Does my sin trouble me?

 Does my sin trouble me? It was laid on Jesus, why should it trouble me? Does God’s wrath distress me? It has spent itself on Jesus, how can it fall on me?

Charles Spurgeon

So few are changed!

 Preach the Word.

“For one should not quit simply because so few are changed for the better in hearing the preaching of the gospel. But do what Christ did: He rescued the elect and left the rest behind. This is what the apostles did also. It will not be better for you.” —Martin Luther

Charles Simeon

 OUR TIMES IN GOD'S HAND

Psalm 31:15 "My times are in your hand!" To the ungodly it is a satisfaction to deny the providence of God, and to cut him off, as it were, from any connection with his creatures. But the saints find a rich consolation in the thought that God reigns. This it is which reconciles them to the evils they endure, and fortifies them against those which they have reason to fear. David, in the Psalm before us, complains that there were many who "took counsel together against him, and devised to take away his life." But he comforted himself in the reflection, that, however man might be his enemy, God was "his God;" and that however bitterly his enemies might be enraged against him, "his times were not in their hands, but in God's;" and, consequently, that they could do nothing against David but by God's permission. From this view of the text we are led to notice: I. Our dependence on God. God is the Governor of the universe. He appoints the stars their courses. He makes the raging elements to fulfill his will, Psalm 148:8. He imposes a restraint upon the most savage beasts, causing them to suppress or forget their instinctive ferocity, or overruling the exercise of it, for the preservation or destruction of men, as he sees occasion, (1 Kings 13:28 Daniel 6:22. Jonah 1:17. 2 Kings 2:24) The affairs of men he more especially controls. 1. In God's hands are the circumstances of life. There is nothing really casual or contingent in the world. It is God who disposes of us, from our earliest infancy, to the last hour of our lives. "He determines the bounds of our habitation, Acts 17:26." If we are called to the possession of wealth, or deprived of it by any untoward circumstances, it is "the Lord who gives, and the Lord who takes it away, Job 1:21." If we enjoy health, or pine away in sickness, it is "the Lord who both wounds and heals, who kills and makes alive, 1 Samuel 2:6-7." "There is neither good nor evil in the city, but the Lord is the doer of it, Amos 3:6." Even the falling of a hair from our head, as trifling as it is, only takes place by Gods appointment, Matthew 10:30. 2. In God's hands are the seasons of death. To every man "there is an appointed time upon earth, Job 7:1;" there are "bounds which he cannot pass, Job 14:5." "God holds our souls in life, Psalm 66:9;" and "when he takes away our breath, we die, and return to the dust, Psalm 104:29." Youth and health are no security against the stroke of death! The most vigorous constitutions are soon broken, when God is pleased to afflict us, Job 21:23-25; the skill of physicians, however useful when attended with his blessing, is of no avail, Mark 5:26. So numerous are the occasions of death, that no caution can possibly avoid them, "It will be as though a man fled from a lion, only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall, only to have a snake bite him! Amos 5:19." When God "requires our souls," we must surrender them at his call, Luke 12:20." Our days are protracted to an advanced age, only if God is pleased to uphold us; if not, our course is finished as soon as ever it is commenced. It is "in God, and in God alone, that we live, and move, and have our being! Acts 17:28." But though these ideas are certainly comprehended in the text, its more immediate scope is to declare, II. Our security in God. We have already observed that the words of the text were introduced by David as a consolatory reflection, under the cruel treatment which he had received from friends and enemies. We are therefore taught by them to assure ourselves: 1. That none can destroy us before our divinely appointed time. We appear to be, yes, we really are, in the midst of many and great dangers. But however we may be encompassed with enemies, they cannot prevail against us until the Lord's appointed time for our removal has come. David was continually exposed to the rage and jealousy of Saul, who repeatedly cast a javelin at him, and hunted him incessantly with armed bands "like a partridge upon the mountains." Yet though he was often in the most imminent danger, 1 Samuel 23:26, and certainly would have been betrayed by the men of Keilah, 1 Samuel 23:11-12—yet God watched over him, and kept him in perfect safety. Many sought to apprehend our Lord; but "they could not lay hands on him until his hour was come, John 7:30; John 8:20. Luke 13:33;" and even then Pilate "could have had no power against him, unless it had been given him from above John 19:11." Paul was in innumerable perils, "and in deaths often, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27;" once he was stoned, and even left for dead, Acts 14:19-20; but none could take away his life, until he had finished the course which God marked out for him. Thus we also are immortal, until our work is done. We are surrounded with "chariots of fire, and horses of fire, 2 Kings 6:17;" yes, "God himself is a wall of fire round about us, Zechariah 2:5." And sooner shall successive bands of enemies be struck dead upon the spot by fire from Heaven 2 Kings 1:10-12, than one of the Lord's little ones shall perish! Matthew 18:14." 2. That none shall effectually harm us without God's permission. As we depend on God for our happiness as well as for our existence, so are both our being and our well-being are secured by him. Satan could not touch the person or the property of Job, until he had obtained permission from God to do so, Job 1:12; Job 2:6. "Nor can any weapon that is formed against us prosper, Isaiah 54:17," any further than our God shall see good to permit it. "His angels encamp round about us, Psalm 34:7," and have an especial charge to "keep us in all our ways, that we do not dash our foot against a stone, Psalm 91:11-12." "You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you! Psalm 91:5-7." We are not indeed at liberty to rush needlessly into danger, from an expectation that God will deliver us; (this would be to "tempt the Lord our God, Matthew 4:6-7.") But in the path of duty we have nothing to fear. We may "tread upon the lion, the adder, or the dragon, Psalm 91:13. Acts 28:3-6;" we may drink poison itself, Mark 16:18, or allow ourselves to be committed to the flames—without experiencing the smallest injury, Daniel 3:25-27. Nothing in the whole universe can "harm us, if we are followers of that which is good, 1 Peter 3:13;" if God sees fit to keep us, we are as safe "in a den of lions" as in a house of friends. From this subject we may LEARN: 1. To seek God without delay. There is no period of life when we can call one day, or one hour, our own. We are altogether "in God's hands;" and, if he withdraws his support for one moment, we will perish, as certainly as a stone gravitates to the earth. Shall we then, when so entirely dependent on our God, provoke him to cast us out of his hands? Shall we continue to despise his patience and forbearance, until he swears in his wrath that our "time shall be no longer, Revelation 10:6." Think, how many have lost the time afforded them, and how bitterly they now bewail their folly; and beg of God, that he would "so teach you to number your days, that you may apply your hearts unto wisdom, Psalm 90:12." 2. To serve God without fear. We are too apt to keep back from serving God through fear of the persecutions we may endure from man. But, if our times are in God's hands—then all our concerns must be there too; and nothing can befall us but by his appointment, "Who are you, then, that you should be afraid of a man that shall die, and forget the Lord your Maker? Isaiah 51:12-13." Are we not told, that "the wrath of man shall praise him, Psalm 76:10." Be bold then for God, "set your face as a flint against the world, Isaiah 49:7-9," and trust in him for protection. He will not indeed screen you from all trials; because it is on many accounts necessary for your growth in grace that you should feel them, 1 Peter 1:6; but he will allow none to come upon you which he will not enable you to bear, none which he will not sanctify to your eternal good! 1 Corinthians 10:13. 3. To trust God without worry. It is foolish as well as impious to distrust God, or to murmur at any of his dispensations. In whose hands could the disposal of all events be placed so much to our advantage, as in his who possesses infinite wisdom to devise what is best, and infinite power to effect it? Would we be made the sport of chance or fortune? Or would we have our present and everlasting concerns left wholly to our own management? If we are not fit to regulate our temporal affairs until we attain the age of manhood—then how much less can we ever be competent to take the reins of God's government into our own hands, and to order the affairs of his kingdom? But our times will be in God's hands, whether we acquiesce in it or not. Let us therefore contentedly leave ourselves to his all-wise disposal, assured that "he does all things well." "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose!" Romans 8:28 Charles Simeon

