Joshua 21:45

Do you know what Joshua 21:45 says? 

 Let the truth of Joshua 21:45 for Israel create a steadfast heart in you, 

child of God.

Psalm 23, Personalized

Lord, You are my Shepherd,

my Good Shepherd.

I am never in want of any good thing You know I need.

You are righteous,

therefore,

You are my Righteous Guide.  

Because of who You are 

I can completely trust You.

You lead me to quiet places

when I am in the midst of turmoil,
or am weary,

and there You are my Restorer,

my Refresher.

All I need, truly, is You.
I do not fear evil because You have me enclosed
behind and before, and Your hand is laid upon me.
You are with me in the tranquil places
and You are with me in the dark and daunting circumstances.
You will be with me as I am nearing death.
You will never leave me, nor forsake me.
Your presence and protection
brings me continuous, reassuring comfort.
My enemies, those who disdain me and would see me
lack all good things,
those who would rejoice to see me destroyed,
see how You provide and care for me.

You are my Gracious Host,

my Abundant Provider.
My cup brims over at the table You have set before me.

You pursue me, enveloping me

with Your goodness and kindness and love,

moment by moment,
day by day,

all the days of my life.
I will dwell in Your house, with You, forever.

Being a child of God is a calling to be like Jesus,

to love like Jesus,

to long for Jesus above all things.

The Burden Lifter

I'm sure you've experienced it - the weight of sin.

Sin is burdensome.

Sin is weighty on the heart and the unseared conscience.

Sin separates us from God.
The habitual pattern of sin and rebellion marks the unbeliever.
Sin veils the light of Jesus in the child of God's life.
Sin stops producing the fruit of the Spirit.
Sin removes fellowship with the Father and the Son
and grieves the Holy Spirit.
Sin mars our testimony to a world who needs Jesus.

We have two options when we feel the weight and guilt of sin.

Ignore it and continue down the same path.

In choosing this path,
repeatedly,
we gradually cripple and can eventually destroy our conscience -

 the valuable internal governor of right and wrong,
of good and evil,
which our Creator placed within us.  

The outcome,

a seared conscience and a hard heart.

Or,

We can turn to Jesus, our Creator,

The Burden Lifter.

The Prince of Peace.

We can confess and put off the sin, renew our minds in the Word,
and choose to walk in the path of 

righteousness and obedience.

Choosing love and obedience to The Burden Lifter

brings The Burden Lifter's 

sweet peace in the heart and a pure, clear conscience,

and the light of Jesus shines in us once again.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous 

to forgive our sins and to cleanse us 

from all unrighteousness."

1 John 1:9

"For this is the love of God, 

that we keep His commandments;

and His commandments are not burdensome."

1 John 5:3

God Purposefully Acts Regarding Man's Sin

The holiness of God demands He purposefully act regarding man's sin.  

It can be summed up in one word -

Wrath.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness 

and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness."

Romans 1:18  

"But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart 

you are storing up wrath for yourself 

in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."

Romans 2:18

"Your hand will find out all your enemies;
Your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger;
The LORD will swallow them up in His wrath,
And fire will devour them.
Their offspring You will destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men."

Psalm 21:8-10

"But by His word 

the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, 

kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."

2 Peter 3:7

Yes, God purposefully acts regarding man's sin,

 with His wrath, 

and everyone of us is a sinner.  

There is no one who is good -

that is bad news. 

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.'

Romans 3:23

But there is good news.

God also purposefully acted towards man's sin, 

in the person of Jesus Christ.

It can be summed up in two words -

Wrath, and love.

"In this is love, 

not that we loved God, 

but that He loved us 

and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

1 John 4:10

God loved us by sending His Son to bear His wrath for our sin,
satisfying His justice for sin.

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, 

so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

1 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus, in our place. 

The good news. 

The gospel.

The Innocent,

 bearing the wrath of God for the sin of the guilty - 

So we could be clothed in His righteousness.  

So we could bear the name of saint.  

So we could wear the title of forgiven.

So we could be His child.

So we could be called His own.

So we could live in His kingdom.

So we could inherit heaven and spend eternity, with Him.

No wrath, but peace with God
and the sweet peace of God.

Mmm.

Someone will bear the wrath of God for your sin.

Will it be you, or Jesus?

If you haven't, purposefully act on the good news, today.

"For God so loved the world,
 that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, 
but have eternal life."
John 3:16

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; 

but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, 

but the wrath of God abides on him.”

John 3:36


"I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:10

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro 

throughout the earth

that He may strongly support 

those whose heart is completely His."


2 Chronicles 16:9