ISAIAH 54:10 – For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”

THEME OF THE DAY:  IMMOVABLE REALITIES.  Let’s start out with great praise!  Aren’t we glad God’s love does not depend on us, not our merit, not our conduct, nothing of ourselves?  And aren’t we ever more so glad that this love for us is an immovable reality and that forever?  So, before we move into the body of today’s nugget, go back and read the scripture of the day again.  Let it go deep inside our hearts, renew our minds, and lead us to humble adoration and worship.

As we ponder the immovable realities of God’s steadfast love and His covenant of peace with us, consider the applications of such truths in our lives.

First, if we truly experience God’s steadfast love and the truth of His covenant of peace, we will be transformed, not a little, but radically and that in all areas of life.  The Apostle Paul would affirm the results in his life and those believers who experience the very substance of the Christian life – living under the control of Christ’s love.  In reading his testimony of this transformation, pay close attention to what become fixations in his life, and will be in other Christians; the Gospel, both its message and our active ministry in the Gospel – For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:14-20).

Another application if we know anything about the love of God and His covenant of peace with us is that we will be consumed with the Person of Jesus Christ.  He will be our passion in life.  He will be our pursuit in life.  He will be our purpose in life.  Our speech will be gracious like Him.  Our conduct will be blameless like Him, not perfect, but above reproach.  And our treatment of people, all people, will be like His – kind, gentle, and always looking to do good. Such a life is described by the Apostle Paul in his life with a simple, yet profound, testimony – For me to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

Immovable realities – God’s steadfast love and covenant of peace.  May they so grip us that we become more steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).

PRAYER: “Father, I simply cannot praise You enough for a love that will not let me go – forever.”

QUOTE: “Aren’t we so glad God’s love does not depend on us to be forever fixed on us?”

Because of Him,

Pastor Jim