God watches, listens, and protects:

            What can man do to us?

Hebrews 13:6

6     so that we confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.

What will man do to me?”

   

            We like to help ourselves whenever something bad comes against us. We don’t want to sit still and trust God to make things work out for our good. When we do, we become like the disciples in the boat during the storm. We begin to fear … because our trust is in our abilities instead of in His. Nothing that man could ever conceive should make us fear. Even if man killed our bodies, the real us inside will live forever. We are not alone in our efforts to live a Godly life. He will help us. He will also protect us from harm. The three Hebrew children said that God would take care of them in the midst of the fiery furnace; but even if He didn’t they weren’t going to bow their knees to the idol. Like Job, "Though He slays me, yet will I praise Him.”

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I am your strong right hand. You need not be afraid of anyone or anything. There is nothing in Heaven above or earth beneath that can harm those of Mine. Trust in My guidance, and I will direct your path into the glory of My love. You would not harm your child, would you? You would not allow anything of a hurtful nature to come upon your child. Why do you think that I would do less than you? I will strengthen and encourage you in all things.”

            25. The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

God works for us:

            All things work together for good:

Romans 8:28

28     And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 
            He called us according to His purpose. It wasn’t some random choice. Since we know that He called us, we can be sure that He will take care of us. Thus, whatever comes our way, we know that He will cause it to work together for our good. That is not to say that everything that happens to us is good, but that He causes it turn out for our good as we walk according to His Word. If we fight Him, there is no guarantee of a fruitful outcome. It is hard for us to trust Him to take care of the situation so that it becomes beneficial. We want to try to figure out what is best on our own, if it doesn’t turn out good right away.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, know that I only want good for you. I will never do anything harmful to you. When something bad happens, it is not My desire for you to be harmed by it. You can walk through the fire and the water when you trust in Me. I will never let you down. I will use the bad things that have happened to you for your good if you let Me. Trust in Me, and I will make it happen. It may not seem like it at the time, but one day you will see that what I desire for you is only good. You can depend on Me to work together with you to make all things come out for your good.”

            24. No matter what has happened to me, God will cause it to work together for my good.

Heirs of God:

Titus 3:7

     7     so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 
Romans 8:16-17

16     The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

     17     and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

     
            Since we are children of the Most High, we are heirs. We are fellow heirs with Jesus. We don’t have to become good enough or do enough good works to inherit the promises. We have them naturally as children of God. We are not just hoping that we are children of God. His Spirit inside of us witnesses with our spirits that we are His children. We can truly know that we are His. Some Christians live a life hoping to go to Heaven one day. They don’t care if they “barely” make it. We can have a confident expectation that one day we will be with Him forever.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You are My child, and as such there is a wealth of glory for you. It is yours for the asking. I count you as a fellow-heir with My Son. I do not have hand-me-downs or cast-off items for you. My inheritance is rich and glorious.”

            23. I have not only been made an heir of God, I have also been made a joint-heir with Christ. Therefore, what Christ will inherit so will I.

Heirs of the Father:

            Living hope: 

1 Peter 1:3-5

3     Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

     4     to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

     5     who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

            Our hope is not in some dead man and his words, but in a risen, living Christ – inside us. This hope is not just wishful thinking. We know that we are His, and that He will one day come to gather us together. We can rest assured on that hope. No matter how bad things look for us in this world, we will have a place with Him forever. We have an inheritance as God’s children. It is not an inheritance like that of earthly children. Our inheritance will never pass away, and it will not be taken away from us. It is forever and has our name on it … reserved in Heaven for us.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children do not understand all that I have for them. They have an inheritance not only in Heaven, but also on earth. It is a rich heritage that I have for them. Many of them are not walking in this inheritance for lack of knowledge. They do not know what is theirs and how to obtain it. I will not take it back. It is for you, My children forever. Learn what is yours and how to obtain it that your life may be a beacon unto others to come unto Me.”

             22. I have a living hope, an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled, which is reserved in Heaven for me, and I am protected by the power of God.

Love of God controls:  

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

14     For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;

     15     and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

     

1 Corinthians 8:6

6     yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

     

            What motivates us in our Christian life is that love of God that is in us. We don’t do things for Him to gain His approval, but because of His love which fills our hearts. How much better is that? Our lives are no longer our own, but His. Therefore, what we do is for Him because He first loved us. There is no greater thing than to live our lives for Him. We died when He died … now, we should act like it. We should seek to do things for Him and for His Kingdom.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My love for you and in you is so powerful that nothing can stop it. You will want to show it to others. You will want to do things that are pleasing unto Me, just like I desire to do things that are pleasing unto you. This is love … that you give yourself completely to making the one you love pleased with your actions. Whether it is your love for Me or for your brethren, you will want to please the one you love. It will drive your thoughts and actions in your every day life.”

            21. The love of God controls me. Therefore, I exist and live for Him.