God knew us before He formed us in our mother's womb. He knew
when we would rise and sleep, where we would live and what type of home we
would live in while we sojourned on this earth.
Some of us are rich, some poor; some tall, others short; one
may be meek and another bold; some tend toward goodness and others folly; yet,
all of us have His calling on our life (Proverbs 19:3; Ephesians 4:1-16).
Our only task is to live in
submission to His will for each moment of our day. We accept His call to
salvation and He accomplishes His desires in and through us as His Spirit
sanctifies our flesh and our soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions.
He infuses our weaknesses with His strength, and we realize our
startling need for Him. This need overwhelms us more than our fear of this
life, and drives us deeper under the shadow of His wings.
God's Spirit transforms our character into the nature of Christ
who abides within us through ever-increasing stages of divine glory (2 Peter
1:4). We relinquish our idols, addictions, desire and activities in submission
to His will.
Our heart is totally transfixed on Him. He is our whole life
(Colossians 3:4). We want nothing more than to please Him with our thoughts,
words and deeds. He consumes our heart with His love and fills our mind with
His wisdom.
We focus on Christ alone and relinquish the issues of this life
to His care. Nothing worries us any longer as we place our full trust in Him (1
Peter 5:7). This reduces our stress levels and brings health to our body and soul.
We also sanctify Christ as the Lord of our life and we live to
further His Kingdom in the earth, which dispels our fears and insecurities (1
Peter 3:13-14). Our faith increases as He proves to us His faithfulness.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for leading us to repentance and forgiving
our sins (1 John 1:9). We cast all of our sorrows and cares on Your capable
shoulders (Isaiah 53:4). With our heart set on things above, we no longer
sorrow as those who have no hope; we even rejoice in our tribulation (1
Thessalonians 4:13-18; James 1:2).
You turn our sorrow into dancing and return to us the years
which the canker worm destroys (Psalm 30:11-12; Joel 2:25). We deepen our
commitment to You and find fulfillment in our involvement in Your calling and
cause. You are our greatest friend, husband and brother (Proverbs 18:24; Isaiah
54:5). Help us to realize that You are our refuge, and the fear of this world
need not control our life.
Thought for the Day:
God is able to destroy both body and soul in hell; yet, we fear
man more than we fear God. - Matthew 10:28
