A Good Marriage - Dismantling Stone Walls

 

 

Adjusting to a new marriage is a major hurdle in life. We must guard against adding to this stress by relocating, changing jobs, taking up new hobbies and interests that do not include our mate, etc. Keeping life on an even keel for the first year of marriage, at least, is vitally important for our lasting adjustment.

 

We spend this time encouraging each other’s strengths, loving our mate in his/her “love language,” praying together as well as for one another every day, loving and cherishing and honoring and respecting each other is also vitally important. 

 

We need God’s direction and wisdom on how to shower each other with His abundant grace, unconditional love, and abiding peace. We embrace our trials together, supporting each other and protecting one another’s back.

 

Marriage-disrupting situations arise throughout our lifetime, orchestrated by the devil to destroy our witness and to unsettle our family unit. Temptations to give up due to infidelity, debilitating illness, differences in our life view or goals or ideals, etc. build a wall between us. 

 

Divorce or marital discord has a profound effect on our children and grandchildren, as well as on us as a couple and even our extended family. The impressionable minds of our younger relatives, even as young adults, are shaken to their very roots. They may even feel hopeless about finding a long-term relationship in their own life. 

 

Criticizing one another, fighting over inconsequential matters, hanging onto resentments and disappointments, etc. will build walls between us. Gossiping to others about our spouse’s weaknesses and failings makes our spouse feel even more insecure and unappreciated.

 

Preventing walls of separation to build up between us is vitally important; as Satan places stones of resentment, anger, discouragement and hurt between us, we must communicate in order to dismantle each one; giving our mate sacrificial love on this side of Heaven is the best gift we can ever provide for him/her, for our self, and for our family.

 

Prayer:

Father God, show us how to love and serve our spouse each day that will be meaningful to him/her. Remind us that we can deprive our self of some time and effort that we would prefer to spend on our own pursuits in order to make our loved one’s burden in life easier to bear. Help us to live up to our commitment to one another and to place our marriage covenant at the top of our list of priorities. 

 

We especially do not want to neglect our spouse’s needs for attention, affection, time and consideration. We are not in competition with one another, but members of the same team, joined together by God to lift up one another, and to work together to make our life more fluid, wholesome, and fulfilling. We want to keep our eyes focused on You alone, and to look to You alone to meet all of our needs as individuals and as a couple.

 

Thought for the Day:

God gives each one of us particular talents, strengths, attributes and outlooks in order to benefit our relationship as a whole; remind us that there is always a third option that we can both agree on in order to keep us focused on cooperation and security in our marriage.

- Philippians 2:4 

 

The Symphony of Cacophony

 

The sound of noises in our modern world usually irritates us. We tune out some of them, but others step on our last nerve and rub us the wrong way, causing annoyance and even stress and emotional wounds sometimes. I try to find a positive focus about these interruptions in the normally peaceful existence of our tiny village.

 

One of the main notes in our cacophony of sounds is our daily train schedule. We hear the roar of the metal wheels on the tracks for miles before each train comes through our village. This sounds like a tornado; and at times, it is hard to tell if the noise is a train or a tornado, which we have at certain times of the year.

 

Eventually, the engine on the train reaches the crossroads of the train tracks and our intersecting road into town. This is when the train’s horn breaks the silence in multiple screams, both day and night, to warn on-coming cars of its approach. 

 

Shortly after moving here, I changed my focus to realizing that each train barreling down our tracks is announcing that life goes on normally. I feel peaceful that our economy is on track as well, and that goods and services and businesses are functioning routinely with each train that runs through our woods and fields.

 

The next noise that cuts through the peaceful atmosphere of our existence is the usual Tuesday morning test of the tornado siren. They otherwise use the siren to warn residents that a live tornado is invading our area, so that we can get prepared. 

 

This is very unnerving, but it causes us to grab our important papers and reserve cash, and join our friends, family and neighbors in our church basement, which is located a half block from our home. We get to see people that are normally as busy as we are; and we have the time to chat, meet the new babies and furry critters, and pray for the safety of our town. 

