A MESSAGE OF HOPE, JOY AND PEACE
Psalms 73:24
We are all on a journey on this earth designed by God with a starting point and an ending.
In Isaiah 46:10 God said this; Only I can tell you the future before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
God has a plan for everyone. And everyone is in his plan
I want to take a text from a verse in the Bible from Psalms 73:24-25 NLT
IT IS A MESSAGE OF HOPE JOY AND PEACE
Psalms 73:24 -25
24 Lord You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
There are three important points I want to speak to in this verse.
Divine Guidance
Divine Counsel
Heavenly Destination
Psalms 73 was written by Asaph, the chief musician under King David
He was in charge of praise and worship. He considered his situation and observed that the rich, the powerful seem to enjoy life with no problems. They could say what they want and get away with anything, but I am suffering
He said in verse 2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
I got so caught up in what the world was doing, that I almost gave up on God.
But I remembered God and His goodness. So he gave us this prayer;
24 Lord, You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
This is what we all should be seeking from God. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know everything, in fact I know very little. I need
Divine Guidance
I need Divine Counsel and
I want a Heavenly Destination
Life is complicated. We live in a world of violence. We really don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We cannot determine how our day will start or how our day will end. We can only look back and say what happened.
We need divine guidance. We need the Lord who can order our steps. We need someone who knows where the road blocks are. We need someone who can guide us around or through an accident. We need someone that is bigger than the biggest gun, faster than a speeding bullet, smarter than the most intelligent person on earth to guide and direct us.
We need someone who open closed doors and make a way out of no way
We need someone that is more powerful than all the leaders on earth to protect us.
I know that someone and his name is Jesus.
WHAT DOES DIVINE GUIDANCE LOOK LIKE
Ps 37:23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
In order to allow God to direct your steps you must know and submit to God’s will. To know God’s will to follow God’s will you have to know His Word. BIBLE STUDY
You have to make up your mind to follow His Word. You must be intentional in following God word You must be in prayer for every decision
God is a good leader and will and cannot guide you wrong.
Isa 8:19 But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Why ask someone don’t know the Lord what to do?
The problem with trusting other people is you don’t know their heart. The only person you can trust is God. But what does that Look like? It your opinion Or do you search scripture then wait on God to reveal an answer? God may wait to see if you react or respond. We react on what we think. We respond based on meditation of God’s word
DIVINE COUNSEL
First You need divine directions and second
You need divine counsel. I don’t know about you, but I need divine counsel. I need someone to tell me the truth. We don’t need the opinions of others, we need the truth. Opinions are based on incomplete information. Opinions change as my thoughts change. Opinions change more often you change your underwear.
I need a truth that does not change, from a person that cannot change. Sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes we don’t want to hear the truth. Sometimes we would rather go along with the crowd to be in the crowd.
The Lord says I change not. He also said in Revelation you cannot add anything to my word or take anything away from it. The New Testament is over 2000 years old. Some parts of the Old Testament are over 4000 years old. It is the most read book in the world. It has survived the test of time.
Your situation is in the Bible. Whatever you are going through, somebody has already gone through it and the Lord has already talked about it, and given you directions on how to live with and deal with it. Ecclesiastes 1: 9 say there is nothing new under the sun.
Before Jesus returned to heaven He promised a divine counselor
John 14: 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.
How does this work? How do you receive God’s counseling?
Jesus and the Father sent you a spiritual counselor
The counselor is always with you
The spiritual counselor is just like Jesus
The spiritual counselor dwells within you
If you consult with Him, he give you the truth
You have to intentionally seek the truth that dwell in you
John 14:26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
Your teacher of the God’s Word is the counselor; the Holy Spirit
You have to study the Word to have reservoir of information stored in your brain
You have intentionally study the Word to get an understanding through the power of the Holy Spirit
In any situation the Holy Spirit will remind you of the truth
In any situation, you have intentionally listen for the Holy Spirit before responding
You must trust that Holy Spirit speaking is what you should say
There is hope. Despite what you are going through Family, there is Hope.
