Our Great Salvation

1 Peter 1:3-12

 

 

According to early church tradition, Peter died because he boldly preached the gospel. Jesus had hinted at it years earlier (John 21:18-19). But before he died, Peter made sure we would have the message he preached. He wrote it down, and he told us why:

2 Peter 1:12 & 15 (NKJV) 12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. … 15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.

 

The gospel is the truth he speaks of, and the letters are the reminder. Today we are looking at 1 Peter 1:3-12, the opening of his first letter, and it is a condensed version of the gospel.

 

Have you ever seen this product? 

 

I picture all the goodness of a gallon of milk and a pound of sugar packed into this 14-ounce can. That's how I see these verses. A lifetime of truth is packed into as few words as possible, and today we're going to open the can and taste some of what's inside.

 

In these verses, Peter tells us what happens when we turn to Jesus, how that changes our lives, and how we can be sure it's true.

 

First, what happens when we turn to Jesus?

 

The short answer is: we are born again.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NKJV) 3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

Peter begins with praise, and he has good reason to. Think about what God did. The Bible says the heavens are the work of His fingers. But when it speaks of salvation, it says, "The Lord has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations." (Isaiah 52:10) The arm is a picture of strength, and nothing shows the power of God like making a spiritually dead person alive. Paul calls it a new creation: "old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

Notice who does the work. Peter says God "has begotten us again" according to His abundant mercy. Jesus told Nicodemus the same thing in John 3, that we must be "born from above." Birth is not something we accomplish. It is something done to us, and it is entirely the work of God. We turn to Jesus, trusting that He is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead, and when we do, we find that God has already been at work. We are alive in a completely new way. We are children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus.

 

Why did it take a miracle? Because we were dead in our sins, and sin has to be dealt with. That is why Peter mentions "the sufferings of Christ" a few verses later. Jesus died in our place. Isaiah put it this way: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities... and by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) New life comes because He took our death. Turning to Jesus means turning from sin and trusting Him to save us.

 

Peter says this new birth gives us two gifts: a living hope and an inheritance.

A living hope. Notice what makes it living: "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Our hope is alive because Jesus is alive. Let me use an illustration to explain.

 

Say a hen lays two eggs, and both are fertilized. Someone takes one, boils it, lets it cool, and slips it back into the nest. The hen keeps sitting on both. But the boiled egg has no chance of hatching. There's no life in it. That's the kind of hope the world offers. Even if it gives us a better life now, no hope built on anything but Christ can carry us past the grave. Jesus said:

Matthew 16:26 (NKJV) "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

 

But the hope we have is built on a Savior who walked out of the tomb. That's the egg with life in it. And just as that egg doesn't yet look like a chick, we don't yet look like what we will become. But the life is real, and it's growing. In heaven we will enter a fuller and more glorious life than we can imagine.

 

An inheritance. Because we are God's children, we have an inheritance, and Peter describes it three ways: it is incorruptible, undefiled, and it does not fade away. It can't decay, it can't be stained, and it can't lose its beauty. It's "reserved in heaven for you." And it's secure for another reason as well. God is guarding us for it: we "are kept by the power of God through faith." He holds the inheritance, and He holds us.

 

That's a glimpse of what the new birth gives us. Now let's look at how it shapes our lives while we wait.

 

Second, how does this affect our lives?

 

1 Peter 1:6-9 (NKJV) 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, [being] much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see [Him,] yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.

 

The first effect is great rejoicing. Peter says, "In this you greatly rejoice." Many of us feel this strongly when we first come to the Lord. But Peter doesn't say the joy fades and the grief takes over. He says they exist side by side: you rejoice, though you have been grieved. Joy and grief at the same time. That is one of the strangest and most wonderful things about following Jesus.

