Unreservedly Relying on and Trusting in God

Human beings can have a superficial relationship with anyone. We chitchat about the weather, politics, grandchildren, health issues, sports, etc. Our conversation never gets deeper or more intimate than this with our mere acquaintances. 

Yet, with those in whom we have invested our time, energy and emotions, our communication is deeper and more fulfilling. We share a unity of goals, beliefs, world view, and perspectives.

When we form a personal union with one person, we tend to meld into one mind, heart and soul. We adjust our customs and activities to complement each other, and we attempt to use restraint in our reactions to our differences.

When we form a deeper commitment, we delight in each other's presence and enjoy activities in which we are both included. We have our different hobbies and interests, but we support one another in all areas of our life.

The same is true in our relationship with our Living God. We look forward to each new day in His service, because He walks with us and in us through every moment of it. He guides, blesses and unconditionally loves us, as we keep our focus firmly riveted on Him.

Christianity is not what we do, but who we are. Our relationship with Christ is not only spiritual, it is also personal, practical and proactive. Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4).

Once we repent of our sins and turn over control of our life to God, our relationship is permanent and productive. He is our good Father, and we unreservedly rely on and trust in Him.

When we see Jesus, we see the Father as well (John 14:9). Jesus is in our Father God as one Being; and they are in us (1 Corinthians 8:6). We engage in this unity every moment of the day, being led by God's Holy Spirit and accomplishing His perfect plan for our life.

Prayer:

Father God, people do not understand how we can love You so much, when we cannot experience You with our five physical senses. We cannot hear, see, smell, feel or taste You in the natural realm of existence; but since our spirit is Born Again by Your Spirit, we can do all of those things in the spiritual realm.

The spiritual world is more real to us than what we experience in the natural world. We fellowship with You more intimately than we communicate with any human being. Thank You for exchanging for us the righteousness of Christ in place of our unholy character and practices. We rely on Your strength to make us strong in our weakness, and we live, move and have our existence in You (Act 17:28).

Thought for the Day:

Authentic Believers irritate many people in today's world, because we wax eloquent about the miracles and blessings we receive from God; but unbelievers have no reference point to share in our joy, and some reject Jesus because they do not understand Him; some even reject us, because they cannot relate to our perspective. - John 15:18-19

A Good Marriage - Getting Along

Have you ever had someone that you love very much, actually hurt your feelings or endlessly irritate you? We question our love for them when they grate on our last nerve, fail to live up to our expectations, break a promise, let us down, or discount and minimize our feelings and opinions.

Men have a hard time with their wife when she vehemently disagrees with him about an issue he is contemplating, or if she starts directing something about their shared life rather than submitting to his latest whim or decision.

A man's heart hardens a little, each time he is not totally adored, submitted to and respected. A woman's heart hardens too when she feels unaffirmed, ignored, unimportant, devalued, or less than cherished and unconditionally loved.

When we are offended by our mate, we may react by fighting back, screaming, accusing and cursing at each other with abandon. We may even use abusive words and behavior, and attempt to control our spouse by force.

Conversely, we may withdraw and distance our self physically and emotionally from our mate. We make less eye connections, neglect focused attention and physical touch, and we speak with detached feelings.

A sick soul cannot think clearly, because we are too absorbed in nursing our wounds. People with buried trauma from our past attempt to inflict pain on others to diminish our own pain.

Codependent people often neglect our own needs in an attempt to meet our mate's expectations. If we do give up and capitulate to one another and neglect our own soul, we may suffer with sickness in our body and spirit, as well as in our soul. We sell our self short, and we give-in until we no longer recognize our true self.

The truth is that we cannot successfully control another person. They own their feelings, perspective, opinions, needs, decisions and values. We share many of these, but differ in others. We can, however, control our own actions and reactions toward other people.

I found peace in my soul about all of this by first gaining a thorough understanding of my spouse's decisions, which I cannot control; and then making my own decision, which I can control.

We set our mate free to make his/her choices, and then we make our own choices.

If our spouse disagrees with our choice, we are open to discussion; but we do not need to force our self to capitulate and to reap the consequences of his/her decisions that we disagree with and that we cannot support.

I am learning not to over-react, but to submit to God's Spirit. We can gain our wisdom and strength from the Trinity's presence in our life. We ask for God's guidance, and we make our decisions according the Spirit's direction in our life. If we do this as a couple, our relationship greatly improves.

