Full of God's Glory

 

Our thirst for God is only quenched by the water of life flowing from the throne of God (Revelation 22:1). He rids our life of pride and arrogance, when we realize that Christ is our whole life. Our humanity is dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3-4). We are a friend of God and co-heirs with Christ (John 15:14-15; Romans 8:17). We are secure in His love and He enjoys spending time with us. Our spirit is His dwelling place (John 14:23). Our obedience, worship and fellowship with Him are at the heart of our intimate union with Christ in us (John 14:15).

Fully abiding in Christ produces a life of peace and joy that grows beyond any explanation and is complete in the glory of God within us (1 Peter 1:7-9). We flourish on the Vine of Christ and bear fruit for His Kingdom (John 15:1-8; Galatians 5:22-23). His fruit satisfies our soul and we value His presence in our life above all else. His joy sees us through every trial and His peace through every heart break (James 1:2-12). With His strength as our joy, our workload is easier, our trouble is lighter and our heart sings with gladness (Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 100:2).

We focus on the cross, seek and witness to the lost, and abide in Christ as His Spirit leads us through each moment of our day. Our food is to do the will of our Father, and our joy is full when a sinner is saved (John 4:5; Luke 15:7-11). The apostle Paul put it all into perspective. He lived as an example of a Believer. He showed endurance in troubles, hardships, distresses, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights and hunger. All the while he also exhibited purity, understanding, patience, kindness and sincere love in the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s speech was truthful and in the power of God, and his only weapon was righteousness. He exhibited a steadfast testimony through glory and dishonor, bad report and good, and genuine faith when regarded as an impostor. People pretended they did not know him. They beat him, yet did not kill him. Although he was close to death, he went on living. Even in times of sorrow, he rejoiced. When poor, he considered himself rich; although he had nothing, he possessed everything of real value through Christ (2 Corinthians 6:4-10).

Prayer:

Father God, when we weep for the souls of our lost friends, relatives, associates and neighbors, we do so with faith in Your faithfulness to bring these loved ones to Yourself and to fill them with Your love and the fruit of Your Spirit (John 15:11; 16:24). We experience the assurance of Your salvation and Your provision for our every need, every doubt is put to flight and our faith is filled with Your joy. We want this same life for all those we know. Let Your joy be full through the praise of our lips and by our obedience to fulfill the works You created us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
 

Thought for the Day:

When we see the Lord, our heart will rejoice and no one will ever destroy our joy. – John 16:22

Jesus, Our Example

We can enjoy life with the realization that we are united to Christ as securely as a branch to a vine (John 15:5). He supports us with the constant and consistent supply of His Spirit. He loves us unconditionally and gives us His peace and joy, as we yield our fears to Him. We are filled with the fruit of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), as we humbly submit to the work of His Spirit in our life. We can do nothing from our human skills and wisdom, we are totally dependent upon our Father, just as Jesus was while He lived on this earth (John 5:19-24).

We crucify our desires and depend upon God’s Spirit each moment of our day. As we trust Him, Jesus makes us a partaker of His anointing and authority. The name of our Lord is glorified in us, and we live in Him, according to the grace God gives to us (2 Thessalonians 1:12). Christ entrusted us with His ministry, gives us His wisdom and leads us by His Spirit to accomplish our Father’s will on the earth. His life flows out of us to enable us to live for Him.

As we study the life of Christ, we see how the Father wants us to live in this life. Jesus was always doing our Father’s business, and so should we. No matter what our vocation or where we live, we can always find someone to share the gospels with. It may take time to build a witnessing relationship with them; but we can always take the time to shower friends, relatives, associates and neighbors with the love of God. Living the gospel often negates the need to use words.

As we rest in our union with Him, He gives us strength to perform everything He calls us to do (Philippians 4:13). We quiet our soul of life’s chaos and listen instead to God’s Spirit. We seek no worldly advantage, other than what He provides. As we abide in Him (John 15:7), God reveals Christ through us to those around us. We are an example of Christ in our thoughts, words and deeds. We walk in the works, which God prepared for us to do before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:8-10).

We center our life in Christ, not only in thought, but also in word and deed. We live in His grace and holiness, and He frees us from slavery to sin and corruption (Romans 8:2). We walk not after the fleshly cares of this life, but we follow the leading of God’s Spirit as we pursue the spiritual realm. His love leads us ever deeper into His divine life. We become one with the Father, just like Jesus.