Praying for Us

 “Jesus has entered the Holy of Holies to make daily intercession for His people. We are a people whose King prays for us by name.”

-R.C. Sproul

Leap for Joy

 “I have often, in times of frightful depression of spirit, reached down my Bible, and within a few minutes been able to leap for joy of soul.”

— Charles Spurgeon

God's Love

John Owen:

"The love of God is a fountain of all grace and mercy."

Thomas Watson:

"The love of God is a burning fire, which cannot be extinguished."

Richard Baxter:

"God's love is like a deep and inexhaustible sea, where we may always find new things to admire and rejoice in."

John Bunyan:

"O the wonderful love of God, which has lifted me up from the mire!"

Jonathan Edwards:

"God's love is so great, so deep, that it cannot be fully comprehended by finite minds."

These quotes reflect a common Puritan belief that God's love is not simply a feeling, but a powerful force that underpins creation and redemption. They encouraged believers to contemplate the depth and breadth of God's love, recognizing that it was the foundation of their faith and the source of all blessings.

Micah 7:19

 

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

"𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘴; 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢."

— Micah 7:19 (ESV)

If you’ve ever felt haunted by the sins of your past, you’re not alone. But the gospel doesn’t let our past define our future. The Lord, in His covenant faithfulness, does not merely cover our sin—He casts it into the ocean floor. Gone. Forgotten. Irretrievable.

That’s not therapeutic language. That’s redemptive reality.

Audio Adrenaline captured it like this:

"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳..."

This echoes Micah’s Spirit-inspired confidence:

God pardons iniquity (v.18)

God delights in steadfast love

God does not retain His anger forever

God tramples our sin beneath His feet

God casts it to the ocean floor

Why? 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀.

The wrath we deserved was satisfied by Jesus. Justice was not ignored—it was fully executed on Christ in our place. And in Him, we are 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻—𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀—𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁.

Your sin has been drowned in the depths because your Savior conquered it completely. If you are in Christ, your failures are not your identity—His righteousness is (2 Cor 5:21).

Walk forward not in guilt, but in 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹-𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲.

He has hurled your sin away—𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁.

It will be worth it all.

 

It Will Be Worth It All

Verse 1:
Oft-times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,
We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair.
But Christ will soon appear to catch His bride away,
All tears forever over in God's eternal day.

Chorus:
It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Verse 2:
Sometimes the sky looks dark with not a ray of light,
We're tossed and driven on, no human help in sight.
But there is One in heav’n who knows our deepest care,
Let Jesus solve your problems — just go to Him in prayer.

(Chorus)

Verse 3:
Life’s day will soon be o’er, all storms forever past,
We'll cross the great divide to glory safe at last.
We'll share the joys of heav’n — a harp, a home, a crown,
The tempter will be banished, we'll lay our burden down.

(Chorus)

Feelings are not God.

 My feelings are not God. God is God.

My feelings do not define truth.
God’s word defines truth.
My feelings are echoes and responses to what my mind perceives.
And sometimes – many times – my feelings are out of sync with the truth.
When that happens – and it happens every day in some measure – I try not to bend the truth to justify my imperfect feelings, but rather, I plead with God: Purify my perceptions of your truth and transform my feelings so that they are in sync with the truth.

— John Piper, Finally Alive