Waiting Patiently on the Lord

 

In the spiritual life, we can actually cherish our human weaknesses, because they keep us humble. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). He provides eternal blessings to those willing to give up everything in our life, which we value more than Him. (Matthew 13:45-46). He helps us to die to the temptations of our flesh and to walk in His mercy and power.

Self-sufficiency is the enemy of the Cross of Calvary. It prefers to struggle along, pulling itself up by it bootstraps and muddling through life in human reasoning and flesh. Once we come to realize our total impotence and insufficiency, we are able to lay our flesh on the altar of God and gain His forgiveness, regeneration and authority in exchange.

In this place of total surrender to Christ, we find His power to allow Him to accomplish all things in and through us (Philippians 2:13, 4:13). We are crucified with Christ and He abides in us (Galatians 2:20). We enter His rest and live, move and have our being from this place of serenity and love in Him (Acts 17:28). Our soul – our thoughts, choices and feelings - enter His rest, and our hope comes only from Him (Psalm 62:5).

Hoping in the Lord, we are never put to shame (Psalm 25:3; 31:24). He exalts us and we inherit His Kingdom (Psalm 37:34). We wait on the Lord with courage and He strengthens our heart (Psalm 27:14). Waiting takes patience and most human beings lack patience; especially in today’s instant society, where we get everything we want at the push of a button.

As we envision our self dead in the tomb and then risen with our glorious Lord, we live each day in the realm of the Holy Spirit. Nothing of this world holds any value to us any more. We put Christ as our first priority and we place our total focus on Him (Isaiah 26:3). Living in the power of His resurrection, we walk in the Spirit each moment of the day. 

Prayer:

Father God, waiting on You with patience reaps so many rewards for us. You avenge our wrongs (Proverbs 20:22). You save us and we rejoice in You and Your salvation (Isaiah 25:9). You are good to those who hope in You and who seek Your face (Lamentations 3:25). Teach us to make You the priority of every moment of our day and to seek Your will for each of them.

Thought for the Day:

God hears the prayers and gives His attention to those who patiently wait on Him with their whole being. - Psalm 40:1; 130:5

Secular Sources Prove Biblical Truth

 

After thousands of years of research and study, historians, archaeologist, philosophers and scientists are proving that the claims of the Bible, authored by God, are accurate and true. We see obvious confirmations in astronomical, anthropological, archaeological, biological, chemical and geological facts. The Bible is filled with truth, which scientists took thousands of years to discover and are now proving.

Of course, the biggest proof, which Columbus helped to confirm, is that the earth is round and that it is supported by nothing but gravity from the sun (Job 26:7; Isaiah 40:22; Psalm 103:12). Astronomers are proving what the Bible also states: that the stars are innumerable (Jeremiah 33:22; Genesis 22:17), differ in their brilliancy and life span (1 Corinthians 15:41), follow a predictable course, and cluster in constellations and galaxies (Jeremiah 31:35; Job 9:9).

For years, anthropologists debated whether the human race originated from one source. Today, DNA and genetics authenticate what the Bible claimed all along, that we came from one man and one woman (Genesis 3:20; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Acts 17:26). The various races came when God scattered the inhabitants of the known world across the whole earth (Genesis 11:1-9).

Evolution claims that all of life came from a single cell. However, the Bible claims that God created everything “after it’s own kind.” Biology confirmed that blood circulation, complex protein sequences in DNA – which are unique with each individual, fossil records and the lack of proof of evolutionary links in any discovery to date, all substantiate that God created each species as uniquely special (Leviticus 17:11).

The study of geology, with today’s scientific methods, corroborate that fossil records validate the Biblical claim that a catastrophic flood annihilated life and petrified life forms at that time. This confirms scripture found in Ecclesiastes 1:7, Isaiah 55:10, Psalm 8:8 and Genesis 7:11. God gives us accurate predictions of future events, so that we do not fear the future.

Even with all of this proof, human pride resists believing in the Biblical accounts, because they would have to submit to Almighty God. They prefer trusting in human reasoning, even though there are missing links in every human theory (Romans 1:21; 2 Peter 3:5). They believe they are in control of their own destiny, and use limited knowledge to purport their theories as facts. They receive worldwide acclaim for what is nothing more than ignorance of God’s Truth.

False prophets and prognosticators help to dilute God’s truth, because people dismiss the accuracy of Bible prophecy due to suppositions by sources such as the Mayans and Nostradamus. Yet, just in the book of Daniel we see the perfect prediction of the course of Middle Eastern society for five entire centuries (Daniel 7:6, 8:5-8, 11:2-4). God’s Word is Truth and we can stake our life on it.

Prayer:

Father God, You love us so much, and understand our human penchant to need to see proof so well, that You gave us the Bible full of facts and figures to convince even the most uneducated person that Your Word is Truth. Yet, people continue to allow Satan’s lies to distract them from believing in You for their salvation (2 Timothy 4:4). In the end, even the most hardened skeptic will bow their knee to King Jesus, even those who condemn themselves to hell by their unbelief (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10; John 3:18)

Thought for the Day:

Biblical truth has been verified continuously over the years by every historic, archaeological, philosophical and scientific discovery made by mankind. – Isaiah 41:21-23, 48:3-5

For more information on the proof of the veracity of God’s Word see: https://answersingenesis.org/

The Glory of the Lord

Moses saw the back of God’s form when he went up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments from the Lord. The experience was so amazing that his face shone so brightly with the glory of the Lord that no one could look at him. His face was as dazzling as the sun itself. Today, authentic Born Again Believers have this same glory of the Lord resident within us by His Spirit.

The Law, which Moses delivered to Israel on tablets of stone, was a dispensation in God’s government. It gave mankind a chance to earn God’s blessings (2 Corinthians 3:7-8). The Law was very impressive, and it successfully instructed Israel for generations of time. Yet, Jesus eventually came to fulfill the law and to pay the actual penalty of our sin (Matthew 5:17; 1 Peter 2:24).

Jesus brought the glory of His Spirit in Him, which is even more glorious than what Moses experienced. Moses wore a veil so the Israelites could not see that the glory was fading away, just like the ministry of the law (2 Corinthians 3:9-14). However, we have the glorious Spirit of God dwelling within us now and for all eternity.

Nothing can deter us from serving God according to His perfect will for our life (Ephesians 2:10). We are filled with the glory of God each and every day. God removed the veil from our eyes and we can see Him face-to-face. He is our living, intimate God, and He has no desire for us to keep the dead letter of the law (1 Corinthians 3:15-16).

God is personally present in our life and sets us free from the spirit of the Law of Sin and Death by the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2). We can never earn our own forgiveness or our salvation apart from Christ (Romans 2:8-9). In God’s presence, His glory in us gradually increases with our spiritual walk. It shines out of our countenance, and people know that there is something different about us (1 Corinthians 3:17-18).

Prayer:

Father God, the more we spend time in Your presence, the more we are transformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). You are changing us from glory to glory (1 Corinthians 3:18). Remind us to make you the first priority in our life. Help those who know You superficially to come to a real, saving knowledge of salvation through Your Son (1 Timothy 2:4).

Thought for the Day:

We can love Christian songs, tee-shirts, bumper stickers, church services and fellowship; yet, never know Jesus in a personal way.

No One Loves Us Better

Troubles are all round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but God shows us a way out of them (2 Corinthians 4:8). We do not worry about tomorrow, because He leads us one step at a time (Matthew 6:31-34). We can face each day braced by God’s Spirit, directed by His leading and praising God for who He is.

Then, God will pour showers of blessings on us all the days of our life. God’s sheltering arms keep us from falling and He lifts us up when we are discouraged (Psalm 145:14). His unconditional love forgave our failings before we were ever born (Psalm 139:16). He loves us even when we get so busy that we forget all about Him (1 John 4:9-10).

