We have now completed the first month of 2022, time seems to pass so quickly! The past few weeks have included joys and sorrows, births and deaths, health and serious illnesses. Although people experience different events, we all have one thing in common: we are all that much closer to the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18), when He will take those who believe in Him and “are His”, to be with Him forever!!!
Until that day, (which many believe is imminently close) we will continue on this journey of life. I have touched on the importance of seeking to: Remember, Return, Revive, and Renew our hearts/minds to be in line with His will for our lives. Now, in this Part 3, I want to focus on:
Reclaim, Restore, and Reward
Reclaim When we realize we have strayed away from God’s will for our lives, and have confessed and repented of any known sin, we receive God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). However, there is an important concept that is not always understood: that is the idea of “reclaiming surrendered ground”.
In his book, Reclaiming Surrendered Ground: Protecting Your Family From Spiritual Attack (Moody Pub. Chicago, IL 1995) Dr. Jim Logan writes about this concept, and quotes Warren Wiersbe that giving ground is when/if “a believer cultivates in his life any known sin, he is giving Satan an opportunity to get a foothold, a beachhead in his life. Satan will then use this opportunity to invade and take over other areas…. “ He continues that “If it is possible for a believer to give ground to the enemy, then it is possible--in fact, it is crucial--for that believer, in the power of the Holy Spirit to take back the ground he or she has yielded to the enemy.” (Logan, Jim Reclaiming Surrendered Ground… p. 16) This is such an excellent book to read and study in depth, to learn more about this concept. Allow the Holy Spirit to show you any areas of your life that may have been “surrendered”, and pray to reclaim them. Give that area of your life to God, and ask Him to restore you.
Restore
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalms 23: 1-6 ESV (Emphasis added)
This very familiar Psalm gives such hope and promise. Notice how it starts out with the Lord being addressed in the ‘third person’ (ie. He), but then changes to addressing Him as ‘You’. The psalmist, David, had a deep, personal relationship with the Lord God. He understood these qualities and promises of his loving God, who (as Jesus) is called also ‘our Shepherd’.
Let these promises be true for you, as well. God is faithful to His Word!
Reward
In Psalms 23, we read about who and what the Lord is and does for us. It also gives us a small glimpse of what He promises as our reward for a life of faith in Him: ‘…my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.’
However, as it says in 2 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard. Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (NKJV) We really cannot know or imagine all God has in store for us, as our reward. Ultimately however, as we grow in our relationship and love for God, we understand a little more of the absolute truth of the promise God made to Abram, way back in the beginning of His covenant with Abram (soon to be renamed Abraham) “ After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’ “ (Genesis 15:1 NKJV)
HE indeed is our very great Reward!
Dear Lord, Truly YOU are our great Reward! We owe everything to You, and humbly thank you for Your mercy and Your love! May we always stay close and true to You. Through belief in Jesus, and His death and resurrection for forgiveness of our sins, we are adopted into Your family.
We eagerly await Your return, when we will be with You forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.