Prayer:

Father God, please remind us that disagreements are common in life; but when we constantly capitulate to our partner's plans, this causes resentment, which often sets into our soul and builds thick walls of bitterness between us. Then, we use our body language and tone of voice to convey our feelings, which often only exacerbates the problems between us.

Help us to see that the only way out of this dilemma is honest, but loving communication about the sin in our own life that causes our behavior, as well as clear explanations about how we really feel about the situation that is occurring. Give us the strength to forgive one another for slights and abusive words and actions that produce sickness in one another's soul, and to be open to new ideas and challenges that we can face together. 

Thought for the Day:

We can heal our soul by journaling our thoughts and emotions clearly and honestly, and by taking a searching inventory of our negative emotions as we ask God to show us the root cause for them; once we understand what is causing our thoughts, feelings and behavior, we can clearly communicate it to our spouse.

An Eternal Mindset

An Eternal Mindset

Although we are made from dust, and to dust we shall return, God uses us to show His power in and through us. He does not promise us a stress-free life; in fact, he warns us that we will have tribulation (John 16:33).

We may have trials overwhelming us, puzzles too hard to solve, desperate situations that have no end in sight, and we may experience rejection and abuse, but God makes sure that we are never crushed, in despair, totally abandoned or destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).

With a carnal mindset, we find our comfort and joy in things of this world. This causes us to be broken-hearted and to feel grief when we lose a loved one, have to move away from family, lose our job, experience devastation through a natural disaster, etc.

However, if we have an eternal mindset, it does not matter where we live, what city we move to, who we live with, where we work, what the temperature is, or in which neighborhood we live, because we know that we are in the center of God's will - the happiest place on earth.

God often calls us to do a task that requires great sacrifice from us. We have to live or work around people that we do not like, we exert effort that is too hard for us either mentally or physically, and then negative emotions bombard our soul.

We experience grief and relief intermittently. We feel shattered and bewildered, and at times deserted and rejected. However, God's mercy and grace make every issue turn out for our eventual good (Romans 8:28).

We may not receive what we desired, but God's provision is often much better than what we wanted. God cares about every negative emotion that we experience, and He will help us to change our focus from fear to faith.

Prayer:

Father God, You always walk with us and in us through the pain-filled, tearful, grueling days of our life. Age and sickness take a toll on our health and the functions of our human body, but You often heal us by Your grace. We look forward to receiving our immortal body to replace this old tent in which we now dwell.

You are our sovereign Father and we cannot ever thank You enough for Your perfect provision for us on this sin-cursed earth. Like all of creation, we yearn for Jesus' return to the earth, to take the government on His shoulders (Isaiah 9:6). We look forward to serving King Jesus for all of eternity (James 1:12).

Thought for the Day:

We decrease so that God can increase in our life; and we find His strength in our weakness, His comfort in our times of grief, and His salvation from the deep waters that threaten to annihilate us. 

- Psalm 18:16

Striving for Impossible Results

Some people look down on other people who are fearful and insecure. Possibly, they are threatened or apprehensive when they view our anxieties face-to-face, because they do not want to face their own issues.

They want us to live a level life without mountaintops and valleys. They want us to use rational reasoning to solve our fears; but this is not always possible, because fears are more emotional than mental.

Sometimes, we end up with panic attacks, because we accept so many responsibilities, make unreachable goals for our self, and pile one ideal or expectation on top of the other until they topple over and self-destruct.

We do this in an attempt to reach a desired destination by a certain date and time; however, we actually find our self out of breath and aching in body and soul.

We are so busy, that we have little or no time for our soul, which is our true self that needs rest, relaxation and enjoyment. We tend to wear out our soul - out thoughts, emotions and choices, by overly committing our self.

Also, we may neglect our spirit by avoiding fellowship, rushing in and out of worship times, or just not attending services at all. We may be led by compulsion and expectations, rather than by obeying the direction of God's Spirit for each moment of our day.

The only way to rest in the Lord (Hebrews 10:14) is to realize that He has a perfect plan for our life (Ephesians 2:10). He helps us to walk in His peace, joy and perfect rest. Through Christ in us, we find our peace in the shelter of His wings (Psalm 91:4).

Prayer:

Father God, sometimes, even when we are walking in Your perfect will for our life, we may feel overwhelmed and unsuccessful. Help us to minimize the stress that we feel by compartmentalizing the goals that You give us, so that we can do one achievable part at a time until we accomplish Your complete goal for us.