 

The next culprit to challenge the serenity of our existence are the delivery trucks that transport anticipated parcels from personal mail, or mail-order businesses. The trucks’ heavy rumbling down our streets and the squeal of the brakes in front of our home, prompts our quick sprint to our front door to welcome the expected boxes.

 

Then, we have the intermittent hammering and sawing caused by one of our industrious neighbors who are updating or repairing their home. This too is a comforting sound because it shows that these families care about their property enough to improve it and they have the financial means to make these changes. We are so blessed to live in our little neighborhood filled with nature and good friends.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for helping us to focus on the positive about each interruption of the golden silence that we come to expect in our little village. Thank You that life goes on in positive ways, and for Your protection of us during plagues that bring fire and EMS sirens, and tornado warnings.

 

We look to You as our Great Provider, Shelter, Comforter and Support in all of our needs - even when our sleep is interrupted at odd hours of the night, or our schedule for our day is challenged by the unexpected symphony of cacophony that pops us when we least expect it. We trust You with our whole heart, and we know that nothing in this life can separate us from Your love for us (Romans 8:35-39).

 

Thought for the Day:  

My personal favorite interrupter of our peaceful existence in our little village is the sound of our cats playing with the variety of cat toys strewn all over the floor of our house: balls bouncing off walls, bells ringing as they bat toys down the hall, catnip toys crinkling as they pounce on them, lapping from the diminishing water in their bowl, as well as the crunching of their dry food as they nibble a meal; these are all familiar sounds that bring smiles to our lips.

 

Living in the Will of God

 

We pray every day for God's will to be done in the earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this way when He gave them His example of the perfect prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). We have the confidence to know that God chooses the authority over every nation, places a hook in their jaw, and causes them to do only His bidding throughout their time in power.

 

God may have other plans than what we think are necessary for Him to do in these tumultuous times on the earth. It is close to the end of the time of the Gentiles, and Jesus will soon come for His intended Bride for all eternity. Iniquity is getting full over the whole earth, and there is no longer any Christian nation left.

 

At the time of Great Tribulation on the earth, God judges the nations, puts an end to Satan's rule, and re-opens salvation's door for the Jewish nation scattered abroad on the earth. He will also marry Jesus with His intended Bride, and eventually set up His rule on the earth for a 1000-year Millennium followed by Him setting up His eternal Kingdom, just as God planned before the beginning of time. 

 

All that God wants from us is our total trust in Him and obedience to Him with our whole heart. We trade our own to-do list for His will for our life. He calls us to base our thoughts, feelings, choices, beliefs and decisions in the light of His will. His plan promises good gifts for us, as well as promises of hope and eternity (Jeremiah 29:11). 

 

We take joy in doing God’s will, and we are so grateful that He actually writes His law on our heart, which enables us to obey Him in His timing and way. We follow His Spirit’s direction for each moment of our day (Psalm 40:8; Galatians 5:15-25). 

 

Prayer:

Father God, our heart is focused on You in all of the decisions that we make (Psalm 108:1). We are determined to accomplish Your will for our life, so that we can hear Your commendation, “Well done, My good and faithful servant” at Your throned judgment. You put Your desires in our heart, and we follow them determinedly (Psalm 37:4).

 

Your pleasure is for us to do Your will in all things (Ephesians 2:10). We delight in Your intimate union with us, through Your very presence within us, regardless of our circumstances. Thank You for sending Jesus to pay the penalty of our sins, and for perfecting us through patience during our trials. We love you with our whole heart, and we look forward to spending eternity with You.

 

Thought for the Day:

As we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, we walk in divine appointments for all of our days on this earth, which gives us purpose for each new day, and joy that defies human understanding.

- Hebrews 12:2

The Reliable Love of the Lord

 

 

The steadfast, reliable, unconditional love of the Lord never ever ceases. His offer of mercy never expires (Lamentations 3:22-24). His love and grace are never weary of our errant thoughts or words or actions, and He endlessly reaches out to us to join Him in a more intimate union each moment of every day (Psalm 100:5).

