We
all go through rough times in this sin-cursed world ...rougher times, without
the Lord Jesus in our life; but when we walk in obedience to God's perfect plan
for each moment of our lifetime, we have fewer trials and HE goes with us
through all of our issues.
We
need nothing and no one else in life. At the moment of our salvation we receive
His continual presence in our life through Jesus' shed blood. He fills our
entire being: body, soul and spirit - with all of His fullness (Ephesians
3:16-19).
He
loves nothing more than our complete trust in, obedience to, reliance upon, and
devotion to Him each moment of our day. He is thrilled when we live, move and
have our complete identity in Him (Acts 17:28). He rejoices over us with
singing (Zephaniah 3:17).
God's
Spirit fashions us into the Temple of the Living God (1 Corinthians 3:16), works
tirelessly to transform our mind (Ephesians 4:23), and births in us the divine
nature of Christ (2 Peter 1:3-4). As we invite Him to completely make His home
in our spirit, His presence becomes dearer and nearer to us.
If
our heart is divided, and we attempt to serve two Masters, this grieves God's
Holy Spirit. We feel this divide to our very core, and we have a decision to
make. Will we and our house serve only the Lord today and always (Joshua
24:15)?
God
is able to do more in the life of a dedicated child, than He can in a
rebellious life. His blessings for us are above and beyond anything we can
imagine. We are so thrilled with Him, that we overflow with gratitude, and give
Him the glory due His name (Ephesians 3:20-21).
We
decrease so that He may increase within us (John 3:30). He purifies us of the
dross of sin and gives us a deeper glimpse of His love for us (1 John 3:1-3). He
also gives us hope and blessings for a secure future in Him (Jeremiah 29:11).
Prayer:
Father
God, the fact that Christ abides within us by Your Spirit is at once amazing
and unbelievable, until we begin to experience the true peace and joy of Your
intimate presence in our life. We attempt to obey Your Spirit's guidance for
each moment of our day, and we see Your hand in our life when we do.
We
look forward to serving You for eternity and for seeing You face-to-face. We
thank You that in eternity the Believer will no longer suffer the ills of this
earthly tent in which we now live (2 Corinthians 5:1). Having a pain-free,
immortal body is something to which we look forward. We love You with our whole
heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).
Thought
for the Day:
No
lasting endeavor is ever fully accomplished unless it is part of God's perfect
plan for us in this moment of time; living in the center of God's will depends
on total surrender, which leads to total dependence, and results in complete
victory.
