Morning by Morning, October 21, 2024 - “Grieved by Various Trials” yet Filled with “Joy Inexpressible and Full of Glory” -- Praying for Dear Friends Bill and Paige Loveless Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. ... “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:1:3-9). In You, we have “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled,” an inheritance “that does not fade away.” And in this we “greatly rejoice!” In this, we “rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory!” That’s not just when we get to heaven when we die. That’s also right now! That’s through everything we are going through today or may have to go through tomorrow or in the times to come. That’s even through the midst of all the “various trials” in which we are “grieved” that are testing “the genuineness of (our) faith” though “tested by fire.” A dear friend of mine and mighty man of God is in the battle for his life right now--Bill Loveless. Sunday morning, all our church joined in prayer together for Bill and his wife Paige. And we are all praying for miraculous deliverance from death--for death is our enemy, not our friend, as Your Word declares: “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). As You said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that (you) may have life, and that (you) may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Until the end of this age, we will have to battle this power of death in our world until the fulfillment of Your Word of the judgment and execution of Your eternal sentence over this wicked world ruler of death: “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14). Sometimes healing comes on this side of heaven; sometimes healing comes in the resurrection. We pray for healing now! There is no death in heaven, so we pray as You taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. Here on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). And at the same time, we praise You for the Promise we have of the ultimate healing to come for every heart surrendered to You. I praise You for the victorious spirit I see in these dear friends of mine going through this fiery test. The witness of their lives through this battle are being “found” to bring You great “glory, honor, and praise” with their eyes on You and hearts surrendered to You. As Bill has said, he is “swimming in an ocean of the grace of God,” overwhelmed by Your embracing, infilling love in depths of mercy and grace he has never known. We pray for the victory of life over death, of healing over sickness, embracing all You have done for him and every one of us who abide in You and You in us (Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24; John 11:25-26). We’re not backing off or giving up! We’re intensifying our prayers with our eyes on You and hearts surrendered to You. And no matter what, we proclaim the great victory of God that Bill has in You, that we have in you when Your Spirit is in us: “Death is swallowed up in victory! “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). So even as they “grieve” and go through this battle, at the same time fill Bill and Paige with the kind of “joy inexpressible and full of glory” in the way only You can do. “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). I pray the same for ourselves and for all who are going through the grief of the various fiery trials of this world that will only reveal the genuineness of our faith. Give us that same spirit of surrender and trust in You--the One who is the Source of Life and not death, the One who is always victorious and never defeated, the One who never fails and the One who forever “gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today. In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you be empowered to be filled with peace and even joy inexpressible and full of glory as you go through the trials of this world, in Jesus' name, Amen. And please join with us in prayer for Bill and Paige Loveless. I join in prayer for you and your loved ones going through fiery tests and trials right now. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! God bless you, my friend! And you have a great day!
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries 502 North Milam Street Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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