March 25, 1999, Thursday

Who does God accept as His people and how does He respond

when one asks to be accepted by Him? What promise does He

make to those that He accepts? What reassurance does God

give to those that are His friends?

The Scripture tells us that Moses was a man like us that

had certain apprehensions about acceptance but he admitted

his fault and sin before God and asked God to accept him-

"Lord, if You really are pleased with me, I ask you to go

with us. These people are stubborn, but forgive our evil

and our sin, and accept us as Your own people" (Exo 34:9).

God heard that prayer and answered it with the promise that

He would do awesome things for His people.

Moses gained strength and courage from God's promise and was

a great leader of Israel. He encouraged the people about God-

"The Lord Himself will lead you and be with you. He will not

fail you or abandon you, so do not lose courage or be afraid"

(Deut 31:8). When our circumstances are difficult and cause

us to be unsettled, we must always remember that the Lord is

with us and we should stand firm with valor against all evil.

Moses repeated the promise of God and reassured the people of

God that security from God would come by their resolute heart-

"Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your

God, the Lord Himself, will be with you. He will not fail you

or abandon you" (Deut 31:6). That resolute heart of faith that

stubbornly trusts God and His continued presence with us.

That resolute heart that knows deeply God will not fail to keep

us securely in His hands in this life and eternity.

Let us remember who is our Best Friend. God's Name is

Jehová Adonai. He is the God who accepts us as we are

without any modifications. He is the God who will never fail

you nor forget you. He will never leave you or let you down.

Lift your hands to your Best Friend. Praise Him and thank

Him for all the blessings of His acceptance and friendship.