Rejoice in God's Assurances

Nate Border
Apr 1, 2016
3 min read

THE SHEPHERD’S HEART “Assurances for God’s People” The people of God are distinctive from the people of the world in many ways. When the world is perplexed and panicky, God’s precious ones have secret chambers of assurance in which they can hide until the storm is passed. The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast” (Isaiah 26:20). These special areas of confidence in God in this life are many. We would like to take this opportunity to notice just a few of them. Our confidence in the sovereignty of God in ALL His ways is a comfort and a resting place. “In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11). God’s infinite love conjoined with His infinite wisdom superintends the shifting scenes of history. His children are “not victims” of circumstances. They are “not driftwood” on a sea of chance. They are “not orphans” cast out to the wild. “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). God has a plan and a purpose for each of us! Important to remember is the assurance found in secret prayer. Our Lord said: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6). God will hear our prayers to Him. As we enter this secluded place with God, we breathe in “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, [and which] shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). It is there in that place of quietness that we look upon the holiness of God until our spirits shine with a heavenly radiance. Consider, too, the blessing of the forgiveness of sin. Until our sins are covered by the Blood of Jesus, we carry a great weight (the burden of sin). The Bible says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). The assurance of God’s forgiveness thrills our heart and brings peace to our soul. We rejoice in our Lord and Savior “in Whom we have redemption through His blood, [and] the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Another wonderful assurance for our Christian walk is the approachability and the comforting presence of Jesus. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). After His resurrection and before He departed unto the Father, Jesus said: “. . . lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20). With Jesus in our hearts, we can face the tempests of this world and not be overcome! May God be praised for these “heaven-sent assurances” to sustain us in the midst of this pilgrim journey we call life!