“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but PEOPLE ARE TESTED BY THEIR PRAISE.” (Prov. 27:21) Silver and gold are tested by putting them into the furnace and fining-pot; so, we are tested by someone praising us! So what do we do with that praise? If we are celebrated and favored, then we will express our thanks to the Lord God almighty because that is what is important to us! If we take the glory to ourselves which we should be transmitting to God, as Herod did, look out: “On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, BECAUSE HEROD DID NOT GIVE PRAISE TO GOD, an angel of THE LORD STRUCK HIM DOWN, AND HE WAS EATEN BY WORMS AND DIED. But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.“ (Acts 12:21-24) This shows how Herod’s pride was responded to: it was indeed pride that caused this; it is this pride that commonly goes before destruction, and the haughty spirit before a fall! “He who did not spare his own Son, but GAVE HIM UP FOR US ALL–how will he not also, along with him, graciously GIVE US ALL THINGS?” (Rom. 8:32) Who can be against us, to strip us or deprive us of our securities? Who can cut off our streams, while we have A FOUNTAIN to go to? Think about what our awesome Abba Father has done for us: He spared not his own Son. When he was making provisions for our salvation, the Father was willing to part with His only son, He did not think Him too precious a gift to give for the salvation of our souls; now we know for certain that he loves us, because he did not withhold his Son, his begotten Son, his only Son, from us! “WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” (Rom. 8:35) Paul presents a daring challenge to any and all of our enemies that we CANNOT be separated from the love of Christ. Who shall? None shall, why, we are INSEPARABLE! “NO, in all these things WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US.” (Rom. 8:37) Write this on your bathroom mirror as a Godly reminder! Not just a conqueror but, hupernikaō; an overwhelming conqueror! “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.” (Rom. 8:38-39) The love that exists between God and us as true believers is through Jesus Christ. He is the Mediator of our love: it is in and through Him that God can love us and that we enabled love God. This is the ground of the dedication of that love; therefore, God rests in his love, because Jesus Christ’s love for us, IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER.
WILL, NO ONE SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST BECAUSE WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US!
– Bill Stockham