Help us not to feel responsible for making everyone around us happy and successful. Remind us that we are not responsible for caring for everyone in our life (John 5:3, 8). Encourage us to leave them in Your capable hands until they walk in Your ways for their life. Enable us not to allow negative emotions to consume us, but to come to You for resolution for each issue that is plaguing our soul.

Thought for the Day:

Thinking idealistically and creating unachievably high goals for our self, keeps us striving for more, better, and in reality, impossible results.

A Safe and Level Path

It makes me sad when I witness Satan convincing people, just like he did with Adam and Eve, that it is possible to have a spiritual perspective in life without God.

These deceived people really have to work hard to convince themselves that being spiritual without God is actually possible. They twist words and beat around the bush in order to explain how they accomplish this perspective.

Their conviction makes absolutely no sense at all. They bend over backward to sound confident in what they purport. Yet, it simply puts bandages on the wounds that our beliefs and behavior allow the devil to inflict on us.

We are never completely healthy and whole, until our spirit is Born Again by the power of God's Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ.

When life is puzzling and we are groping in the dark, we question God and sometimes even curse Him. When life is hard, we often accuse God for our circumstances. We may have caused these issues by our own choices, but we blame God anyway.

God knows the end of our life from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). Often, what He does with us, for us, and to us in our life seems misguided and irrelevant. Yet, if we take the time to really notice, His direction sees us through all of the twists and turns of life.

God is not our Aladdin's Lamp to grant us three wishes whenever we decide that we need them. He is our King, and we serve at His pleasure, not our own. He is rarely direct in His guidance of us, but He is always timely and amazing.

Christ in us provides us with faith instead of fear, and trust instead of insecurities and negative emotions. As we draw near to Him, He helps us to flee temptations and to weather life's storms (James 4:7).

We are not the center of our life, Jesus is (Colossians 3:33-4). He is the alpha and omega of all things, and He leads us in a safe and level path as we consult Him each moment of our day (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Prayer:

Father God, we are so sorry for attempting to control You, for blaming You for negative circumstances, and for grumbling when You choose a different path for us than the one we want to walk. Remind us not to live out our ways with our plans, goals and desires; but to obey Your guidance through each moment of the day.

You are our Father, and You always know what is best for us. Help us not to resist Your plans, but to follow them always - knowing that they will all work out for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11). Thank You for transforming our mind and helping us to see life as Jesus does, as Your Holy Spirit also give us Christ's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Thought for the Day:

God's Word is a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path; as we traverse this world throughout our lifetime, we want to walk in the middle of His perfect plans for us.

- Psalms 119:105, 108-109; Ephesians 2:10.

A Deeper Dependence on Our Father God

Trials often assail us on every side. Beaten down and discouraged, we feel hopeless, helpless, disenfranchised and alone. A rift in relationships, a loss of our vocation, etc. feels like the end of our life as we know it.

However, it is simply the end of one chapter, and the beginning of a whole new chapter of our life, especially if we are walking in the center of God's will for us.

Trials open the door to more intimacy and dependence on our Father God. We turn our face to the Son and soak up His encouragement, exhortation, peace, joy and blessings (Isaiah 26:3).

We see an example of how to handle our trials by examining the life of the Apostle Paul. Even after false accusations, caning, public embarrassment and being thrown in jail, he and his companion, Silas, sang praises to God to their hearts' content (Acts 16:16-28).

God shook the earth as they praised Him, the prison chains fell off, and the doors popped wide open. Rather than to harbor hatred or anger toward the jailer, Paul and Silas had compassion on him; and a revival broke out around that jail when people witnessed God's miraculous event.

Then the jailer had compassion on God's men. He took them home, cleaned their wounds and fed them a meal (Acts 16:29-34). During trials that would normally depress and devastate unsaved people, God always provides for His Saints.

We can glorify our Lord through our testimony and actions, just like Paul and Silas did. As God proves to us His faithfulness, our faith in Him grows and we find our security under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:4).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for giving us Your joy when we face trials of any kind, for building up our faith and our patience, and for giving us Your hope through it all (James 1:2-3; Romans 5:3-5). We praise You for Your comforting presence within us, no matter what life throws at us. Teach us to praise You for the bad times, as well as the good times (Philippians 4:4-8).