We cannot earn more of God’s love, because we already have it all. He proved this to us by loving Israel through generations of unfaithfulness. He always gives us complete love, forgiveness and acceptance (John 3:16; 1 John 1:9; Ephesians 1:6). His presence is continually with us. He never leaves us or forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

God promises us His divine nature and replaces our carnality with the fruit of His Spirit (2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 5:22-23). He draws us ever closer to His heart by showering us with His loving kindness (Jeremiah 31:3). Nothing can separate us from his love (Romans 8:38-39). We can totally rely on His unfailing love, which is higher than the heavens and from everlasting to everlasting (Psalms 33:18; 103:11,17; 147:11).

Prayer:

Father God, You do not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103:10). We will sing praises to You because of Your love and strength. You are our fortress in times of conflict, refuge in times of trouble and comfort in times of sorrow (Psalm 59:16-17). We remain in Your love as we keep Your commandments, just like Jesus did. Our joy is fulfilled in You, and Your joy is complete in us (John 15:9-11).

Thought for the Day:

There is no one that loves us better, or cares for our welfare more than Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer.

– Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 1-4

The Holy Spirit Within

God gives us His Spirit when we admit our sinful state and cry out to Him for forgiveness and salvation. God gives us pardon for our past sins and His guarantees for our future. This provides deep peace, which never fades as long as we keep our mind on Him (Isaiah 26:3). He wants complete control of every part of our life. We hold nothing back.

As we live in total surrender to His direction and guidance, He orchestrates our body, soul and spirit. In exchange, we live in the joy of the Lord, which defies human description (1 Peter 1:7-9). It is never ending joy, which resides deep within our spirit and influences our body and soul. This is the same joy, which God gave Jesus when he faced the cross of Calvary (Hebrews 12:1-3).

When God’s Spirit moves in, He brings holiness, contentment and triumph with Him, which transcends every circumstance we ever encounter in life (Romans 14:17). These are not fleeting emotions, nor do they depend on any aspect in our life. They are resident within us by God’s Spirit no matter how devastating our life becomes. The Holy Spirit is an ever-present help in times of trouble. 

Continually dwelling within us, God’s Spirit transforms our carnal nature with His fruit and Christ’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 5: 22-23). He provides the unity and love we receive from our relationship with the Lord of glory (Isaiah 60:1). God is our provider, protector, sufficiency, inspiration, peace and joy. We place our secular life under God’s Spirit’s direction and He leads us to succeed in every area of life.

The Holy Spirit is also the sanctifier who rules in our spirit and soul and gives us grace and mercy in our time of need. His joy is our strength (Psalm 28:7) as we face trials and tribulation. Through His Spirit, Jesus cherishes us with all of the benevolence, patience and love that a bride groom has for His bride (2 Corinthians 11:2; Mark 2:19; Revelation 19:7; Ephesians 5:22-33).

Prayer:

Father God, as Your Spirit transforms us with the mind of Christ, we have a Christ-like attitude at home, work and play, which makes a positive difference in the world around us. Your Spirit forms Christ in us to the extent that we live, move and have our entire existence in Him (Acts 17:28). He conquers sin within us, and casts out any idol, which we still cling to, as long as we willingly surrender it to Him. Help us to give every negative experience to Your safe keeping and remind us to respond in Your Spirit to everyone who comes against us.

Thought for the Day:

We give Jesus our whole heart and He gives our life back to us with more fulfillment and peace of mind than anything we could ever imagine.

God Never Fails

There are times in life when we feel devastated, overwhelmed and hopeless. We have no idea how to pay our bills, buy groceries or keep a roof over our head. If we keep our faith and hope in God, anything is possible (Mark 9:23). When trouble surrounds us and life is hard, we know that there is always a way out, because God loved us enough to lay down His life for us (2 Corinthians 4:8).

God has good plans for His righteous ones and there is always hope in our future (Jeremiah 29:11). We fear nothing, which life throws at us or people threaten us with. Full surrender to God’s will in every circumstance is the only way to stay sane. If we continue to strive for our own way, we will continue to feel frustrated and hopeless. Total surrender to God is the key to making sense of our circumstances.

If we call out to the Lord, and pray to Him for help, He never fails to hear us. Our cries always reach His ears (Psalm 18:8). Our Lord and Redeemer strengthens us and holds us up with His victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10, 13-14). Surrendering our present and future to God, walking away from our worries and leaving them in His hands is the only way to dwell in His rest (Hebrews 4:10).

We trust in God, not in our family or friends, job or bank account, talents or human reasoning, church or neighbors. We can put too much pressure on others when we expect them to support us more than they already are. They will feel undue stress and push back or ignore us. We have to get our eyes off our self and onto God. Then He will keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

As long as we are still alive, we have hope (Ecclesiastes 9:4). The Lord saves the brokenhearted and those crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). He binds our wounds and carries our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4, Psalm 147:3). Our hope comes from God alone and He gives us rest for our soul (Psalm 43:5; 62:5). As we put our hope in Him, the Lord rescues us from our trials (Psalm 39:7; 2 Peter 2:9).

Prayer:

Father God, even when we take our focus off You in the midst of our tribulation, we know without a doubt that You are always there for us, loving us unconditionally and giving us the victory through Your death and resurrection. Nothing this world has to offer compares to the hope we have, which comes only from You (Psalm 62:5; Ecclesiastes 9:4). You are always on our side, ever loving us and drawing us closer to Your heart (John 6:44; Psalm 136:1).

Thought for the Day:

God gives us grace to live for today, but remember that tomorrow's grace will not come until tomorrow.

Fellowship with Our Father

 

 

We have nothing that God needs, but everything that He wants. He desires fellowship with us as His Saints (1 John 1:3). We often forfeit this privilege because our thoughts and behavior grieve God’s Spirit and block our communication with Him. Under the guise of grace, we wallow in our sins. However, true repentance cries out to God for forgiveness and restores our relationship with Him once again (1 John 3:9).

 

If we live in association with darkness and sin, we cannot have fellowship with the Father of light (1 John 1:6-7; James 1:17). The more we associate with our Father, the better we get to know Him and to walk in His light, as children of the Light (1 Thessalonians 5:5). In God, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). From our fellowship with our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding joy flows into us (1 John 1:3).

 

God’s light reveals our areas of weakness and presents them to us in a whole different light (2 Corinthians 5:17). We no longer see sin as acceptable, but as abhorrent and disgusting. We confess our sins, and He is faithful and merciful enough to forgive us of those sins (1 John 1:9). He gives us His limitless power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ, regardless of our human limitations (2 Corinthians 4:7; 12:9).

 

Another benefit or our relationship with God is our fellowship with His Body (1 Corinthians 12:27). We are here to bless and care for one another (Philippians 2:4; Romans 12:10). We cry and rejoice with each other, pray for and with one another, and exhort, admonish and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We have purpose and guidance in this life.

 

Prayer:
Father God, even in the darkest night of any trial You are in the midst of it with us, loving us from the inside out, giving us wisdom and making everything work our for our good (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11). Remind us to encourage one another and to pray for each other as Your Body. Show us the seeds of Your miracle in the midst of every tribulation.

 

Thought for the Day:

What mankind calls liberty and grace, God’s holiness calls rebellion and iniquity. Sin breaks our fellowship with our Father.

The Eternal Marriage

 

One of the great mysteries of the Bible is the connection between Jesus and the Church in a marriage. A husband is exhorted to love his wife in the same manner that Christ loves the Church (Ephesians 5:25). Jesus literally laid down His life for the Church. How many husbands actually do that for their wife? Many of them get frustrated with their wife’s idiosyncrasies and opt out of the marriage?

There is not a problem in a person or a marriage that cannot be resolved with intentional counseling and mutual submission. Except in life or death situations, no reason is good enough to justify divorcing one’s mate. It is a lazy, superficial, self-centered person who files for divorce. They are unwilling to work at becoming one flesh. A time of separation and a forgiving heart will help to iron out even the worst marital issues.

Reserving nothing for Himself, Jesus gave His life for His Bride before we even knew or loved Him. His love is unconditional, regardless of our behavior, attitude or expressions. He will never, ever leave or forsake us for any reason or in any way (Hebrews 13:5). Spouses are to follow suite and care for one another’s physical, emotional, mental, financial and spiritual needs despite the reception we receive from our mate.

The husband honors the wife as the weaker vessel, and he protects her from the pain and confusion of the world (1 Peter 3:7). He listens to her and cares about what she cares about. The wife respects and encourages her husband. She keeps his home and cares for his children. She supports him even when she disagrees with the direction he is going. Although she does have the option to separate for a time if she feels threatened in any way.

There is no man or woman alive who does not grab his/her toe when it is stubbed, or jerk away from something hot or cringe from a hand raised in anger. We are to protect one another in the same way that we love and protect our self (Ephesians 5:28-33). We care about each other’s needs, often anticipating them before the desire is even expressed. God will help us to work out every negative issue in our marriage, if we totally surrender our will to His.

Prayer:

Father God, You give us a perfect example of loving a flawed mate. Israel failed You over and over; and yet, You continually loved her and honored Your commitment to her. Remind us to feel each other’s pain and confusion as if they were our own and never to break our marriage vows to one another, even when we do not like one another very much!

Thought for the Day:

There is no one that loves us better, or cares for our welfare more than Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer. – Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 1-4

Truth is a Person

 

Christians in this modern world attempt to prove the existence of God intellectually, using apologetics and philosophical reasoning. We endeavor to explain an infinite God with finite terms of human logic (Isaiah 55:8,9). We attempt to formulate approved doctrines and to explain the Word of God accurately. Yet, we rarely agree on either doctrine or interpretation.

We often get close to painting an accurate picture, and many are won to Christ by these attempts. However, the more questions we answer, the more questions are left unanswered (1 Corinthians 8:1-3). Humans will never figure out God or His ways, because He will simply jump out of the box we create for Him (1 Corinthians 2:10; Romans 11:33). There are too many Biblical “mysteries”, which defy human explanation.

Consider the Trinity, Christ as God and man, the relationship between Christ and the church as a marriage, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven, God’s will, the Gospel of Christ, faith, the partial hardening of Israel until the time of the Gentiles is over, lawlessness at work, Christ abiding in us, immortality and that not everyone will die before Christ returns (Ephesians 3:8-9; Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:16).

Spiritually, as we surrender to God’s Truth, we come to trust His Spirit’s work within us for salvation. Then we trust the Spirit’s work through us. A branch does nothing in order to bear fruit. In this same way, God will put His thoughts in our mind to direct our actions, and His words in our mouth to comfort and encourage those around us. As we submit to His sanctifying work, He sets us apart from the world (1 Corinthians 1:18).

We may not see or feel His work in or through us, but we see the effects of it. God’s Spirit binds us to the Trinity within us and to our fellow Believers who live all over the world. The more intimate our relationship with God, the more rest we experience in our body, soul and spirit. We experience less stress in trials, because we know from experience that God always provides (Romans 8:28).

Prayer:

Father God, there is nothing on this earth that means more to us than knowing You (Philippians 3:8-10). Knowing You is eternal life (John 17:3). Jesus is the way, truth and life, and no one can come to You except through Him (John 14:6). You set us free by Your Son, who is our Truth (John 8:32, 36). Help us to make You our priority in life and to realize that we can argue doctrine all day long, but in the end, Jesus Christ is the only Truth.

Thought for the Day:

Who is wise enough among us to be the philosopher of our age? God makes man’s wisdom foolishness, because we do not know Him. - 1 Corinthians 1:20

Our Help in Trouble

There are times in life when we feel devastated, overwhelmed and hopeless. Total surrender to God is the key to making sense of our circumstances. Surrendering our family and future to God, walking away from our worries and leaving them in His hands is the only action that will keep us sane. God will give us grace for today, but tomorrow's grace will not come until tomorrow.

