“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. In
Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there
were none of them.” -Psalm 139:16
In today’s society, we have
charts and calculators that will determine our net worth quickly and
accurately. They weigh our assets against our liabilities and give us the sum
total of our value. What can we bring to God that has any value? No
amount of human resources or assets can develop into anything of value to God.
He said that even our best efforts are like filthy rags to Him (Isaiah
64:6). He despises all of our
self-effort (Ephesians 2:8-10). Well,
I can think of only one thing that will bring us closer to God and please Him
more than anything else.
God inhabits the praises of
His people (Psalm 22:3), which
is the most valuable asset we have to give to our Almighty God. If we live with
His praises on our lips, then our thoughts, words and deeds will flow from that
attitude of worship and gratitude (Psalm 28:7). We will tell everyone of His goodness (Psalm
107:31). With the praises of God in our
mouths, we also have the powerful double-edged sword of God in our hands (Psalm
149:6). Praising God makes us stronger
to endure tribulation, as well as to do the work, which God calls us to do.
All of our striving in human
effort to produce good works robs us of the opportunity to be led by God’s
Spirit and to enter into His rest (Galatians 5:16, 25; Hebrews
4:3,10-11). Jesus is our example, and He
always did only that which our Father commanded Him to do (John
14:31). He spent hours in prayer and
communion with Our Father (John 17:9; 17:20). He is our vine, and we are His branches, extensions of His ministry in
the world (John 15:4). God puts
a new song in our heart, so we can praise Him (Psalm 40:3).
The gift of grace, which we
receive at salvation washes away all of our sins (Ephesians 2:8). We did not
earn salvation and we cannot improve upon it. There is no more condemnation for
anything we ever did or do (Romans 8:1).
Therefore, why should we strive for holiness when a place in heaven is already
guaranteed to us? Although grace abounds in our soul, that is no reason for sin
to flourish (Romans 6:1-2). Grace
does not give us permission to continue sinning. The Bible holds a standard of
holiness and perfection for everyone who is washed in the blood of the Lamb (1 Peter
1:15).
A life of holiness is our
tribute to Christ for the sacrifice He paid by leaving His heavenly glory and
taking on the form of a man. Our sacrifice in life is nothing compared to His
horrendous crucifixion and death on the cross, which He endured in our place.
We give Him the honor due His name by following in His footsteps of devotion to
God. As Christ’s life flows through us, we bear the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23). The attributes of love, joy,
peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith cause
us to live as a guiding light in the world. His Light in us will lead people to
Him (John 12:32).
Christians know that God’s
Word is the absolute truth on which we base our life. We strive to live
according to His precepts without compromise. We stand against the temptations
of the world and the deceitfulness of Satan’s wiles, which strive to draw us
away from God’s truth. The law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law
of sin and death, which was once our normal way of living (Romans
8:2). This freedom allows us to exalt in
victory over sin and to live a purified life of worth in God’s Kingdom.
Prayer:
Father God, you know each of us intimately. You
have a calling on our life in service for Your Kingdom. We are tapestries of
Your creation, fashioned in our mother’s womb by Your creative needlework. Our
life is an expression of Your artistic mastery as we live according to Your
principles. Help us to always bring honor and glory to Your name.
Thought for the Day:
Each of us is fashioned by God and known by Him;
therefore we walk in holiness as a praise to His name.
