Transit Passengers

Do you realise that you are a transit passenger on this earth?

You may or may not know from where you have come. Do you know where you are heading?
All passengers will have to leave this airport and this earth will shut down at some point.

The announcement has come that the connecting flight is delayed indefinitely. It is delayed for the sake of the passengers who are not yet ready to board the aircraft. The Pilot desires to take all or most of the transit passengers with Him. The announcement will come suddenly and we need to be ready to board the aircraft at short notice!

 Once the flight is taken off, there will be a process of preparation on the earth, for the shutting down of the airport which will not be pleasant for those left behind. Therefore, in the meantime, we need to do everything necessary to make sure we get on that connecting flight!

                                                A check list with 7 points will help!

1)  Don't forget that you are a passenger in transit. You are a stranger and a pilgrim on earth looking for a better country with foundations Whose Builder and Maker is GOD!  

2)  Make sure you know the flight number. The LORD JESUS is the One Who will come and receive us to Himself and take us to our eternal destination.

3)  Don't lose your passport! Without faith in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, you can't catch that flight.

4)  Don't get attached to anything at the airport because you are not permitted to carry anything with you on the flight. You will have greater and better possessions up there!

      

5)  Be careful not to get preoccupied with, or, glued or addicted to anything or any activity at the airport, however good or attractive it might be. You might miss the crucial flight! Don't love or set your heart on the world or the things that are in this world.

6)  Be careful and alert and be listening to hear the announcement regarding the flight. Be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit at all times.  

7)  Carefully hold on to your Boarding Pass all the time without which you will not board the flight! Develop an intimate passionate relationship with the LORD JESUS which will bring you to instantaneous obedience to the Holy Spirit. That has to become your built-in automatic reaction!! 

 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation-- 2 Peter 3:10-15a 



 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.  Matthew 25:1-13 

                     Imagine our plight if we miss that flight!

PASSION

Passion

Passion is an intense emotion, a compelling feeling or an enthusiasm for something.Passion is an eager desire and interest in or admiration for a cause or activity. It is a great love for someone or something.

Since the fall, man is born with a greater consciousness of self than of GOD. This is the consequence of sin that separates us from GOD.

The centre of all our problems is self.. that is, I, Myself and Me and that is our flesh. Physical passions are natural but if they are uncontrolled and disorderly, they lead to sin.

Passionate living begins when this self is given  for a particular purpose and is driven by a cause or goal in life. We observe individuals passionately playing and even watching and following sports. Others terrorizing and killing others and killing themselves for a cause more important than their very lives. Many others giving their time, energy, talents and skills for money. Some others giving their all to gain a name in competitions, to get their names into the guinness book of records or gain fame as a celebrity.

As long as self rules in me, I live for myself and there can be no passion other than a fleshly one. Passionate living starts the very moment I take a hold of myself for a purpose and a cause beyond myself.

The more focussed I am with one purpose, the greater the passion for that purpose. As I progress in that path, I will give my all, my everything, towards achieving that purpose. Every thing of great value becomes lower in value compared to that purpose that has now become the greatest passion of my life. The purpose which seemed the best for my life, which I chose for myself, and I first took a hold of, wilfully with my mind, now starts to take hold of me until it becomes the passion of my heart. Now it is beyond my mind. My heart is set aflame by this passion. My ‘I’ is taken over by that purpose for my life and  I ‘Pass - I - On’ to that purpose!

Am I living with a passion? Are you living with a passion? Life is not worth living unless it is lived with passion. The self centered life is boring, confusing and not interesting. It is anything but joy that propels you out of your bed in the morning. The day drags on. You feel tired and drowsy although you have not worked hard enough and not stayed up long enough. Even when you get to bed there is no fulfilment about the day’s work and your sleep is not sweet. The cycle goes on day after day.. unless and until you find out that purpose for your life.

When you do find out, make a wilful decision to follow that path unless you aren’t yet tired of your mediocre life.

Take your time to consider carefully the path that you are about to choose for your passion. You need to make sure that it is worth your life. It costs everything you have and everything you are. You have to be sure that the path ends in victory. How would you know?

This passion is usually picked up from someone else. Observe your hero. He will be your  forerunner. You have to keep your eyes on the forerunner, imitate him and follow him. Do not embark on your journey until you have observed his end.