 

In fact, every new morning provides us with a fresh flow of His mercy and grace – even though we do not deserve it and we have not earned it. We could never do anything good enough to justify God giving us His mercy or His love. They are His free gifts, provided by His compassion and generous love for the entire world, generation after generation (John 3:16-18). 

 

God’s faithfulness deserves our trust and faith. Once we realize this fact, we have more hope and confidence in His eternal love. This gives us the courage to turn over the control of our life completely to His safekeeping (Proverbs 3:5-6). We submit each moment of our day to Him for His direction and wisdom.

 

Our soul – our thoughts, feelings and choices – gradually learns to submit to His perfect plans for us. This enables us to walk in His Spirit, and the issues and aspects of each day flow more smoothly and our efforts are more uncomplicated. This brings us fulfillment like nothing this earth can ever provide.

 

We are never more blessed than when we finally realize that we can simply and fluently follow God’s direction. This allows us to experience total success in all of our labors and time spent. This fact encourages us to continually wait on the Lord and not to make our own goals or to rush ahead to accomplish them.

 

We do not make our own plans and then expect God to bless them. Neither do we fulfill the desires of our flesh, because we walk in His Spirit instead. Holiness and obedience become the focus of our desires, rather than carnal pursuits (John 14:15-31; Galatians 5:15-25).

 

Prayer:

Father God, when we wonder what Your will is for us, Your Word gives us clear direction: 

·      Rejoice always, 

·      pray without ceasing,  

·      give thanks in every circumstance – good or bad 

·      allow Your Spirit to sanctify us, so we can avoid the destruction and devastation of unrighteous living

·      give You the freedom to work in us what is pleasing to You 

·      to love mercy, to act morally, and to humbly walk with You

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 4:3; Hebrews 13:20-21; Micah 6:8). 

 

This is such good advice, and these verses help us to enter into Your rest and to hang out with the Vine of Christ Jesus, as Your Spirit fills us with Your life-giving sustenance. This fruit-producing sap yields Your fruit in and through our life (Galatians 5:22-23). Your compassion forgives our iniquity, and Your mercy keeps You from destroying us in our tracks (Psalm 78:38, 103:10). You never send judgment unless You give us fair warning first; sometimes, even for years ahead of time so that we can repent (Genesis 6:3), 

 

Thought for the Day:

It is the Lord’s benevolence and compassion that save us in our iniquity, because He is a gracious, patient and merciful God; and in His abundant mercy and truth, He does not consume us or fail us for even one moment in time.

- Psalm 77:8, 78:38, 86:15; Nehemiah 9:31

 

 

Irrepressibly Hopeful

 

 

Our God is awesome in power. He is our strength, and our light. He is with us and in us, holy, almighty, trustworthy, our rest, our help, and love personified. There is no one like Him, He is the only true God, and He rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 31:3, 56:3; Joshua 1:9; Jeremiah 32:17; Isaiah 41:13; Hebrews 3:4; Philippians 4:4, 4:13).

 

God made each star and knows them all by name, and because of His great power none of them are missing. He also numbers each hair growing on and falling from our head. His salvation is eternal, He redeems us, and He esteems those of us who are humble and contrite in spirit and who honor His Word. He arranges the nations of the world, and already make plans for us as He formed us in our mother’s womb (Isaiah 40:26, 44:24, 51:6, 66:2; Genesis 1:16; Psalm 147:4; Deuteronomy 4:19; Luke 12:17).

 

All of these verses, and so many more, inspire me to worship our worthy Lord and to dedicate my life and my love to His service. I feel so sad for those who reject His great salvation (Hebrews 2:3-4), and who cling to humanism or satanic ideology instead. They miss out on a personal relationship with our great and mighty God of compassion and joy all of their life on earth, and even into eternity (John 3:18).

 

The Trinity of God lives within us, and He will never ever leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He hears our prayers while they are still forming in our heart, and He often provides our needs before we even audibly ask for them. He loved us even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10, 19). He holds us in His right hand, and He drives away our fears and fills us with His peace (Isaiah 41:13).

 

God draws us to Himself with loving kindness, and nothing can ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:35-39). We are crucified with Jesus, but we still live on this earth; yet it is actually God who is living in and through us (Galatians 2:20). He adopts us into His family and calls us His own children (1 John 3:1). 

