Thursday 24th
1 Corinthians 3:22-23
NIV – ‘All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas u or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.’
ESV – ‘For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.’
J. H. Sammis – RH481
Today’s hymn is the one I quoted from at the end of yesterday’s devotion, it commences with a question, ‘Why should I charge my soul with care? In other words, why do we allow ourselves to become overwhelmed with worry, care, and anxiety when we have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who is in the words of this hymn ‘a friend of mine’. He has shown us how much he cares for us by firstly becoming our Saviour and giving his life for us, but he continues to show his care for us by becoming our friend, a friend that is closer and more caring than any other friend.
In my words only edition of the Redemption Hymnal which my grandparents gave me for my 12th birthday I have stuck a card inside with the words of a ditty on it:
Said the robin to the sparrow,
I would really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings,
Rush about and worry so.
Said the sparrow to the robin,
I would think that it must be,
That they have no heavenly Father,
Such as cares for you and me.
It fits into the tune of ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’, and we need to constantly remind ourselves that we have a heavenly Father and a heavenly friend in Jesus who cares for each one of us. In an earlier devotion we were reminded that God has loved us with an everlasting love, and out of his everlasting love springs his daily provision for us, not just our daily bread, daily strength, but daily blessings which are in Christ Jesus. Why should I charge my soul with care, why should I ever anxious be, for Jesus is a friend of mine, and my heavenly Father cares for me.
The hymn reminds us that everything belongs to God for he created it all through Christ Jesus, and yet in all his majesty and all his glory we can say if we have come to the Cross that he is a friend of mine! The Scripture reminds us that we are in his constant care and under his constant provision, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want’ for he leads us, he feeds us, he provides for us the green pastures and the still waters, he restores us, he protects us, he walks with us and he anoints us, every day his goodness and his mercy follow us, and one day we will dwell in his house forever, and the final verse of our hymn today says that when that moment comes when we cross the conquering line, it will be glory then to say, ‘That he’s a friend of mine’.
It begs a question today as you are reading this devotion, can you say, that Jesus is your friend? Have you come to the place where you have recognised him as the one and only Saviour, have you committed your life to him, have you surrendered to him as Lord? For it is only then that we can really say that Jesus is a friend of mine, and truly know Jesus as our friend that sticks closer than a brother and call God our heavenly Father.
This world in which we are living is full of trouble, if we allowed it to it would cause us to live in fear with anxious hearts, but Jesus our Saviour and friend bids us to come to him, and to cast all the care and worry upon him for he cares for us, so don’t charge your soul with care, cast it all upon Jesus.
Cast your burdens onto Jesus, for he cares for you, cast your burdens onto Jesus for he cares for you. Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, lift up Jesus higher. Lower, lower, lower, lower, lower, lower, lower, lower, stamp down Satan lower.
Why should I charge my soul with care?
The wealth of every mine
Belongs to Christ, God’s Son and Heir,
And he’s a Friend of mine.
Yes, he’s a Friend of mine,
And he with me doth all things share;
Since all is Christ’s, and Christ is mine,
Why should I have a care?
For Jesus is a Friend of mine.
The silver moon, the golden sun,
The countless stars that shine,
Are his alone, yes, every one,
And he’s a Friend of mine.
He daily spreads a glorious feast,
And at his table dine
The whole creation, man and beast,
And he’s a Friend of mine.
And when he comes in bright array,
And leads the conqu’ring line,
It will be glory then to say,
That he’s a Friend of mine.