JESUS set the perfect example and is the model for passionate living. The climax of the passion of the CHRIST was the cross. His gruesome death was followed by His glorious resurrection! It was worth the pain because the end is eternal victory for Him and for all of mankind who would choose His purpose and path!!

• We need to put away the sinful passions of our flesh.

Colossians 3:5-6
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

1 Corinthians 7:9
but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Romans 1:26-27
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

• We have to diligently choose the path we want to passionately follow.

Matthew 13:44-46
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

• We can observe and follow our Hero. His end is victory!

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Philippians 2:5-11
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• We can imitate those who followed the LORD JESUS with passion. The apostle Paul lived with passion for the wrong cause. When the LORD JESUS met him, he turned around to live with passion for the cause of CHRIST!

Acts 9:1-6
Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads."
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

• Now he exhorts us through his letters.

Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

• The LORD JESUS Himself not only instructs us but also set the pattern for us to follow.

Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.


John 19:17-18 
 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,
¹⁸ where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.

• The LORD not only set a pattern for us, He also enables and empowers us.

Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Lost And Found!

In chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke in the Bible, the LORD JESUS related 3 stories to those who were looked down upon as sinners and to the Pharisees and scribes who were religious leaders. The stories are about an insensible sheep that wandered away, an insensitive coin that rolled away and a impatient boy who walked away. All three were lost but when they were found there was great rejoicing!

The lost sheep was one of a flock of hundred. In its foolishness it wandered away and was in danger of being caught by a wolf. Every sheep was precious to the shepherd. Although that sheep was one of a hundred and the shepherd still had 99 sheep, his heart ached for that lost sheep! He left the 99 sheep to find the lost one. When he found it, he carried it on his shoulders and brought it home rejoicing! He celebrated with his friends and neighbours!!

The lost coin was probably one of ten in a head dress of a woman. That head dress was not complete without that lost coin although it had 9 left on it! The woman spent time and energy lighting a lamp, sweeping the floor and carefully searching for it. Life was not as usual for her until she found the lost coin. When she found it she had such joy that she called her friends and neighbours to share in her celebration!!

The lost son was the younger of two sons of a father. He demanded from his father, the portion of his inheritance that would come to him after the death of his father. Seeing that he had set his heart on the treasure, the father released the goods to him ahead of time. A few days after receiving the goods, the son realised that he wouldn't be in a position to enjoy these goods as long as he was within the disciplined boundaries and the clean environment of his home. Then he collected all that now belonged to him and journeyed to a land far away. Far enough to be out of sight, out of hearing and out of reach of his father!

Now he had his freedom to live as he pleased! He could enjoy life with the money he had!! He felt he was let loose!!! He partied day and night. He did whatever brought excitement and enjoyment to himself, thinking what a lot of sensations he had missed out while at home. He made many friends as he threw wild parties! "Money is for spending," he thought to himself! He did not realise that money wouldn't last forever.

 Co-incidentally, as he finished his money, a severe famine arose in that far away land. His parties ended and his friends left him. The experience of emptiness overwhelmed him. Empty stomach, empty pocket and an empty life. Hunger pains drove him to find work. Feeding swine would be the most menial of all jobs for a Jew! Even there no one gave him anything. No money and no food. Only the pigs' food was available to him!!

While in that desperate state he 'came to himself'. He came to his senses. The remembrance of his loving father brought a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes. He pictured the lowest person in his father's house. "The hired servants had food enough and to spare! I lived in such comfort and security as a son, in a loving environment. I have now come down to being a pig- feeder. I have hit rock bottom. Now I will arise and go to my father. I will confess my rebellion against GOD in disobeying his GOD-given authority over me. I can never be fit to be a son in that environment of clean standards. I am so dirty in my body, mind and spirit! The only way out for me is to be one of the lowliest hired servants of my father. I will still be within the boundary of my father's house!"  He wept as his heart broke.

