Daily Devotions

As we continue on our journey through scripture looking for glimpses of God's blessings we will also look at how our hymn book references God's generosity.

In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we read, 'Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.'

The hymn that comes to mind is 'Blessed assurance Jesus is mine'. Fanny Crosby , a lifelong Methodist, who captured the poetic essence of the Wesleyan understanding of Christian perfection in the phrase, "O what a foretaste of glory divine!" The entire hymn is focused on heaven, a place where "perfect submission" and "perfect delight" [verse 2] will take place. The earthly existence is one of "watching and waiting, looking above" [verse 3]. As we submit ourselves to Christ and are "filled with his goodness" and "lost in his love"], we are remade in Christ's image and are moving toward Christian perfection.

So what is the difference between Insurance and Assurance? In financial terms, Insurance typically covers specific risks over a defined period, while assurance is for an individual’s whole life. A week ago, 17th June was the date of John Wesley’s birth 322 years ago, who said of this biblical assurance, “I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

Father, I pray that You might give me such a peaceful sense of assurance that I might never doubt that You own me; I am Yours both now and forever. I pray that I might let the promises of Your Word guide me during the dark times; I pray that my faith might grow each day in my walk with You.

Where there is true faith, may it grow with such certainty that we become as confident of heaven as though we are already there. Thank You for the Spirit who cries within us, “Abba, Father.”