Prayer:
Father God, thank You for loving your Saints with Your unconditional acceptance. Help us to learn from the life of Christ the way to dwell in Your love, mercy, peace and joy. As we grow in Your grace, we realize that there is no advantage in life apart from Your life abiding in us. You perfect our faith by your love, and then we prove our faith by living in the works You prepared for us to do (James 2:22; Ephesians 2:10).

Thought for the Day:

If we abide in God’s love, we will keep His commandments, even as Christ did with His life. – John 15:10

The Blessings of Our Union With Christ

 

Many Authentic Believers are still under the false impression that we are separated from God. This is carried over from our unregenerate days. We think of God up in heaven, while we are down here on the earth. This is the furthest thing from the actual truth. Until we realize the extent of our union with Christ, we limit the work of God in our life. We are united with Christ in us, and we no longer maintain two separate identities. We are joined as one with the King of the universe.

God relates to us through our spirit (John 4:24). Our Born Again spirit is totally righteous and holy in Christ (Ephesians 4:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21). God’s grace provides us with both the power and the desire to walk in God’s ways (Philippians 2:12-13). We crucify the lusts and desires of our soul – our mind, will and emotions - in order to live in daily renewal, keeping our faith and trust in God. This opens up the door for us to the privilege of abiding in the divinity of Christ moment by moment throughout the day.

His divinity grows within us in ever increasing fullness until our humanity completely dies through sanctification (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is buried with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). Then Christ, who is our life and our hope of glory, is all that remains within us (Colossians 1:27; Colossians 3:4). Once we come to understand the reality of our union with Christ in us, we realize that Jesus lives in and through us. We are the gloves, but He is the hand within us, motivating us in service for His Kingdom (Acts 17:28).

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do God’s will (Ephesians 2:8-10). Our old nature is exchanged for the nature of Christ (Colossians 3:3), and we walk in His resurrection life with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:5). Jesus helps us in all of the milestones of our life (Psalm 46:1). Since the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us, He also gives life to our mortal body (Romans 8:11). Every foe is vanquished, every battle is won and every question is answered by the Spirit of God within us.

The only time we have human peace is when there is a lack of trouble. However, God’s peace in us surpasses our human limitations (Philippians 4:7). In fact, as God works the nature of Christ into our soul, we receive all of His fruit in exchange for our carnal nature (Galatians 5:22-23). God’s abiding peace reigns in our heart as we cast all of our care on Him, regardless of the circumstances (1 Peter 5:7). God equips us to do His will and we live in His presence forevermore.

Prayer:

Father God, we no longer live for our self, but for You. Enable us to help all of those You send our way to feast from the fruit of Your Spirit in our life (Galatians 5:22-23). We grow with the Vine and draw our nourishment from You as well (John 15:5). We have faith in Your faithfulness, born from our experience of Your constant provision for us over our years of walking in Your service, as well as by the testimony of fellow Christians. We thank You for your discipline and provision for us each and every day.

Thought for the Day:

The fruit blooming on our branch is not for our benefit, but for all of those God sends to feast on it.

Enemies of God

 

We were all enemies of God at one time, but He reconciled us to Himself through the death of His righteous Son, Jesus. Those who repent of their sins and call on His name we are saved by His life (Romans 5:10). We pass from death to eternal life through all the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Lord (John 14:19). Death no longer reigns in the spirit, body and soul – mind, choices and emotions - of those who believe in Christ as their Savior (Romans 5:17). Our sins are paid for, and we are absolved of their penalty.

Through Jesus, the Kingdom of God is now within each Believer (Luke 17:20-21). Jesus purchased our salvation from corruption, by His death and resurrection. Now, He is the first-born of many brethren (Romans 8:29), the head of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12) and the light of the world, which is lost in darkness (John 8:12). Christ in us also makes us the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16). We are bound to the fathomless Christ forever. We live in a personal union and intimate communion with Him.

God gave us His spirit as His sons. The Stone, which the builders rejected, is now our chief cornerstone (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:4-8). He made us living stones in a temple made without hands, as well as His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:4-5; 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6:16). In ages past, God tried to reach man through dispensations of innocence, human government, promise, law and grace. We are now in this age of grace, which is also called the “day of the gentiles” and “the church age”.

