Wisdom from Above

Our daily choices influence our spirituality (Proverbs 21:2). If we pursue carnality in the flesh, in the world and through satanic venues, then our spirit weakens and we also reap the results in our body, mind and emotions (Proverbs 14:12).

As we come to Christ through salvation, we learn to follow the Spirit’s direction for each moment of our day, and our spirit strengthens, which also affects our body, mind and emotions (Proverbs 12:14).

The choice is ours to live in God’s wisdom or as a fool. The wise listen to counsel from God’s Word, but a fool despises God’s truth and does what is right in his/her own eyes (Proverbs 12:15). Let us choose wisdom from God's counsel.

As we follow His truth and not our own wisdom, we walk in His Kingdom. God will never lead us contrary to His Word; so we never get a personal word directly from God to do some action or use some word that is contrary to the scriptures.

Otherwise, we will miss out on God’s best for our life. His direction comes to us through His Spirit and His Word. As humans, our five senses come in very handy. Too often, however, these same senses are a detriment to us.

We spend too much time depending on our natural abilities, which hinder us from trusting totally in God. Too often, we are too quick to speak and to express anger; yet too slow to listen (James 1:19).

Silence, in the deepest sense, is imperative for hearing the voice of God. We empty our self of our self – our goals, will and desires - and we humbly wait on God. Silence is the first step in seeking God’s will for our day one moment at a time.

We perform our required duties for the day; but as we do, we do not make our own plans. We wait on God to reveal His direction by His Spirit. The more silent we are, the more we are also able to really hear the deep concerns of our Lord, our friends and our family.

As we earnestly enter our quiet place with the Lord, we sit at His feet and learn from Him, as Mary did (Luke 10:39); we enjoy His presence as the little children did (Matthew 19:14); and we receive His anointing as the apostles did (Mark 6:7).

Prayer:

Father God, You designed life so that we can find satisfaction through the fruit of our words, and You allow the consequences of our deeds to return to us (Proverbs 12:4). That means both our kind words and loving deeds, but also our angry words and our cruel deeds. We reap what we sow (Proverbs 16:2).

Remind us that when we listen intently, rather than with only one ear, we show more compassion and patience, because we take the time to hear what You and others are really saying. Help us to live in love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith so that we will reap the fruit of Your Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

As we listen to Godly advice and accept a rebuke from a brother, in the end we will reap wisdom and truth; we grow more silent in our prayer time, so that we can enjoy God’s companionable silence, and we are in a better position to hear His direction and instruction, and to follow the leading of His Spirit during each moment of our day.

 – Proverbs 19:20

A Good Marriage - A Time of Separation

Are you considering a divorce? Disappointments, broken promises, resentment, anger, etc. will tear down bridges of positive feelings, and erect walls that separate us and get thicker and higher with each passing day.

Humility and forgiveness are the only keys to unlock the doors between us. Pride will forever slam the doors shut. When God joins us together, it is for life. There is no reason for divorce, when a separation is just as effective.

We can take it upon our self to move in with a family member, get an apartment, sleep in a different bedroom, etc. This gives us and our spouse some space to cool off, think about our issues, forgive and apologize, and date - have fun and laugh together.

We slowly resolve issues that are trying to tear us apart. We pray together to hear from God and determine to do His will. We do not insist on our own way, but we work together to find a third option when we disagree about something.

Sin begets more and deeper sins (Genesis 4:6-7). If we allow negative emotions and thoughts to fuel our decisions and behavior, we are already getting in over our head. If we do not take action (Philippians 4:8), a negative spiral of thoughts and emotions will control our life.

As authentic Believers, we can follow the leading of God's Spirit and share our faith journey with our spouse, fellow-believers and trusted family members, etc. This helps us to find solutions to issues and to connect with prayer power to help us gain victory over our circumstances.

God will also use us to minister to others (Luke 22:31-32) who are experiencing the same issues that we just conquered. This helps them to find healing in much quicker time, if they will learn from our mistakes and triumphs.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to rule over our negative emotions, to validate our feelings, and then to turn issues over to You to deal with the behavior in our spouse that triggered them. Heal us from past wounds that make us hide behind anger to protect our self. We need You to point out to us every time we are in danger of entertaining negative emotions and thoughts. Help us to overcome them prior to them overcoming us.

Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to sanctify us, so that He will replace our human tendencies with His spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). Remind us that journaling our undesirable feelings, or sharing with a trusted prayer partner will help us to diffuse these troubling moods before we blow up. Then we can meet with our mate and rationally express how their behavior made us feel. We praise You for caring about every aspect of our life.

Thought for the Day:

When we are hurt, broken, overwhelmed, discouraged, etc, we can remember that God cares about us even more than we care about our self; and He will show us a positive manner in which to kindly share our honest feelings with our spouse.

