I know the image of the man on the Shroud is Jesus, and I want a deeper relationship with Him. Drawing closer to God has become an obsession with me. It has taken me a long time to learn to pray at a personal level to God and it is still a work in progress for me. I know I need to more openly express my love for God and learn to receive His guidance. As I pray, I am now thanking Him daily as I reflect on the following1:
- God has promised me eternal life: John 3:16 God loves me so much that He gave His only begotten Son for me and if I believe in Jesus, God has promised me eternal life with Him.
- God loves me and wants me to be His friend: John 15:9 As the Father has loved me so do I love you. John 15:14 You are my friend if you do whatever I command you. John 15;16 I have chosen you.
- God’s love is unconditional and eternal: 1 John 4:19 I love Him, because He first loved me. Romans 8:38-39 Nothing shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- God loved me so much that He became sin for me: 2 Cor. 5:21 Jesus made Himself sin for me so that I could be righteous before God through Christ. 1 John 4:10 God loved me so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to be a sacrifice to take away my sin.
- God has forgiven all my sins forever: Heb. 10:10, 12, 14 I am sanctified forever by His sacrifice for my sin. Heb. 10:17 He will remember my sin no more.
- God is my Father: Rom. 8:14-17 I am led by the Holy Spirit as a child of God. I have been adopted by my Abba Father. I am a joint heir with Jesus, and I am ready to suffer so that I may be glorified with Him.
- God lives in us: Rom. 8:9-10 The Holy Spirit is inside of me guiding me. The Spirit of Christ lives in me.
- God thinks about me: 1 Peter 5:7 I can give all my worries to God because He cares about me. Ps. 139:17-18 My thoughts are precious to Him. Ps. 32:8 He will guide and watch over me. Ps. 34:15 He has promised to hear my cry for help if I am righteous.
- He will only allow things to occur in my life that He can use for my best: Ps. 139:16 God saw my life before I was born. Rom. 8:28 Because I love God, He will cause all things to work together for my benefit. This is a process as He explains in Rom. 8:29-30 God chose me in advance to become like Jesus in order for me to be viewed righteous and become glorified like Jesus.
- God has the best plans for me: Ps. 16:11 God will show me the path of life (eternal) which is based in belief in His Son Jesus and then I will have the pleasure of God’s presence forever. In John 17:9, 17 Jesus prayed for His disciples and that they be sanctified by the truth of God’s Word. John 17:20 His prayer extended also to all those who would believe in Him through His disciples.
This list has helped me see why I should be thankful to God for all He has done for me. I pray it helps you.
God’s primary focus is our eternal salvation. God does not promise a life without pain, but He does use suffering to grow us into the image of His Son. He is looking at our life and how it needs to be shaped for that purpose. Without pain, we would not know compassion. Loss of someone we love helps us appreciate those we love even more. We value life but look more to God to ease our suffering and our relationship with Him grows. We understand God’s love for us and Jesus sacrifice in a way that would be impossible without us having felt pain.
Salvation is your choice. Are you ready to trust the Lord? It’s easy you can do it now. Just say out loud, Jesus I have been a sinner, but I repent of my sins. I believe you died for my sins and that you are God. I accept you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you Jesus! it seems too easy right? But it is that easy. However, don’t underestimate the commitment you have now made. You have taken a step that will change how you think and act for the rest of your life. It is progressive. You will continue to change in ways you don’t see now. I am on a road I didn’t see just a few years ago. The Holy Spirit will convict you about sin and you will struggle with staying in sin the closer you get to Him. You will want to pray and read your Bible daily as you draw closer to Him. You will want to serve Him and fulfill the purpose he made you for. You will grow in your love for Him and become a new person in Christ Jesus. Praise God!
1 The Ten Facets of God’s Love in The Word and Prayer for the Lost by Elton Gillam heavily influenced the list in this article.