Its time to worship: ?He Hideth My Soul
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Let Us Pray
Lord, help me to hear you saying, "I am your hope" over all the other voices. Lord, your word says, you are our hope, so I'm running to you with both hands stretched out and grabbing on to you. Fill me up with hope and give me a tangible reminder today that hope is an unbreakable spiritual lifeline. God, you know those things in my heart that I barely dare to hope for, today I give them to you, I trust them to you, because I know that you can do more than I could ever guess, imagine or request in wildest dreams. God, you are my hope and I trust you. Amen.
Please remember to take time to pray for your family, loved one's and friends. For our country, and the World
Please share with me in the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
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Just before we go to the word let us sing: How deep the Fathers love
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Just Let It Go
Have you ever compared yourself to other people and come to the conclusion – that you just don’t stack up? I think we all have at some point along the way. And when you’re carrying that sense of inadequacy around with you on the inside – it’s so hard to have strong relationships. So many people have lived with this feeling for so long, they can’t see it let alone admit it. But before an alcoholic can receive help. First they have to take that big step of admitting they’re an alcoholic. Turns out that the same is true in dealing with insecurity and low self-esteem.
Do you know anyone with low self-esteem? Someone who’s suffering from insecurity? I used to be one of them. I couldn’t enjoy my life. I couldn’t laugh at myself. Outwardly I was a very confident, but inwardly I was like a drug addict who needed a fix. And when you’re in that state, you can’t collaborate. You can’t love. You can’t enjoy.
When you’re insecure it’s like not having enough food. If you know ten other people who need food and you don’t even have enough for yourself, even though you may be good enough to share that food, they’ll still all be hungry. It’s not until you have enough food and you can share with them out of your abundance and your overflow that you can all have enough food to go around. And insecurity is like that. We just have to keep feeding it. It’s never satisfied. It goes on and on and on and on. And because we’re never satisfied, there’s no overflow of our satisfaction of our joy, of our peace, of our excitement at living a great life that can bless the people that are around us.
I’ve now reached the stage in my life where I’m not bothered by people talking behind my back. In fact, to tell you the truth, by and large, I don’t really care what people think about me. I don’t mean that in an arrogant way. I don’t mean it in a wrong way. When I have criticism come towards me, (which I do sometimes) I listen to it, I evaluate it, I think, ‘Hmm, they’ve got a point. I’ve got to change something here.’ But it doesn’t worry me. It doesn’t eat away at me. There is this deep, deep sense of security in my heart. I just don’t need to impress anyone. Nothing to prove. So what happened.
When Jesus was crucified there were two criminals crucified with him. And they were hurling insults at Jesus and taunting Him. And then one of those criminals, something got to him. He must have looked in the eyes of Jesus and said, “Lord, Lord remember me.”
And Jesus looked at him. Remember this criminal could do nothing for Jesus. This criminal couldn’t even pray a prayer. And Jesus looked at him when no-one else would have given him a prayer and said:
Before the day is out you’ll be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)
Jesus accepted this nobody, who could do nothing for Him. Without an eloquent prayer. Without a life of doing good. Without any benefit that he could have given Jesus at that point in time. Jesus accepted this criminal just as he was. And when I got my mind around that story, it was as though some steel bands around my heart were burst open. I was set free.
Something happens when we get our hearts around Jesus dying for us. It’s so deep and profound because it is an unconditional acceptance and forgiveness.
~I don’t have to fret about this. I don’t have to worry about that, because I’m safe and secure in a relationship with Jesus. And this Jesus who sends His Holy Spirit to live in anyone who’ll accept Him, who’ll believe in Him, who’ll put their trust in Him. Jesus is the one who helps me to deal with it and worry in my life. We are adopted as children into His family when we believe in Him. We become co-heirs with Jesus Himself. And when that sunk in I realised something. If God accepts me as I am, then maybe it’s time for me to accept me as I am.
In one sense, when we realise that, there’s an instant release. And in another, as we live in it, day after day, week after week, we live in that love and acceptance. Over months and years, it changes us. All that time in my life I lived in fear and low self-esteem. It was Jesus. His acceptance and His love that set me free from the insecurity of my limitations. Free to let Him change me by His love.
That’s what happened and it’s still happening, on and on and on and on. It’s a deep work. It’s a work that God sticks with. When He begins something good in us He sees it through. He never leaves us halfway along. He never pulls back and says, “You are just hopeless. I’ve had enough of you. I can’t help you anymore.”
This Jesus who created all that there is – the whole universe. He’s the King of kings. He’s the Lord of lords. He became a man. A friend to those 12 disciples who travelled around with Him. He was human. He cried for people. He laughed. He loved. He healed. He gave people security when no one else would.
Maybe it’s time for you today. To admit that there is a deep insecurity that we can’t do anything about on our own. And accept the solution. The solution of a deep love. And to live in that love and let Him change us.
If God is God, He made us the way we are. And He’s come to set us free.
Love your neighbour as yourself. (Mark 12:31)
That love that Jesus was talking about there was unconditional love. And he offers that love to you.
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By His Hand He Leadeth Me
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
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