When Life Gets Out of Control

I do not like “life” dealing my cards to me. I always wanted to have control over the issues of my life. I struggled endlessly to keep my situation peaceful and joyful, but life kept happening according to its own subversive strategy.

Through an abusive and emotionally-distant childhood, as well as an emotionally neglectful and distant first marriage, my body and soul suffered lasting damage. As I raised my three children, I decided that I no longer wanted to suffer through life as a victim.

I knew that I wanted to control the "temperature" of my circumstances like a thermostat, instead of simply registering the current climate like a thermometer and going along with the flow. Initially, I continued to put up with negative treatment.

However, when I could not stand it any longer, I made a choice to use intimidation, manipulation, and/or dominating behavior with others to insure that I felt safe. I was tired of reaping the consequences of other people's choices.

Controlling people are scared and scarred individuals who are just trying to survive in this world. They are attempting to keep themselves safe from a wounded and broken existence, by controlling the uncontrollable.

I usually used anger to protect myself. I blew up like a volcano - screaming my feelings at the top of lungs in my attempt to be taken seriously. My burst of unexpected anger usually got everyone's attention, but left scars on their souls.

Not that I belittled or cursed at them, but that the intensity of my anger wounded them. My eruption was short lived, but fierce in intensity. The negative aspect of my attempts to control life cost me my first marriage.

Since accepting Jesus at age 18, I have enjoyed God's gradual healing for me of the effects of my trauma and grief. I am learning so many new healthy ways of dealing with life's unpredictability.

God even introduced me to a wonderful man whom I married. He used my new husband to teach me that I needed to express my feelings before I felt the need to control life by getting angry. So I started doing this.

I actually convinced him, that if he would listen and take my words seriously when I confided in him, I would not need to get angry. I learned to say, "Would you please listen to me, or do I need to take out my Italian temper?" This quickly gets his attention.

I also convinced him not to make decisions, which involved me in any way, until he first discussed them with me to get my perspective. When his choice and my choice differed, we learned to look for a third option that gave us both peace.

Prayer: 

Father God, thank You for teaching me to relinquish my life to Your control as You see fit. The only striving I want in my life is to allow Your Spirit to control my thoughts, my emotions, my actions and my words. Thank You for using two wrecks that totaled both cars but spared my life, to finally teach me that life is absolutely out of my control.

Only trusting in You, moment by moment throughout the day, will guarantee that regardless of circumstances, You will walk through them with us. As the Lord of peace, You flood our soul with Your peace in every way (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Remind me that although circumstances may get out of my control, they are never out of Your control

Thought for the Day:

A healthy life requires that we realize that we are only in control of the use of our own resources, time, activities, tongue and emotions; by submitting our will to God's plan for us individually, we are assured that we will live a Spirit-controlled life.

Reaping the Rewards of Obedience

So often in life we fail to accomplish some goal that we set for our self, or we fall short of getting that pay raise or promotion that we worked so hard to attain. When we try in our own efforts to succeed, we often fail to achieve the desired results.

As branches, connected to the Vine of Christ, we produce the fruit of "repentance from our sins" (Matthew 3:8). We bring God glory with every obedient step we take. Regardless of the outcome of our efforts, He blesses us more than we can imagine.

The disciples gave us a great example of obedience. After they fished all night without any success, they returned toward the shore. Jesus called from the shore and instructed them to go back out and to throw in their nets on the right side of the boat.

They were tired, hungry and discouraged; yet they obeyed. As a result, they had to get help hauling in all of the fish they caught (John 21:6). The disciples were successful only when they obeyed the Lord.

They followed His instructions explicitly and reaped the rewards. Sometimes, we cannot see how the task God gives us fits into His overall plan until years after the event. We suddenly find out how we made a difference.

At other times, we will not even know the effect of our obedience until eternity dawns for us, and God opens the eyes of our understanding. This is not important, however. God always blesses our obedience in many ways.

Deferred satisfaction provides a way of gaining assured pleasure in the future. It is like making deposits into our savings account. God wants complete devotion to Him from a dedicated heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:33). Sometimes, that is the only result for which He is looking.

Prayer:

Father God, the multitude of humanity, who fail to take advantage of the opportunity You give to us to live in Your joy and peace on earth, will spend eternity suffering more than they are ever hurting now (John 3:18). Incalculable anguish and desolation is inevitable in this life, as well as in the next, whenever we live outside of Your unique will for us.

Sometimes, people give up after making a few attempts to follow Your will, because they believe that they missed out on some imagined blessing that they counted on receiving (Ecclesiastes 5:1). If they only waited a little longer and walked with You a little further, the effort of their obedience would bring more lasting rewards than reaping the results they were looking for (1 Samuel 13:13).

