God thrives on the praises of His people. He deserves more from us than we remember to give Him. He loves it when His people appreciate who He is, and all that He does for us throughout the day. Yet, we are so busy that we barely notice His gifts and hugs.
When we come to the major crisis point in our life, we finally come to the end of our self. We realize we cannot ever control our circumstances, and that we bring many of our negative trials on our self, due to our pride, rebellion, stubbornness and need to get the praise that actually belongs to God.
When we put our confidence in God, instead of in our own capabilities, we open the door for God to pour out His blessings on us. We soon learn to obey His Word, to walk in His Spirit and to realize that God is bigger than any issue we will ever face, and stronger than any fears that threaten to overwhelm us (Luke 12:32).
God calls us to have courage and strength, and not to give in to fear or to be crippled by it. He promises never to leave or to forsake us. He goes with us, and in us every step of our day (Deuteronomy 31:6). God delivers us from our enemies and protects us from calamity (Joshua 10:8).
Our life is not split into two separate realms: the earthly and the spiritual. We are stuck on this earth; however, we live in the Spirit and not in the flesh (Galatians 2:20, 5:15-25). We survive and flourish in the secular world by functioning in a Christ-centered life (Romans chapter 7 & 8).
Whatever we do, even what we eat and drink, where we work and how we care for our family, we do for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). We practice the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, scriptural meditation, missions and outreach, worship with fellow Believers, etc. according to God’s will for each moment of our day (Acts 17:28).
Prayer:
Father God, remind us that the tiniest details of our life on this earth are actually spiritual works of worship to You when we walk according to the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. We are energized and renewed by our obedience to Your Word. Teach us to use deep breathing exercises to slow down our reactions to life, and to eradicate any stress.
We find our hope and rest in You (Psalm 62:5). Teach us to slow down, to prioritize the events of our day according to Your plans for us (Ephesians 2:10), and to sing Your praises each moment of our day. We want to live in the center of Your will for us, so that we are effective in our ministries to which You call us. We want to let go of our plans and embrace Yours instead.
Thought for the Day:
As we change our focus from the negative to the positive aspects of our life, we relinquish our humanity to God’s control and abide in His rest, peace and joy; when we consult Him for His plans for each moment of our day, we find more fulfillment and success in everything that we think, say and do.
- Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:8