There is only one era left before eternity; the millennial reign of Christ and His Bride on the earth. We will rule with Him for 1,000 years and live in His mansion with Him in glory (Revelation 20:4 - 21:1; John 14:2-3). Even now, God dwells in us and walks with us and considers us His People and the Sheep of His pasture (2 Corinthians 6:16). God teaches us the mysteries of His Kingdom (Matthew 13:11). He bids us to enter His rest and to cease from our own labor as we do His will each day of our life (Hebrews 4:10).

The triune God moves in and exchanges our carnal nature with the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:12). He changes our heart of stone to one of flesh, which is pliable in the hands of His Spirit (Ezekiel 11:19). He raises us up to sit in heavenly places with Christ, and through Christ He shows us the richness of His grace and His kindness toward us (Ephesians 2:6-7). At the culmination of time, He will give us gladness, and joy and all sorrow and sighing will pass away forever (Isaiah 35:4; Revelation 21:4).

Prayer:

Father God, at Your command, the universe was set into motion, the earth was formed, and life was raised up by the power of Your Word. You brought Christ forth as a righteous branch from the lineage of King David (Psalm 148). One day soon, You will send our Savior and King to the earth to reign in prosperity for all. Through His justice, He will execute judgment in the earth. You will save Israel, just as You promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and they will dwell in safety in the land of Your promise. Jesus will reign as Lord of Righteousness forever (Jeremiah 23:5-6). All of Your Saints will serve You and praise You for eternity.

Thought for the Day:

The Kingdom of God is within us. – Luke 17:20-21

 

 

The End of the Age

 

God’s Spirit and anointing envelop the children of God. We reign with Christ in the spiritual realm now, and we will also reign with Him in the physical realm in eternity. We are told in the Bible about seven spirits, which appear before the throne of God and a sevenfold Spirit (Revelation 1:4, 3:1, 4:4, 5:6). They are the Spirit of the Lord, along with the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and reverence for the Lord, which help God’s sons govern in His authority.

The government of God and His Christ forever replaces the old governmental order of mankind (Romans 8:18-19). What a glorious day! God restores His Kingdom to its fullest potential when He returns with all of His Saints. Everything lost to sin in Genesis is regained by Christ at the end of this temporal age (Genesis 3:17-19; Acts 3:21; Ephesians 1:9-10). Christ’s life will shine forth and dispel the shadow of the valley of death and darkness, which now covers the earth (Psalm 23; Isaiah 8:21-22, 9:2).

When Christ returns, His presence will supply our light, and there will be no more sadness and grief on the earth (Isaiah 60:20-21). He will deal with the perpetrators of all injustice toward the innocent, those who take advantage of others, and He will end all oppression and discrimination and slay the wicked forever (Isaiah 11:4-5, 16:4-5). Joy and gladness will return (Isaiah 33:20,24; 35:5-6,10). Even creation will rejoice in that day of His coming, because He will restore it to its former glory before the curse (Amos 9:13-15; Isaiah 35: 1-2,7, 12-13; 40:4-5).

God wisdom will bring peace, holiness and goodness to the earth (James 3:13-17). There will be no more war (Isaiah 2:4), no more greed and oppression (Isaiah 16:4-5), and His government will bring peace without end (Isaiah 9:7). The faithful, who follow Christ through these trying ages of time prior to His reign, will sit with Him in His throne (Matthew 19:28). Our call now is to preach the Word of God to all nations, and to seek and to save the lost.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we look forward to the day when Your presence will remove the covering veil of darkness and destitution, which is now spread over the nations (2 Corinthians 3:15; Isaiah 25:7-9). You judge with righteousness and show favor on the meek, and You teach us to use this same principle with others (John 7:24). You look on the inward heart rather than the outer behavior of a person’s life (John 8:1-11). Help us not to criticize or to condemn, but to love everyone with Your love until the day You return.

Thought for the Day:

We may not be able to go into the entire world, but we can pray and financially support those who do, as well as to witness to our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors right here at home.

 

Split Personality

God did not call us “Christians”. It is a word derived from the concept of living as “Christ-followers.” There is a slight misconception with this word. God does not see us as individual beings, but as Christ’s Body. We do not actually “follow” Christ, because He lives within us. 

We follow His teaching (Galatians 6:2) and His example (1 Corinthians 11:1); but we live in Him and He lives in us (Colossians 2:6). We are actually dead now, and He lives His life in and through us. His divine presence permeates every part of our spirit, and as much of our body and soul as we surrender to God’s will (2 Peter 1:4).
 