 

And grief is real. Peter doesn't wave it away. He says "grieved by various trials." Sometimes the grief seems more than we can bear. Paul once wrote that he and his companions were burdened "beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life." (2 Corinthians 1:8) The faithful can feel that way. What helps is not finding strength in ourselves. It's what the Lord told Paul:

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

 

And if you are in that place right now, don't carry it alone. Tell someone: a pastor, a friend, someone in this room. God often comforts us through His people. "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart." (Psalm 34:18)

 

Peter also tells us there is purpose in it. Trials last "a little while," and God uses them the way a refiner uses fire. Gold is precious, but gold perishes. Our faith is far more precious than gold, and the fire shows that it's genuine. Paul says the same in Romans 8:

Romans 8:18 (NKJV) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

 

Notice what Peter says about the One who is with us in the fire: "whom having not seen you love." We have never seen Jesus, and still we love Him. We trust Him and call on Him in the storm. And Peter says that this love, held without sight, "with joy inexpressible and full of glory," is the sign that our faith is real. Our endurance is not what earns salvation. It is the evidence that God is keeping us, and the end of our faith is "the salvation of your souls."

 

So God may use some hot fires in our lives, but Jesus is always with us in them, and we can rejoice in Him even while we grieve.

 

Third, how can we be sure it's true?

 

How do we know this isn't just a fairy tale?

 

Peter's answer begins with the prophets.

1 Peter 1:10-12 (NKJV) 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace [that would come] to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into.

 

The prophets gave us the Old Testament, and they wrote about Christ hundreds of years before He came. Peter says "the Spirit of Christ" was in them, and that they testified beforehand about "the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow." Isaiah 53, which we read a moment ago, was written centuries before the cross. They didn't fully understand what they were writing, so they searched carefully. They were serving you, and even angels long to look into what you've received.

 

That is the first reason we can be sure: God announced it ahead of time, and then He did it.

 

The second reason is that the Bible is unlike any other book. It was written by more than forty men over more than a thousand years, and it tells one story. Some people say it has been changed over the centuries. But we have copies of Old Testament books, the Dead Sea Scrolls, that were written well over a century before Jesus was born. When we compare them to the copies we've used for centuries since, we find only minor differences in spelling and wording, none that affect what we believe. The message has been preserved.

 

Of course, a book that has been preserved isn't automatically true. But this one has been preserved, its prophecies came to pass, and Jesus Himself, who rose from the dead, trusted it completely.

 

Peter knew something about experience. He stood on a mountain, saw the glory of Jesus revealed, and heard the Father's voice. Yet later he wrote:

2 Peter 1:19 (NKJV) And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place...

 

Even after that unforgettable experience, he pointed people to the written word. Our experience with the Lord is real, and it is enough to convince those of us who know Him. But Scripture is the steady light that keeps our experience honest, especially on days when our feelings are not what they should be.

 

An invitation

 

If you ask Jesus to come into your life and make you a child of God, you will be born from above into a new life, with a glorious inheritance kept for you in heaven. You will be a new person.

John 1:12 (NKJV) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

 

Romans 10:9 (NKJV) ...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

 

If you need to make that decision, or you've made it and need to get to know Jesus better, feed on the word of God. Start by reading the book of John. Listen to it on an app if you don't like to read. Read a verse or a whole book. However you do it, get the Bible into your mind and heart, and ask Jesus to show Himself to you. He will.

 

He wants to spend time with you. Don't refuse Him. Glory, honor, and praise wait for all who receive Him.

Rivers of Living Water

 Fear grips my heart as I prepare to write this.

 

The message of the gospel is that God loves you. God loves us. He tells us He does not want anyone to perish but wants everyone to come to repentance. In John 3:16, He tells us that He loved you and me so much that He gave His Son so that if we believe in Him, we will not perish.

 

This is all good news. 

 

However, the bad news is that the danger of perishing is real. God tells us He does not want anyone to perish because many are perishing. He tells us He gave His Son to save us from perishing because many are perishing. Even in John, God makes it clear that all those who do not believe in Jesus are lost.

 

No one wants to hear the part about perishing. Please do not stop reading. There is healing, joy, forgiveness, and life in Jesus. Jesus promises that, for all who come to Him, rivers of living water will flow from their innermost being.  

John 7:37-38 (NLT) “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

 

I hope this truth is enough to convince you to turn to Jesus.

 

But because time is short, can I ask you to read Isaiah 24? Read it and ask yourself, “Is God talking about things that are about to happen now?” 