Thought for the Day:

God does not receive pleasure or praise in the results of the humanistic efforts of our plans, goals and accomplishments; instead, He only delights in our obedience to His will.

- 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 51:17; Ephesians 2:8-10

Be Angry, but Do Not Sin

Resentment, anger and bitterness in our heart gives Satan a foothold into our thoughts (Hebrews 12:15). He manipulates our beliefs until we think they are true. Then we fall - hook, line and sinker - for his lies.

The antidote for this dilemma is to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15-16), rather than to nurse our negative emotions and allow them to fester and putrefy our attitude and relationships. This way, we get rid of bitterness, rage, slander, malice and quarrelsome behavior.

God cautions us to speak wholesome words in our communication. They build up, rather than tear down, and they do not grieve the Holy Spirit. We forgive rather than to hold grudges or try to get even (Ephesians 4:21-32).

We also prevent our human penchant for arguing and misunderstanding by adopting an attitude that is quick to hear, yet slow to speak, slow to make assumptions, and slow to get angry (James 1:19).

People will treat and speak to us in ways that assuage their wounds from their past, or in the method that we train them to use with us through our reaction to it. If we allow abuse, it encourages people to manipulate us with it again.

Journaling our feelings allows us to use premeditated words to express our honest emotions (Ephesians 5:4). This prevents hasty words full of negative emotions, which put others on the defensive and fuel arguments. 

God gave us anger to use to protect our self from abuse or danger. It is a red flag that something is wrong in our environment; but He cautions us to be slow to express this powerful emotion, and to guard against using it to sin (Ephesians 4:26).

Prayer:
Father God, remind us to use wholesome words in our communication of our feelings and needs to others. Even in the face of a verbal onslaught, we can state our feelings more clearly with firm, calm words, than we can with angry, irrational ones:

·       “I feel afraid when you …”

·       “I feel like you spend more time with …. than with me, and I need more of your attention.”

·       “Thank you for your opinion, but I do not agree with you.”

·       “It is no longer acceptable to me for you to do that (or to say that) to/about me anymore.”

·       “I think that you misunderstood the meaning behind my words/actions. Let me further explain to you how I feel (or why I took that action).”

Father, remind us to stand up for our self without using coarse words or hiding behind fierce anger. We still make it known in no uncertain terms that the offensive behavior is no longer acceptable to us; however, we need Your help in order to respond with a confident, businesslike and resolute attitude. We praise You for Your perfecting work in us (Philippians 1:6-8).

Thought for the Day:

We cannot control another’s actions or responses towards us, but we can put distance between us and an abusive person; as we take a step back and look at their actions from a spiritual frame of mind, we can pray for them and also about our response to them, so we can speak firmly but kindly in the face of any imposition or attack against us.

- Romans 12:18; Proverbs 25:11, 22

Godly Contentment

Godly contentment pays big dividends (1 Timothy 6:6-7), yet it is one of the hardest aspects of life to find, to enter, and in which to dwell permanently. There is so much in this world that distracts us from contentment.

We hurry and hassle over too many matters that have no eternal consequence or reward. They embroil us in conflict, and overwhelm us in discouragement, bitterness, anger and hopelessness.

Jesus promises that in this world, we shall have tribulation (John 16:33). Then He reminds us not to worry, because He abides within us, and He already overcame everything we will ever experience. We can abide in His Godly contentment through it all.

Some people lack drive and ambition, and they enjoy a life of idleness, apathy and indifference (Amos 6:1). Others strive to better themselves by taking on more and more and ending up entrapped in over-commitment and anxiety.

Whether we live in apathy, or we strive for more, we often end up discontented and unfulfilled. Once we come into the presence of the Lord, however, we cease from our labors and enter into the true Sabbath rest of God (Hebrews 4:10).

Contentment does not come naturally for most people. We are born with the desire to want more. As we learn to be content (Philippians 4:11-13), we live a life of accepting with joy whatever struggles or blessings we meet during our day.

We allow patience to have her perfecting work in us (James 1:4-12), and we walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:15-25), rather than according to our own goals, direction and desires. Contentment comes from living in the center of God's perfect plans for us.

Prayer:

Father God, when we sit contentedly at Jesus' feet, ready to receive whatever He has for us each day (1 Corinthians 2:9). We show our faith in You by our works of obedience to Your Spirit. This deep, abiding contentment allows us to rejoice in You regardless of our circumstances (Philippians 4:4).

We are not anxious, because with gratitude in our heart, we bring every issue that we face before You in prayer (Philippians 4:6). In giving praise to You in every situation that we face, we offer You a fragrant, acceptable and pleasing offering; and in return, You supply all of our needs according to Your glorious riches (Philippians 4:19).

