It is impossible to live for God in this world; but it
is quite possible for Christ to live His life in and through us. A life hidden
with Christ in God is our true and solitary reality (John 15:19;
Colossians 3:3). Christ in us will make us successful in His calling for
our life, so that we can enjoy His rewards both now and in eternity (Ephesians
2:10; Galatians 2:20). Christ is in us regardless of our temporal
experiences, and He gives us His promises and seals us with His Spirit (Ephesians
1:13-14; 1 Peter 2:4).
No matter what circumstances life hands us, our faith grows
as we watch the mighty hand of God deliver us from all of our troubles (Psalm
55:18; James 2:1-4). Christ finished everything He started, both during
His lifetime and now in ours (John 4:34, 17:4; Romans 9:28; Philippians 1:6). As we
die daily, Christ is formed in us (1 Corinthians 15:31; Galatians
4:19). This makes no sense to an unsaved person, because Christ’s
deepest work in us is perceived only by those born of His Spirit (1
Corinthians 2:14).
God’s beauty makes us hunger for more of His presence in
our life (Psalm 27:4). His Spirit unites us with Him
as one (1 Corinthians 6:17). We walk
in His will, and speak and do only that which His Spirit directs us to say and
accomplish. He expresses the will of our Father through us now, and He will
also escort us through death to dwell with Him forever (John
6:40). In Christ, dwells the fullness of the entire Godhead, and we are complete
in Him, lacking nothing (Colossians 2:9).
Our humanity is actually dead to sin; so we can now listen
to Christ instead of to the thoughts in our mind (Romans 6:6,11; Colossians
3:3-4). The unrivaled resource of God’s power is given to all of
us who surrender to Him (Ephesians 1:17-19). As we walk in His will,
He supplies all of our earthly needs (Matthew 6:33). The
banks may fail, and we may lose money in the stock market; but by investing our
whole life in God’s Kingdom, we shall always prosper (Matthew
6:19-21).
Prayer:
Father God, our natural abilities are dwarfed by the
greatness of Your power within us (Ephesians 1:19). Once we
realize that You are our only hope and ability, we cease from our own efforts
and rest in You (Hebrews 4:10: Ephesians 2:8-10). We are a
blank canvas on which You paint Your masterpiece that is uniquely who You
desire for us to be (Ephesians 2:10). Remind us to cling to You in
every trial (Acts 11:23) and to rejoice in You for every
victory.
Thought for the Day:
Our worries will
blind us to the peace of God, which is available within us, even in the midst
of disquieting distress and overwhelming obstacles.