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Isaiah 43:2 NKJV 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

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If Your Law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my misery.

I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me. Psalm 119: 92-93

The Psalmist is in grave danger. The wicked are out to destroy him. (Verse 95) But his eyes are upon the Lord, recounting His faithfulness and power through many generations. He begins to delight in His Maker.

Choosing to delight in God might not be easy especially when things are not going well for us and we feel like giving up. That's when we need to focus on His word because God's word can revive us. You see, every circumstance you are facing today is under the feet of Jesus. He is well able to handle it. He is perfectly capable of sustaining us, if we will only let Him. If you are despondent or depressed, make a conscious effort to read the word of God, lay your burdens at His feet and He will strengthen you and help you to come out on the other side unscathed.

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Proverbs 9:10

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“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9-10‬

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It might appear, upon a casual reading of this amazing passage of Scripture that our “rich welcome” is actually dependent on our “practicing” these qualities mentioned in verses 5 through 7 of 2nd Peter chapter 1.

However, the practice of these qualities - the pursuing of these particular Christian virtues presented in verses 5 through 7 — is not the “basis” of the rich welcome. (Jesus blood is the basis for our rich welcome.)

Rather, it’s “one of the means whereby we make our calling and election sure.”

It’s a test. A ruler to hold ourselves up against. The Word of God does not make it hard to know where we stand. If we stand in Christ, He is the basis for our welcome, and we will desire these virtues and they will be naturally occurring - and if we find they do not, we can get on our knees and repent. 🙌🏻

(A test to see if we are continuously moving forward in transformation, or if we are not being transformed at all - since verse 9 says “whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”)

(It’s either a wake-up-call to see that we are in need to be truly repentant) - or to assure ourselves that we’ve been made new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and that we do indeed have the hope of eternal life.”

(Either way it’s a good test, so that we do not float through life going the wrong direction and not know it!)

~ Jerry Bridges

(The stuff in parentheses are notes that I added)

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 2Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬-‭6‬‬

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,” 2Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭13‬

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“…Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his sword with the other.” Nehemiah‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬‬ 🤺📖⚔️