Paul mentions, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Not many people can say that and truly mean it, because to live is not Christ for them, and to die is scary and considered as a “loss”. Life to them is more about our possessions, goals, bank account, social activities, hobbies, family activities, etc.
Our busyness with these pursuits often distracts us from God’s goal for our life (Ephesians 2:10). We are slaves to these pursuits and spend our time wrapped up in our responsibilities and addictions to them. We rarely consider reducing our load to have more time and energy to pursue a deeper walk with God instead.
Abram was a very busy man. He had many possessions to care for, and responsibilities to his wife and children. Yet, when God called him to pack up and move to an undisclosed and unknown location, Abraham did not hesitate (Genesis 12-13).
Abraham trusted in God that much, and he put feet to his faith. He walked by faith rather than by sight, and he received the title of “Friend of God” (James 2:20-26). God had a plan for Abraham, and his obedience in this instance prepared him to walk in those divine arrangements.
God turns His faithful and obedient children into masterpieces of His creation. His Spirit perfects us through the process of sanctification, and the truths of God’s Word successfully guide us along life’s path. God’s Spirit replaces the weak points of our personality with His fruit (Galatians 5:15-25).
Our negative thoughts, emotions, worries, attitudes, behavior, self-centeredness, pride, rebellion, independence, self-esteem, etc. are all replaced by love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith (Galatians 5:22-23). He gives us the mind and divine nature of Christ who abides within us.
His Spirit directs our paths (Psalm 139:23-24), coordinates our steps, and fills our entire being with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19). As we trust in Him, our spirit matures, and our unity with the Trinity increases as our humanity decreases (John 3:30). The Lord always gives us hope for the future, and joy that defies description (1 Peter 1:7-9).
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for drawing us to Your heart, forgiving our transgressions, making us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and teaching us to walk in Your Spirit (Galatians 5:15-25). When we are tempted to follow a path that is not in Your plans for us, we trust in You to redirect our steps until we are yoked with Jesus. This makes our burdens easier and lighter to carry (Matthew 11:28-30).
We stop pursuing our own agenda and walk in Your ways instead. You never leave or forsake us, and we can trust that You are always abiding within us and keeping us with You (Hebrews 13:5; 1 John 4:13). We want to continue to walk on Your straight and narrow path for us, because on it we avoid the devastation and hardships inherent on the wide path to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).
Thought for the Day:
God always makes a way for us, just like He did for the Israelites when they came to the banks of the swollen Jordan River; how surprised they were, when the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant took their first step into the rushing current, and God stopped the flow of the river and made a path of dry ground for them to walk across.
- Joshua 3:15-17
