"Whoever listens to me will dwell securely and will be at ease, without fear of evil.
" (Proverbs 1:33)"
Come!" says the Bridegroom to His Church, inviting all to drink from the water of life. And the Church responds, "Come!" Let everyone who is thirsty come, and let the one who desires take the water of life freely, without cost (Revelation 22:17).
Jesus is still calling everyone to come and sit at His table and eat freely, at no cost, because the free gift of salvation for our souls is given by grace and cannot be earned (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8–9).
As it is written:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28–30)
Only in Christ Jesus can we find true rest for our souls. He carries our heavy burdens. Just as two oxen are yoked together, Christ walks beside us, helping us and strengthening us as we walk in obedience to His commands. He walks with us on the road to eternity, always by our side, holding our hands, surrounding us with His love, and covering us with His comforting embrace (Isaiah 41:10; Hebrews 13:5–6).
Let us be like the prodigal son, who returned to his father's house after realizing the depth, height, length, and width of his father's unconditional love despite his rebellion and disobedience (Luke 15:11–24; Ephesians 3:17–19).
God's love for us cannot be earned. It is undeserved and unmerited. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), yet Christ bore our sins, and "by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).
Therefore, let us return to God in repentance with humble and contrite hearts (Psalm 51:17; Acts 3:19). Like Christ our Lord, let us deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him, walking in the example He has set for us through the power of the Holy Spirit, our Helper who dwells within us (Luke 9:23; John 14:16–17, 26; Galatians 5:16).
As it is written, God does not delight in the death of the wicked but desires that they turn from their ways and live (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11). He is patient and longsuffering toward all, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3–4). He desires that we come to the knowledge of the truth, turn to Him, make Him our refuge, and find peace with Him (John 8:31–32; Isaiah 26:3–4).
In Christ we dwell safely and securely because we have been given a new birth into a living hope through His resurrection from the dead (1 Peter 1:3–5). He gives us His peace, which surpasses all human understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7; John 14:27).
He quiets our souls from all fear and evil, so that even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for He is with us; His rod and His staff comfort us (Psalm 23:4). As we journey through this life toward the heavenly Promised Land, He faithfully leads us until we reach our eternal home in Zion (Hebrews 12:22–24; Revelation 21:1–4).
Thank You, Lord Jesus, that in You we have a safe and secure refuge from the storms of life and from every spiritual attack of the evil one (Psalm 46:1; Ephesians 6:10–18). Thank You that we are kept safe under the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 91:1–4; Psalm 17:8).
You are our refuge and fortress; Your faithfulness is our shield and rampart (Psalm 91:2, 4). You are our everlasting dwelling place, and in You our souls are forever safe and secure (Psalm 90:1; John 10:27–30).