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for filling us with Yourself, and giving us the love of Jesus to sustain us and to share with others (Ephesians 3:16-19). You are the God of gods and the Lord of lords, a great God, our Mighty One who does not compromise Your truth even with mighty men or those who offer You bribes (Deuteronomy 10:17).

 

You keep Your covenants with us, and You show mercy to those who trust in You and walk in Your ways (2 Chronicles 6:14). Thank You for the wondrous things that You do for us each and every day (Psalm 86:10). Our soul blesses You as our great and Mighty One, who is clothed with majesty and honor (Psalm 104:1). We look forward to the fulfillment of our hope in You when You appear as Jesus, our Savior, at the end of this age (Titus 2:13).

 

Thought for the Day:

In a world filled with hate, cruelty, death, sorrow and distress, we trust in God alone, and He fills us with an irresistible hope in His faithfulness and glory; He is worthy of all of our honor and praise, and we rejoice in Him all the days of our life. 

Our Favorite Place

 

In my “flesh”, I am basically a fearful and insecure person – timid, meek, introverted, quiet and withdrawn. To step out of this fleshly persona, I need to step into my spirit and allow the Spirit of God to immerse my soul with His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith (Galatians 5:22-23).

 

My favorite place in the whole world is snuggled beneath the shadow of God’s wings. Usually, He shelters me there all day long, assuring me of His presence in and all around me. Once in a while He will prod me out from under His wing, as He reassures me that He has given me everything that I need in order for Him to use me to accomplish His will in that moment of time .

 

I prefer to stay snuggled under his wing, but each time He nudges me into a divine appointment, I am always happy that I obey His direction. In these times, I am usually able to draw someone’s attention out of their heavy circumstances by helping them to find hope in the Lord’s individual love for them.

 

King David knew that his strength came from the Lord, as is evidenced in His Psalms. God is our rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, stronghold, and our horn of our salvation. We make our refuge in Him, and He saves us from the unpleasantness of this world; therefore, He is worthy of our continual praise (Psalm 18:1-3). 

 

Prayer: 

Father God, You are our strength and our song, You are our entire salvation. You are our Father God, and we will praise You and exalt You forever (Exodus 15:2; Psalm 18:46). Help us never to ignore You, the Rock who brought us into being, nor to forget You since You give us the new birth in You (Deuteronomy 32:18; Psalm 18:31).

 

May the words of our mouth, and the meditation of our heart always be pleasing in Your sight. You are our strength and our Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). You never turn a deaf ear to us, and You never give us the cold shoulder or withhold Your comfort from us (Psalm 28:1). Our heart totally trusts in You, and You always help us. Our heart rejoices and we give You our thanks in our daily praises (Psalm 28:7).

 

Thought for the Day:

I love the Lord, for He hears my voice; and I love the Lord, for He hears my cries for mercy and grace and unity with His Spirit within me; He always turns His ear to me, so I will call on Him as long as I live, even when I am overwhelmed by trouble and sorrow, and the cords of death entangle me, and the grave is creeping up on me, I will sing His praises with a loud voice.

- Psalm 6:8-9, 116:1-9

 

 

A Good Marriage - a Lifelong Commitment

 

Our relationship with one another is a reflection of our unity between us and God. We all have issues and tribulation in life; that is part of living in this sin-cursed world. The challenges we face, the joys we share, the celebrations we enjoy, etc. can draw us closer to each other and to our Father God.

 

If we cherish the presence of God within us, we grow to enjoy His attention, companionship and fellowship. We anticipate His provision even in our negative experiences. Cherishing is important with our spouse as well. As the song-writer stated so succinctly, “Cherish is the word …” 

 

When we cherish someone, we want to spend time with them, snuggle, whisper words of love, pay attention to them, communicate freely at all times of the day and night, to have and to hold each other with deep affection, and to break forth into spontaneous, impromptu songs to each other from the core of our heart.

