Psalm 62:5-8

Eternally Beloved of the Lord

The Apostle Paul wrote, “We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.” (2 Thes. 2:13).If you are “beloved of the Lord,” you always were “beloved of the Lord.” He did not begin to love you when you repented of sin and believed on Christ. God saw you in Christ in His eternal covenant and loved you then. That love for those “beloved of the Lord” was shown two thousand years ago when it pleased Him to bruise His Son for you.

Christ redeemed you not only before you were aware of His grace, but before you were born. There was nothing in you to merit His eternal, infinite, and unchangeable love. On the contrary, you were His enemies, profaned His name, and even despised His mercy after you heard about it. “HEREIN IS LOVE, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and gave His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1986)

“Walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and gave himself for us as offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor” (Ephesians 5:2).

(1) Christgave Himself. He didn’t give the wealth of this world for us, He gave himself. He gave Himself, His life, his time, his reputation, and all the comforts of life. He gave Himself, He gave his life.

(2) Christ gave Himself for us. That means that He gave himself as our substitute. How are the us described in Romans 5:6-8? Look at the us for whom Christ gave Himself as described in Romans 5:6-8. Christ gave Himself for those who were: without strength. We were strength-less, we had no power or ability to reconcile ourselves to God. Christ gave himself for those who were ungodly, even though created in His image, by our sin we were un-like God. Christ gave Himself for those who are were sinners. We missed the mark and came short of the glory of God.

(3) Christ gave Himself for us to God. It was God who was propitiated by His sacrifice. It was God against whom we had sinned and His justice must be satisfied that He might be “A Just God, and a Savior.” Pastor David Pledger

CAST NOT AND TAKE NOT

“Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11).

While it is true that all for whom Christ died cannot become unsaved, and the Holy Spirit will never leave one who is born of Him; every believer feels the worst thing that could happen to him is to be left to himself. This is what led David to make this cry, “Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). David felt as though he deserved to be cast away from God’s presence, but he could not bear the thought. He felt as though he deserved to have the Holy Spirit leave him, but he could not endure the thought of being left alone! Cain went out from the presence of the Lord because he did not want to be in His presence. But the believer must have His presence and His Spirit. There is no life without this. Whether we feel this or do not feel this, we always realize this. We cannot be left to ourselves! Pastor Todd Nibert

“At the end of two full years”

“And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river” (Genesis 41:1).

God had promised Joseph that he would exalt him. That his own family would come and bow down before him. But this promise was slow in being fulfilled. Joseph was betrayed by his brethren, sold as a slave, falsely accused, and put in prison where his feet were hurt in the stocks.

Joseph had interpreted the dream for Pharaoh's butler, but the butler had forgotten to speak on Joseph's behalf. For two full years Joseph languished in prison. What an opportunity to grow weary and doubtful and unbelieving, and even bitter. How Satan must have tempted Joseph to curse the butler and accuse God - "Two full years"!

But the verse says, "At the end of two full years." The promises of God are sure to those in Christ, but the wheels that bring those promises can turn very slow sometimes, but the promises will arrive. There is an end that God has in mind. Now is the time to be tried and sometimes tried sore too. Trials that are not only deep as Joseph's dungeon but trials that last for years as his did. But the promise will come. Wait patiently for it, (Heb.6:11-15).

Dear brother Fortner used to say, “Don't judge God by his providence, but judge his providence by him.” Joseph lived in the faith that God was good and was working all these trials for a good end (Gen.50:20). This kept him from being swallowed up in weariness and from growing bitter at God or man.