God
set eternity in the human heart. We all instinctively know there is a
"forever" ahead of us. Yet, none of us can fathom the abundance that
God actually has in store for us. As authentic Believers, we gradually view our
lifetime from His vantage point.
We
see the people in our life as our mission field. Our family, neighbors,
friends, workmates, associates, and even the check-out people at the retail
store or those waiting on us at the restaurant are hand-chosen by God for us to
influence for His Kingdom.
Dying
to our self is not detestable when we know it results in joy and peace now, and
acquires more future treasures for us in Heaven for eternity. In our old life
we surrendered to sin, but now we have a new Master, and submission to Him
truly sets us free (Romans 6:16-18).
We
relinquish our right, as Jesus did, to prove that we are innocent. We do not
assume the attitude of a martyr, but we obey the Spirit’s promptings, knowing
that God has better things in store for us as we walk in His plans for our
life (Hebrews 12:2; Ephesians 2:10).
The
concept Paul tried to convey to the Philippians is not that “I” can do all
things "for" Christ. It is that Christ can do all things in me and
through me. The surrendered life is one of joy, peace, fulfillment and
abundance, which defy all human reasoning.
This
allows the more challenging moments of surrender to flow more easily. When God
calls us to submit to His greater will, we readily offer our life to Him. If we
walk through life in obedience to the Holy Spirit, we reap blessings that never
end.
Prayer:
Father
God, You make all things beautiful in the fullness of Your time (Ecclesiastes
3:11). You established Christ's throne in this universe before You even created
the cosmos (Psalm 90:2, 93:2). He will live with and rule over all those with a
contrite and humble spirit (Isaiah 57:15).
Help
us now to grow in Your grace and in the knowledge of You and Your ways (2 Peter
3:18). We delight in standing up for You, as well as in blessing Your name from
eternity to eternity (1 Chronicles 16:36). We rejoice in the fact that Your
faithful love for us, who are humbled by Your presence in our life, fills each
moment of our day (Psalm 103:17).
Thought
for the Day:
We
shall not stand in shame in God's holy presence, because He redeemed us with
His everlasting salvation; He is the only God and our Savior who deserves all
glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time and for all eternity.
-
Isaiah 45:17; Jude 1:25
