9-12-2019

Good Morning All,

   Psalm 85:12; “Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.”
        I think, for many of us, the most exciting word is “yes”!  This word is so full of potential and so full of promise.  Think back to your dating years.  You would agonize over calling; what if they say no?  Do you remember the relief and excitement when they said, “Yes, I would love to go.”  Do you remember later when the marriage proposal was there, would I get asked, would they accept?  The thrill of hearing “yes” sent you into ecstasy. 

    When you applied for your job or tried to rent or buy some land, being told “yes” gave you a lift and a joy.  Maybe even more to the point; remember when you looked at the doctor questioning and he said, “Yes, she will be fine in a couple of days.”  You breathed a sigh of relief and the world suddenly looked brighter.  We love being told “yes”.  It affirms us, comforts us and gives us joy and hope.

    When I was in high school, one of my favorite Christian song was called “And God said YES”.  It spoke of God saying ‘yes’ to his people whom he had redeemed and saved from the reign of sin.  This is what our verse today tells us; God says “yes” to you and to me.

    You and I were nothing more that lost people with no hope, no future and with nothing to offer anyone else.  Yet in the depth of our despair, God saw us.  He sent His Son Jesus to pay the price that we owe.  In doing so, he picked us up, cleaned us off, fed us, gave us new clothes, held us tightly in his arms and said “YES”.  “Yes, I will keep this one as my dear child.”  There is no better way for you and me to hear the word “YES”.

   Yes, you are redeemed.  Yes, you are saved.  Yes, you are valued by the Father as a dearly loved child of God.  Yes, He means this.  Yes, he has forgiven all of your sins, even the really, really bad ones.  Yes, He wants you to take comfort and to have hope because God looked at you and said “YES.”  We have all the comfort and hope we can ever need.  God, through Jesus, says “YES” to us every day.  His love, his grace and his mercy say “Yes” to us each day.  No matter how often the world tells you “no”; God’s love is always “YES!!”

    It is through this “YES!!” that God gives us all that we need; what is good.  It is through the “Yes!!” of Jesus that we receive what is good.  We receive the forgiveness of sins and the hope of everlasting life.  It is through this “YES!!” that God reveals his nature to us; a nature that desires to give to us as a loving Father desires to give to his son.  We are no longer left as orphans but we are claimed by the grace of God to be heirs of the kingdom.  We have eternal life “YES!!” we do!

 Dear Father, through Jesus you tell me “yes.”  I am loved and treasured by you and I receive your wonderful grace and mercy.  You sustain and give me hope.  Help me to share this wonderful news with those around us.  Defend those who suffer at this time.  Bring healing to all in need.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret