Lord’s Day, Vol. 7 No. 13

He Is So Precious to Me

 1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

How precious is the Lord Jesus! Faith in Jesus Christ brings unutterable joy to the Apostle Peter’s heart. He had the privilege to spend precious time with Jesus during the time of His earthly ministry. It transformed his life forever. Such is the heart that is stayed upon Jesus.

Dear friends, are you facing some distress? I urge to come to Jesus for comfort and suckle. He is able to understand our heart cry. He is able to help you!

When Peter’s mother-in-law was sick, Jesus came to Peter’s house. Jesus saw Peter’s wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. Jesus came to her and touched her hand, and the fever left her and she arose and ministered to them (Matthew 8:15). Jesus is the Great Physician. She was able, right away, to be back on her feet again looking to the needs of the household. Perhaps she was a good cook, she would have been up and about preparing a good meal for the family. What rejoicing to have the company of Jesus!

The Apostle Peter, having experienced the goodness of the Lord is recommending that we come to Him.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 Indeed, our hearts are restless until we have safely stayed upon our Saviour.

The hymn writer Charles H. Gabriel extols:

So precious is Jesus, my Saviour, my King

His praise all the day long with rapture I sing,

To Him in my weakness for strength I can cling,

For He is so precious to me.

‘Tis heaven below my Redeemer to know,

For He is so precious to me.

We can rejoice even in time of suffering because our Saviour is with us to strengthen us.

The verb translated “believing” in 1 Peter 1:8 first occurred in Matthew 8:13 just before Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law.

Peter may have been with his Master before Jesus visited his home. Jesus healed the servant of the Centurion plagued with the palsy without even seeing him, by only speaking a word. As it were, to do that which the mind conceives and at once it was done. Jesus is indeed the living and true God!

The Apostle Peter is urging us to have faith in Jesus although we have not seen him physically. We know Him through the true record of Scriptures. Jesus is merciful and compassionate. We can come to Him and find true help.

The fruit of biblical joy finds fruition in our lives when we are in fellowship with Jesus. The presence of the Spirit of Christ in our heart brings great comfort and solace. This joy was experienced by the wise men from the East led supernaturally by a star to Bethlehem where they first saw young child Jesus.

Matthew 2:10-11 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

The joy of being in the presence of God is an inexpressible joy. By faith, God’s children appropriated it. The wise men worshipped Him. Indeed, wholehearted worship and devotion bring great joy to the heart. Are you experiencing it daily and moment by moment in your communion with Jesus?

The Apostle Peter tells us that faith in Jesus Christ brings joy and there is a fullness of the weight of God’s glorious presence with us that strengthens the heart.

We come to Jesus to have our sins cleansed and forgiven. He is able to take away sins because He broke the power of sin when He bore our sins upon the cross. The weight of human sins was upon our Lord Jesus Christ when He hung upon the cross for six hours before He died. Jesus rose from the dead three days later victorious over sin, death and hell. When our sins are forgiven, joy fills our heart.

There was a sick man brought to Jesus by his friends in Matthew 9:2a And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed. Life was physically challenging. And it would seem what this man needed most was physically healing. But look what Jesus did instead.

Matthew 9:2b …and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

 To heal this man’s body would have made his life more comfortable, life would have been easier for him. But without healing his soul, this man would have died in his sins and face God’s righteous eternal judgment. Jesus understood the greater need. This man had his sins forgiven. Indeed, it was joy unspeakable and full of glory – ‘tis heaven below my Redeemer to know, for He is so precious to me.

May the Lord bless us with faith to believe Jesus and so doing experience the joy of salvation daily. Amen.

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee