The further we submit to the sanctifying work of God's
Spirit in our soul, the more we seek after the divine issues of life rather
than the carnal ones. We live to serve our Lord and His Saints, as well as
those who do not yet know the saving power of His grace (Titus
2:11).
We walk in peace, which both defies human reasoning and
makes people wonder why our trials no longer discourage or depress us (Isaiah
26:3; Philippians 4:7). Peace is not a state of mind, for which we can strive
after and achieve. Trusting God takes the opposite of effort, and only comes
when we give up control of every aspect of our life to the point of complete
surrender.
A time of daily devotion, including Bible meditation and
praise of God for His wondrous works in our life and in the world around us,
helps to facilitate this process. Then, when our soul frets over the issues we
face, God's Spirit helps our spirit to overlook all of the worries and fears
and to trust in God's faithfulness.
God reveals His plans to us in His timing; but He will
never reveal His will to us before we really need to know it. This helps us to
develop patience and to die to our carnal nature. We live in holy contentment
as He conquers our earthly concerns. God's Spirit transforms our carnal mind
with the steadfast mind of Christ (James 1:8).
When our only desire is to know Jesus, who is our only way,
truth and life (John 14:6; Philippians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 1:30), the
wisdom from God's Spirit pours into our spirit. We seek only God's pleasure in
everything we think, say and do. We no longer rely on our human mind to direct
our steps, but we trust in the wisdom of God.
Prayer:
Father God, we grow in unity with Your Trinity as we
discontinue the futile habit of trying to control our life. Our awareness of
Your place in our life increases and the intents of our heart reflect Your
desires. We no long exalt human
understanding above the leading of Your Spirit (Proverbs 16:7). Thank
you for renewing our mind and for allowing Your character to replace the carnal
confusion, which formerly restricted our life (Romans 12:2).
Thought for the Day:
The more that we recognize God's voice and live a life of
praise, even for the negative aspects of our life, the more peaceful and
fulfilled we traverse our trials.
