How to Cross the Valley of Tears!
Turn It into a Fountain of Life!
By Riqui Ricón
Bless the LORD, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not
all his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy
diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed
like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:1-5, KJV)
Because of a lack of understanding of the scope and meaning
of God’s Word, most Christians limit their
salvation to very small expectations and, unknowingly, contradict the message
of the Gospel in their lives—which is Good News!
Believing
that the love sacrifice of God’s Son on the cross only frees you from
hell to give you a place in heaven, because He paid for all your sins, is to
fall far, far short of this wonderful plan for your salvation.
The Bible, which is the Word of God and does
not lie, encourages you to remember ALL His benefits, of which the forgiveness of your sins is only the
beginning.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried
our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah
53:4-5, KJV)
In Christ Jesus,
you have healing,
for He certainly bore your diseases and suffered your pains; by His wounds,
you are healed.
The thief cometh not, but for to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
(John 10:10, CST)
In Him, and with Him, you have the right to
a full and abundant life, since your adversary, the devil, only comes to
steal, kill, and destroy—but Jesus came to give you life, and life abundant.
Indeed, in this wonderful plan, He who forgiveth all thy iniquities, who healeth all thy
diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with
lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
These are Good News! Not only have you been delivered from hell to go
to heaven, but you can—and MUST—live in God’s fullness on this earth!
That according to the riches of his
glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner
man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and
grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of
God. (Ephesians 3:16-19, KJV)
God’s Word for Everyone
(PDT in Spanish) version says it this way:
"I ask Him that in His
infinite greatness he grants you inner strength through the Spirit. I ask the Father that
Christ may live in you by faith [by believing God, believing in His Word], and that His love be the
root and foundation of your life. This way you can understand, with
all God’s holy people, how wide, long, high, and deep His love is. The love of
Christ is so great it surpasses all knowledge.
Yet [despite Christ’s
love is so great that it surpasses all knowledge]
I ask God that you may know it, so that you are
completely filled with all that God is." (Ephesians 3:16-19, PDT)
God, your Father,
who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who
satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the
eagle—He gave His only Son for love of you, so that you may be filled with all the
fullness of God! So that you may be completely filled with all that God is!
This is what you must understand about
the Gospel: God loves you so much that He preferred to give His own
Son rather than lose you.
For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John
3:16-17, KJV)
Jesus paid for all your sins with His death to
justify you before
God so that He, the
Almighty, could forgive you.
In
whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace. (Ephesians
1:7, KJV)
But that’s not all. Certainly, when Jesus died in your place, you died with Him;
the old man/woman, sold to sin, no longer
exists—he/she is dead!
Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are
buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4,
KJV)
When He rose, Jesus conquered eternal death
and granted you, through faith in Him, eternal
life—a full and abundant life that only a
born-again child of God
can possess.
And you hath he quickened, who were
dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all
had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even
as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ (by grace are ye saved); And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: Not of works, lest any
man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians
2:1-10, KJV)
Through His death,
Jesus paid for all your sins, and you were justified and forgiven; through His resurrection,
you were sanctified and perfected to become, by faith in Jesus, a born-again
child of God.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans
8:29, KJV)
Now you are a member of God’s family, made
like Christ Jesus! Jesus is no longer the only Son of God but the firstborn among many brothers,
of whom you are one.
Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called the sons of God: and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be:
but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1
John 3:1, NIV)
So, after confessing that Jesus is Lord and Savior of your life, God did not leave you on this earth to wander a valley
of tears and hardship to prove your worthiness. No! He has already done
everything out of love for you and now allows you to be here because you are a
born-again child, and your time on this earth has purpose: you are called to
establish His Kingdom.
And we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans
8:28, KJV)
Even if you walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, fear no evil, for He is with you, fulfilling His purpose in you. His Word says it, and it is true: you are
more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee; he shall go from strength
to strength.
(Psalm 84:5-6, PDT)
Therefore
we sing and worship the King: Bless the
LORD, O my soul, and all that is within
me, bless his holy name! This is the Gospel.
This is Good News.
There is no way you can lose in this life, for God is with you. And what shall you say to all this? If God is with you,
who can be against you?
Let’s pray outloud:
Beloved Heavenly Father,
today I bless
Your Holy and precious Name,
for You have given me Good
News. I understand that, according to Your Word, the Bible, I will be more than
a conqueror over every problem, sickness, or circumstance through Your Love.
You have established it in Your Word, and first heaven and earth shall pass
away before Your Word fails in my life.
Beloved Lord Jesus, I thank You because,
through Your sacrifice on the cross and Your resurrection, You transported me
from a life of darkness to Your admirable light; I have passed from death to
life: I am born again! I will not fear, Lord, but believe and live as what I
am: a child of the King, free and victorious,
to share Your light in this world of darkness.
Thank You, Lord Jesus; I love You with all my heart. I am
healthy! I am free! I am prosperous! I am joyful! I am filled with all the
fullness of God! In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Important Note:
How do I become a child of God? How can I establish a relationship with the
Almighty?
Just say the following prayer out loud,
putting all your attention and heart into what you are saying to God:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God. That You came
into this world, born of the virgin Mary, to pay for all my sins, and I have
been a sinner. That is why today I say to You: I do accept. I do accept Your
sacrifice on the cross! I do accept Your precious blood,
shed to the last drop out of love for me!
I open my heart and invite You to come in, because I want You, Lord Jesus, from this day forward
and forever, to be
my only and sufficient Savior,
my God, my King, and my Lord.