He thought of the long distance he had to cover as he started on his return journey. In every way it was a 180 degree change in direction! The attitude of his heart, the thoughts that filled his mind, his values and his focus.Walking with starvation and physical weakness was hard. Retracing his steps brought memories of his rebellion, anger, selfishness and covetousness and it was emotionally torturous! He hated that path he had taken. How deceived he had been in looking for fun that was evil, wicked and transient. It had left him empty, weak and hurt. Every step toward home made him remember the abundance of provision, justice and security that prevailed there. The discipline, responsibility and rules maintained by his father which previously irritated him now seemed so precious and necessary. These were so wanting in the land far away. The freedom that he had sought after had in fact brought him into the bondage of the enemy of his soul! The journey out that had been exciting and short, now seemed so long and tiring.

As he lifted his eyes, at last he caught a glimpse of the familiar structure! His home!!That's where he belonged. He saw a figure, straining to look towards him. Could that be father? He tried to imagine how his father would feel for him. He may be angry and shout at him or even beat him with a rod. Strangely, it didn't matter to him. He felt he deserved every bit of it and he wasn't afraid. There was peace deep in his heart. He would gladly take whatever punishment awaited him as long as he could be with his father, even as a hired servant. He wouldn't expect anything more.

Now the old, frail figure of the father was moving fast towards him. The gap between him and his father was narrowing. The grace and love flowing from the father seemed to bridge the gap reaching his heart! Love started replacing the traces of fear in his heart. It seemed to be few moments and the prodigal son was locked in the tight embrace of his father, both weeping! After gaining his breath, the boy started his planned recitation of confession and his intention to be a servant. The father had different plans for his prodigal son. The plan was nothing short of complete restoration of his son ship including all the perks!!!
The best robe was put on him, a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. The fatted calf was killed to make a grand meal and a party followed with music and dancing!!

You may have been one of a hundred and have now wandered away. You may feel so insignificant, unwanted and useless. The Shepherd of your soul is looking for you. He is passionately seeking you! He knows you by name and you are precious to Him. There is evil and danger in this world. He desires to take you back into His fold.

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.  Isaiah 43:1


You may have been callous and careless with your life and rolled away like the coin. You realise you are lost. You may think that it doesn't matter as you are one of ten. There are nine others left. You have no identity. You have no purpose in life and like the coin you are just rolling around in the dark. That head dress is not complete without you. You belong there! The LORD JESUS left Heaven and came to this earth to look for you and to save you. You are unique and special - just one of a kind! He wants to place you where you belong.
 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God.Isaiah 62:3

If you have walked away from your Heavenly Father and/or from your earthly father, you have to make the decision to do the U turn. You may have sought after earthly pleasures and freedom that destroy your life here and in eternity. The Almighty GOD, Who is your Heavenly Father, is waiting for you. He is waiting with love in His heart and outstretched arms to forgive you and embrace you. That's where you belong!

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.  Isaiah 55:7 


OH! THE LOVE THAT DREW SALVATION'S PLAN!
OH! THE GRACE THAT BROUGHT IT DOWN TO MAN!!
OH! THE MIGHTY GAP THAT GOD DID SPAN!
AT CALVARY!!

Ask, Seek, Knock!

'Ask' means, asking GOD. Praying to GOD. GOD hears our prayers. He answers prayer.

'Seek' means, search. Diligently search for the truth. The Bible is the word of GOD. The word of GOD is truth.

'Knock' means make your presence known to the one you are seeking. Persevere and wait in faith until He opens the door.

Therefore ASK includes A - ask, S - seek, K - knock!

Keep on ASKING.


     Keep on SEEKING.


          Keep on KNOCKING.


If you keep on asking JESUS, you will know Him AS KING JESUS!


If you keep on seeking JESUS, you will SEE KING JESUS!!


If you keep on knocking for JESUS, you will KNOW KING JESUS!!!


Matthew 7:7-11 (NKJV)
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 
 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Hide & Seek

The first game that man played with GOD was ‘Hide & Seek’! It is still the first game we play with babies and it fascinates them. There is an advanced serious version of this game that people play with GOD! There are 3 stages to this game in real life.

The first stage:-  

We are hiding from GOD and GOD is seeking us.  We are hiding because of our sin which brings guilt, shame and fear of punishment.

Genesis 3:7-10 (NKJV)
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

This hiding place is the devil’s territory. He has a foothold in our lives here and torments us with guilt, fear & shame. He imprisons us and oppresses us. We are unable to get out of this pit and there seems to be no hope. GOD appears to be an invisible, powerful, scary force waiting to get us the moment we show up, to bestow on us the due punishment.
What we are endeavoring to hide is our sin.