YOU HAVE DIVINE DIRECTION, YOU HAVE DIVINE COUNSEL
AND YOU HAVE A GLORIOUS DESTINATION PREPARED FOR YOU
There is no doubt in hope. It is a confident assurance in Jesus. Teach the text to your family
The Psalmist said in verse 21, I realized that my heart was bitter and I was all torn up inside. He got caught up in what others had and was blinded to the grace God provided for his life
You have to come to the conclusion that everything will not be alright with you all the time. It’s ok, God designed life circumstance to keep you in prayer
All of us have or will experience a sense of brokenness. It is part of God’s plan to draw us closer to Him. He intends to make us perfect and lacking nothing.
James 1:2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. NLT
Joy does not come from what you got, but who got you. Perfection does not just happen, its the pain God works in us.
Remember the Samaritan woman at Jacobs well in John 4, God designed her 6 Broken marriages to get her prepared to meet Jesus at the well. She accepted Jesus’ words and took the Gospel to her whole village. Her 7th marriage was to Jesus, a permanent relationship
Her brokenness was not just for her but her entire village. The Samaritan woman brokenness was a means to her wholeness. Your testimony brings others to Christ.
Consider this the woman had had 5 legal marriages but had not married the 6th. She may have given up on marriage. She was not a bad woman because 1. Jesus made a special trip to Samaria to meet her 2. Jesus did not condemn her and , 3 her message was accepted by the whole village, believed her testimony
HEAVEN IS YOUR HOME
The Psalmist said in verse 23, Lead me to a glorious destiny. Who do I have in heaven but you?
Life is a journey to your heavenly home. Earth is not your home, you are just passing through What a great prayer, God lead me to a glorious destination.
God never really tells us what heaven is but He does tell us what heaven is like.
Isa 46:10
10 Only I can tell you the future before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
TAKING RESPOSIBILITY FOR HOPE
Eden asked me about heaven. Is Aunt Roro in heaven? Well Eden the Bible says this in 2 Corinthian 5:8 Absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord. Your aunt Veronica who you called RoRo is with the Lord.
Then Eden asked me, will I know her in heaven? Matthew 17:3 says three of Jesus’ disciples went up to a mountain with Him, they saw and recognized Moses and Elijah who lived hundreds of years before they were born. Yes Eden you will know RORO when you get there.
To all of you, family and friends, because a grieving niece with tears in her eyes wanted to know about heaven, I remind you of these scriptures;
In heaven you will have a place prepared especially for you. Jesus said to all of us;
John 14:1-3 14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
Heaven will be all about praise and worship.
Revelation 4:9 The angels sang Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty the one who was who is and still is to come
Rev 4:9-11
9 Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), 10 the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, 11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.
It is a place of meet and greet, in Matthew 17:3, that what Eden asked about You will know people you never met.
Matt 17:2-4 Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. 4 Peter blurted out, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
It is a place where there will be no pain or sorrow Revelation 21:4 There will be nothing but good times.
Rev 21:3-4 God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Rev 21:4 “Look, I am making everything new!”
HEAVEN IS A PLACE WHERE JESUS RESIDES
John 14:1-3
Is that a place you will want to go? It is available to you
Let me tell all of you, you cannot get there without a relationship with Jesus.
You don’t have time to waste, You don’t know the time or the place Jesus will come for you.
TAKING RESPOSIBILITY FOR HOPE
Rom 15:13-14
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ hope has no ifs and no doubt. It is the absolute assurance from God. You have to believe and take hold of it. It will over flow through you. Our job is to express that hope to everyone
Hope Changes what you can see
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,
You have the Good News
It up to you to trust God’s word
God has set you free from the devils influence
You have been sent excite others about Jesus
Jesus opened eyes so people can see the truth
Your circumstances may seem oppressive, but God is your freedom
The Bible says who ever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16
God didn’t say you have to belong to a church. God didn’t say you have to be doing any good work to be accepted in heaven. He did say whoever believes in Jesus, will have home in heaven. Jesus will take care of the rest. John 3:16
AMEN
