Believe and You Shall Receive

A Warm Friday morning to you! What do I receive if I believe? I will receive what the Lord says that I will receive of course. Believing in Jesus and receiving from His word are linked. I cannot have one without the other. If you address a person as friend, but then ignore all that he says, he is not a friend to you. Jesus says that those who call Him 'Lord' but do not obey His commandments are not a part of His kingdom. When we believe in Jesus, we receive His word into our hearts. And what does His word have to say about receiving, you might ask?

We receive eternal life. Read John 3:16 and learn about a love so great that those who believe will receive eternal life. We receive the Holy Spirit, a priceless gift for sure. We learned that one just a couple of days ago. John 14:26 - Jesus said that the Father would send us a helper to remind us of all that He said. And just next door is: Peace. John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." How about steadfast love? I read a study note the other night in my Bible that steadfast love is a Hebrew term that encompasses love, joy, mercy, grace, goodness, faithfulness, compassion, and patience. Who are we to deserve God's steadfast love?

As usual, what we receive is not dependent upon who I am, but the great I AM. If God reserved His steadfast love to only those who deserve it, we would all be lost forever and ever. Jesus would have stayed in Heaven, kept His peace, and avoided a whole bunch of pain and disrespect at Calvary. However, God's steadfast love flows from who He is, and we receive it by believing in that great expression of His love, Jesus Christ. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it." (Matt 13:45-46) God is the merchant, Jesus was the price, YOU are the pearl. Enjoy your Friday with that thought.

Bucky