God does not see us as a human self and divine self. He only sees Christ in us. In this same sense, neither are we to divide our life into secular and spiritual, or into human and divine pursuits. We are not split into two personalities or compartments, because our human self is dead now, and we are fully united with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3; Galatians 2:20). 

As authentic Born Again Believers, we live in Christ throughout every moment of the day, just as He permanently lives in us (Colossians 1:27; John 17:23). Christ is our life (Colossians 3:4).We do not have a quick devotion in the morning and then go about our day, leaving Him behind. 

Jesus wakes our body up in the morning, so that He can live His life in and through us all day long. Jesus types our boss’s reports, answers the phones, builds the buildings, repairs the cars, ministers to the sick, beautifies our clients, teaches the students, empties the trash cans, cares for the children, cleans the house and grooms the lawns or the pets through us. 

We are dead, not we but Christ lives in us. The life which we now live is by the faith of Christ who loves us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20). There is a fine line between reckoning the human-side of us dead and actually living as if we are dead and living now through the Christ-nature within us. 

That is why Paul said that he dies daily (1 Corinthians 15:31). We die to our self until we are so surrendered to Christ in us that He uses our body, soul and spirit as vessels to live out His will in our life. 

We have no aspirations, dreams, goals and desires of our own, because He lives His life instead of us. We walk in total obedience to the Holy Spirit as Christ performs through us all of our mundane tasks during all of our waking moments.

Jesus provides the job for us that He wants to use to witness to our co-workers. He takes our car to the mechanic that He wants to influence for His Kingdom. He uses our body and soul to heal the sick, encourage with our smile or kind word, or minister in a myriad of ways to the person beside us in the grocery store and bank, and all the people He encounters through us during each moment of our day. 

We are dead, and Christ accomplishes God’s work in the earth by leading us by His Spirit. 

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to recognize that Christ in us is fully divine. We have the same chance, which Jesus did of living a Spirit-filled life. You want us to cease from our efforts, so that we will enter into Your rest (Hebrews 4:10). I am still learning how to do this. The fullness of what this means is still sinking into my soul. 

I am still in the flesh sometimes. However, now I walk more and more by the direction of Your Spirit. This is such a serene and joyful life. Your love flows over me like a waterfall all day long! People actually ask me why I am so happy! They see the difference, which the Christ-life makes, even in my face!

Thought for the Day:

God does not want us to plan our day, but to enter His rest as His Spirit leads us to live out His plan for our day.

Living in Hope

 

When we go through some form of tribulation in our life, we panic, wondering where God is, and why He is allowing us to experience more than we can bear. Fear seeps into the depths of our soul. At times, we even cry out to God with accusations and angry words (Psalm 109:1-3). God already knows the feelings in our heart and the thoughts in our mind, so expressing our anger honestly, but respectfully, is only telling God what He already knows.

Contrary to popular teaching, God never promises to give us only the trials, which we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). However, our trials are never more than Christ in us can bear. God uses our trails for our good. They are God’s pruning shears, which allow more of His Spirit’s fruit to grow in our life (John 15:2). God also gives us trials in order to prove that our faith in His faithfulness will endure to the end of this church age (James 1:2-4). Tribulation provides us with steppingstones toward our maturity in Christ.

Satan tries to distract us from our walk with Christ by piling on the trauma and disappointments in order to sidetrack us from fulfilling God’s will for our life. He uses circumstances to divert us from the leading of God’s Spirit through each moment of our day. He attempts to arouse our anger toward God for letting us down. However, trials are actually adventures, because we hop from one undertaking to another.

Christ is our guide, and God’s Spirit as our comforter (John 14:26). In fact, we find that we can actually bear all things through Christ, because He dwells in us (Philippians 4:13). God also uses tribulation to produce determination and perseverance in our character. Then, the more we persevere, the more our Godly character is proven. This gives us hope, because we feel the love of God, which is poured out into our heart by God’s Holy Spirit who dwells within us (Romans 5:3-5).

If we empty our soul of negative emotions by pouring them out in the pages of our journal, or into the ear of God, then we will be less likely to pour them out on our family, coworkers or friends. If we would only take the time to notice, we can then turn our words into songs of praise for all that God already provided for us (Psalm 109:26,30). A bed to sleep in, a blanket for warmth, water to drink, air to breathe, a body that still works and nature to enjoy are just some of His bounty, which enables us to live in hope.

