“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).
“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7).
“The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate” (Psalm 34:22).

I am humbled that Jesus loved me enough to go to Calvary for my sins. His sacrifice gave the world salvation, and we celebrate it this Easter morning. Let’s enjoy this freedom of worship that we can experience; by entering into his presence with singing, and into his courts with praise; keeping our goals focused on his will. He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.

“For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partakers of the afflictions of the gospel according the power of God: Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; (2 Timothy 1:7-9).

I thought about how much sacrifice some people make for the gospel, and then, I wondered how the disciples must have managed ministry in their day. Think about it—the disciples didn’t have electricity, or air conditioning. They didn’t really have a home to go to. But when Jesus called them to follow him, they didn’t hesitate, or make excuses: they followed—forsaking family and friends, and any hindrances that could have drawn them away from their mission. They had met the Messiah, they had been trained to be servants, leaders in their community. It meant great sacrifice.

They didn’t grumble or complain when their feet hurt, or when they didn’t get proper rest the night before. No. They were cast into prison for preaching the name of Jesus! Even when they were rebuked by the religious Pharisees and scribes of the temple, they continued on to serve the Lord without doubt and without wrath.

When people following them tried to sow discord among the brethren, tearing down the church instead of edifying it, the disciples always put a stop to it. They had a keen sense of right and wrong, and because they loved the Lord with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength; doing what was right in the eyes of God was not only desirable, it was also obedience. We can have peace, if, no matter what the circumstances—we learn to trust.

“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” (Psalm 37:4-5).

Just like the disciples of old, we have been called to serve. No matter what the Lord has asked us to do, we should be willing to do our best with zeal, as unto the Lord. When we learn to make the best of every situation that we face, we will find that our circumstances may not change; but there will be a significant change in our view.

In this week’s Lattereign, my prayer is that the Lord will lead me to the foot of the cross, to give him honor for the love he has shown to us. We should never take our relationship with Jesus Christ for granted. It is well with my soul.

Lord Lead me to the cross