These Things I Know

When someone asks me how I feel, most of the time I am going to say, “GREAT!” I am well passed the prime of my life, I have flat feet and I have a spine that is so distorted that my chiropractor does not understand how I am living such a normal life. I have to pace myself as I age, but I am like the energizer bunny. It is not due to my type A personality, because I do not have one! I am melancholic and an introvert from birth. But, God taught me to live in the Spirit and not to dwell on the temporal aspects of life for very long. 

For me, every trial is a new adventure in Christ. For instance: I was t-boned in a car accident in 1995 that broke 11 ribs on my left side, punctured that lung, gave me a concussion, filled that side of my face with glass and broke my left little finger. I was discharged from the hospital the next day after the accident. I was back to work as a full-charge bookkeeper/secretary/receptionist in one week. The Spirit of God gave me supernatural strength to combat my physical impairments and His joy and peace pervaded every facet of my life.

I also survived a divorce by my husband of 22 years when God revealed Satan’s lies that I was alone and abandoned; and taught me His truth that God is my husband and that He is my strength and my provider (Isaiah 54:5; Psalm 54:4). I despise change, but God taught me to handle it with flexibility and joyful acceptance. I like peace, order and stability in my life, but life has a way of throwing us curve balls when we least expect it. Even so, God always fills me with His joy, which is my strength through any tribulation (Nehemiah 8:10).

I love life and my family. I adore the new husband God gave me, because he is so adorable! I love people and my volunteer service as a Pastor’s wife. I love my one bedroom/one bath home, my flower gardens, my mini-van and my Pomeranian and calico cat. I love sappy movies, treasure hunting at thrift stores, writing novels and devotionals, walking in nature and worshipping with God’s people; however, the things of this world hold no detaining interest for me. I will deal with any physical ailment with nature’s remedies and with as little medicine and surgery as possible. But, we all die of something. Once I get the “big one” that is going to take my life, I will not fight it; because I look forward to my homecoming in Heaven.

How can I say this? In Christ dwells all the fullness of the triune God; and this same powerful Jesus dwells in us, and we are also hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 2:9, 3:3; Romans 6:8). We are crucified with Christ; and therefore, we live in this world only for God’s glory, not our own (Philippians 1:21; Romans 2:20). Our negative emotions illuminate the areas in our life where we hoard our idols. As we surrender them to God, Satan has fewer areas where he can hinder our walk in Christ. When we walk in obedience moment by moment, we do not sin or fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17, 25).

As our self-centeredness decreases daily, Christ will increase in and through us (John 3:30). We have been taught that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. This is a slight perversion of God’s Truth. It puts the emphasis on "I can" rather than on Christ in me can. The actual truth of this verse is: We can do all things only through Christ in us who possesses God's wisdom, strength and divine authority. He actually gives us the desire and the power to fulfill His purpose in the earth (Philippians 2:12-13; 4:13). We cease our self-effort, and we enter into God’s rest (Hebrews 4:10).

We dwell in God’s rest by following the leading of His Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. We no longer live, but Christ lives in us, through us and instead of us (Galatians 2:20). God’s Holy Spirit sanctifies us throughout our lifetime, until we are perfected according to His standard of the fullness of Christ in us (Ephesians 4:13). We are fully human, but Christ in us is fully divine. He changes us from one stage of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). We slowly mature until we completely share in the divine nature of Christ in us (Ephesians 4:13).

Prayer:

Father God, we are Your offspring and You transform us with ever increasing glory into the likeness of Your Son (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:2). Christ is glorified in us when we live and move and have our existence in Him (Acts 17:28; John 17:10). Remind us that we have the same chance, which Jesus did, to live a spirit-filled life. Sanctify us until we exhibit Christ’s character in us, which is the fruit of Your Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). With Your divine nature infusing every part of our spirit, body and soul – our mind, choices and emotions (Acts 17:28-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:23) we live a fulfilled and victorious life.

Thought for the Day:

God wants to fill us through all of our being with all of His fullness, so that we might acquire the richest measure of His divine presence within us until we are completely filled and flooded to overflowing with God Himself (Ephesians 3:16-19; 4:13 Amplified Bible).