Greg & Laile DeWeese

Honoring Christ and Loving People in Times of Darkness, Part 4

16. Express your personal cherishing of the sovereignty of God as the ground of all your hope as you face the human impossibilities of life. The very fulfillment of the New Covenant promises of our salvation and preservation hang on God's sovereignty over rebellious human wills--both ours and others.

Mark 10:24. "The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' They were even more astonished and said to Him, 'Then who can be saved?' Looking at them, Jesus said, 'With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.'"

Jeremiah 32:40. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me."

Hebrews 13:20-21. "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

17. Count God your only lasting treasure, because he is the only sure and stable thing in the universe.

Psalm 73:25-26. "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

18. Remind everyone that to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21-23. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. . . . I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better."

2 Corinthians 5:7-9. "We walk by faith, not by sight - we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him."

19. Pray that God would incline their hearts (both the one who is hurt as well as those who inflicted the pain) to his word, open their eyes to his wonders, unite their hearts to fear him, and satisfy them with his love.

Psalm 119:36. "Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to gain."

Psalm 119:18. "Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law."

Psalm 86:11. "Unite my heart to fear Your name."

Psalm 90:14. "O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

20. At the right time sound the trumpet that all this good news is meant by God to free us for radical, sacrificial service for the salvation of men and the glory of Christ. Help them see that one message of all this misery is to show us that life is short and fragile and followed by eternity, and small, man-centered ambitions are tragic.

Acts 20:24. "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."

Titus 2:14. "[Christ] gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."

Philippians 1:21. "To live is Christ."