Our life can bring God glory or shame. God calls us as
instruments for His righteousness (Romans 6:4-11). Jesus
was the express image of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). Through
Christ in us, because of our union with Him, we also become God’s express image
in the earth (1 Corinthians 6:17). As
branches grafted into the Vine of Christ, the life of the Vine flows through
each one of us (John 15:1-17). The fruit of His Spirit
provides us with God’s divine character (Galatians 5:22-23).
God is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness,
meekness, self-control and faith; and by the fruit of His Spirit we manifest
these same character traits. We are His temple and His Body, fitly joined
together to demonstrate His life in the earth (1 Corinthians 3:17;
Ephesians 4:16). With the life of Christ in us, He enables us to walk in
the Spirit and to please God in all that we say and do (Galatians
5:16, 25; 2 Corinthians 5:9).
We seek God and His Christ with all of our strength; we
continually seek His presence night and day (Psalm 105:4). We love
Him with all of our heart - our soul: our mind, will and emotions, and with our
physical strength (Mark 12:30). As His life flows in and
through our life, we grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. His glorious
might strengthens us for every good work, and we bear much fruit for His
Kingdom (Colossians 1:10; John 15:5-8).
God teaches us His ways, and we walk in His paths. We
settle into His presence and walk in His will by His name forever (Micah
4:2,5). In everything, we give thanks to our God, our Father, and
Jesus Christ, whom He sent (1 Thessalonians 5:18). As we draw near to God,
He draws near to us (James 4:8). We end up hungering and
thirsting for nothing but His presence and righteousness in our life, and He
fills us with Himself (Matthew 5:6).
Prayer:
Father God, we totally surrender to Your life within us. We
seek after no other purpose than Yours for our life. You will not leave us, and
we will not turn back from following after You. Where You show us to go, we
will go. Where You lead us to stay, we will stay. We will serve Your people,
for they are our people as well (Ruth 1:16). We desire only to do Your will;
therefore, place Your desires in our heart (Psalm 37:4). We rest
from our works (Hebrews 4:10). We only want to do Your works,
which You prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Thought for the Day:
We do not have to step aside to allow God to work, because
He works in us and through us, using our unique identity in Him for His
purposes. 