Prayer:

Father God, do not allow us to lose hope, or to give up just before we reach the mark to win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). There are so many things we take for granted that both You and our loved ones do for us each day. Instead, let us express words of appreciation and thanksgiving to You with our every waking breath. Open our eyes to see Your purposes in our trials. Use the fire of these trials to burn the dross out of our life (1 Peter 1:7). I want to pour my heart out to You, because I know you care about me (1 Peter 5:7). Teach me to trust in You at all times (Psalm 62:8).

Thought for the Day:

God’s love gives us hope, which fills our life with joy.

Rewards for Overcomers

 

The word “overcomer” means to conquer, to subdue, to get the better of or to triumph over. It is an action word that inspires hope, encouragement and victory. It challenges me to rise up to be all that God wants from me. Jesus already overcame the world for us, so now we can live in peace, even when we experience tribulation (John 16:33). By His divinity within us, we overcome evil with good, so that evil does not overcome us (Romans 12:21).

Like Paul, we “press on toward the goal” that God set for our life (Philippians 3:14), we “fight the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7) and we “run the race” (Galatians 5:7). When we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we overcome the world through His power within us. The world holds no more interest for us. Our faith in Him gives us total victory (1 John 5:4-5). If we endure through to the end of the age, we shall reign with him; however, if we deny Him, He will also deny us (2 Timothy 2:12; Matthew 24:13).

God promises to give all overcomers the right to eat of the tree of life in Paradise (Revelation 2:7). They will have authority over all the nations of the world (Revelation 2:26). They are arrayed in white garments, and have their name in the scroll of life. Jesus even confesses their name before our Father (Revelation 3:6). He makes them pillars in the House of the Lord (Revelation 3:12). They will sit with Jesus on His throne (Revelations 3:21). Overcomers will inherit everything Jesus does, as adopted sons of God (Revelation 21:7).

We know that Jesus is coming again, which gives us the vision and hope to endure and to persevere to the end (Revelations 3:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; Hebrews 3:6). The devil will never overcome the church, no matter how hard he tries (Matthew 16:18). Righteousness will eventually overcome all evil (Matthew 12:20). In the end, the Lamb will even overcome all the evil armies of the world, led by the anti-Christ, and He will set up His Kingdom forevermore (Revelation 17:14).

Prayer:
Father God, Jesus gave us the example of an overcomer. He endured the cross, despising the shame, but He saw it through to the end (Hebrews 12:2). When we are weary of life, help us to cling to Christ, to draw comfort from Your Spirit and strength from Your Word. We thank You for allowing us to overcome, so that we will never taste of the second death (Revelation 2:11).
 
Thought for the Day:
We are able to overcome, because Christ in us is greater that Satan who is the god of this world. - 1 John 4:4; 2 Corinthians 4:4

The Truth About Christians

 

There are people who claim to be Christians, but they live for their own benefit and advancement. They have little time for God’s Kingdom, because they are too absorbed in amassing worldly benefits for their earthly life. They take pride in their good behavior, but have no problem committing sins of the flesh. Their behavior gives the church and Christianity a bad name, and they cause people in the world to criticize the church and falsely label all of us as hypocrites.

Then, there are those who come to Christ in truth, but they rely on their self-effort to work for God. Self-effort relentlessly drives them and leaves them spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally depleted. Self-effort has no place in the Kingdom of God. A true child of God eventually learns that we have no confidence in our flesh. We trust only in Christ within us for our righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 8:14). He is all we need.

We are saved from hell to enter heaven by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). We are no longer our own; we are purchased by God for His own purposes (Ephesians 2:10). We struggle with our flesh (Romans 7-8), but we all come to realize that God calls us to take up our cross daily and to follow Him. We are not signing up for a life of trials, but of simply nailing our will to the cross and surrendering to the life of Christ within us (Matthew 16:24).

Our identity is no longer found in our human capabilities, but in our kinship with Jesus as our brother, and with God as our Father (1 John 3:1-3). The blood of Christ completely cleanses us from all unrighteous thoughts, words and behavior (Hebrews 8:12, 9:14). We can approach the throne of God with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). We have fellowship with our Father as children of the Most High God, and Jesus Christ, whom He sent (1 John 1:3). He is our shepherd, and we follow Him with trust in His faithfulness (John 10:27).

