Many people believe that everyone is a child of God.
However, the Bible tells us just the opposite. We are born in Adam’s sin and
our spirit is dead. We are children of the devil. If we live a sinful
lifestyle, we are not born of God; and, therefore, we are not children of God (1 John 3:8-10).
Children think and act as their father thinks and acts. Who are you emulating
with your thoughts and behavior? You say that you are a good person, but this
concept goes deeper.
Do you live for the pleasures of the day or are you
focused on eternal matters? Do you spend your time and money pursuing the world
or investing in God’s glory? Are you led by your fleshly, carnal desires or for
the furtherance of the Kingdom of God? I do not mean that you have no times of
fun to lighten your soul, but what type of fun do you partake in? Is it in
decadence and sin or in enjoying God’s creation and wholesome fun?
Do you give God an hour of your time a week, or do you
seek Him in all of your ways (Proverbs 3:5-6)? Are your thoughts and actions in harmony or in
perpetual discord with God’s intentions (Revelations 15:3; Isaiah 35:8; Ephesians 2:10)?
Are you continually dissatisfied, or do you find Your joy in the Lord (Isaiah 61:10-11)?
When God is calling us to Himself, He allows trials to drive us to the cross.
He wants us to realize the futility of our rebellion.
God may allow sickness in our life when we strive for
health, opposition when we desire harmony or debt when we want financial
stability, etc. He does not do this out of a perverse sense of humor or to harm
us in any way (Jeremiah
29:11); but to wake us up to our powerlessness to control our life, and
to see that His infinite ways are higher and better than our finite human ways (Isaiah 55:9). He
wants us to realize the truth that only in Him do we find ultimate safety and
provision (Psalm 34:7,
91:1-11).
Prayer:
Father God, even if we conquer the world in our lifetime,
we still must face eternity alone. Help us to realize that only in You do we
find complete peace and fulfillment (Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 86:13, 138:8). Show us that walking with
You requires union with You in body and soul, as well as in spirit. We must be
Born Again (John 3:1-7).
We find no ultimate peace in this life, unless we trust in You alone (Psalm 31).
Thought for the Day:
Even in times of insecurity and stress, we remain calm and
assured in the arms of God. - Psalm 31:21