We believe in You, but we also need You to help our unbelief at times (Mark 9:24). Deep burdens assail us, big challenges detain us, and hardships attempt to overcome us. However, with Your Trinity abiding within us, we can face any trial with the assurance that You are working out every part of it for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

Thought for the Day:                    

We do not always feel joyful in our tribulation, but we can always find our joy in the Lord, who walks with us through the midst of every trial and fills us with His joy and peace. - Philippians 4:4-7

Healing from Dysfunctional Living

We grow up in an imperfect world with imperfect people. Every one of us leaves our family of origin with some type of disharmony within our soul.

Absent parents produce abandonment issues; abusive parents generate fears and insecurities; overly protective parents encourage us to feel timid and fearful; parents with high expectations make us feel like we are not good enough; a stoic parent causes us to feel unlovable; etc.

God's Spirit helps us to uncover our past memories, which we buried in our subconscious mind. He gives us the courage to face them one at a time. He teaches us the significance of these incidents as they play a part in our current personality and lifestyle. 

( http://www.transformationprayer.org/supplemental-training-menu/ )

Yet, God puts a new song in our heart (Psalm 40:3). He heals us throughout the rest of our life, sanctifying our soul, implanting in us the mind of Christ, and imparting to us Jesus' divine character (1 Corinthians 2:16; 2 Peter 1:4). God teaches us to understand why we act, feel or say certain things that used to puzzle us.

This helps us to let go of bitterness, as we realize the importance of forgiveness; we step out of the past and shake off the shackles that kept us in bondage to it; and we stop living a carnal, finite life as we walk in the realm of God's infinite Spirit (Galatians 5:15-25).

There is no mountain so high that God cannot help us to hike to the summit, and no valley so dark and deep that He will not carry us through it. He simply teaches us to trust in His goodness and to have faith in His faithfulness.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that You care about every current circumstance, every issue that transpired in the past, and all of the pitfalls that will occur in our future. You have a perfect plan for our life (Ephesians 2:10), and You encourage us to walk in it moment-by-moment through the direction of Your Holy Spirit (Philippians 4:7; Proverbs 3:5-6).

We can never, ever thank You enough for Your goodness, wisdom, enlightenment and care for us. We humbly bow to Your will and totally surrender our past, present and future to You. You are our Father who knows best what we need and when we need it, and You promise to supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).

Thought for the Day:

There is no reason for us to pursue carnal pursuits like other people do, who do not have the saving faith in Christ that helps us to glide smoothly through this perverse world; this is because we believe that our Heavenly Father knows what we need, even before we realize it. - Matthew 6:32-33; 2 Corinthians 9:8

                                                                                                                   

Where is Home?

In today's transient society, we relocate and restart our life so often that our soul often gets lost in the shuffle. We have no place with roots, meaning and heritage to call "Home".

Our parents often sell the home where we grew up, and they move around too. When we go to visit them, the place does not resonate in our soul, and we often feel lost and disconnected.

Or maybe our parents still live in the same place, but it is filled with negative memories, even horrors that we would rather forget. We rarely visit, because all of the old destructive feelings resurface when we walk through the front door.

A popular saying is, "Home is where the heart is." Yet, at times, our heart has no home. We ventured out on our own, and although we are happy for the most part, something is missing and we do not feel fulfilled.

In my life, I found only one place that is always stable, regardless of where I live, who I visit, or where they live. My Home is beneath the shelter of God's wings (Psalm 91:4).

This is the only unchanging place in which we can abide. He covers us with his love, peace, joy and protection all of the days of our life. God is our refuge and strength.

Our Maker has a perfect plan for our life; and with Christ in us, we have His power, strength, and wisdom pervading every decision we make (2 Samuel 22:33; Ephesians 2:14). We walk in the very center of His will (Proverbs 3:5-6).

We snuggle against the warmth of His feathers, and we are safe under the shadow of His wings. When we fall from the nest, He hovers over us like an eagle, spreads His wings and catches us on His pinions as He flies us back to safety (Deuteronomy 32:11; Jeremiah 49:22).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for keeping us as the apple of your eye and hiding us in the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 17:8). You are gracious to us in all of our failings, and You provide a refuge for our soul - our thoughts, feelings and choices.

We value Your loving kindness in our life and Your wings are our refuge (Psalm 36:7). Your tent is our eternal home both now and in the future, and we find our peace only in Your presence (Psalm 61:4; Psalm 91:4). We sing for joy because of Your constant care for us (Psalm 63:7).