As long as we are still alive, we have hope (Ecclesiastes 9:4). The Lord saves the brokenhearted and those crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). He binds our wounds and carries our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4, Psalm 147:3). Our hope comes from God alone and He gives us rest for our soul (Psalm 43:5; 62:5). As we put our hope in Him, the Lord rescues us from our trials (Psalm 39:7; 2 Peter 2:9). If we keep our faith and hope in God, anything is possible (Mark 9:23).

When trouble surrounds us and life is hard, we know that there is always a way out, because God loved us enough to lay His life down for us (2 Corinthians 4:8). God has good plans for His righteous ones and there is always hope in our future (Jeremiah 29:11). There is no need to fear anything, which life throws at us or that people threaten us with. We relinquish them all to the Lord for Him to deal with.

If we call out to the Lord, and pray to Him for help, He never fails to hear us. Our cries always reach His ears (Psalm 18:8). Our Lord and Redeemer strengthens us and holds us up with His victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10, 13-14). Full surrender to God’s will in every circumstance is the only way to stay sane. If we continue to strive in our own way, we will continue to feel frustrated and hopeless.

We trust in God, not in our family or friends, job or bank account, talents or human reasoning, church or neighbors. If we do, we put too much pressure on others when we expect them to support us more than they already are. They will feel undue stress and push back or ignore us. We have to get our eyes off our self and onto God. Then He will keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but God shows us a way out of them (2 Corinthians 4:8). He leads us one step at a time (Matthew 6:31-34). Do not worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:25-30). Face today braced by God’s Spirit and praising God for who He is. Follow the leading of God’s Spirit throughout each day, even if you do not want to obey. Then, God will pour showers of blessings on you all the days of your life.

Prayer:

Father God, even when we take our focus off You in the midst of our tribulation, we know without a doubt that You are always there for us, loving us unconditionally and giving us the victory through Your death and resurrection. Nothing this world has to offer compares to the hope we have, which comes only from You (Psalm 62:5; Ecclesiastes 9:4). You are always on our side, ever loving us and drawing us daily closer to Your heart (John 6:44; Psalm 136:1).

Thought for the Day:

God’s sheltering arms keep us from falling and He lifts us up when we are discouraged. - Psalm 145:14

Too Proud to Believe

 

Our human penchant for self-centeredness and rebellion stems from our pride. Pride is the downfall of every human being. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). This is what caused Adam and Eve to believe the serpent’s lie that they could be like God. Mankind still wants to be like god, and many New Age religions promote this falsehood, as if saying or believing it will make it so.

The wonderful news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ dwells within us and gives us the nature of God, as we are led by God’s Spirit. He also gave us His Word, which is His ultimate wisdom. Over the years, hundreds of Biblical prophecies were fulfilled just as they were predicted to occur (Isaiah 42:9). This proves that the Bible is true and trustworthy. We can stake our life and our eternity on it.

God’s Word also informs us of historical and scientific facts, which it took humans years to discover using experiments and research. These scientists and historians validated the scriptures as the result of their studies and tests. Actually, the truth was in front of them all along! Even today, mankind is still finding answers to age-old questions in the pages of the Bible.

Prophecy, history, archeology and science continually prove the veracity of the Bible (Psalm 119:160). We can believe it, because its words are true (John 3:12). God, Creator of heaven and earth, gave us the answers to our origin and our destiny, which people of every generation still ponder. Archeologists uncover, almost daily, the proof of Biblical claims. Yet many are still too proud to believe.

