Table of Contents
The Power of Forgiveness: What the Story of Jesus on the Cross Can Teach Us
Click here to read moreThen said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Luke 23:34, KJV
The Struggle of Jacob and the Blessing of Israel
This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a Man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break… He touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket… “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the Man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel…Then He blessed Jacob there.
The tale of Jacob getting into a brawl with a dude in Genesis 32:24-29 is one of the Bible's most perplexing and mind-blowing narratives. This tussle between Jacob and the enigmatic man serves as a symbol of spiritual growth and turmoil, as Jacob triumphs over a difficult situation to become a more robust and blessed being. In this piece, we'll delve into the importance of Jacob's wrestling match, the symbolism behind his new moniker, and the life lessons we can take away from this epic story. Get ready for some biblical beef, folks!
Daily meditation for June, 3rd 2014: Your Part Is To Believe
| Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. |
| Acts 13:38–39 |
| Your Part Is To Believe |
If there’s a part for you to play in the new covenant of grace it is simply this: to believe. So what does God want you to believe? He wants you to believe in Jesus and His finished work, that you are completely forgiven of all your sins and that Jesus’ blood cleanses you from all your unrighteousness and lawlessness. And because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, God wants you to believe with all your heart that He meant every word when He said, “…I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12).
In God’s eyes today, you are made perfectly righteous by Jesus’ finished work. The new covenant’s emphasis is to believe that you are forgiven of every sin and that God has erased them from His memory. If you don’t believe this, it will be impossible for you to depend on and expect God to protect, provide for and bless you. If you don’t believe this, it will rob you of the ability to receive His goodness, blessings, unmerited favor and success in your life. So believe. Only believe!
Daily meditation for May 7, 2014: Don’t forget all His benefits
| Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. |
| Psalm 103:2–5 |
| Forget Not All His Benefits |
God wants you to remember all the benefits that Jesus has purchased for you with His blood! It is His heart to see you enjoying every single benefit, every single blessing and every single favor from Him in the new covenant of His grace. Forgiveness of sins is yours. Health is yours. Divine protection is yours. Favor is yours. Good things and the renewal of youth are yours! These are all precious gifts from the Lord to you, and it brings Him unspeakable joy when He sees you enjoying these gifts and succeeding in life.
What we need today are not more laws to govern believers. What we need is a greater revelation and appreciation of Jesus and everything that He has done for us! In Hosea 4:6, God lamented, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Let’s not be numbered among these people. Instead, let us be a people who are full of the knowledge of Jesus, His person, His love and His finished work.
Beloved, don’t allow your ignorance to rob you any more of any of His benefits. Find out all about your covenant rights and benefits in Christ today. Each day, remember them and meditate on them, and see His goodness toward you!
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