God does not strip us of anything, but we simply relinquish our flesh to Him. He restores us to the spiritual position where Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Paradise. We turn away from all self-confidence, self-serving and self-adulation and follow the leading of God’s Spirit instead (John 6:63). We experience true peace and joy for the first time in our life (Romans 15:13). Each moment of every day, we purpose in our heart to live in obedience to, as well as dependence on God’s Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, our entire purpose for living is to glorify You as our Father and to function as a good and faithful servant through Christ in us. We live in the center of Your perfect will for us (Romans 12:2), functioning by the leading of Your Spirit within us. We are dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in You, because Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4). Totally immerse us in Your life, because it is greater than secular status, financial fortunes and material possessions. We desire nothing more than Your will for our life.

Thought for the Day:

The Spirit in us is a mirror, which causes those who live in sin to reject us, because they are convicted by the presence of Christ in us. – James 1:23

Peace that Overcomes All

Paul noticed that the Philippians were stressing out over the issues in their life. Having a relationship with God that transcended the natural, human realm of life, he was incredulous at their lack of faith! He told them to stop worrying and to pray about everything instead. He instructed them that if they alerted God about their traumatic issues, He would give them His peace, which would calm them and direct them (Philippians 4:6-7).

God’s peace is with us in every lost relationship, homelessness, floods, fires, storms and disaster common to man. We do not have anything to fear with God dwelling within us (Isaiah 43:2). We can run to God, who is our refuge. He strengthens us in our times of trouble. There is no reason to allow fear to strangle the life right out of us, because even if the earth is altered all around us, even if the city or mountains slide down into the sea, He is with us (Psalm 46:1-2). He is our stronghold in any and every situation (Psalm 46:7).

Our Father God watches over us as He waits for us in the glories of Heaven. Yet, the rougher life treats us, the more we attempt to attack it in our own strength and with our human wisdom, even though Spirit is waiting to escort us through it victoriously. God carries us through the hard times and is always with us through the loss of our loved ones. He is even with us as we walk through the veil of death. Therefore, we fear no evil, His rod and His staff comfort us and His angels escort us to His throne (Psalm 23:4; Luke 6:22).

Paul teaches us that peace is always available to God's people no matter what situation faces us, if we would just change our focus from the situation to the God of peace (Isaiah 26:3, 9:6). King David realized this too. He experienced every type of mental, spiritual, emotional and physical anguish that we do. He worked out his negative feelings and mental anguish by writing his Psalms. We can do this too, by journaling what we are going through. Write down every thought, feeling and prayer you are experiencing.

God is waiting for us to call on Him, because He always hears us (Jeremiah 33:3). Do not be afraid to lay down your life with each new morning and to surrender your plans, will, goals and dreams to Him. Follow His leadership and anointing for each moment of the day. It will make such a big difference in how you view each event, as well as the outcome of them. Every evening, go over the events of the day and thank God for all the little love letters He sprinkled out for you along the way. God is with us even as we sleep (Psalm 3:5).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us to stop facing trials alone; and instead, to run to You for comfort, strength, wisdom and guidance. You willingly take part in all of our circumstances in which we allow You to protect us. Your presence reminds us that each new moment is a new adventure with You. You work all things, even the negative things, out for our good (Romans 8:28). This way we can face life with confidence and live each moment in Your victory.

Thought for the Day:

Greet each new day with the consciousness that we are dead, and our life is hidden in God with Christ, who is our life. – Colossians 3:3-4

God's Divine Nature

 

To all of those who repent and believe, the Lord Himself is our inheritance (John 3:16-18; Numbers 18:20). We are a habitation for the Lord Most High (Hebrews 5-6). We live and move and have our being in Him (Acts 17:28). Once we enter this realm with the Lord, we enter His rest and cease from our own works (Hebrews 4:9-10). We stop seeking our own will and we start to live in His will instead. Each new trial is another opportunity for Him to impact our world through His divinity within us (Colossians 2:9-10).

When we lose our peace over some issue, this is a clear indication that this issue is an idol in our life. As we seek the Spirit’s direction about it, He reveals to us the carnal beliefs, which we still cling to in our life. As we confess this as sin, we can then relinquish it to God’s Spirit to remove from our life. The next time the issue appears, we find that it is resolved and no longer a concern for us anymore. God’s Spirit imparts all the fullness of His divine power within us through His fruit (John 14:20).

