With purity cascading from His surrendered heart, Jesus places these words of eternal forgiveness for sin and unchanging love down deep into our believing souls: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) and dies our death and miraculously rises in power from His tomb three days later to bring us newness of life and thinking. A new day dawned and the light and the joy of the Lord flooded our hearts, destroying the darkness of our former lives. Because of Jesus, our new hearts are set to play on repeat: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”. He is the One we focus on, ever in front of us, to keep our thoughts steady and balanced in truth.
We can be assured that God’s thoughts towards us have no mixture of wrath and we can rejoice that our names are written in the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5). We hold our heads up high in the light of God’s love because of Christ’s reconciliation, who bought us eternal peace with the God, and peace by His sacrifice:
“For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11. When we are anxious, often our very first thought is to run to the comfort of a spouse or a friend and unload our concerns, looking for quick comfort. But we have an unfailing Divine Friend and Lord waiting to shoulder our burdens and fears, and to wipe the tears from our faces if we would lean into prayerful dependence on Him.
“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.” Isaiah 26:3 AMPC
"Just As I Am"
A hymn by Charlotte Elliot (1835)
“Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, tho tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”
Question 1: As you read the hymn above, "Just As I Am", would you please share your thoughts about coming in prayer to the Lamb of God?
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Question 2: In the light of the gospel, how does possessing the mind of Christ give you hope for overcoming anxiety?
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Worried thinking is lifted away by the love of Jesus found at the cross.