Thought for the Day:

By focusing on God's truth, righteousness and purity, we think only on positive, admirable and noble concepts. This allows the peace of God, which is not influenced by our human perception, to guard our thoughts and emotions in Christ. 

- Philippians 4:7-8

Rescued from the Storms

 

Ever feel like you are drowning in life's issues? People often discourage us, abuse us, neglect us, take us for granted, demoralize us, take advantage of our good nature, manipulate us, and tell us lies about our self that we usually believe.

Seeing our situation, God reaches down to hold us, to liberate us from our enemies who are too powerful for us to overcome, to support us when others let us down, and to deliver us from a tight fix by putting us in a spacious, freeing and inspiring place in life.

When we doubt our value and struggle with our environment, God rescues His Saints from the depth of the sea of negative conditions, and He delights in us (Psalm 18:16-19). His sacrificial love helps us to feel loved, peaceful, joyful, wanted, cared about and cherished.

He sends other people and accomplishments into our life to bless us, to fill our heart with acceptance and grace, to teach us new skills, and to build our feelings of self-worth. He accepts us just the way we are. God’s plan for us is the best path for us to take (Psalm 32:8).

God continues to make us holy and to fill our life with His purpose, ponderings and priorities. We draw near to Him, and we resist the devil and his lying thoughts and interference in our life. Then, he and his demons have to flee from us (James 4:8).

We resist our human penchant to allow times of ministry inactivity, disappointed realities, debilitating issues, etc. in our life to coax us away from our intimacy with God, or to grieve the Holy Spirit by our delving into sinful practices.

In God's presence is fullness of joy forever (Psalm 16:11). Our Father God will eventually reveal His seed for a miracle in every trial. He is in control; and He uses circumstances to perfect us, to prove to us His faithfulness, and to teach us that time is not really relative in our spiritual walk with Him.

Prayer:

Father God, hold us close to You, because we know that You will never let us go (Hebrews 13:5). Remind us to simplify our life, to cut back on those commitments we made out of our sense of duty or the kindness of our heart, to find Your purpose for us in those mundane efforts You call us to make in our service to You.

We want to trust You in our tragedies too. Remind us that when we feel far from You, gratitude will open Your gates, and praising will bring us right back into Your courts (Psalm 100:4). We want to rejoice in Your love, rather than to mope in depression caused by things not going our way. We rely on Your joy within us as our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Thought for the Day:

God’s wisdom, grace, love and supernatural abilities reside within us in Jesus Christ and are always available to meet all of our needs; undistracted devotion to God allows us to tap into all of His power and majesty in order to live our life as Elijah and Enoch did. 
- 1 Corinthians 1:30

Abiding Union

The Vine existed long before the branches ever grew, and He sacrificially shared His love and life with us (1 John 4:19).

Separated from the Vine, we can do nothing (John 15:5); so we choose to fully commit to our abiding union with the Vine (John 15:16).

As God's Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ, we abide in His abundant love forever. We keep His commandments and love our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors with the love of the Lord (Matthew 22:37-39; John 15:10; 2 Timothy 3:2; Romans 1:30).

The evidence of our union with the Vine (John 15:13) is our obedience to Him as He gradually renews our heart and replaces in us our negative habits and personality issues with the fruit of God's Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

We rest in His grace and renew our strength as we wait on Him (Isaiah 40:31). His Spirit directs us each moment of the day (John 16:13). We increase God's Kingdom by our obedience to Him and His Word (Mark 4:26).

Our Father God is the dresser of the vines. He prunes the branches of all dead limbs in order to improve fruitfulness (John 15:1-6). The fruit that we are called to bear come from God's Spirit and depend on our relationship with our Vine (Galatians 5:22-23).

Our connection to the Vine includes our association with, dependence on and endurance through Christ in us. We come to associate with Christ through salvation, we learn to depend on Him rather than on our human resources, and we stand forever through His eternal life in us (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Without connection, there is no salvation; without dependence there is no power, life, supply, competence, etc.; without endurance, there is no everlasting union with the presence of God's Word - the person of Jesus Christ, who abides within us (John 8:31-32).

Prayer:

Father God, Your fruit in our life is proof of our faith in You (James 2:14-26). We abide in You, but You also abide in us, completing the sanctifying work of holiness, which You started in us at salvation (Philippians 1:6, 2:12-13). Let us never break our connection with Your Vine.

The life we receive through Your presence in our spirit is not paralleled by anything this world has to offer. Help us to exhibit affection for others, an exuberance about life, serenity through the storms, determination and patience, a compassionate heart, and kindness that pervades our entire being (Galatians 5:22-23).

Thought for the Day:

We trust that God has this world in His control, and that He has a perfect timetable for its culmination and the renewal of all things; therefore, we commit to live humbly in service to Him and to others, as His Spirit continually guides us through each moment of our life.