As we focus on the fruit of the Spirit, we start to realize that God’s Fruit, which is the divine nature of God, gradually replaces the negative aspects of our personality. We exchange hatred with love, depression with true joy, discontentment with peace, irritation with patience, criticism with gentleness, backbiting with goodness, pride with meekness, excess with self-control, and worry with the faith of God as we are controlled and guided by His Spirit. We are free from bondage to the flesh.

Love means to hold affection for others; joy provides us with exuberance about life; peace brings serenity; patience is the willingness to stick with it no matter how hard or frustrating something gets; gentleness supplies us with compassion from the heart; goodness is kindness that pervades our entire being; meekness allows us to serve God and others with humility; self-control comes when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our responses; faith is trusting that God knows what He’s doing

We have eternal life by our relationship with the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17:3). We know Him personally and experience the power of His resurrection in our life (Philippians 3:7-12). As estimation of the value of this world decreases, the value of His goals and will for us increases. We stop living for our self and live instead for Christ. Like Enoch, we walk with God. As we seek Him and His kingdom, He gives us, through His divine power within us, everything we need to do His will on this earth (2 Peter 1:2-4).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, in You resides all of the fullness of the triune God, and You dwell in us as we dwell in You (Colossians 2:9; Romans 6:8). We await the richest portion of your fullness to fill our entire being (Ephesians 3:16-19, 4:13). We are crucified with You, and therefore, we live in this world for Your glory (Philippians 1:21). Yet, it is not we who live, but You who live in us and through us (Galatians 2:20). We are changed from glory to glory, and we slowly mature until we share in Your divine nature (Ephesians 4:13).

Thought for the Day:

As we express Christ’s character in us, which is the fruit of the Spirit, we walk in obedience moment by moment and we do not sin or fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

In Quietness and Confidence

No one is good, except the Lord (Romans 3:10). As we stop trying to be good and realize that we are already dead, and hidden with Christ in God (Colossian 3:3), we find rest for our soul. It is time to stop trying to perfect our self like the foolish Galatians (Galatians 3:1-3). We are not required to strive to please God; but instead, He asks us to enter His rest (Hebrews 4:10). We no longer use our energies or concern our self with gaining this world’s goods, because they will soon fade in the light of eternity.

 

Faith in the triune presence of God within us brings with it the anointing of God’s Spirit. We completely yield to His will and receive His direction and comfort through each moment of our day. He gives us victory over the deceitfulness of the devil, the temptation of sin and the pull of the world over our life. We are crucified with Christ, and He now lives His life through us, instead of us. We do not hinder Him by our unbelief, but we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loves us and willingly gave Himself for us (John 3:18; Galatians 2:20).

God desires a deeper, personal relationship with us. When we surrender all to God, He works in our life to perfect us, until we reflect the image of His Son (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is only at the foot of the throne of God that we receive His full supply for all of our needs. He fills us with His Spirit and we abide in Christ’s presence throughout our lifetime (John 15:4). He calls us to be kings and priests and to serve Him (Revelation 1:6). As we focus on Christ alone, we live in righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 14:17).

As we sit in quiet contemplation of who God is and all that He does for us, we enter into the restful peace of the Lord (Isaiah 30:15; Psalm 60:1). We wait patiently for Him in the silence (Psalm 77:7). In the stillness, we find our confidence and strength in Him (Isaiah 30:15). The tranquil soul is more aware of abiding in Christ. We live as one with Christ in us, which brings us extreme joy. Our relationship with God is not a partnership where we share duties, but a place of resting in God.

We cease from our own labors and do only those things, which we see our Father do (Hebrews 4:10; John 5:19). We are pliable instruments in our Father’s hand. The faith of the Son of God, who loves us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20), assures us that God will complete the work He started in our life (Hebrews 12:2). We adopt a teachable attitude, and we walk in humility. In the acquiescence of worship, God reveals Himself to us and presents to us a multitude of blessings.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, it is in the quiet times, as we sit at Your feet, that we hear your still, small voice. If we are rushing around working for You, we do not stand a chance of hearing the direction of Your Spirit. Thank You for teaching us to abide in the Vine, so that Your spiritual fruit will flow into us from Christ. We lay down our own agenda for our life, and we surrender to Your will and ways.

Thought for the Day:

Without Christ, we are empty, helpless and alone in our attempts to reach God.