Troubled believer, comfort yourself with this thought: God says, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Doesn’t that come like a soft shower, lessening the intensity of the flame? Isn’t this a fireproof armor, against which the heat has no power? Let the affliction come—God has chosen me. Poverty, you may march through my door, but God is already in the house—and He has chosen me. Sickness, you might intrude, but I have a healing balm ready—God has chosen me. Whatever I experience in this world of sorrow, I know that He has “chosen” me. Christian, if you need even greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. In your quiet room, sitting beside you is One you have not seen, but whom you love; and often, when you don’t even know it, He makes your bed and smooths your pillow as you suffer. You are living in poverty, but the Lord of life and glory visits frequently. He loves to come into desolate places, to be with you. Your friend sticks close to you. You can’t see him, but you feel the touch of His hands. Don’t you hear His voice? Even in the valley of the shadow of death, He says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God” (Isaiah 41:10). Remember that noble speech of Caesar: “Fear not, you carry Caesar and all his fortune.” Fear not, Christian—Jesus is with you. In all your fiery trials, His presence is both your comfort and safety. He will never leave a person that He has chosen for His own. “Do not fear, for I am with you” is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in the furnace of affliction. Won’t you then take firm hold of Christ, and say, Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead, I’ll follow where He goes. “In All My Lord’s Appointed Ways,” John Ryland (18th century) - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening.
There are just some children, and let's be honest, at the realest level adults really are nothing more than experienced children, who will calm down at just the right touch. Be it from a soft hand or a warm blanket.
There's much comfort in a friend who shows Christ in their level of caring for others.
My friend, if you are still on the fence concerning choosing to give your life to Jesus, consider this, before you were born He sought to have a relationship with you.
He knew you before you were born.
We are the most easily deceived of all creation when it comes to Spiritual things.
We can easily believe the wrong things because we allow feelings to get in the way. We seek joy and peace based upon what we surround ourselves with rather than on a deeper relationship we cannot touch as of yet.
We seek it in whatever this world has to offer. Both believers and unbelievers alike are often caught up in that trap. More often than not both have no clue as to how deceived that have been. However, in the case of the believer, the Holy Spirit indeed will instruct and open the eyes to what God really sees.
It's never fun, in the physical world, to be in a pitch black room or space and being forced to navigate it. The first few seconds of it we sort of laughed it off until we realized it's not getting any better. Many times we quickly dismiss the relief that we feel at the sight of a light, any light, that takes away the cold darkness.
Jesus is the light within a believer, but I have learned that it's only as bright as I allow it to be. It only illuminates those rooms of my heart that I allow it to enter.
Why is this so? Fear. It takes experience in the relationship with Jesus to learn that He's not kidding about forgiveness. It takes experience with Him to learn that it's ok to fling open all those thought to be hidden compartments of our hearts to Him. Sooner or later it's going to happen. Out of obedience to Jesus we let go of that ring of keys to those places in our hearts because we learn His love is more than a match for whatever is behind any door.
Humans are the chosen in all creation. We are the image bearers of God. Did you really know that?
Oh believer and unbeliever, both of you need to realize that in sickness and in health, in all your highs and lows of life, at your best and at your worst, His love for you nailed Him to the Cross.
It's that love for you. He chose you. No matter where in this universe you may be, He would love to spend time with you. To save those who haven't come yet to Him for Salvation, to those who have, a life of love unlike any other.
Yes this passage is a huge comfort to believers in that He says "I" have.
In the life of those who haven't yet believed, that "I" is really ready to include you, should you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
A day is soon coming when choosing will be no more for this present generation. Soon there will be a taking up, or Rapture of the Church. Those who have Jesus as their Lord and Savior will vanish from this Earth. Those who have died in Christ first, then those who are alive will join them in the air to be with Jesus forever. If you haven't yet come to Christ, in that moment it will be too late.
I can promise you my friend that for whatever reason you have for turning away from Salvation in Christ today, the horror of being left behind in a world that will be countless times more dangerous it will then hit home with you. It will be possible to be saved, but you will not be joining those who have left just yet. 7 years of judgements will be happening upon mankind and the world. Read the book of Revelation. Governments will be lying to everyone about where everyone went. There will be a global coverup of those who left to be with Jesus. There will be someone who sets himself up to be a new world Leader. In time he will demand that everyone worships him. You do that or die.
Horrors will be everywhere. Life as you now know it will never be the same.
You have a choice before you my friend. In the here and now. He already chose you. But you need to recognize your need for a Savior. You need to ask for forgiveness of your sins and invite Him into your life to be Lord of it.
Choice is before you now.
He chooses to be with everyone but we have to also choose Him.
Don't wait until you get your life cleaned up. Don't wait until later. There may be no later.
For those who have come to Christ, He chooses to be with you no matter where it is or under what circumstances.
Today both believers...and those who don't...don't harden your heart towards what God wants of you. He wants a real relationship with you. He wants to share His love in a very personal way with you. Fear not what may come because of what He sees in your heart. He will never turn away. For unbelievers only you can do that. Only you can forbid Him to enter.
There is a Heaven or Hell difference in what you choose in this moment.
To all: Jesus LOVES you!
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