Relinquishing Our Hold on This Life

 

We have no need to fear death or to cling to this life. We can relinquish our desires to succeed in this society, because it is only a vapor on a cold winter's day (James 4:14). It quickly dissipates.

Our dependence on earthly advantages leave us insecure at best. As we value our temporal life with less importance and put a higher priority on our spiritual life, our levels of stress, fear, anxiety and depression about our life on this earth diminish.

Satan's lies and negative self-talk, which comes from significant others in our life and fills our mind, attempt to rob us of our confidence in God's love.

It is important for us to reject these negative thoughts and attitudes as they pop up and replace them with God's truth (Philippians 4:8). We agree with what God says about us in His Word. http://vintagelawrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ANDERSON_WhoIAmInChrist.pdf

As we develop a habit of prayer, this proves our dependence upon God. It humbles us and glorifies God who holds all power, glory and honor in His hands.

Only as we snuggle in the palm of God's hand are we safe. He prevents life from separating us from His love (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:35-39). We are sealed in Him by His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14).

As a child of God, Christ is in us and we are the temple of His Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). There is no need for us to belittle our self or to believe these negative lies. 

God cares about our heartaches and He bears our burdens as we share them with Him (1 Peter 5:7). He helps us in all of our troubles (Psalm 46:1). We go to God with every distress and He keeps our tears in His bottle to revenge in His way and timing (Psalm 56:8).

We can pray in our own words about the real issues which affect our life. Our needs, feelings, wounds and failings are His concern too. We can trust Him to meet all of our needs as we make His Kingdom our priority in this life (Matthew 6:33).

Prayer:

Father God, You are our God, and You save us and preserve our life as we trust in You (Psalm 86:2).  You already know the end of time from the beginning; and Your purpose will stand through it all as You carry out Your pleasure (Isaiah 46:10). As we read accounts of Your goodness throughout Your Word, it builds our faith. We sing joyfully of Your righteous choices in the affairs of our world.

You are compassionate and gracious, a good, good God; and we are loved by You. You are slow to anger and great in loving kindness and You never send judgment without first sending ample warning and time to repent. You are good to all; and we see Your tender mercies through Your works in times past, as well as today (Psalm 145:7-9).

Thought for the Day:

God is the Lord of hosts and is exalted in all the earth, our God who is holy in all of His righteous decisions; and when we pass from this life to Heaven, we go immediately into the presence of God. - Isaiah 5:16

God's Hand in Our Life

 

Are you traversing a season of sorrow in your life? Have earthly comforts failed you? Are you in financial difficulty? Only when we turn to Christ do we obtain everlasting solace and limitless supplies (2 Thessalonians 2:16,17; Philippians 4:19). When someone or something comes against God’s beloved, He takes it very personally (Zechariah 2:8). We are precious in His sight (Isaiah 43:3). He enriches us in every way because of His love for those who dedicate their life to Him (1 Corinthians 1:5). We trust Him because He always helps those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10). 

God’s will is not an objective to achieve, but a lifestyle to live. When we develop this type of relationship with the living Lord, where our only desire is to do His will, we move into the realm of an eternal viewpoint. Focalizing our vision on God’s desires, we pause to find His will before embarking in a new direction or activity. Recognizing that we are already dead in Christ to our sinful nature, we no longer allow sin any sway over our choices nor do we fall prey to Satan’s temptations (Galatians 5:19-21; Colossians 3:3-4). Self-centered ambitions play no part in our life.

Jesus disarmed all authority in the kingdom of darkness by His death and resurrection (Colossians 2:15). Now all authority on earth and in Heaven belongs to Christ (Matthew 28:18). As we recognize this truth in our life, we realize that we no longer live in bondage to the flesh, to the world or to Satan. The thoughts, choices and emotions of our soul are now centered in Christ. Satan’s attempts to threaten and inflict us with His demonic influence no longer have any hold over the authentic Born Again Believer. We are alive with Christ now, and seated with Him in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 2:5-6).

We submit to human authority as unto the Lord, unless they require that we disobey God’s principles. The freedom we receive as Christians does not call us to indulge in sinful behavior, but to reign supreme over the devil and his minions. No matter what we do in life as a housewife, a financial planner, a pastor, a car mechanic, a missionary, a medical professional, a church planter, a beautician, etc, we all serve Him with our life. He draws us to Himself and sanctifies our soul until His divinity reigns supreme in our life. If we choose to submit our life to our carnal impulses, we lose our fellowship with and our protection by the divine Trinity.

Prayer:

Father God, show us the evidence of Your hand in our life. Make us aware of the little love letters You give us each day. Remind us to bring our needs to You and to dress in Your armor before we do Your will each day of our life (Ephesians 6:11-13; Ephesians 2:10). Help us to draw near to You and to resist Satan’s allurement to draw us back into the flesh and carnality. When we see a negative emotion in our life, help us to identify the idol causing that discord in our life, which is standing between us and You. Produce Your fruit in us so we can shine as stars in the heavens for your glory (Philippians 2:15; Galatians 5:22-23).

Thought for the Day:

Rather than to involve yourself in sinful activity and willful disobedience to Christ, draw nearer to God and Satan will have to flee from you. – James 4:7