JOHN 18:37 THE TRUTH

The Truth

The Jews’ accusation against Jesus

Was that He claimed to be a King.

They wanted Jesus crucified,

manipulating Pilate to do this thing.

If Jesus admitted a claim to kingship,

A usurper to Caesar He’d be,

And Pilate’s hands would be tied.

He could not easily set Him free.

Jesus verified His kingship

Otherworldly and supreme,

But He had come into this world

To bring Truth’s eternal beam.

Jesus is the only Way

To forever peace with God.

He is The Truth, The Light, The Life

Who walked on this earth’s sod.

He did not defend Himself

As before Pilate He stood

For He knew crucifixion was God’s plan

To bring about ultimate good.

Pilate thought he had power,

But in reality he had none

Except what the Father had given

As verified by Jesus, the Son.

Jesus spoke always only

The truth which He had heard

In the voice of the Heavenly Father

Now recorded in God’s word. 

PROVERBS 21:1 IT'S ALL IN GOD'S HANDS

IT’S ALL IN GOD’S HANDS

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord,

 as the rivers of water:

he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Proverbs 21:1

Then saith Pilate unto him,

Speakest thou not unto me?

knowest thou not

that I have power to crucify thee,

and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered,

Thou couldest have no power at all against me,

except it were given thee from above:

therefore he that delivered me unto thee

hath the greater sin.

John 19:10-11 (KJV)

Pilate thought he had the power of life and death over Jesus. However, God is ultimately the One who places people in the position of authority: Romans 13:1b “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” Jesus informed Pilate of this truth. Jesus did not fear Pilate because He knew that His Father controlled Pilate’s actions and was allowing Jesus to be subject to his judgment for the purposes of God’s Kingdom. Jesus had the benefit of knowing God’s plan for certain, knowing He had to face death and abandonment to redeem us, but knowing He would be restored to His rightful throne.

We do not have the ability to know our future. However, we can trust in God with the same certainty Jesus had. The truth is that God controls even the highest earthly authorities just like He controls the waterways and the winds. God is sovereign over the earth and all who reside upon it. If you know Him as your Father, this is a comfort. If you are not in right relationship with Him, you may find this truth terrifying. Wouldn’t you rather be on the side of the One who controls the hearts of earthly rulers?

Father, we thank you that we can rest assured that You are directing our paths. We are safely held in Your hand. Though storms of life will assail us, we know our lives our built on the firm foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. 

PROVERBS 16:1 ETERNAL FATHER HAS FINAL WORD

ETERNAL FATHER HAS FINAL WORD

People go about making their plans,

but the Eternal has the final word.

Proverbs 16:1 (VOICE)

      It would be best to say,

“If it is the Lord’s will and we live long enough, 

we hope to do this project

or pursue that dream.”

James 4:15 (VOICE)

In order to achieve “success,” we are told we must have short-term and long-term goals. We make business plans detailing what we hope to achieve this month, this year, or this decade. We engage in financial planning to ensure we can bring these plans to fruition. It is not that we should give up marking out a path for ourselves, but that we realize all our best laid plans are dependent upon the Lord. The Lord uses “circumstances” which we may perceive as good or bad to direct us exactly where He wants us to be. It is far better to recognize this reality from the beginning and surrender to His control than to be dragged kicking and screaming along the stepping-stones of life. When we seek first God’s will and ways and ask Him to guide us in the way that furthers His kingdom and glorifies Him, He provides for our needs (Matthew 6:33). When we evaluate our earthly “failures” in the light of God’s control, we can rest assured that He will set us upright as we trust Him. God’s having the final word in our lives can sound ominous or glorious depending on our relationship to Him. If we have trusted Jesus as our Savior and have been adopted as God’s children, we can rest easy in His sovereignty. If one rejects the Lord, that person will forever be struggling to stay on even ground. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV).

Father, we trust in You to keep us on Your path. When our short-term or long-term goals conflict with Your plans for us, light the path, making it clear where we need to re-direct. (Psalm 119:105)

Week off

We need to take this week off to handle some family and household matters. Take this time to check out our archived posts that you may have missed! We will be back next week, so stay tuned! We appreciate all of our viewers and pray for you. Remember, you can submit specific prayer requests on our website: www.PreciousJewelsMinistries.org

JOHN 8:36 FREE INDEED!

On this Independence Day when we celebrate our nation's freedoms, may we remember to celebrate the freedom we have in Christ! Have a happy and safe 4th of July! May God bless you richly!

Fireworks photo by Richard Wayne