The Lord is always everywhere at all times. He knows each thought we entertain, emotion we feel, and action we plan to take (Psalm 94:11). He laughs at most of them because they are so futile (Proverbs 19:21, 37:13; Psalm 2:4, 59:8). Thankfully, His purposes will prevail because our Father knows best (Proverbs 19:21; Psalm 33:11).
He graciously disciplines His children when we stray from His narrow path of safety and grants us relief from trouble when we walk in His ways. He never leaves or forsakes us or rejects us in our times of living according to our own goals (Hebrews 13:5).
Before He disciplined us, we strayed from His path; but afterward, we learn to keep His commandments (Psalm 119:67). His justice is always righteous, and His wise Saints follow His direction (Psalm 94:12-15; Hebrews 13:5). A prayerful life, centered around God’s will for us, enables us to live with constant joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
We devote our life to Him and communicate with Him, heeding His counsel with our spiritual ears and giving thanks to Him with a grateful heart for His care for us (Colossians 4:2; Ephesians 5:20). Our world is filled with His steadfast love toward us, and we actually hunger to know His ways (Psalm 42:1-5).
God is kind in His dealings with us, and He teaches us to make good decisions by using His wisdom, which we value and appreciate (Psalm 119:68, 71). Our trials teach us to keep our mind focused on Him, rather than on worldly, carnal quests.
When we completely surrender our life to Him, our trials are fewer and further between them. He raises us with Christ from the deadly destruction of a life in bondage to sin (Colossians 3:3-4). He teaches us to live with a spiritual mind on heavenly issues and to look forward to dwelling with Jesus in eternity (Colossians 3:1-2).
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for rescuing us from a life of degradation and suffering, for providing for us in all our needs, and for protecting us from the destruction that this world is intent on propagating. Remind us not to ignore Your discipline or to lose heart when You correct us (Hebrews 12:5). It is only from Your love for us that You chastise us (Psalm 119:75; Lamentations 3:33).
Prior to our submission to Your plans for our life, we disgraced our self by our decisions and behavior. We needlessly caused our self pain until we humbled our self and repented of our iniquity. You are our Lord and our God, and we thank You for restraining us from straying from Your peace and wisdom (Jeremiah 31:18-19). You are our good Shepherd who rescues us when we fail to follow after You (Psalm 119:176).
Thoughts for the Day:
When Christ is our whole life, we daily die to our fleshly desires and live a life that is hidden with Christ in God; and when Jesus appears in the clouds to receive His children to Himself, we will dwell with Him in His heavenly Kingdom of glory for ever and ever.
- Colossians 3:3-4
