Old Testament Saints were given seasons of the presence
of God's Spirit within them; but in this new dispensation of time, we enjoy the
presence of God dwelling within His temple within us every moment of our life
(Romans 10:9).
God's Spirit brings to our cognizant thoughts an
increasing awareness of His wisdom, direction, presence and truth (Colossians
1:27; Galatians 2:20). This consciousness affects our thoughts, words,
attitude, behavior and feelings.
We often drain the resources of our body and soul by
over-extending our time and commitments beyond what God's Spirit leads us to
do. This weariness causes us to neglect our times of prayer, Bible study and
worship with other Saints.
We are so caught up in the affairs of this world that we
forget to communicate with God until we fall exhausted into bed. We take God
for granted, trusting that He is always there and will bail us out of any
negative issues.
Yet, He often allows us to boil in the stew of our own
making. The fountains of Living Water within our spirit dry up and we ignore
our thirsty soul, getting more parched with each passing moment (John 4:14). We
stubbornly continue to pursue worldly gain and advantage.
Thankfully, God loves us enough to discipline us, in
order to teach us lessons and to cause us to walk only in His Spirit and not to
rely on our human reasoning (Proverbs 3:5-6).
It is important for us to understand that the most vital
aspect of our life is spiritual advancement. Our spirit longs for a deeper relationship
with God. Prayer, Bible study and Christian fellowship are the key vehicles for
our spiritual maturity.
No amount of worldly gain can satisfy us as much as
immersing our self in spiritual pursuits will fulfill us. God created us as
spiritual beings and our entire body, soul and spirit long to return to this intimate
relationship.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for wooing us back to Your presence
when we wander from Your chosen path for our life (Ephesians 2:10). Help us to
remain focused on the pursuit of Your Kingdom rather than building our own
kingdom on this earth. We thank You for Your love, kindness, supply, presence
and spiritual leading as we progress through each moment of time.
We want nothing more than to know You more deeply and to
understand Your ways. We draw all of our strength from Your Spirit within us
and we delight to do only Your will with the life You provide for us both now
and throughout eternity. We enjoy the intimate fellowship with You, which You
provide for us all day long.
Thought for the Day:
Mankind is so convinced of the laws of science that they
believe these laws can exist without the Creator of it all; yet, God holds His entire
creation of the cosmos together in the span of one of His hands. - Isaiah 40:12
