DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Strangers No More
by Judy Webb
"Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him." (2 Timothy 2:11)
Believers recognize this sentence to mean that if Christ is our Savior as we live through life here on earth, He is our Savior when we die. We live with Him in heaven because we know him today, on earth. Simple, but powerful words -- when you believe. If you don’t believe, then they mean nothing.
"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him." (Romans 6:8)
These assuring words are noted in a number of scripture verses. “He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:10)
We can be encouraged by these statements; we can rest in the assurance God’s Word gives when we read repeatedly of his faithfulness and love. My faith is bolstered further when I read this: "Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his.'” (2 Timothy 2:19)
The LORD knows us because we are His, we belong to Him, we have a personal relationship with Him. He can pick us out in a crowd because we are familiar to Him. “I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and they know me.” (John 10:14)
A big part of this relationship is getting to know Him. We do this by reading scripture regularly; taking the time to pray about everything, by studying His Word and living by the truth written on those pages. During this time of evil and lies, truth can always be found in the pages of your Bible. This all may sound so simple, but we know it is anything but simple. To live in relationship with God and practice good and loving behavior is challenging and some days seemingly impossible. But nothing is impossible with God.
“The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.” (Nahum 1:7)
Note: * If you have a love for the Scriptures and a gift for writing, please consider whether the Lord may be calling you to be a contributor to this daily worship blog. There is much flexibility and you can determine how often you are willing to post. For more information, contact Jeff Morlock, jmorlock@ualc.org. or me judithannie.webb@gmail.com
PRAYER PRACTICE
Out loud, pray for God to speak to you through your reading. Praise God for giving us His word. Ask the Spirit to help you read with faith, and to live out what you hear from God through the passage. Then, share this good news with others.
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