The scripture emailed to me, Jeremiah 17:7-8, this morning is so true: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

We have anxious times and we are told to stay close to Jesus – what does this mean? to ask Him direction, to know He is in charge, to know things get better even if they get worse first, to know simply to TRUST. Put our roots in His Word in His Living Water – meditate on Him as it states in Psalm 1. We are to know that there are others even more in danger physically and politically by worshiping openly – we can’t even imagine their lack of freedom of religious expression. There are known examples of people who trust the Lord – we see them around us – and there are those who worship in secret trusting the Lord for the long term – and we should know there are multitudes that will be and are saved by the Lamb, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world – Jesus. These multitudes are mentioned in the book of Revelation 7:9-17, multitudes that no one could count – who are also mentioned in the prophecy of Isaiah – the many many people who plant themselves like Psalm 1 trees into the Word and TRUST in Jesus won’t wither and die but be reborn in new life. ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

Let us STAY CLOSE TO THE LAMB. Let us not wither in the trials of this life but keep moving WITH Jesus. Never alone, always remembering Him on the throne. Keep close and we will OK:  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jer 17:7-8

KEEP THE FAITH – FAITH IS BELIEVING IN GOD AND HIS ALMIGHTY POWER. 

WORTHY IS THE LAMB. STAY CLOSE TO THE LAMB.

AMEN

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Revelation 7:9-17

The Great Multitude in White Robes
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.”  And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ – ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Psalm 1 NIV

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Isaiah 49:8-9 Restoration of Israel

This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’