 

We do not complete one another, but we do complement each other. We balance each other out – our strengths enhance our partner’s weaknesses and visa versa. We are complete only in Christ. We serve God together and seek His will for our union. Our trust, expectations, fulfillment and purpose rely on God rather than on each other.

 

We run to God in our times of need - either together or individually. We complain about our spouse to God, not to our spouse or to the general public. We are quick to forgive, patient to hear our mate’s explanation of their negative words and mood or behavior, and we accept each other as mere mortals, not as some superhero who never fails us.

 

We allow God’s love, grace, patience, goodness and faith in us to flow smoothly to our spouse as we accept each other in spite of our broken promises, disappointments, neglect, idiosyncrasies and humanity. Daily, we pray to God for Him to supply all our needs – individually and as a couple – through His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19).

 

Prayer:

Father God, help to have patience and forgiveness for each other when we are totally irritated or disappointed in our mate’s choices, attitude, words or behavior. As we prayerfully enter Your gates with thanksgiving, and Your courts with praise (Psalm 100) - either together or alone, meet us in all of Your glory with Your wisdom, power, unconditional love, and eternal presence.

 

Increase our patience and loyalty to one another, and also help us to remain devoted to our covenant to remain married until death parts us. Help us to increase in our abilities and our desire to remain as servants to each other and to You, rather than to spend our time chasing our vocational dreams and individual hobbies and habits. Thank You for developing our intimacy with You, so that we can learn the idyllic benefits of guarding our intimacy with each other.

 

Thought for the Day:

When we speak words of encouragement to our spouse, rather than to harp on his/her faults and failings, we encourage them to be the best they humanly can be, and to want to spend more time with us; this also prevents the root of bitterness from springing up and causing a leak in our reservoir of love for one another, which defiles our relationship, family and community of co-workers and neighbors and friends as well.

 

The Negative Versus the Positive

 

Melancholy personalities have the tendency to entertain more negative thoughts and emotions than positive ones. We get in a funk and spiral downward, sometimes we are out of control. This either inspires other melancholy people to join us, or it turns other people away from wanting to be around us.

 

Gratitude is the route to end this downhill descent. In the beginning, I had to make a list every night before I went to sleep of five things in my life for which I was grateful. Sometimes this took a while, because my mind kept wandering to those areas for which I thought that I could not be thankful.

 

Then the Spirit of God stepped in and reminded me that feeling appreciative for the negative aspects of my life was as rewarding as showing gratitude for the positive issues. I started listing the negative features as well, as I thanked God for everything that He allowed to affect my day.

 

God’s will for us is to rejoice always, to pray continually, and to give thanks for every circumstance. In Christ, we find it possible to follow these instructions (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). As we communicate with our Father God throughout our day, we discover the good in every aspect that God allows – knowing that it is for our eventual good (Romans 8:28).

 

In spite of our issues, God’s love endures forever, and makes our path level. We change our focus and experience everything with the thought that patience is having her perfect work in us. The Holy Spirit is changing us from one stage of glory to the next (James 1:4-8; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

 

Even when we are not experiencing any trials at the moment, we take the time to express our gratitude to our Father God (Psalm 106:1). At times, He answers our prayers before we finish expressing them (Isaiah 65:24). His love endures forever and ever. He protects us in ways that we may not ever see. 

 

Prayer:

Father God, so many of Your children are discontent with their lot in life. We forget to thank You for all of Your gifts of blessings and trials. Paul, chained to the prison floor, sang praises to You into the night; and as he did, You loosened him from prison and gave him something to really rejoice about – a jailer’s converted family (Acts 16:25-34).

 

The unstable highway of life often discourages us, until we look at it from Your perspective. You protect us from dire circumstances that we see, and some that we will never know about until we arrive in Heaven. Even when You do not answer us as we expect, You work out everything for our eventual good (Romans 8:28). Thank You for loving us so much.

 

Thought for the Day:

Gratitude has a way of restoring our joy regardless of our trials, and continual prayer keeps us connected to the Trinity of God within us, who keeps us focusing on God’s will for us in every moment of every day, regardless of our issues.