- Daniel 4:17; Ephesians 1:11; Romans 10:4

Stages of Salvation

Our Daddy God created us in His own image as a triune being - body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). He calls us to live in constant praise to Him for His renewed mercy for us with each new morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Salvation comes in stages and starts with a regenerated spirit, continues with a lifetime of sanctification in the soul - our mind, emotions and choices - and ends up with glorification of the body - an immortal body - when we see Jesus face to face.

When we come to understand that the power of God resides in us once we totally surrender to His saving work in us, we live in more victory regardless of the circumstances that we face in life (2 Peter 1:3). We consult God each moment of our day (Proverbs 3:5-6).

God has a purpose for each life in which He readily reveals Himself (Ephesians 1:11). As we totally depend upon Him, He continually supplies us with His guidance and provision to carry out His purposes for us (Ephesians 1:9; Philippians 2:12-13).

If we walk in the darkness of self and sin, we stumble and fail in our attempts to serve Him (John 11:10). Our union with the Trinity allows us to shed the shackles of the negative consequence of our sin nature and to surrender to God's love (1 Corinthians 1:30).

His abundant love is everlasting (Psalm 25:6; Jeremiah 31:3). We live victoriously with the life of Christ flowing through us by His Spirit (John 15:1, 5). This allows us to live a fruitful life that furthers God's Kingdom and brings us ultimate fulfillment (John 15:8).

Prayer:
Father God, as we make every effort to walk in peace with You, You promise to renew our soul and to make us blameless and spotless at Your coming (2 Peter 3:14). As we abide in You throughout the day, Your wisdom, grace, love and peace manifest in our life and out into the world around us. We walk out of the bondage to carnality and into the glorious freedom of the sons of God (Romans 8:21).

Through our union with You, You provide us with a dedicated life full of the wisdom, strength and Godly conviction, which we need to further Your Kingdom in our world. We look forward to the day when we can also walk in Your power, so You can make a true difference in others through our life. As we walk in the light of Christ, we find fulfillment in living out Your will for our life (1 John 1:7).

Thought for the Day:

When Jesus is our center and God is the focus of our life, we seek to do His will in our home, vocation, community, church, and extended family; our perseverance in our walk with God into complete maturity in Christ, guarantees that we will not stop short of His glorious riches, which He prepared for us before time began.

- Romans 9:23; James 1:4; Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:3-4

Freedom from Codependence

The need to please others is a curse from Satan. We want to be loved, and we look in all of the wrong places to get it. When we are disappointed, we turn to our addictions to anesthetize our pain. This makes us spiritually, physically, mentally, financially and emotionally ill.

We gain freedom from codependence by promoting intimacy in our life with God, our mate, our children, our extended family, our church family and our best friends. Unity in our relationships frees us from our perceived need to deny our self in order to gain their love.

Instead, we freely live in love as we bless others. We seek God's Kingdom and His will as our main focal point for our day, and God provides abundantly for all of our needs (Matthew 6:33). We can do everything, which God calls us to do through Christ in us (Philippians 4:13).

We receive our advice from God's Word, our direction from His Holy Spirit through prayer, and we make our choices by seeking God first (Matthew 6:33). As our worship of Him, we do what He designed for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

We also learn patience in trials, because patience perfects us (James 1:3-4). Living for God allows His Spirit to cleanse us from all unrighteousness in our spirit, soul and body. The blood of Christ in us courses through our entire being and promotes health and well-being.

As we walk in the light of Christ, we find fulfillment in living out His will for our life (1 John 1:7). God’s wisdom, grace, love and supernatural abilities reside within us in Jesus Christ and are always available to meet all of our needs as we walk in God's will for us (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Undistracted devotion to God allows us to tap into all of His power and majesty in order to live our life as Elijah and Enoch did, who never saw death, but walked with God; and we will steadily grow into complete maturity in Christ (James 1:4).

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to have Your compassion on the world around us - to empathize with their pain, to rejoice with them in their successes, to minister to all of their needs, and to lead them to faith in Christ. We do not need to deprive our self for the sake of others, but we can learn to minister to our own needs at the same time that we care for those to whom You call us to serve.

We want to walk more intimately with You, so that everything that we think, say and do is ultimately birthed from Your Spirit within us. You have a divine purpose for our life on this earth (Ephesians 2:10), and we only want to walk in Your truth and on Your path for us. We are here to serve at Your pleasure and to promote Your Kingdom in our world.

Thought for the Day:

God's Spirit fills us, promotes our wise choices and brings us spiritual and often physical success and fruit from our labors. We consult the Lord before we do or say anything, and He leads us on His chosen path for us.

- Proverbs 3:5-6; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:3-4

The Missing Ingredient

God wants to provide for each and every one of us right here and now, as well as in eternity. His free gift of salvation is given to everyone who chooses to believe, without regard to color, age, race, financial status and ethnic background (Romans 1:16; John 3:16-18).

