This podcast covers Lesson 9 of Profiles of Perseverance Bible Study by Melanie Newton.
How Deep Our Father’s Love for Us
How deep our Father God’s love
You cannot look at 1 Kings chapter 19 without realizing how much God loved Elijah. Elijah is running away, exhausted, afraid, and disappointed. He didn’t ask God about it first. He just reacted to the threat on his life and ran. Elijah’s target was Mt. Sinai, the place where God made the initial covenant with Israel accompanied by fire and smoke and thunder. Yet, God intercepted him on the way, sent an angel to feed him, and whispered to him outside that cave. God gave him encouragement, a friend, and tasks to do. That deep, fatherly love bolstered Elijah to persevere as God’s prophet for several more years.
"I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:23-26)
God holds me by my right hand
“My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
- Picture yourself sitting in Jesus’ lap, holding out your hand for Father God to take hold and whisper in your ear, “Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.”
- Our God is a trustworthy Father. Jesus continually taught His disciples to consider God as their Father. This God is your Father God, too. The moment you placed your trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation, you were adopted into God’s family as His child. He is the perfect Father, the most loving Father, the most dependable Father, and the Father who cares about your every need. Our Father God’s love for you is deep and amazing.
“See what amazing love the Father has given us! Because of it, we are called children of God. And that’s what we really are!” (1 John 3:1)
- Jesus continually encouraged His followers to call God, “Father.” He taught them to pray to their Father God, whom they could trust.
- If you didn’t have such a good earthly father, He wants you to know that you are dearly loved by your Father God. Dearly loved. Think of the best father in any book, movie, or TV show. Who comes to mind? God is even better than that father. And, you can know Him well, love Him wholeheartedly, and gain the confidence to trust Him as your Father God who loves you.
God guides me with His counsel
- God guided Elijah with His counsel and Elijah followed it.
- The Bible guides us with God’s counsel. We should desire God’s counsel so we can approach life His way rather than our own.
God will take me into glory
- God certainly took Elijah into glory in a dramatic way. Fiery chariots accompanying the whirlwind that lifted him upward to heaven. An unforgettable scene for Elisha and the 50 men watching it.
- God will hold your hand all the way through this life and past this life into the glorious next one. You have a future with God in heaven. One day, Jesus will come for you.
God is my strength and my portion
- God is your strength. You can choose God every day that you are on this earth. Your flesh and heart may fail, but God is your strength now and will continue to be your strength.
- God is your portion. When a biblical writer says, “God is my portion,” he means that God is the source of his happiness and blessing. He is content with all that the Lord is and provides. He has the best inheritance imaginable and does not seek any possession or comfort outside of God.
- You can persevere through anything in this life if we believe that when we have God, we need nothing else. And, our God is the one who loves us dearly with a deep Father’s love.
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4, NASB).”
We can have hope because we have God with us. So, remember our lane markers for the race.
#1. Choose to persevere through every challenge.
#2. Count on God’s promise to give you hope.
#3. Let that hope sustain you through the rough-and-tumble of life.
#4. Celebrate the joyful reward.
Let Jesus satisfy your heart with hope so you can persevere through life.
Joyful Walk Bible Studies by Melanie Newton are available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.