When you have no place to turn, turn to thanksgiving! Thank the Lord for his forgiveness, his blessings, his promises, all that he has done and is going to do. In everything, give thanks!

God is saying to us, “Your faith is precious to me, more precious than all the wealth of this world, which will one day perish! And in these last days — when the enemy sends all manner of evil against you — I want you to be able to stand strong, with an unshakeable faith.”

Christ said, “I came into this world for one reason — to reach and save lost souls!” Yet this was not the mission of Jesus only; he also made it our mission.

Isaiah chapter 31 paints a perfect picture of the futility of trying to do battle with the enemy in our human ability. I believe this chapter is a type and shadow of the ineffectiveness of our attempts today to defeat lusts, bad habits, and besetting sins by relying on human ideas and aids.

This was the joyful sound — proclaiming to all mankind: “I have made provision for you — to walk out of prison, be restored to your family and have everything you need for a fulfilled life. You are free to live without fear of any enemy. Enter now into my joy!”

Simply put, the Lord is telling us, “It is not enough for you to be a caring, giving, diligent servant who upholds moral standards. If in the process your affection for me does not increase, then you have lost your first love.”

So what was the sin that Asaph almost fell into? It was believing that his sufferings were unfair punishment from God — that God was neglectful and unjust. This is a trap that any of us can fall into and we must be very careful! 

God chose to be your Father on the basis of love and mercy alone. There is no other condition. He did not wait until you were good enough or had all your doctrine figured out. No, he said, “Even when you were lost in sin, I loved you.”

Compassion is more than just pity or sympathy; it is more than being moved to tears or stirred up emotionally. Compassion means pity and mercy accompanied by a desire to help change things. Truly compassionate feelings move us to do something.

In the Old Testament, the children of God had just a glimpse of God as their Father. These ancients did not have the full revelation of the heavenly Father. That revelation could not come until the Son revealed him.