Thought for the Day:

Under God's wings, we are always at home; and there is no destruction that can utterly destroy us, because of His careful watch over us. - Psalm 57:1

               

God Knows Us Best

Human beings often hide our flaws, lie about our failures and live in worry over our weaknesses. We wear masks, create a persona, go to counselors and psychiatrists, read self-help books, and ”get religion" in order to improve our image.

We amass worldly possessions, wealth and lands, and change mates when we are unhappy, in an attempt to make us feel more complete. Yet, loneliness continually dogs our heels and seeps into our soul.

God knows us better than we know our self. He wants to be our mate (Isaiah 54:4-5). He will fill our heart so that we do not feel lonely, comfort us in our distress, and work out everything for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

To start with, Jesus paid for us our penalty for our sin by His sacrificial death on Calvary's cross. He loves us more than He loves Himself. He is our Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all things (John 3:16-17; Revelation 22:13).

God's Word also instructs us on how to care for our own needs, rather than to depend on or to expect another human being to take care of us. Our relationship with God makes us a better mate to our spouse and a better minister to our community.

As we read God's Word, He highlights a verse for us in order to let us know that He is alive and real in our life. He sends little hugs throughout the day - simple things that mean something to us.

God created us just the way He wants us to be, and He fills us with His Holy Spirit in order to perfect our carnal nature in every way. We have no need to fear anything that may come our way.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for perfecting our weaknesses and increasing our strengths (2 Corinthians 12:10). You have a perfect plan for our life, and we want to fulfill Your desires for each moment of it (Ephesians 2:10). Remind us to focus our goals, ambitions and desires on You and Your Kingdom now and forever.

You are never limited in using us due to our failings, because Your Spirit lives, moves and has His Being in us (Acts 17:28). Thank You for taking away our shame, and replacing it with confidence in You. You are the God of the whole earth, and we worship You with our whole heart (Isaiah 54:4-5).

Thought for the Day:

We can rely on and trust in God to supply, or to give us wisdom to meet, every need we will ever have (Isaiah 65:24); He has no parameters around His ability to supply all of our needs through His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19); and He never leaves or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5), because He is eternal and everlasting (Deuteronomy 33:27).  

A Good Marriage - A Joyful Life

In the identical manner in which God loved Jesus, Jesus loves us. He wants us to remain in His love by keeping God's laws, just as He remains in Our Father's love by keeping them (John 1:9-10).

We celebrate God's unconditional love for us, and we love others with this same love. We provide a safe place for hurting people, a place where grace is always present. Misjudged, desolate, shattered people will flock to our fellowship.

When we learn to love our mate as Christ loves His Bride, we will live a joyful life (John 1:11-12). We totally surrender to God's will for our life and we walk in His ways. This enables us to put one another first, and to serve each other with Agape love.

We do not need to earn God's love or prove that we deserve it. God gives it to everyone as a free gift; so we love our mate with this same type of love, considering his or her needs above our own.

We give God and our mate our whole heart, never wavering from our commitment to one another, even when conflicts arise. This makes us resilient through our misunderstandings and differences of opinions and direction.

We can also write each other frequent love notes via cards, emails, texts and messages. I've known wives who write a love note in lipstick on the bathroom mirror and husbands who have flowers or a live plant with a card delivered to their wife at work.

Making time for one another will insulate our love during negative issues and disagreements. As we pray together for God's will in every situation, He always leads us to an equitable solution that we can both support.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us that if someone wins, someone else has to lose. It is only when we seek Your will together that we both win. Help us to discover the resolution to our issues as we prayerfully work together. When we consider one another's thoughts, feelings and needs, we are much more willing to compromise.

Help us to see that keeping our issues private, rather than airing them out to any willing listener or on social media, is of paramount importance. You make it clear that divorce is not in Your will for us, so help us to stay in love by putting each other's needs first. Give us words of encouragement for one another, and teach us to view our life impartially rather than one-sidedly.

Thought for the Day:

Our attitude and philosophy of life will influence our feelings of love for one another; so keeping a positive attitude will make it easier to see life from our mate's point-of-view. - Philippians 4:8

God Values Us

We are even more valuable to our Heavenly Father than the birds of the air or the flowers in the fields. They trust our faithful God for their provision and life, and we can look to Him also (Matthew 6:26).

