Blessed Assurance

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory. II Corinthians 3:18 NIV 

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!  
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!  
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,  
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.  

This is my story, this is my song,  
Praising my Savior all the day long;  
This is my story, this is my song,  
Praising my Savior all the day long. 

As the beloved hymn reminds us, our lives are an ever-unfolding story of God’s goodness and grace. They’re filled with unique experiences, heartwarming connections, unexpected blessings, and yes . . . times of uncertainty too. The journey can be a marvelous one, but it won’t be an easy one for any of us. We have lessons to learn and wisdom to gain, new things to discover about ourselves and our Maker, and old things to surrender that are no longer part of His plan for us. We are being remade in the image of Christ, and a lot goes into that! But when we walk closely with Jesus, we live with a sense of peace and assurance unlike anything we could experience without Him. And the times in our lives when that can be most evident are those times when we experience change. Exciting opportunities, big transitions, new perspectives, unexpected losses, first-time adventures, tough decisions, relationship and role shifts . . .  and everything in between. What do all those things have in common for us? They can all be rich experiences that help to bring about our growth, healing, and wholeness, when we keep Christ at the center. They are opportunities to trust Him, to grow closer to Him in new ways, and to learn that our faith is far more than just words, and infinitely deeper than just hoping for the best. When we allow our spiritual muscles to be built in these times of uncertainty, we come out the other side with a deeper awareness of ourselves, greater compassion for our neighbor, and an even more authentic connection with our Maker. Because here’s the truth: we can listen to all the wonderful messages in the world, but until we walk them out in our real lives, they remain just words. Change is a catalyst for our deeper reliance on God. It’s one thing to say we believe in Him, place our hope in Him, and find peace in Him. But it’s another thing to step out on that faith and discover that there truly is a solid foundation we have been given in Christ. There is a calm center within us, His Holy Spirit, that we can return to again and again for assurance and guidance through anything. 

Loving Father, thank you for orchestrating it all and bringing everything in my life together for our good and Your glory. Remind me, Father, that my faith is not wishful thinking, but a real connection with a real Creator.  While I live in ever-changing times, You never change, and Your love and care for me never runs out.  

AMEN 

This is an excerpt from Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine: Old-Time Devotions for Fresh Starts – a devotional available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.