Prayer:

Father God, there is no reason that we should allow our pride to prevent us from accepting Jesus as our Savior. We thank You for bringing us to our knees through the circumstances in our life. You humble us for our benefit, and then You bless us for our humility. You are an amazing and loving Father, and we cannot find anyone or any philosophy, which mankind invented, that fulfills us and completes us like You do (Colossians 2:10). You gave us Jesus as our sacrificial Lamb and He dwells within us by Your Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

With specific details, simple truth, and flawless precision, God's Word consistently reveals to us the origin of our past and the destination of our future.

In the Presence of Our Master

God is a kind and gentle Master who loves us enough to take on the form of a human being and pay the penalty of our sins. He blesses our family, our place of employment and our church for our sake. He bestows favor on our soul and gives us peace and joy as He showers us with His love and care. He always returns to us, in abundance, anything we surrender to His safe keeping.

God is willing to bestow all of His blessings on the totally surrendered soul. He even orchestrates the negative aspects in our life to bring us advantages, which we would never have without going through these inconvenient circumstances. With our life in God’s capable hands, we have no need for even an ounce of anxiety about any part of our life. Every trial brings us a blessing.

As we trust God for everything we need, He will give us peaceful rest and multiple advantages. We will live in contentment and fulfillment because we will lack for no good thing; and we will have an abundance of physical, financial, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits (Psalm 103:2). God will even provide more than we need, so that we can bless others.

We start each day in the presence of our Master and we serve Him in the areas, which He provides for us each moment of the day. We give Jesus total possession of our life, including our thoughts, attitudes and emotions. We relinquish every negative aspect to Him and we accept the fruit of His Spirit in their place. God will use us in proportion to what we surrender to Him each day.

Prayer:

Father God, with each new day we put our family, home, job, friends, church, vehicle, possessions and aspirations in Your capable hands. We know that You have our best interest in Your heart and that You will work out everything for our benefit (Romans 8:28). There is a seed for a miracle in the midst of every trial and tribulation. We look forward to seeing You reveal Your handiwork on our behalf.

Thought for the Day:

By walking in His Spirit each moment of the day, we stop attempting to rely on self-effort and self-confidence to meet our needs, and we rely totally on God instead. – Romans 5:15-25

Resting on Faith

The best way to discern God’s Will is to pray and hear from God. We cast our cares upon Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22). God commenced our life at conception with each day already planned out and the entirety of our days numbered (Psalm 139:13,16). He created us with a specific purpose in mind, and He has a perfect will for each and every one of us (Ephesians 2:10). Are we fulfilling that purpose?

Christ will live this wonderful purpose through our life by His Spirit. He gives us both the desire and the power to accomplish God’s Will for our life (Philippians 2:13). We abandon all confidence in our self, our flesh and our human abilities. When we choose to totally relinquish our plans and surrender to His faithfulness, we enter into His divine rest (Hebrews 4:10). We live in reverence to Christ as our Lord (1 Peter 3:15).

Depending completely and ceaselessly on God, we do the works, which God calls us to perform with our life (Ephesians 2:10). We love those He leads us to love, pray for whom He calls us to pray for, share the gospel with those whom we feel Him nudging us to talk to and serve those He directs us to serve. Our whole goal in life is to bring God glory in everything we think, say, feel and do.

We live in victory, which Jesus won for us on Calvary’s cross, and we do greater works than He did because His Spirit abides in us. There are no expectations in our heart, no demands or requirements that we hold out for God. We do not dictate to Him what He should do, but we entirely surrender to His will for our life. The more we walk in the Spirit, the more we want to walk in the Spirit.

Our confidence in God comes through the faith of Christ in us (2 Corinthians 3:4). We entertain no ambition or desires apart from knowing Christ (Romans 15:13). Having a productive day in the things of God and for the Kingdom of God is the most fulfilling time we can ever experience. We wait on God’s direction, through His Spirit within us, and we see His hand on everything in our life.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for filling us with Your Spirit at the moment we open our hearts to accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Thank You for leading us each moment of the day by Your Spirit and for keeping us in the center of Your will. We enjoy the fellowship of Christ and we dwell in You as Your Spirit dwells in us. We depend on You absolutely and we trust You to give us both the desire and the power to serve You with our life (Philippians 2:13).