 

Jesus said, “Yes, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:20)

https://www.bible.com/bible/116/REV.22.20.NLT

 

Here is the source of my fear. Many will dismiss what I am saying because they disagree with my interpretation of prophecy. Since you are still reading, let me ask you a question. If something awful were to happen—an accident, a stroke, or some unforeseen event—and you died, would prophecy make any difference? If you suddenly found yourself in the presence of God, whether or not the world was ending would not mean anything to you. Rather, you would be answering God’s questions about your life.

 

I am writing this to plead with you to call upon the name of the Lord now, while you have time. Romans 10:13 tells us:

Romans 10:13 (NKJV) For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

 

Here is a link to Isaiah 24 in the New Living Translation. Many people find the New Living Translation easy to understand.

 

https://www.bible.com/bible/116/ISA.24.NLT

 

The Battle of the “gods”

Exodus 7

 

 

As we begin our look into Exodus 7, we need to remember the details from chapter 5. Exodus chapter 5 records Moses and Aaron’s first encounter with Pharaoh. They told Pharaoh that God had met with them and instructed them to go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to Him. When Pharaoh said “No,” they insisted, saying, “God says, 'Let My people go!'” Pharaoh responded, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2)

 

Then, because God had been so bold as to tell Pharaoh what to do, Pharaoh persecuted God’s people mercilessly, so that they despaired even of their lives. However, God reassured His people that He would deliver them.

 

Now we come to Exodus 7. The Israelites had suffered under increasing burdens long enough to know their situation was hopeless, and for Pharaoh to believe he had won. At just the right time, God told Moses and Aaron to go and speak to Pharaoh. God told them:

Exodus 7:9 (NKJV) “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast [it] before Pharaoh, [and] let it become a serpent.’ ”

 

So, in obedience to the Lord, Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh and repeated the command of the Lord to let God’s people go. And, sure enough, just as God had said, Pharaoh demanded they show a sign. Following this, Exodus 7:10-13 tells us:

Exodus 7:10-13 (NKJV) 10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.

 

Things are happening here that the text doesn't spell out. Let’s consider some of the historical and cultural significance of what God is doing. 

 

God’s wisdom, knowledge, and power have no limits, and He shows us this truth in these events.

 First, let’s consider God’s purpose in choosing to use a staff, a stick, for His first miracle. The staff was essential to the imagery and position Pharaoh held in Egypt. Pharaoh carried a staff to show his care for and protection of the people of Egypt, like a shepherd. The staff also represented his divine right to rule. Look at the picture above. Do you see the staff and flail that Pharaoh is holding? You will notice the crook at the end of the staff. That is because it is a shepherd’s staff. Shepherd’s staffs have not changed for thousands of years! (Remember, Moses was a shepherd, and the staffs that Moses and Aaron held would have been actual shepherd’s staffs.)

 

 

Second, the serpent held great significance for the Egyptians. In the picture above, do you notice the snake on the front of the crown?

 

In ancient Egypt, the serpent represented both divine royal protection and new life, and, believe it or not, the serpent also symbolized chaos and destruction. Life or destruction depended on whether or not the serpent was on your side! Pharaoh wore a stylized cobra on the front of his crown. The serpent on the front of his crown represented the idea that Pharaoh embodied the gods. He was a god in the flesh. However, Pharaoh did not represent just one god. Do you notice the head of a hawk next to the serpent in the picture above? The Hawk represented a different Egyptian god. So, Pharaoh contained, in his person, more than one god, and his crown reminded everyone that he was a god.

 

Please recall with me that in Scripture, Satan is called a serpent, and the great serpent of old (Revelation 12:9). The devil and demons were the power behind the gods of Egypt. What followed in Egypt was the battle of Satan’s false gods as they tried to stand against the one true God. When the magicians of Egypt matched the signs performed by Aaron and Moses, they either used sleight-of-hand tricks or demonstrated the power of demons.

 

When Aaron’s staff, which had become a serpent, swallowed the staffs of Pharaoh’s servants, God showed that He was more powerful.