 

Uncovering the Roots of Discontentment

 

 

So many in our world are discontent and discouraged. We set goals for our life and sink into depression when we do not reach them. We strive to reach success in this life through worldly channels rather than spiritual ones that deepen our union with the Trinity of God within us.

 

Selfish ambition and pride drive us to take on more busyness than our soul can support, which affects us spiritually and physically as well. We live with disappointment, frustration and egocentric ambitions that we never achieve, or that are fleeting at best. 

 

Ambitions are like a house of cards, ready to collapse at the slightest breeze of adversity. We strive for success, but often feel neglected, unappreciated, criticized unjustly, disregarded and overlooked. We end up like a hamster on a circular wheel, running madly, yet never getting anywhere or accomplishing anything of value through our continual efforts.

 

A wounded soul, unrealized dreams, unsatisfied desires, and vain attempts at success and financial soundness are what we reap from what we sow in our own efforts. We have no inner peace, and we cannot find any rest for our weary body and soul.  

 

We lose patience with those who love us most, and we build walls of resentment that fence them out of our life. We alienate our support system and end up lonely, unsuccessful and afraid. We respond with the fruit of human disappointment: bitterness, cynicism, anger, harshness, and rudeness. 

 

As authentic Born Again Believers, we respond to life and people with the fruit of the Spirit: patience, love, goodness, joy, gentleness, self-control, kindness, peace and meekness (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit of the Spirit is one key to success in this life. 

 

There is nothing or anyone who can defeat us if we focus on these positive attributes rather than on worldly success and pursuits. They enable us to enter God’s rest and to enjoy His peace that supersedes anything this world can help us to attain (John 14:27-31).

 

Prayer:

Father God, we want to stop spinning our wheels and to start to make traction on the way up the mountain of life by listening to Your Spirit’s direction for each moment of our day. Jesus gave us the formula for success when He told us to be as a little child, rather than to continually strive to be the greatest (Matthew 18:1-5). Teach us that increasing the depth of our union with You is the best way to find contentment in this life.

 

Remind us that Solomon asked You for wisdom rather than for riches, and he received it all as a gift from Your hand. His proverbs give us skill for living, and we benefit from what he learned from his lifetime on this earth. Your Word divulges reams of pages full of heavenly wisdom and spiritual truth. Help us to develop times of regular feasting on its contents. We love You with our whole heart and trust in You to work out Your perfect plans for our life.

 

Thought for the Day:

When we pursue God’s peace, rather than worldly success and acclaim, we stop worrying about the mundane issues of this life and we enter into God’s rest; therefore, humbling our self before the Lord gives us the gateway into His rest and peace.

 

The Inaccuracy or Inerrancy of God’s Word

 

 

When the enormity of Christ’s atonement for our personal sins sinks into our very soul, we cannot help but to weep over the suffering that our behavior caused Him. This fact humbles us to our very core and causes us to determine to end our enslavement to the devil, our flesh and the world.

 

Instead, we choose to become slaves to Christ - our Bridegroom, Savior, Lord and King. We stop making excuses for our addictions and assaulting sins, and we take responsibility for our own thoughts, words and actions. This allows us to truly repent and to permanently walk away from them.

 

At some point in life, many are humbled by the fact that we can never be good enough or do enough good to atone for our own sins (Ephesians 2:8-9). If this were true, Jesus would not have needed to suffer and die the horrendous torture and death on Calvary’s cross to pay the penalty of our transgressions of God’s laws. 

 

Rather, we come to the place where we are convinced of our limitations, and we are eager to walk in His ways rather than our own human devises. We are saved by faith in His righteousness, and ready to accept His ministry of reconciliation to the people in our sphere of influence.

 

From the moment of our conversion and by God’s Holy Spirit, we are saved from the limitations of our own mortality through Christ who abides within us. As we view His sacrifice from the place of personal humility, we realize our need for God, and we submit our life into His safekeeping. 

 

It is only pride, self-centeredness, rebellion and willfulness that prevent our total surrender to God’s perfect plans for our life. Even if some part of us is inextricably drawn to the truth of our need for repentance and redemption, these negative carnal attributes keep us in bondage to Satan’s plans for us. 

