these poor words of mine out into the great sea and bring back some fish, to the the praise of Your glory! Thank You, Lord God, for this new year and this new day of peace, rest, and joy in Christ. Amen.


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