Thursday April 7, 2022

Today is Thursday, April 7 and this week we explore what the Bible says about justification.

Today I seek to draw near to the presence of God. I take a moment to relax, slow my breathing and silence my scattered thoughts as I focus on the God who loves me.

Pause and Pray

Holy Lord God, I seek you in the quiet stillness of the day. I treasure these precious, intimate moments with you and long to hear the message you have for me. Speak to me through the power of your Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

I rejoice in God’s steadfast love and evident goodness with the words of Psalm 107.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. Psalm 107:1-4

Pause and Pray

Because of God’s love I have hope in all circumstances. Peace and joy are a byproduct of my justified relationship with the Creator. When I have been set right with God through faith in the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I find peace, assurance of salvation and confidence in my hope for the future. Because of my present redeemed status in God’s grace I maintain confidence in all circumstances – even in the face of dire uncertainty, suffering and adversity. With the people of God, I hope against hope (Romans 4:18). Indeed God’s grace is so powerful that even things that work against my confidence and hope only strengthen it. Hope is grounded in God’s love which has filled my life; it is a love that comes to me through the Holy Spirit and spreads to others.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5

I have been justified and made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ my Savior. I have peace with God and have gained access to God through Jesus. This is where I now stand. With Paul, I boast in the hope of the glory of God in all worldly circumstances. As Paul reminds the persecuted Romans, he also reminds me – suffering brings perseverance, perseverance produces character and character fosters hope. Christians hope differently than the rest of the world hopes. Because of Jesus, I can hope in all circumstances. I hold on in hopeless circumstances because I know where to place my trust – in the One who loves me and died for me, who overcame darkness, vanquished sin and conquered death. God’s love has been poured into my heart through the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in me.

Ask: In what circumstance have I lost hope? How can I regain my hope in this situation and place my full trust in Christ alone?

Pause and Pray

Holy and Mighty Lord God, you are powerful and holy. I am confident that I can put my full trust and faith in you and not rely on the things of this world. Thank you for pouring your Holy Spirit into my heart and filling my life with hope and peace. I boast in the hope of your glory and claim my life as a justified sinner redeemed by the blood of my Savior. I read the words from Romans again and listen for the message you have for me.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

I repeat the word or phrase that stands out to me and record it in my journal, keeping in mind that God may speak to me later throughout my day. Maybe God wants to speak to me about my current circumstances. Perhaps God wants to bring peace into my life and calm my worries and fears. Maybe God wants to encourage me to persevere in my suffering. Perhaps God is encouraging me to cling to the hope that is him. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to me – have I received this outpouring of God’s Spirit in my life? What do I need to place in God’s capable hands and leave there?

Pause and Pray

Come, Holy Spirit, I open the doors of my heart and life and invite you to pour your Spirit into me. I thirst for the hope, joy, assurance and peace that only you can bring. I welcome you into the recesses of my soul – to awaken, revive, enliven and empower me to do your will and good work in the world. Amen.

But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Galatians 3:22-24

As I leave this time of prayer, I go as a justified believer in Jesus Christ to love others, show mercy, and demonstrate kindness to a lost and hurting world.

Amen