What keeps you going? What motivates and inspires you, day after day?
For me, it is God’s love. God shows His love to me in many ways but nowhere moreso than the promises found in His word. These promises encourage and lift me up every time I read them and today I want to share a few of my favorites with you.
17 The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
God loves us so much that he rejoices over us with gladness and singing! His love for us is powerful, amazing and happy. Not only that, He is in our midst and He has come to save us! Praise the Lord for his marvelous love and His everlasting song.
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. (Revelations 3:12)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary explains verse 12 beautifully: “Christ promises a glorious reward to the victorious believer. He shall be a monumental pillar in the temple of God; a monument of the free and powerful grace of God; a monument that shall never be defaced or removed. On this pillar shall be written the new name of Christ; by this will appear, under whom the believer fought the good fight, and came off victorious.” We are to monuments to the everlasting grace of God and even now God is sculpting us and shaping us into His beautiful creation.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)
Philippians Chapter 4 contains some of my favorite verses in the entire new testament. In these verses we are instructed to be thankful, be gentle and to tell God all of our cares. And if we follow these instructions then we are promised that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. The peace of God is a treasure of the highest magnitude and if more of us sought it on a daily basis then this world would be a far better place. Praise God for granting us His peace!
17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:17)
Sometimes it is easy to forget that most of what we can see and touch in this world is temporary and fading. God’s word cautions us against falling in love with the things of this world but also gives a promise to the person who instead focuses their life on doing God’s will: the one who does the will of God lives forever.
Ultimately, God promises us so very much and asks us only for our love and devotion in return. Let His love and His promises envelop you on a daily basis and stand firm in your faith.