 

Even hearing the Gospel story is not enough to turn the heart of many people who prefer to believe the lie of the carnal viewpoint of the world. It may take a complete upheaval of our values and life view to throw our self on the mercy of God for His salvation.

 

Prayer:

Father God, false beliefs lead many away from the truth of Your Word, and they condemn themselves to an eternal life in the torments of hell (Ephesians 2:10). Doubting individuals refuse to believe in spite of Your Word, and the empty tomb, as well as eyewitness reports of those 40 days that Jesus walked on the earth and appeared to many people.

 

The fact that we cannot prove the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension keeps people from embracing Your Truth. They are untouched by the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice for each one of us individually. When we deserved nothing but an eternity in the fires of hell, Your only begotten Son loved each of us enough to obey You and to suffer and die in our place. Prompt us to share this truth with anyone willing to listen.

 

Thought for the Day:

So many learned men have taken it upon themselves to prove the inaccuracy of God’s Word; however, the inerrancy of the Bible wins out every time; even self-proclaimed scholars that introduced contradictory theories to Your Word, such as evolution, fail to fully prove their theory or to supply the “missing link” that is needed to move their theory into the realm of fact. 

 

Our Union with God’s Trinity

 

 

The Lord is never far from any of us. When we seek Him, and cling to Him with our whole heart, we always find Him near to us and in us (Acts 17:27). He keeps His promises to us, is patient with us, deeply cares about the whole world, and desires that we all repent of our wayward life and totally surrender to Him (2 Peter 3:9).

 

God created Paradise in which He desired for us all to abide. A luxurious garden in which Adam and Eve each lived in their immortal body. Yet, the couple decided to heed the lies of the devil, and to live life their own way. This decision lost everything that God wanted for them, and they reaped the destruction from what they sowed in their rebellion against God.

 

Even so, God’s glory rises on us with each new morning, and His light illuminates His paths, which He intends for us to follow (2 Peter 3:9; Isaiah 60:1). We do not adhere to a simple to-do list or 

rote commands, but we live a fluid life guided by His Spirit.

 

Following the Lord is not out of some vague sense of duty, or with an exhausting list of do’s and don’ts. We enjoy a deep union of love with the Trinity of God abiding within us. He energizes us and blesses us as we obey His will (John 14:23-24); and we find His blessings inundating every part of every single day of our life. 

 

Our union with God gives us an abundance of peace and joy regardless of our circumstances. He is within us no matter where we are: a jail cell, a labor camp, our workplace, an uncomfortable social event, our comfy home, our fellowship with the Saints, etc. He never, ever leaves or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5).

 

We live our life in and through Him, we do not make a move without Him, and He is our entire reason for living (Acts 17:28; Colossians 3:3-4). Our unity with God allows us to relinquish control of our life over to Him, as we trust Him with our thoughts, emotions and choices. 

 

Our passion for living increases, because our focus is serving Him; and our fear of dying decreases, because through death, He is calling us home to Himself (Psalm 116:15). Christ-centered reasons for living and dying replace our self-centered, humanistic reasons for our pursuits. We rejoice in His constant blessings in our life.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for redeeming our spirit, renewing our soul (Psalm 23:4), healing our body, and providing for all of our needs (Philippians 4:19). You protect us from violence and deceit, and we are precious in Your sight. Thank You for taking pity on the poor and needy, and for saving the lives of those of us who are oppressed on every side by negative people and circumstances (Psalm 72:13-14).

 

You draw near to our soul, protect us, and ransom us from our enemies (Psalm 69:18). To You we ascribe all the glory and honor and respect that is due to Your name (Philippians 4:20). Thank You that Your mercy toward us is new every single morning, and that Your faithfulness is so great. You are our portion, and with You in us, we have need of nothing (Lamentations 3:22-24).  

 

Thought for the Day:

God loves us enough to place boundaries around our life in order to protect us from the schemes of the devil, the corruption of life in this world, and the destruction of the desires of our flesh; this place of safety allows us to experience His glory, which He planned for us before He knit us together in our mother’s womb. 

- Job 1:10; Psalm 91, 139