Are you in such a hiding place?

The first thing we need to know is that we cannot hide from GOD. Psalm 139 makes this clear.

Psalm 139:7-12 (NKJV)
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Secondly, GOD is waiting for us to show up so that He can forgive our sin and set us free from the oppression of the devil.

1 John 1:8-9 (NKJV)
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Thirdly, He wants us to come to Him because He loves us and desires to embrace us.

Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)
The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

We have to take the first step and come out of our hiding place. We need to open ourselves to GOD like David the psalmist.

Psalm 139:23-24 (NKJV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Our sinful words and works may come to the open, but we can hide the motives of our minds and sinful attitudes of our hearts from others. We cannot hide anything from the eyes of the LORD, which are more powerful than the most sophisticated scanning machines!

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NKJV)
"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

2 Chronicles 16:9a (NKJV)
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

The second stage:-

We are seeking GOD. GOD seems to be hiding, but the Bible says that there is not even a  shadow of turning with Him. It is like the relationship between the sun and the earth. Darkness covers that part of the earth that turns away from the sun which is stationary and always at its best brightness.

James 1:17 (NKJV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Isaiah 59:1-2 (NKJV)
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

In the process of seeking GOD, we start changing, turning and moving to a place where we can find Him.

Are you seeking GOD? Continue to seek Him diligently and you will find Him.

Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV)
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NKJV)
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

It is our responsibility to seek GOD. It is GOD, Who, by the power of His love working through His Spirit draws us out of our hiding place and pit of oppression and sets us free from captivity! Then we will look at ourselves and understand the marvellous work of GOD in our lives!!

2 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NKJV)
Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The third stage:-

When we find GOD through His Son JESUS, we desire to hide in Him. This is the best hiding place in this world and he who dwells in this place is most blessed! When we have experienced such a blessing, we become instruments in GOD’S hand to help others come out of their hiding places and seek GOD for themselves.

Following are some privileges & characteristics of a life hidden in CHRIST.

• Deliverance & Preservation

Psalm 32:1-7 (NKJV)
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.
7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. 

• Dwelling place & Protection

                         
Psalm 119:114 (NKJV)
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
 
 Psalm 91:1-4 (NKJV)
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
     

• Comfort  

 
Isaiah 51:12-16 (NKJV)
"I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?
13 And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor?
14 The captive exile hastens, that he may be loosed, That he should not die in the pit, And that his bread should not fail.
15 But I am the LORD your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared-- The LORD of hosts is His name.
16 And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, 'You are My people.' "
                                   

• Submission

      
Ruth 3:9 (NKJV)
And he said, "Who are you?" So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative."

•  Obedience & salvation

                   
Genesis 6:22-7:1 (NKJV)
Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
1 Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
                                              

• Selfless CHRIST-centered life resulting in Glory

Exodus 33:21-23 (NKJV)
And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.
22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.
23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

Colossians 3:1-4 (NKJV)
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
                    

•  Hope

Hebrews 6:19 (NKJV)
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

•  Peace

John 16:33 (NKJV)
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

•  Rest

                
Hebrews 4:9-10 (NKJV)
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
  

• Beauty

                    
1 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV)
Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--
4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
 

• Fruitfulness

             
John 15:5 (NKJV)
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
  

•  Unity

            
Matthew 23:37 (NKJV)
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
 
John 17:21 (NKJV)
that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
    
                     Where are you right now?                                          
Are you hiding from GOD, filled with guilt, fear & shame, oppressed by the devil?
 Are you seeking GOD, confessing your sins to Him and repenting of them?
   Are you hiding in GOD, resting in the assurance of His love?

Luke 19:10 (NKJV)
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Deuteronomy 33:12 (NKJV)
Of Benjamin he said: "The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders."

GOD sent His only Son, JESUS into this world to seek after you if you are lost. He is waiting to save you from your sin and set you free from the power and consequences of sin. He will freely forgive you because He took the penalty for your sin on Himself when He suffered and died on the cruel cross. He will wash you with His precious blood and embrace you with His love. There is a special slot for you to hide and rest in the bosom - the heart of your Heavenly Father.

Humbly come to Him now!
 He has been waiting for you to come!!