God loves us so much that absolutely nothing can separate us from that love (Romans 8:38). We can break our fellowship with Him by grieving Him through our thoughts, words or actions, but His love is unconditional.

Human relationships change over the years. We get more comfortable with each other, we take one another for granted and our perspective and purposes in life change. A quiet void often replaces the passionate love that once characterized the union.

We "fall out of love" with our mate, and we think we need a new one. Yet, the same scenario happens in every relationship. Commitment to one person for a lifetime - even through the thick and the thin - is God's ordained plan for us.

Of course, the real problem does not lay at the feet of our mate, but is within our own heart. We have unresolved conflicts in our own soul, and we blame significant others in our life for causing them.

Our soul is sick, and we need our Great Physician to heal us from the inside out. At some time in our past, people treated us like we did not matter, that our opinion and feelings were not valuable, and we had no say-so in decisions that affected our life.

God cares about every pain from our past, and we can find healing under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:4). He nurtures, encourages and sustains us through every trial - we are victorious because the Victorious One abides within us.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that at the root of every unresolved conflict in our soul is a lie from Satan, which he planted in every negative issue that we ever experienced. As we sit quietly in Your presence, Your reveal to us Your truth about the matter. Help us to use the Serenity Prayer to make peace with our past: we pray for You to give us wisdom, so that we can change what we can, and turn the rest over to You to resolve.

Your love for us is four-dimensional. It has width, depth, height and length, which surrounds us on every side (Ephesians 3:18). By focusing on the people who do not love us unconditionally, we are giving them power over our life that they do not deserve. Through Christ in us, we can forgive them for their human foibles, revel in God's love and acceptance, and walk in the Spirit each moment of our day.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus can relate to every pain we feel, because He too was wounded for our transgressions, was despised and rejected by the people in His life, and was a man of many sorrows and acquainted with grief.  - Isaiah 53:3-4; John 1:11; Matthew 26:67

Reaping Spiritual Rewards

God loves every person ever conceived. In fact, He knew us before He knit us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:16). He has a perfect plan for each of us, and He wants to be our Heavenly Father.

God is a triune being: Father, Son and Spirit. God proved His love for us by taking on the of a human being as Jesus Christ. Then, He dwelt on earth for 33 years, before sacrificing His own life to pay the penalty of our sins for us (John 3:16-17).

Sin separates us from fellowship with God and forces us to walk alone; however, repentance restores our relationship with the Almighty. He never leaves us nor forsakes us, regardless of our mindset (Hebrews 13:5).

Now He abides in us by His Spirit. As Spirit, He comforts us, and gives us His wisdom for each moment of our day. God gives us His peace, joy and fullness of life both now and for eternity (John 14:27).

Our loving Father reveals His purpose for our life as we seek His will for each and every day, and He gives us the power to walk in His plans for each moment of it.

Christ in us allows us to walk in the anointing of His Spirit and to obey the truth of His Word. He gives us an abundance in every good thing as we walk in His ways (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Bottom of Form

Our ministry for the Lord is a work of faith and a labor of love (1 Thessalonians 1:3). He encourages us not to be slothful, but diligent in furthering His Kingdom on the earth (Hebrews 6: 12, 15).

First, we seek the Lord's face and His strength, and He provides His favor and support throughout our sojourn on this earth (Psalm 105:4-5). As we walk in the Spirit, He directs our hearts into the love of God and eventually takes us Home to our reward (2 Thessalonians 3:5, Matthew 5:10; John 14:3; 1 Corinthians 3:8; 2 Timothy 4:8; Philippians 3:20-21).

Prayer:

Father God, we are so grateful that Your Holy Spirit strengthens us with all might according to Your glorious power. Remind us to walk in patience as we discipline our soul to follow after You with the intensity of a deer searching for and panting after a cool stream (Colossians 1:11; Luke 21:19; Psalm 42:1-2).

Thank You for Your Word, which is profitable to us for teaching, correction, encouragement in righteous living, and for completing us and equipping us for the work, which You call us to do. We also learn from its pages, the example of our forefathers/mothers in the faith, who have already reaped their reward in You (Hebrews 10:36, 12:1-3; Revelation 1:9).

Thought for the Day:

Our patience is extremely necessary in our walk with the Lord, because of the setbacks we encounter along life's way; however, as we persevere, we shall reap the spiritual rewards of our labors.

