Fruitful Lives

 

Every time we step out of God’s will for our life, we open our self up to experience unnecessary trials (John 15:6).  Only as we remain connected to the divinity of Christ in us and draw our spiritual, physical, emotional, mental and financial sustenance from Him, do we experience true eternal life and peace (Romans 8:6). As we abide in Him, the divine nature of Christ in us will deal with any trouble that comes into our life. We cast our self on Christ, as helpless trustees of His Kingdom, ready to depend on Him in all things.

Any anxiety, stress, fear or concern in our heart signals an idol in our life, which we did not yet fully surrender to God. We surrender it and then place our self trustingly into God’s capable hands for safekeeping and to use as He wills. We no longer take charge over our life, because God directs our steps (Psalm 37:23). We watch the hands of God mold us from a lump of clay, into a vessel of honor for His use. We start each new day fully surrendering to His ministrations of our every need.

Christ who is our life dwells within our spirit (Colossians 3:4). We do not isolate our self from life in order to abide fully in Christ. We follow the guidance of His Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. We live fruitful lives, which God uses to feed those who hunger after Him (John 15:5). We can still function in the vocation in which He calls us to serve. We simply do all things for His glory, no matter what our profession happens to be. We live through our spirit, as we work in our body and love Him with every fiber of our soul.

We abide in Christ and He abides in us (1 John 2:28, 3:24; Ephesians 2:10). We are completely surrounded by Christ, because we live in Him and He lives within us. Faith in God’s faithfulness frees our soul from the trials and worries of life. The abiding Christ in us liberates us from the endless draw from sin and the world. God keeps us in and through all evil (Matthew 6:13). Submission to God guarantees that if we resist the devil, he must flee from us (James 4:7-8).

Therefore, attaining perfection through Christ in us is definitely within our reach. In faith, we cease from our efforts to achieve, and instead we obey God’s Spirit each moment of the day. Sin is not inevitable. Christ in us can live a sinless life in, through and instead of us, because He keeps us from evil and protects our soul from slipping into sin (Psalm 121:7). We consciously die to our humanity each morning and abide in Christ throughout the day. If our flesh happens to lift its dead head, Christ will gain victory over it.

We rise to the level of Christ-centeredness, which God provided for us to enjoy. We live in joyful consecration to our living Lord. By faith, we obey God’s direction for each moment of our day. The bond of our branch to His Vine is secure (John 15:5). God establishes the heart of the humble and the blameless forever (Psalm 112:8). He constantly restore us and strengthen us to enjoy a solid and faithful walk in Him each day of our life (1 Peter 5:10).

Prayer:

Father God, the heroes in the Hebrews Hall of Faith all achieved this status because they obeyed You in the specific area in which You called them. There was no mustering up of volumes of faith, just obedience to Your call in their life. Your plan is for all of us to live in this same simple faith in Your faithfulness that strengthens our obedience. You establish us all as living stones, a holy priesthood, a royal nation and your chosen people (1 Peter 2:5,9).

Thought for the Day:

Commit each of your trials to our Father’s care and obey with faith in Him through each moment of it.

Transcendent Peace

 

If asked what their greatest need is, humanity would probably say, “To be loved and to have peace.” They share this intimate detail with longing in their voice and a vague sense of hopelessness, as if they truly believe they will never acquire either one of them in their life. It is a far off dream that is conceivable only in their mind’s eye: a wisp, a vapor of an idea that is just beyond their grasp. They come to this hopelessness due to the millennia of time these very prizes were sought and lost by them, as well as so many others before them.

There is a remnant of humanity, however, that walks in perfect love and peace. They shine as lights in this world of darkness and they attempt to light the candle of life in all of those within their circle of relationships. Striving endlessly, they desire to impart to everyone they meet the secret they found to securing these prized possessions for themselves. They have no desire to keep these treasures hidden, but to share them with anyone humble enough to receive them.

There is very little peace in this world, but we can find a facsimile of it from time to time. Only the humble may receive the key to unlock the door to this utopian existence. If there is an ounce of rebellion in the soul of the seeker, there is no hope that they will enter this illusive door to eternal love and peace. No amount of money, status, possessions or people in our life is gratifying apart from this deep inner peace. This tranquility that we all covet only comes from one place, the Spirit of God.

The door to Utopia is Jesus Christ, and the way to enter the door is to repent of all self-centeredness in exchange for total Christ-centeredness. Living a life hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3) is the only way that we will enter this eternal realm of unconditional love and peace. The Kingdom of God is not centered on earthly values and activities, but is full of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17-19).

Living in total submission to God’s Will for our life is a fearful realm to enter. We think of all the scenarios that God could put us in, if we totally surrender to Him, and we blanch at the possibilities. We hear of people selling all they have and moving to remote countries to preach the gospel. We hear of top executives leaving their lucrative professions and taking on the challenge of pastoring a poor little congregation on the edge of some small, remote town.

Jesus proclaimed Himself as the only way, truth and life (John 14:6). Jesus gives us His peace that surpasses anything this world has to offer, because He already overcame the world (John 14:27, 16:33). If we depart from evil, do good, seek peace and pursue it, we will find it in Jesus Christ (Psalm 34:14). The Lord gives strength to His people and blesses His people with peace (Psalm 28:11).

The future of the man who walks in holiness is peace (Psalm 37:37). Those who love God’s law have great peace, and nothing will cause them to stumble (Psalm 119:165). If we keep our mind focused on God throughout the day and trust in Him, He will keep us in His perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). He is not the author of confusion, but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). Therefore our heart will never be troubled or afraid, when our mind is focused on God (John 14:1, 27).

We go throughout our day with joy, because He leads us by His peace (Isaiah 55:12). We are filled with all joy and peace because we believe in Him, and this hope abounds in us by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). In eternity, the mountains and the hills will break out in song and all the trees in the fields will clap their hands together in worship, as every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Isaiah 55:12; 45:23).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we have no need to be anxious about anything. In every situation, we can communicate with You, thank You and petition You for all of our requests. Your peace, which transcends human understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Your power within us (Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6-7). You have only our good in mind. You provide for all of our needs. You require all, but You give us all in return.

Thought for the Day:

The Prince of Peace came as a child to give us peace for eternity.
- Isaiah 9:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:16