Our righteous God reveals a fulfilled life in His love to those who elect to reject the counsel of our pride and rebellion, and who have faith in His faithfulness (Romans 1:16-17). He cares about all of our concerns (Proverbs 12:25; Philippians 4:6-8), and works on our behalf throughout our lifetime.

As humans, we are so engrossed in our soul - the thoughts of our mind, our fleshly choices, and the tyrant of our emotions - that we fail to realize that our spirit is dead within us (Ephesians 2:1). We instinctively know there is a missing ingredient, but we try to fill it with all the wrong choices. 

We lack motivation, we blame others for our failures, and we waste time on trivial pursuits. Refusing to believe anything, which does not make sense to our human understanding, we reject God's Truth. We even perverted the Serenity Prayer to relate to the "god of our own understanding."

As fallen humanity, we are so blinded by our pride and rebellion to the Truth of God's Word that we miss out on His blessings. We strive for perfection, and then get depressed when we miss the mark. We aim to please others or our self and reject the plan of our holy God.

The fact is that through God's love for us, we can conquer every negative aspect in this life (Romans 8:37-39). We can accomplish any task preordained for us by God (Ephesians 2:10), because Christ in us gives us His strength to do so (Philippians 4:13).

Prayer:

Father God, You freely give every blessing to those who put their trust in You. You infuse us with Your joy, which is our strength to live a fulfilled life in this sin-cursed world. We yearn for Your coming…soon and very soon. Even creation cries out for the revelation of Your sons, so that You will restore the former glory of Paradise to the earth.

Thank You for moving by Your Spirit in my life and giving me the faith of Your Son, Jesus Christ, so that I can believe in You (Galatians 2:20). Thank You for showering me with Your love every moment of my day and teaching me to follow the direction of Your Spirit through each one of them. Dwelling in the center of Your will is the happiest place on earth.

Thought for the Day:

Regardless of our feelings of living a fulfilled or an unfulfilled life, we get easily bored with the mundane process of one day flowing into the next, and we stop caring about living; it is only as we see the hand of God's will unfolding throughout our lifetime that we find true inner peace and joy that make each new day fresh and exciting.

Law or Liberty

Many of us are driven by the need to keep the "letter" of the law (2 Corinthians 3:4-6), to please others, to save the world from itself, etc. This leads to codependent behavior that is actually a curse, and the opposite of obedience to God's will for us.

We say "yes" to every request made of us, and then we find our self without enough time in our life to do what is important - seeking first God and His Kingdom. Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus, did this. She was very busy doing what she "should" do.

Resentment built up in her heart, and she came to Jesus to complain that her sister was sitting at His feet and listening to His words, rather than helping her to prepare a meal for everyone. She failed to see what Jesus wanted her to do, and He corrected her (Luke 10:42).

We often look for support and satisfaction in all the wrong places. Contentment comes from having the peace and joy of the Lord inside of us, and radiating to the world around us. If we fail to live in the moment, we struggle with the past and fear the future.

If we feel negative emotions, we can take them to the Lord to discover their root, and to use the Serenity Prayer to either fix them, or to leave them in God's capable hands (2 Peter 1:3). Then we look around at nature, people we love, and all of the blessings God gave us.

This allows contentment to seep into our soul, to replace the negative emotions drowning us in their hopelessness, and to make our choices from a positive position of love, grace, humility and obedience to God's Spirit each moment of our day.

Prayer:

Father God, we want to live from the standpoint of gratefulness for your supply (Matthew 6:31-32), of appreciation for Your salvation and complete redemption, of acceptance of our life as it is. We look to You - the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) - rather than to focus on our earthly needs, wants and desires. Our greatest desire is to allow Your infinite focus to govern our mind, instead of our finite perspective (Matthew 6:19-34).

Help us to walk in Your perfect love and liberty (James 1:25), rather than by the letter of the law. The letter requires of us what we ought to do; while liberty encourages us to accomplish what Your Spirit directs us to do. Remind us of all which we have to be grateful for in our life, and to give You unending praise for Your protection and provision for us.

Thought for the Day:

When negative emotions assail us, we can pause to look around us in this moment of time at all that God already provided for us, to simplify our life of clutter inside our soul and in our home and schedule, to live a life of gratitude rather than regret and anxiety, to encourage those whom God brings into our life, to make time to enjoy our family and vocation and friends, and to always focus on the positive.

- Philippians 4:6-8, 19; Hebrews 13:5; 2 Corinthians 9:8

Overcoming Habitual Habits

Prior to coming to Christ, we determined our daily routine by our priorities. We valued, worked toward and pursued anything that would assist us in reaching our goals. We did good deeds for others, but we wanted the praise.