 

By using the staff for this miraculous sign, God directly challenged Pharaoh’s authority and claim to be a god. In addition, when God demonstrated the dominance of His staff, He revealed something every leader should know: no authority exists except what God gives. Most significantly, when God’s staff swallowed the magicians’ staffs, God made it clear that He is the One and Only God. His name is Yaweh (Jehovah), and He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 

Today, Pharaoh shows us what happens to those who harden their hearts against God. In the end, they die. Romans 6:23 explains this truth as follows:

Romans 6:23 (NKJV) For the wages of sin [is] death, but the gift of God [is] eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

God records what happened in Egypt to teach us about redemption. We are born into a world enslaved by sin. The serpent of old controls this world. The Bible speaks of this when it says:

2 Timothy 2:26 (NKJV) and [that] they may come to their senses [and] [escape] the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to [do] his will.

 

Everyone in the world is held captive to do the will of the devil until they are redeemed from sin. In other words, we are set free, metaphorically delivered from slavery in Egypt.

 

When the Jews celebrate the Passover every year, they retell the story of redemption. Much of the Passover celebration points to the work of Yeshua the Messiah and the redemption He completed.

 

Pharaoh’s magicians were able to change their staffs into serpents by the power of the evil one. So, Pharaoh dismissed the miracle and maintained his position as Egypt’s “god.” 

 

But the first Egyptian god had lost the battle. 

 

Next, God turned the water in the Nile to blood along with all the water in Egypt. The Nile and its waters were the source of life and were personified as an Egyptian deity.

 

When Pharaoh’s servants also reproduced this miracle, Pharaoh once again dismissed God’s work and maintained his hold over the people.

 

However, another Egyptian god was defeated and shown powerless before the One True God. If Pharaoh’s magicians had turned the blood back into water, that would have been more useful and a true demonstration of power!

 

Then came the frogs, with the same results. The magicians also called forth frogs, which might have shown power but did nothing to help. Frogs represented a major Egyptian god, and they were sacred. God trapped the Egyptians in a sea of frogs that they could not kill lest they bring down the wrath of their god.

 

After these first two plagues, Pharaoh’s magicians could not reproduce any of the miracles. However, each of the ten plagues challenged an Egyptian god. One by one, Egypt’s gods fell before the power of the One True God. 

 

Israel had spent hundreds of years under the dominion of these gods. They needed to be set free of them. However, they grew up believing they could not live without these gods. The Nile was life, the frogs were fertility, and so on. Through the process of delivering them, God taught the Israelites that He was all they needed. Israel and the peoples of the world needed to see that there is only one God that we should worship.

 

God is still working miracles in lives. We were all slaves of sin and under the rule of the false shepherd, the serpent. On the Cross, Jesus defeated Satan. Satan lost the battle spectacularly. All the false gods in our lives (the things we thought we couldn't live without) were defeated, and we were set free. 

 

In the years after they left Egypt, we see that God worked for many years to complete the work of freeing the children of Israel from Egypt. This is true of us. We have been set free from the dominion of the god of this world and now belong to the kingdom of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.However, we grew up believing many of Satan’s lies. Thus, we often think that we are still slaves. But God has given us an answer. We can find it in the words of Jesus. 

John 8:31-32 (NKJV) 31 “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

 

If we take God at His word, if we believe God’s word, we will be free. God has defeated everything the devil uses to make us think we are slaves. By abiding in the word of Jesus, we are set free! Freedom comes from taking God at His word.

Deliverance is Never Easy

Exodus 5

 

 

The Children of Israel were slaves in Egypt, and God chose Moses to lead them out of Egypt to serve God.

Exodus 4:29-31 (NKJV) 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

 

The Children of Israel bowed their heads and worshiped. They were grateful to God for the promised deliverance. They gladly accepted God'spromises and anticipated the freedom to come. But then reality struck.

 

Perhaps you can identify with the Israelites. What brought you to this blog Today? What brought you to Jesus? Was it fear of Hell or judgment? Was there something in your life you wanted fixed or repaired: a relationship, a disease, an addiction, or a guilty conscience?

 

God promises to deal with all these things and more. He promises to give us abundant life, to lead us to the Promised Land, as it were. When we believe, we gladly accept these promises and then anticipate the freedom to come. But then reality strikes. Before we called upon God for deliverance, we were slaves to the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. Our deliverance from these is instantaneous in that we are dead to them, buried with Christ in His death and risen with Him in His resurrection. But the world, the flesh, and the Devil fight to keep us enslaved.

 

Let’s look at chapter 5 and see where deliverance and the lives of the Israelites intersected, and from there see where deliverance and our lives intersect.

