For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory.
—Psalm 149:4 AMPC
If you never face trials, you will never have to exercise your faith. But even when facing hard times, you shouldn’t dread life. Isaiah 8:13 (AMPC) says, The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].
If you dread life and fear people, you are not trusting the Lord to save you. Keep your reverential fear and awe of God; dread displeasing Him, but don’t fear anything else. If God is for you, who can be against you? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37 NIV).
The Riches of God
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:4–7
Throughout history there have been many different forms of wealth. Often coins made from precious metals like silver or gold were the way people kept their riches. Others held stocks in companies or owned large amounts of land. According to Forbes magazine, in 2016 there were nearly two thousand people in the world worth at least a billion dollars. The collective wealth of that group exceeds six trillion dollars. Yet, even these vast human riches pale in comparison to the riches of God.
We would not be impressed by someone who claimed wealth by virtue of owning huge piles of asphalt and concrete. Those common materials are used for paving roads. But when John saw his vision of Heaven, he found a material of great value used for that ordinary purpose: “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass” (Revelation 21:21).
There is no human standard by which we can measure God’s resources because we have nothing to which we can compare His wealth. And even greater than physical resources are the unlimited reserves of mercy and grace that He possesses. The greatest wonder of all is that He offers us the opportunity to share in His wealth through the sacrifice of Jesus. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
Ephesians 2:4–7
Throughout history there have been many different forms of wealth. Often coins made from precious metals like silver or gold were the way people kept their riches. Others held stocks in companies or owned large amounts of land. According to Forbes magazine, in 2016 there were nearly two thousand people in the world worth at least a billion dollars. The collective wealth of that group exceeds six trillion dollars. Yet, even these vast human riches pale in comparison to the riches of God.
We would not be impressed by someone who claimed wealth by virtue of owning huge piles of asphalt and concrete. Those common materials are used for paving roads. But when John saw his vision of Heaven, he found a material of great value used for that ordinary purpose: “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass” (Revelation 21:21).
There is no human standard by which we can measure God’s resources because we have nothing to which we can compare His wealth. And even greater than physical resources are the unlimited reserves of mercy and grace that He possesses. The greatest wonder of all is that He offers us the opportunity to share in His wealth through the sacrifice of Jesus. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
Today’s Growth Principle:
The immeasurable riches of God are freely made available to us through His amazing grace.
God Is on Your Side
by Joyce Meyer - posted June 03, 2017For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory.
—Psalm 149:4 AMPC
If you never face trials, you will never have to exercise your faith. But even when facing hard times, you shouldn’t dread life. Isaiah 8:13 (AMPC) says, The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].
If you dread life and fear people, you are not trusting the Lord to save you. Keep your reverential fear and awe of God; dread displeasing Him, but don’t fear anything else. If God is for you, who can be against you? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37 NIV).
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