We formed habits, as we trained our thoughts, attitudes, words and actions to respond and react in certain ways to the challenges and trials of life. We are used to living independently of any restraints or parameters on our behavior (Romans 8:7-8).

Developing these habits, helped us survive day in and day out. Living by our human reasoning, and working to please our self and to secure our future, we focused on our success and made sure we came out on top (Romans 1:25; 2 Corinthians 5:15).

However, when the Spirit of God comes into our life, He encourages us to entirely shift our mind-set, and to allow Him to put to death the carnal deeds of our flesh, so that we can live an abundant life now and throughout eternity (Romans 8:13-14).

This sets up a dichotomy in our life, which causes a tug-of-war within our soul (Romans 7:14 - 8:12). Some of the former fleshly traits, alien to God's ways, want to maintain the status quo and to continue to influence our thoughts, words and behavior, so that we can retain control.

The tie-breaker is God’s Spirit. He resurrects our spirit, which was formerly dead in sin (Ephesians 2:5). Our spirit is Born Again (Colossians 3:3). Then, God's Spirit crucifies our old nature with Christ, and we partake in the divine nature of Christ (2 Peter 1:4).

The fruit of the Spirit replace our former carnal character (Galatians 5:22-23). We no longer live independently, but in dependence on God’s love and will, developing new and healthier habits. Each day we walk in more and more freedom as we gain victory over the flesh.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to abide in Your Spirit and to daily follow Your desires for our life (Galatians 5:16-26). Remind us that we overcome the deeds of our flesh by renewing our mind and surrendering our life to Christ who abides within us (Romans 12:2; Mark 10:28-29).

Thank You for Your saving faith, which is a gift to us from Your mercy and love, and comes from Your Holy Spirit who influences and transforms us. You draw us to Your heart and You renovate every aspect of our life by Your Spirit. This free gift is priceless, and we thank You for the sacrifice Jesus paid for our eternal life (Ephesians 2:8).

Thought for the Day:

When we totally surrender our life to Christ, we experience habit modification; as we lay down our independent and willful tendencies on a daily basis, and obey the will of God instead, we willingly submit our old fleshly habits to the work of God’s Spirit within us.

- Matthew 16:24-26; Romans 8:12-13

Life's Purpose

This world is made up of all types of people: different personalities, body shapes, facial structure, hair and eye color, hopes, dreams, goals, reality, etc. We sometimes feel like we are hopelessly spinning our wheels.

When we continually suffer rejection, disappointment, abuse, abandonment, unrealized dreams and goals, etc. it sickens our soul - our thoughts, emotions and choices. This makes our body and spirit sick as well (Proverbs 13:12).

Dreamers have many creative ideas, but rarely follow through with any of them. This type of person is easily distracted, they have little ambition or fortitude, and they waste time and money pursuing unrealistic goals (Proverbs 12:24).

They resent authority, despise wise council and discipline (Proverbs 1:7), and they want to do everything their own way (Isaiah 53:6). They have many dreams and a plethora of words, but their life is empty (Ecclesiastes 5:7).

Dreamers want the glory without the work involved to get there - a "get rich quick" scheme. They often sabotage their own plans before they can bear fruit, due to their impatience and fear of success.

That is also why, that when they get what they want in order to pursue their dream, they never follow through; they usually move on to pursue a new dream right away (Ecclesiastes 7:18).

We all need direction in our life, a God-inspired vision, which directs our steps each day (Proverbs 29:18). A single focal point with plenty of elbow grease will see success, as we inch toward the prize for the calling of God on our life (Philippians 3:14).

When we seek God's plan for our life, we avoid distractions and extreme over-reactions to life. We leave a legacy behind for others to build upon, and we see the results of our labor when we arrive in heaven and meet the people who are fruit of our efforts (Proverbs 12:24).

Prayer:

Father God, we are part of the masses, but You desire for us to individually make a difference in our world. Give us Your holy boldness to avoid the distractions and extremes that this world encourages, and sometimes even requires for success. Walking in Your will for our individual life is our whole goal and purpose for living.

We want to live in moderation, simple lives without encumbrances from Satan and the world. As we walk according to Your principles for our life, we can reach out to others in Your name. Teach us to do the hard work required to further Your Kingdom, and give us Your stamina. We know that we can accomplish everything You call us to do through Christ who abides within us (Philippians 4:13).

Thought for the Day:

God proves Himself to us so that people will revere Him, and everything that He ordains will last for eternity;  He calls us to do nothing out of selfish ambition and vain conceit, but to do only that which we see and hear our Father God inspiring us to accomplish.

- Ecclesiastes 3:14; Philippians 2:3, John 5:19

An Abiding Relationship

Jesus walked this earth for thirty-three years and was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3-12). He knows how we feel and can relate to our experiences (Hebrews 2:18). He learned obedience through the things which He suffered.

