O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life. Lamentations 3:58 NKJV
Note how positively the prophet speaks here. He does not say, “I hope, I trust, I sometimes think, that God has pleaded the case for my soul.” No, he speaks of it as a matter of fact that cannot be disputed: O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul. Let us, by the aid of our gracious Comforter, shake off those doubts and fears that mar our peace and happiness. May this be our prayer: that we will be done with the harsh, croaking voice of conjecture and suspicion and be able to speak with the clear, melodious voice of full assurance. Notice, too, how gratefully Jeremiah speaks, ascribing all glory to God alone. You perceive that there is not a word here about the prophet himself or his own pleading. He does not attribute his deliverance in any measure to any human being, much less to his own merit, but to “You”—O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul. Christians should always cultivate a grateful spirit, and we should prepare a song for our God especially after deliverance. Earth should be a temple filled with the songs of grateful saints, and every day should be a censer smoking with the sweet incense of thanksgiving. How joyful Jeremiah seems to be while he records the Lord’s mercy. How triumphantly he lifts up the song! He has been in the lowest dungeon—even today he is known as “the weeping prophet.” Yet in a book entitled Lamentations we hear the voice of Jeremiah going up to heaven as clear as the song of Miriam when she played the tambourine, as pure as the notes of Deborah when she met Barak with shouts of victory: O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life. Children of God, seek a vital experience of the Lord’s lovingkindness—and when you have it, speak positively about it. Sing gratefully. Shout triumphantly! - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
I am a ponderer. I am an observer. I look at things and people and try to understand. Quite often I don't get it. Other times, when God chooses to, He shows me things that He doesn't to other people. In all those cases it's beyond amazing.
I look at my life and I can't see why my Savior chose me. He chose to seek me, to find me. He chose. I read in my Bible of various people the Lord sought out, and of His specific reasons for rejecting people's and nations.
I look at how much I know that I have hurt my walk with Jesus and as He stands with me seeing what I see, He says "Forgiven and forgotten."
Does Jesus stand with believers? I believe that answer is "always". He stood with the men in the fiery furnace. He stood by Paul. He stands by His children.
I remember reading the "Left Behind" series of books. The last book has a depiction of them who survived in Heaven. It's of all of the last of those on the world approaching Jesus. One key character keeps crying out "Unworthy! Unworthy!" Yet he cannot stop moving towards Jesus. Finally he collapses in the arms of Jesus. Jesus tells him that he has been forgiven. It is alright. He wipes away his tears. He was there when this happened in his life. He was there when that happened in his life. All is forgiven because he became a child of God.
I see myself in that position someday before Jesus after the Rapture and I go to be with Jesus. I see myself crying out "unworthy!".
I haven't been blessed like some others in this world at being able to recall memories at a whim. To think on a name and see a person, to remember things about people and places. I can't do that. Sometimes I wonder if that's a blessing or a curse. Yet my sin nature seems to love to remind me of my failures before God. TobyMac brought out a song a while ago called Move!". They will never know how much that song helps me.
My Lord sought me. He chose me from before time began. He knew everything about me before Adam was born. Before Eve was thought of by Adam.
He is still wanting those whom He has chosen to keep seeking those whom are left whom He has also chosen.
The Rapture will only occur after the last person to be saved is saved in Christ Jesus. Not a person before then. It isn't necessarily a moment in time to trigger that event. It's a person. It was the thief on the cross who began everything. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a thief that is the last person to be saved that triggers the Rapture.
The offer to come to Christ is open to everyone. But not everyone will say yes to it. Yes God loves everyone and doesn't want anyone to go to Hell. But, my dear reader, YOU are the one who chooses that destination or not. YOU. Being chosen isn't just on Jesus. For God so loved the WORLD. He chose to love the whole world. From Adam to the last person ever to be born on the other end of time. He chose, but STILL will be rejected. People will still reject the terms of Salvation. Thereby rejecting Christ and THEY will be the ones sending themselves to Hell. The offer is free to all. The ability to reject is upon everyone. God says and so it is. He says you choose Jesus you will be alive in Christ. He says you reject Christ you choose Hell and eternal separation from God.
He chose you...but have you chosen Him?
Don't let anything you are about to do next after reading this stop you from settling that question.
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