We
all miss the bull's eye now and then. We take careful aim, make all the
necessary adjustments, focus clearly on the target, put just the right amount
of tension on the bow, and send the arrow flying...yet, we miss the mark.
We
feel so sad, dejected, incredulous, disgusted and miserable with our self,
berating our self for missing our goal once again. Yet, if we walk in the
Spirit, rather than relying on our own plans, we hit the bull's eye every time.
God's
Word promises us that if we will honestly confess our faults, He is faithful to
justly forgive our shortcomings by the blood of Jesus' who died to pay the
penalty for our sins, and to make us holy and righteous in God's sight (1 John
1:9).
He
simply asks us to repent of our sins, to accept Him as our personal Redeemer
and Lord, and to allow His Spirit to transform our lives. He nailed our
failings to Calvary's cross, and He sets us free to serve Him with all of our
heart.
As
a young mother, I learned to multi-task with the best of them. The older I get,
however, I am more single-minded, easily forgetting why I went into a room, or
what I was going to do next.
I
used to watch myself running around after myself, playing catch up rather than
following the leader. As flawed humans, our only hope is to walk in the Spirit
each moment of the day. We live our best life as we follow His lead.
God's
Holy Spirit helps us to accomplish more in less time than it would take us to
accomplish the same thing with our finite resources and human abilities. We obey
the Holy Spirit, and no longer rely on our human efforts and talents.
Prayer:
Father
God, Your plan of salvation is so easy, that many of us miss the point of Your
provision for us. We strain at a gnat and swallow a camel (Matthew 23:24). We
spin our wheels in an attempt to please You, and to earn Your favor and love;
and yet, You already gave us these as a free gift.
Help
us to live as an example of a life filled with Your Spirit, inundated by Your
peace, and immersed in Your rest, rather than running around meeting our self
coming and going. You take all of the stress and worry out of life, when we
focus on You and on Your plans for us each moment of the day.
Thought
for the Day:
The
bleeding, dying, risen Savior gives hope to all of mankind through His example
in living, as well as in His accomplishments in dying in our place; all He asks
from us is that we love Him with all of our heart, tell other people about what
He does for us each day, read His Word and apply its wisdom to our life, and
implicitly trust in His goodness and grace to supply all of our needs.