Thank You, Almighty God, because with this simple prayer and profession of
faith I have passed from death to Life; I have been transferred from darkness
into Your marvelous Light. Today I am Born Again!
God, now I am Your child! Now You are my
Father! I will never be alone
again! I will never live defeated
again. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Three Recommendations:
What just happened by you recognizing Jesus Christ as the Lord and
Savior of your life, according
to God's Word, is that you have been Born Again. No longer
as an ordinary human being, subject to the law of sin and death, but now as a
legitimate and authentic Child of God, Born Again, exactly like Jesus Christ, who is now your Older Brother. Therefore,
I give you these three, very important, recommendations:
1.
Pray. Praying is talking with God. So, find a quiet
place where you can begin talking to Him about everything. Do it out loud, and you will notice
how God always responds to your heart.
2.
Read and meditate
on the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God, so get a Bible
and start reading
and meditating on it. How do you begin? It’s very simple. Depending on the day,
look up the reading program “The Bible in
One Year” and do the corresponding readings. You can get this program at: Through The Bible In One Year
(palabradehonor.org). You will notice that the program is set up so you can
print it as a booklet.
3.
In prayer with God, your Father, look for and join a
Christian church or congregation where the Word of God is taught based on the Good News, which are the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Ricardo C. Peredo Jaime © 2020
Reading and Meditation on the Word of God
Do these
daily readings, and by the end of one year you will have
read the entire Bible.
October 8 Revelations 8 / Nehemiah
11 / Psalm 103 Revelations
8 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven
about the space of half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given
seven trumpets.
3 And another
angel came and stood at the altar,
having a golden
censer; and there was given
unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints
upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense,
which came with the
prayers of the saints,
ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 And the angel
took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an
earthquake.
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared
themselves to sound.
7 The first
angel sounded, and there followed
hail and fire mingled with blood,
and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up,
and all green grass was burnt up.
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain
burning with fire was cast
into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which
were in the sea, and had life, died;
and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third
angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a
lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the
rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And
the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became
wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because
they were made bitter.
12 And the fourth
angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon,
and the third
part of the stars; so as the third
part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and
the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe,
to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of
the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Nehemiah
11 And the rulers of the people
dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people
also
cast lots,
to bring one of ten to
dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts
to dwell in other cities.
2 And the people blessed
all the men, that
willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
3 Now these are the
chief of the province that dwelt in Jerusalem: but in the cities of Judah dwelt
every one in his possession in their cities, to wit, Israel, the priests,
and the Levites, and the Nethinims, and the children
of Solomon's servants.
4 And
at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah, and of the children of
Benjamin. Of the children of Judah; Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of
Zechariah, the son of Amariah,
the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez;
5 And
Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah,
the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.
6 All the sons of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred
threescore and eight valiant men.
7 And these
are the sons of Benjamin;
Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son
of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jesaiah.
8 And after him Gabbai,
Sallai, nine hundred
twenty and eight.
9 And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer: and Judah the son of Senuah
was second over the city.
10 Of the priests: Jedaiah
the son of Joiarib, Jachin.
11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son
of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was the ruler of the house of God.
12 And their
brethren that did the work of the house were eight hundred twenty and two: and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of
Pashur, the son of Malchiah.
13 And his brethren,
chief of the fathers, two hundred forty and two: and Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahasai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,
14 And their brethren, mighty
men of valour, an hundred
twenty and eight: and their overseer was Zabdiel, the
son of one of the great men.
15 Also of the Levites:
Shemaiah the son of Hashub,
the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;
16 And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief
of the Levites, had the oversight
of the outward business of the house of God.
17 And Mattaniah the
son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin
the thanksgiving in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son
of Jeduthun.
18 All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred
fourscore and four.
19 Moreover the porters, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren
that kept the gates, were an hundred seventy and
two.
20 And the residue of Israel, of the priests, and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his
inheritance.
21 But the Nethinims dwelt in
Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa were over the
Nethinims.
22 The overseer
also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of
Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the
business of the house of God.
23 For it was the king's commandment concerning them, that a certain
portion should be for the singers, due for every day.
24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children
of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all
matters concerning the people.
25 And for the villages,
with their fields,
some of the children of Judah dwelt at
Kirjatharba, and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and in the villages
thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and in the villages thereof,
26 And at Jeshua, and at Moladah,
and at Bethphelet,
27 And at Hazarshual, and at Beersheba, and in the villages thereof,
28 And at Ziklag, and at Mekonah,
and in the villages thereof,
29 And at Enrimmon, and at Zareah,
and at Jarmuth,
30 Zanoah, Adullam,
and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields
thereof, at Azekah, and in the
villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beersheba unto the valley of Hinnom.
31 The children
also of Benjamin
from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Bethel, and in their villages.
32 And at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
33 Hazor, Ramah,
Gittaim,
34 Hadid, Zeboim,
Neballat,
35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.
36 And of the Levites
were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.
Psalm
103 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth
all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with
lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD executeth
righteousness and judgment
for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children
of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger,
and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always
chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our
iniquities.
11 For as the
heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy
toward them that fear him.
12 As far as
the east is from the west, so far hath he removed
our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father
pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them
that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass:
as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth
over it, and it is gone;
and the place
thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the
LORD is
from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto
children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember
his commandments to do them.
19 The LORD hath prepared
his throne in the heavens;
and his kingdom ruleth over
all.
20 Bless
the LORD, ye his angels,
that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the
voice of his word.
21 Bless ye the
LORD, all ye his hosts;
ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless
the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion:
bless the LORD, O my
soul.
