February 08 - Freedom in Christ

A God, our God, who makes "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)." A God whose thoughts toward us, the called who love Him, are "thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give us an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11)" or a future and a hope. We therefore "glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience hope (Romans 5:3,4)." Therefore "the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost (Romans 15:13)" at all times.

We, through circumstances, but by the Spirit, might be lead to proclaim: "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13)." The lessons of life from God, the lessons that cause a change of heart, that further a new creation, that strengthen our trust in Christ, that show the futility of our own works, bring joy to our hearts-through hope. Joyful is the man whose idols and false hopes are destroyed, who finds himself hopeless and in despair as a result of his personal failure for then he realizes "through the power of the Holy Ghost" the loving kindness and sufficiency of our God and King. That man, during tribulation and by patience, experiences his God maintaining and sustaining him when it seemed there was no God and finds hope for every situation.

That hope produces a trust that ushers one to an honest prayer for God to break every tie that binds, receive any burden, and take one anywhere. This is freedom in Christ.

Our honest prayer combined with God's faithfulness will lead to our fruitfulness through hope in Him.

- Charlie Foster