Thought for the Day:

We rest in the faith of the Son of God, who loves us and gave Himself for us. – Galatians 2:20

God's Deliverance

God does not only deliver us from bondage to sin, Satan, the world and the flesh, He also brings us into rest and victory in the name of Jesus. He does not do this one time, but continually, day after day as we sit in His presence throughout our busy schedule. He takes our anxiety, stress and responsibilities on His shoulders and gives us His Spirit to comfort and direct us.

So often, we get so settled in our mediocre life that we loathe to leave it behind and walk deeper with God. However, when we finally weary of our wandering in life’s wilderness and call out to God, then He delivers us from all of our enemies. He showers us with His presence and faithfully provides for all of our needs.

If we are spending more time out of God’s presence than in it, He is calling us to completely surrender to His will for our life. It may be scary. It may be nerve wracking. It may be inconvenient and take us out of our comfort zone. However, we find a new serenity and comfort in God’s presence that is never available to us outside of His daily fellowship.

Walking away from the flesh and into the presence of God by the direction of His Holy Spirit brings us more freedom, joy and peace than we ever thought possible. We submit our will and goals for our life to God and embrace His will for us instead. He guarantees that we will love His plans much better than our own plans. He will amaze us with His kindness and love.

Prayer:

Father God, we are wholly willing to completely follow Your plans for our life (Ephesians 2:10). We know that the result of our plans and dreams bring endless futility and frustration to our life. Thank You that Your law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is greater then the law of sin and death, which reigned in our body and soul prior to our salvation (Romans 8:2). Help us to get rid of the residue of the flesh in our life. Teach us to live as spiritually-minded children who walk only in Your ways (Romans 8:6-10).

Thought for the Day:

God helps our unbelief (Mark 9:23-25), and leads us on a level path because of our enemies (Psalm 27:11).

Blessed Assurance

Regardless of the state of affairs in our life, whether smooth sailing or troubled waters, we have God’s blessed assurance that everything will work out for our benefit (Romans 8:28). If we are not living in rebellion or known sin, then we can live with the promise that God has a plan and purpose for every trial and tribulation we experience.

Sometimes, His purpose is nothing more than to isolate us for a while, so that He can enjoy our company. We just surrender our self-will, self-confidence and self-centeredness to God and exchange it for a focus on Christ alone. With our attention on Jesus, we live a full and complete life (Colossians 2:10). We decrease, so that Christ in us can increase (John 3:30).

As we fellowship with our King of kings, we gain insight, power, direction and wisdom to face the issues, which we experience during our day. As we wait on Him, He directs our paths in the way that we should go (Proverbs 3:5-6). The glory of the Lord shines out from within us and blesses those around us (Isaiah 60:1). God’s Spirit fills us with the measure of Christ, which our heart longs for (Ephesians 4:13).

Jesus redeemed us from the curse of sin and gave us everlasting life. Sin no longer has a hold on us. There is no enjoyment in sin for us, and there is no longer any desire to practice sin. We walk in this world, not as a sinful human being, but as the embodiment of Christ in us (Colossians 1:27). Anyone who lives for God, filled with His Spirit, cannot live in habitual sin (1 John 3:9).

As Christ is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). The desire for the world is crucified in us (Galatians 6:14). We no longer crave anything other than all of Him, because God’s Spirit gives us new desires. Our human nature is crucified with Christ, and Christ lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20). Jesus makes our life sweeter and more fulfilling as the days go by.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for setting us free from the bondage to sin and giving us a new life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. The power of Christ in us destroys our desire to live a life of sin and draws us ever closer to Your heart. We have no more attraction to sin and we desire nothing more than to please You with our whole life. We are crucified to the values of this world and we look forward to living in Your eternal Kingdom both now and for eternity.

Thought for the Day:

God gives us the blessed assurance that once we surrender our life to Him, He gives us new life in Christ both now and for eternity.