- James 1:3-4, 5:7-11; Galatians 6:9; Revelation 14:12

Scattering the Seeds of the Gospel

Have you ever gotten discouraged, because you see little fruit from your spiritual labors? I have…I lift Jesus up so that He can draw everyone to Himself; and yet they walk away unchanged.

Of course, I question myself when they refuse to believe in Jesus: Am I failing God in some way? Am I harboring some secret sin? Am I lacking in devotion and focus? I grill myself endlessly with these and many other questions.

My husband is a Pastor, and we often wonder how we can change our ministry, or add something that we are missing, in order to be more effective for God's Kingdom.

God pointed out to him that the sower scattered the seed as God intended Him to do, but only one-fourth of that seed fell on tilled, fertile soil. That means that three-fourths of the seed, which he broadcasted, bore no fruit at all.

This realization took a great deal of striving out of our life, because "unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1). We also studied the life of Jesus and realized that He, as God incarnate, had very little success in drawing people to eternal life.

The multitudes that He preached to actually walked away from Him without repenting (John 6:67). Jesus even questioned His disciples, "Will you leave me also?"

However, they experienced the life-giving qualities of Jesus on a daily basis; and they knew without a doubt that only He, as God personified, held the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

My husband and I daily attempt to walk by the direction of God's Spirit, and to use His courage in us to approach friends, family,  and even strangers in the store or on the street with an encouraging word that God loves them and has a perfect plan for their life (Ephesians 2:10).

Prayer:

Father God, You call us to speak truth, but the results are not our responsibility. Thank You for giving us Your boldness to offer to pray, right in the aisles of the department store, for perfect strangers who give us their permission to take their burdens, needs and concerns to You. Only You possess all of the issues of life in Your hands (Colossians 1:17).

You hold us accountable for allowing You to work through us to save the lost in this desperate and dying world all around us (Ezekiel 3:18). Help us to hear Your Spirit's direction and to willingly submit to Your will for each moment of our life. We give You the praise and the glory for all that You accomplish in and through our life.

Thought for the Day:

We never know whether or not the stranger that God directs us to speak to, or our neighbor, or even a family member is ready with fertile, tilled soil to receive the seed of the Gospel; but we joyfully broadcast the truth to everyone we meet, in order to give them a chance to share with us in the blessings of God's Kingdom.

The Power of God's Holy Spirit

 

  

Jesus went back to Heaven in order to send His Holy Spirit to dwell in the spirit of every authentic Believer (John 14:12, 15-17). The Spirit transforms us, renews our spirit, and purifies our soul - our thoughts, emotions and choices.

Due to our true conversion through Jesus Christ, God's divine power infuses our entire body, soul and spirit with whatever we need to accomplish His will for our day. We gain a personal intimacy with Him by His own glory and excellence.

The Spirit of God fills us with His righteousness, peace, joy and power to walk in God's will every moment of the day (Ephesians 1:19-20). Jesus and His Spirit are both our advocates to help us now and throughout eternity.

We never want to follow the rules made by mankind that require ungodly commitments, virtuous self-denial and harsh bodily discipline, because they provide no help in conquering our carnal desires (Colossians 2:22-23).

The more we fall in love with Jesus, the less we attempt to live a successful life through the power of our human efforts. We discover that this is futile at best, and totally unfulfilling regardless of how much of this world's fame and fortune that we accumulate.

As we allow God's Spirit to fill us, we have the power and anointing to accomplish everything that God preordained for us to do (2 Peter 1:3). We no longer listen to Satan's lies that we are not "good enough".

We rejoice in the facts that, through Christ in us, we are holy and unconditionally loved by our Heavenly Father, we are already justified through the blood of Jesus, and we are daily being sanctified by God's Holy Spirit.

God's Spirit fits into our life so completely that people cannot tell us apart. He is in us, and He works through us. If we will totally surrender to Him, He will control our thoughts, words and deeds and keep us in the center of God's Will for us.

Prayer:

Father God, before You intervened in our life, our soul suffered greatly, because our spirit was dead in our sinful nature. You made us alive with Jesus and forgave not only our sinful nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve, but also all of our inherent sins as human beings. You blotted out our transgressions of Your ways by nailing them to Calvary's cross (Colossians 2:13-14).

You also removed the power from the spiritual rulers and authorities that formerly ruled over our life. Jesus shamed them by His victory over them, as He made a public spectacle of them. We now have no condemnation (Romans 8:1-2). Thank You for holding Your whole Body together with all of it various parts, and for nourishing us so that we may do our part in Your service (Colossians 2:16 & 19).

