March 13
“Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer,” Romans 12:12.
If you are a Christian – that is, a believer in Jesus as the Son of God and your Savior – then you will inherit eternal life. Yes, you can and you should be absolutely sure that you will have eternal life in the halls of heaven, where Jesus has gone before you to prepare a place for you. Continue in the faith and trust Jesus’ Word: “My Sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life,” John 10:27-28.
Are you tempted to doubt what Jesus says? Do you think that the devil, the world, or your sinful flesh can tear you away from Jesus? Then read on and hear what Jesus says to you and all believers: “Neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one,” John 10:28-30.
You can and you should be sure of your salvation. Then you will rejoice in hope. You can start each day and end it with a spring in your step and a song in your heart.
As each of you knows, every day has enough problems of its own. Times can be trying! Troubles can be testing! Difficulties can be depressing! However, with an unwavering faith in your Lord and Savior, you will be “patient in tribulation.” Your Lord and Savior does not want you to go through life complaining and feeling that your burdens are too great for you to bear. Through the apostle Peter, He calls and says, “(Cast) all your care upon Him, for He cares for you,” 1 Peter 5:7.
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus asks us to keep our thinking straight. He wants us to think more about our spiritual welfare than our bodily wants. Carefully listen to Him as He says, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble,” Matthew 6:25-34.
Remember to pray steadfastly:
“Let each day begin with prayer, praise, and adoration;
On the Lord cast ev’ry care; He is thy salvation.
Morning, evening, and at night, Jesus will be near thee,
Save thee from the Tempter’s might, with His presence cheer thee.” Amen.