 

First, we see that deliverance starts from where we are.

 

We see this in Exodus 5:1-5.

 

1. Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh. They had to start with the king of Egypt because the Children of Israel were his slaves.

 

When we come to God, we have to face our sin because we are slaves to sin.

 

2. Pharaoh did not respond well.

 

He refused to acknowledge God, said he did not know God, nor would he listen to what God had to say. Pharaoh could not be reasoned with.

 

When we confront our sin, we get the same kind of response. Our sin refuses to acknowledge God, nor will it listen to what God has to say. Sin cannot be reasoned with.

 

Second, we see in deliverance that initially things get worse, much worse.

 

We see this in Exodus 5:6-14.

 

Pharaoh responded by increasing their oppression. He multiplied their workload beyond what the Israelites could do. This makes sense when we remember that the world teaches us that the best defense is a good offense. Pharaoh says:

Exodus 5:5 (NKJV) “Look, the people of the land [are] many now, and you make them rest from their labor!”

 

In Exodus chapter 1, the Egyptians feared the growing size of the Israelite population. Now, at least a couple hundred years later, that population had multiplied. The population had not just grown; it had exploded. The Bible says it multiplied greatly. Pharaoh felt threatened.

 

Before God, we were under the Prince and the Power of the air, Satan, the ruler of this world. When we turn to God, Satan knows that he is finished. He no longer has power over us, but he tries to make us believe he does. He does not want to let go, so he causes as much damage as he can. Temptations increase, and doubts attack our hearts and minds.

 

Third, we seek to deliver ourselves or at least stop the attack.

 

We see this in Exodus 5:15-19.

 

The Israelites appealed to Pharaoh. Moses had spoken with Pharaoh and caused the problem, but they did not go to Moses. They went directly to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh rebuked them and treated them with scorn. When they found that Pharaoh would not be reasoned with, they accused Moses of giving the Egyptians the means to kill them.

 

We usually do not understand how deliverance works, so we set about to deliver ourselves. Our approach may be religious, or it may be by human strength. A religious approach seeks to defeat the flesh by keeping rules. Do not eat meat on Fridays. Do not work on Sundays. Do not play cards. Do not smoke. The list of rules is endless. A human-strength approach seeks to solve the problem through determination or education. Determination says, “I will just decide not to do it” (whatever it may be). Education says, “I think Freud had a solution for this.” Either way, we eventually end up where the Israelites did. The world is not our friend. It lies in the power of the evil one, and he uses it against us.

 

Fourth, we surrender.

 

We see this in Exodus 5:20-23.

 

Leaving Pharaoh, the Israelites found Moses and Aaron waiting for them,and they said:

Exodus 5:21 (NKJV) “Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

 

Moses had no answer for them, so he went to the Lord. Exodus 5:22-23 records that interaction.

Exodus 5:22-23 (NKJV) 22 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why [is] it You have sent me? 23 “For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

 

Moses pours out his weakness and frustration before the Lord, and finally says, “You have not delivered Your people at all.” This is actually a good thing. Moses has returned to the promise God made. In effect, he is saying, “God, You promised!”

 

Conclusion

 

We will need to look at the first verse of chapter 6 to see God’s response. God says, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh.”

Exodus 6:1 (NKJV) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

 

The Israelites and Moses had no idea what deliverance would look like. Not only did God need to get Israel out of Egypt, but He also needed to get Egypt out of Israel. Getting Egypt out of Israel involved giving them the certainty that there is only one God and the gods of the Egyptians could not stand against God. The ten plagues were a demonstration that there is but one God and the 10 greatest gods of the Egyptians were as nothing before Him.

 

We also have many false gods in our lives. In our deliverance, God addresses each one. It is a process. But when we surrender to God, He says, “Now you will see what a great deliverance I will work.”

 

God addresses the things that enslave us one by one. We experience victories and defeats, but through it all we know God is working. James 1:2 says:

James 1:2-5 (NKJV) 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

 

Rejoice in what God is doing in your life. Trials are not easy; deliverance never is. It requires perseverance and faith. We must trust God and ask Him for wisdom. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will do it.

 

A promise of God from Isaiah 57:18:

“I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him.”