Thought for the Day:

As we enter God's rest, then worry, stress, strife and adversity fade away; nothing can ever separate us from God's love which is ours through the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on Calvary's cross. 

- Romans 8:35-39; Hebrews 4:10

A Fruitful Harvest

Once we come to Christ for salvation from our sinful lifestyle and its consequences, God's Holy Spirit gradually sanctifies us from one stage of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18).

He replaces the carnal aspect of our soul - our thoughts, emotions and choices - with His spiritual fruit:

Hatred with love

Depression with true joy

Discontentment with peace

Irritation with patience

Criticism with gentleness

Backbiting with goodness

Pride with meekness

Excess with self-control

Worry with the faith of God

What do these spiritual fruit mean?

Love – affection for others

Joy – exuberance about life

Peace – serenity

Patience – willingness to stick with it

Gentleness – compassion from the heart

Goodness – kindness that pervades our entire being

Meekness – humility and service

Self-Control – guided by the Spirit

Faith – trust that God knows what He’s doing

As we view these traits filling our soul (Galatians 5:22-23), we know that our spiritual maturity is increasing and our carnality is decreasing (John 3:30). Serving one another with God's love enables us to meet each other's needs more freely.

God's Spirit teaches us to consider another's feelings and needs before we make our decisions, and to work toward a compromise in every disagreement (Matthew 5:5, 9).

Changing to a positive focus allows us to minimize our destructive attitude toward another's flaws, weaknesses and negative character. God replaces our pride with His humility (Matthew 5:3).

We have more mercy and compassion on others, because we see our own short-comings with clarity. If we allow Him to do so, the Holy Spirit will control and guide every moment of our life.

God's fruit impacts every aspect of our life. We feel more peaceful, joyful and fulfilled within; and we get along better with our spouse, family, co-workers, associates, church members and community (Matthew 5:6).

Prayer:

Father God, please remind us that as we forgive the slights and meanness toward us (Matthew 5:7), encourage one another more, and show gratitude for even the smallest kindness, thoughtfulness or caring act, then we learn to cherish each other; and our intimacy between us and You, as well as with other people increases.

Serving one another with Your love enables us to meet each other's needs more freely. You teach us to consider another's feelings and needs before we make our decisions, and to work toward a compromise in every disagreement (Matthew 5:5, 9). We want to learn to support each other during periods of outward crisis and peril, lies and rejection, discouragement and defeat (Matthew 5:10).

Thought for the Day:

Many of the reactions we receive from others are caused by our own attitude or behavior toward them; we trigger or inflict a wound in their soul, and they defend their self or attack us in response; however, when we allow God's Spirit to take the ascendancy in our life and attitude, we are salt and light in this dark, hurting world. - Matthew 5:13-14

We Live by Faith

No matter what we accomplish in this life, something is always lacking. We never feel totally fulfilled, because we have no real competence without God (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

Our power is limited in this earthly realm, unless we are endued with power from on high as Jesus was. This is possible for us, because as authentic Believers, Jesus abides in our spirit (Colossians 1:11).

By God's grace, we excel in His calling for our life (1 Corinthians 15:10). Our faith is not based on human reasoning, but on the power of God through the faith of the Son of God who loves us and gave Himself for us (1 Corinthians 2:5; Galatians 2:20).

It is interesting that the more intimately we are acquainted with God, and the more our heart is centered on Him, the fewer friends we have, and the less fellowship we enjoy with people around us (2 Corinthians 12:15).

However, God gives us His patience and joy in every circumstance we experience. His character, mercy and grace is mightily worked into our personality (Colossians 1:29; 1 Timothy 1:14; Hebrews 4:16), and we live in total fulfillment because of Christ in us (Colossians 1:27).

Prayer:

Father God, You make us strong, so that we may face the fiery trials of life on this earth (Hebrews 11:34). Remind us that when we partake in Christ's suffering, His glory is revealed in us, and this makes our joy complete (1 Peter 4:13-14).

Help us to rely on You each moment of our day, rather than to face the issues of life from our meager human resources. We depend on Your mercy and grace to see us through each day, and we resolve to do only Your will for us during every moment we live (Ephesians 2:10).

Thought for the Day:

As Jesus abides in our spirit, we can do anything, which He calls us to perform, because He gives us the wisdom, power and guidance we need to accomplish His will with our life.