Category: Our Triune God Is My Helper

John 14:27 NTFE
27 “I’m leaving you peace. I’m giving you my own peace. I don’t give gifts in the way the world does. Don’t let your hearts be troubled; don’t be fearful.

“Anxiety is a fact of life in this troubled world, but ours is reversed by the eternal promise of Christ that in the end nothing can harm us. The cosmic war that erupted with the cross has been won by Christ once for all, and he has done so for us as well. Satan is an already defeated enemy…In other words, we are already victorious…”  (Grant R. Osborne, John: Verse by Verse)

With Jesus’ imminent departure, the disciples must have been feeling many things. But Jesus promises them peace-his peace. Jesus says, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled; don’t be fearful.” This message is for us, for when we face pressures, discouragement, or difficulties, we do not have to allow our fears and worries to consume us. Nor do we have to remain in this state. Let’s be renewed by the truth that we are already victorious in Christ Jesus. Our Triune God is and will be watching over us.

Prayer: Lord, I turn to you today with my fears and worries. Thank you for watching over me. Thank you that I am already victorious in you. May our churches flourish as we experience your help, healing, blessing, and rescue. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song “Holy Song” by Bethel Music, Brooke Ligertwood (click here).

-MR

Psalm 54:4 NRSVUE
But surely, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.

“Our mission is joining in God’s life. We first discover how gracious He has been and we see how loving He is. Then we get to share His joy as we go out. Everything about this God is gracious and overflowing. It is why He created and why He saves. Because He is a God who delights to show mercy….

That is the origin of creation: the love and generosity of God. It is the reason for salvation too, the reason for mission. All love flows out of who God is. The compassion we show for the lost and the weak…is an overflow, an expression of that first love, which is sourced in God. In the Trinity, we see the love behind all love, the joy behind all joy, the life behind all life. This is the origin of all going out and of all compassion….” (Michael Reeves, Overflow: How the Joy of the Trinity Inspires our Mission)

Our Triune God as “my helper” shows how personally he deals with us as his people. He delights in showing mercy. God’s love is the reason for mission. The more we live in his overflowing love, grace, mercy, and generosity, the more we get to share in his heart and mission to help and rescue others.

Prayer: God, as we live in your love and grace, may we go out and overflow wherever we are. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song “Wellspring” by Leeland. (click here)

-MR

 

1 John 3:1a, 2 NRSVUE
1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

“God is a triune communion of persons. Love is intrinsic to who he is. Attributes such as grace, mercy, justice, and even holiness are all relative to creatures…Love, however, belongs to God as who he is in himself, in the undivided communion of the three persons. The Father loves the Son. The Son loves the Father. The Father loves the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit loves the Father. The Son loves the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit loves the Son. This reciprocal love of the three persons exists in the unbreakable union of the undivided Trinity. In that we are enabled to be ‘partakers of the divine nature,’ ‘changed from glory to glory’ by the Spirit of the Lord, we are brought into this communion of the love of God.” (Robert Letham, Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship)

Prayer: God, you know me through and through. What a privilege it is to be invited and brought into this communion of the love of God. Thank you that I am being changed from glory to glory by the Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing to the Lord with thankfulness “Love Like This” by Lauren Daigle (click here)

-MR

 

Romans 8:15-16 NIV
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

“In one sense then, the Spirit is the one who is God for us in this life, indwelling the believer and uniting them with Christ. Thus, the Spirit reveals the truth of this new relationship of God with humanity and makes plain that the God who is for us, even in the face of all or any evidence to the contrary, is the God who is eternally with us. There is now, therefore, no condemnation. The echo of the human spirit to this truth is given voice in the human cry, the cry of a child to a father which is itself the witness, to those watching and listening, that nothing can separate us from the love of God.” (Lucy Peppiatt’s chapter in The God Who is for Us: Explorations in Constructive Dogmatics)

Our Triune God is for us and with us. He truly is our Helper. May this truth give us hope today as we pray for specific concerns that are weighing on our hearts.

Prayer: God, thank you that you are for us and with us. I will not fear because you are my Helper. May I abide in you through prayer and your Word throughout this day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song “My Help” by Josh Baldwin (click here).

-MR

Let’s read aloud together the following passage and prayer:

John 14:1-3, 12-14, 16-17 NIV
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  2  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am…”

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  13  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  14  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—  17  the Spirit of truth.

Prayer: God, thank you that you are our Helper. Help us to live in your help today. May we respond by receiving your help and living in obedience to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s praise our Triune God as we sing “The God We Love (Nicene Creed)” by Matt Redman (click here).

-MR