Through all of His suffering, He also walked in abiding peace, serenity of mind, calm dignity, obedience to God's will for His life, and was controlled by God's Spirit. He focused on the joy set before Him, even enduring the cross for our sake (Hebrews 12:2).

He had this attitude and formed these habits, because He spent time alone communing with our Father God (Luke 5:16). He never spoke or accomplished anything that He did not feel directed by God to say or do (John 5:19).

Growing in grace and favor with God and man is something which Jesus accomplished with His life, and we can too (Luke 2:52). He did not depend on the good opinion of others, nor did He allow their demoralizing scorn define His opinion of Himself (Isaiah 53:3).    

This same Christ abides within our spirit, influencing us to emulate His example. As we live in total surrender to Him, then His holiness, faithfulness, compassion and grace manifest through us. This provides us with a good conscience, and a holy walk (1 Timothy 1:19).

God designed His Word to work like fire to consume our lusts, like a hammer to break bondages we allow in our life, and like a sword to divide our soul and spirit (Jeremiah 23:29; Hebrews 4:12). He promises to finish the work He began in us (Philippians 1:6-7).

God's Spirit faithfully keeps our whole spirit, soul and body blameless until He returns. He is the author and finisher of our faith, and the promises of His Word strengthen us with His joy (1 Corinthians 1:8; Hebrews 12:12; Isaiah 41:10).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for our abiding relationship with Your Trinity. You never withdraw from us; but it is our sin which grieves Your Spirit and breaks our fellowship with You. We want to walk in Your ways and to please You all the days of our life.

Your joy is our strength through the devastating events in our life, which force us to our knees in prayer. Your joy is greater than human happiness, and it transcends all of the negative emotions created by our responses to our circumstances. Help us to walk in Your ways and to delight in Your paths.

Thought for the Day:

The Bible exposes our innermost thoughts and desires and cleanses us from all unrighteousness; focusing on our spiritual walk, listening to the Spirit and following His lead on a minute-by-minute basis, enables us to find eternal success, earthly fulfillment and people who admire our walk and want to follow us as we follow Christ.

- Hebrews 4:12; 1 John 1: 9; 1 Corinthians 11:1

Simplifying to Serve

Simplifying our life will diminish many negative factors that are destroying our health and our witness for the Lord (Psalm 23:3). Walking by the direction of God's Holy Spirit each moment of the day will improve our health in body, soul and spirit.

It is possible to submit our body to the Holy Spirit's control, just as we already submitted our spirit, and are learning to surrender our soul - our thoughts, emotions and choices. We are God's Temple, and He cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9-10).

As we simplify our life, God will prompt us what to eat and what to avoid in order to stay as healthy as is humanly possible in this sin-cursed world (1 Corinthians 10:31). If we allow stress and anxiety to strip us of our health, we limit our service to our King.

Eradicating idols from our life will also simplify our life and improve our health. Anything to which we frequently give priority in our schedule, and for which we neglect God and ministry for His Kingdom, is an idol. Even the fears that we allow to control our life can become idols.

God's love is gracious, patient, abounding in goodness and truth, full of mercy and compassion; it fills us and makes us able to love God and to share His love, mercy and compassion with others (Isaiah 30:18).

His love in us extends even to those whom we do not like, who spitefully use us, and who wound us with their words and actions (Matthew 5:44); they need God's love the most, because they are hurting inside. We are ambassadors for Christ to our community (Luke 10:27; Exodus 34:6; 1 John 4:7-8).

The cost of loving others as Christ loves His church will take a toll on us mentally, emotionally and physically, unless we love through the power of God's Spirit within us; and not by our human capacity to love (1 John 3:16-17). Jesus exemplified this agape love by dying on the cross for us.

Prayer:

Father God, we hunger for the Living Water and Bread of Life that Jesus supplies to satisfy our appetites. Nothing that this world offers comes close to the fulfillment that Christ in us provides (Colossians 3:3-4). Please illuminate our thoughts, words and deeds by Your holy Lampstand within us, and convict us of areas where we fall short of Your standards.

Set us up on a hill, so that we can serve as Your lights to our community around us (Matthew 5:14-19). Thank You for the new life we enjoy through our relationship with You. We receive Your healing for our body through the blood of Jesus within us; and we invite You to allow His pure and righteous blood to course through our veins and to bring new life to every cell in our body, soul and spirit.

Thought for the Day:

When we are filled with the presence of God, His agape love fills us as well, and when we keep His Word, and walk in His love, He perfects it in us and proves to us that He abides in us; we simplify our life and submit to the Holy Spirit's cleansing in every area of our lifestyle.

 - Isaiah 11:2; 1 John 2:5