The Father's Comfort

 

When we focus on God through life's issues, He gives us refuge and never leaves our soul destitute (Psalm 141:8; Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10). There is no reason to fear what life may throw at us, because He will help us (Isaiah 41:13).

God's love for us is unconditional and everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3). We did nothing to earn it, and we can do nothing to lose it. It is perpetually ours (Malachi 3:6; Matthew 28:20).

As authentic Believers, we enjoy continual fellowship with God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who abides within us by His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:9).

I am not a great fan of darkness. I like street lights outside my window at night, or a nightlight on in the bathroom. I am not afraid of the dark, but I am a fan of seeing what is around me at all times.

When the sky is cloudy and hides the stars; when the moon is in the dark new moon phase of its cycle; and when there is no electricity all at the same time, I feel like I am blind and I feel stuck in my body with no way to escape.

However, God gives us the treasure of His Holy Spirit within us, even in the darkness. His riches, which He hides in secret places, are always ours to enjoy - even when days are dark and hope is waning (Isaiah 45:3).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that Jesus is the light of the world, and there is no darkness as we walk in Your ways (John 8:12). Joshua is a good example to us of listening to Your direction. The walls of Jericho posed an impossible obstacle. As Joshua obeyed Your instructions, the walls fell straight down. Even archeology proves the accuracy of this Biblical account.

Joshua did not use human reasoning to capture the city; but He followed Your will for seven days, and then the city fell before his eyes (Hebrews 11:30). The wisdom of man is foolish when compared to Your ways (1 Corinthians 3:19). Teach us to acknowledge You in all of our thoughts, words and deeds (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Thought for the Day:

With Christ in us, we are also the light of the world; as we rest our soul in Christ and bask in the mercies and comfort of God, He uses us to bring His truth and comfort to our world. 

- Matthew 5:14-16, 11:28; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Consulting the Lord

Joshua took over the leadership of Israel from Moses. He followed in Moses’ footsteps and sought God's direction for each decision he made and every action he took. He had no confidence in his own ability and He generally relied on God’s counsel. 

God promised to give Joshua every part of the land where he set his feet. God also declared that no army would stand against him (Joshua 1:3,5). Therefore, with a few successful battles to his credit, Joshua’s fame traveled throughout Canaan (Joshua 6:27).

This caused his heart to swell with pride, and He got overly confident. He started believing the praise awarded to him, rather than giving credit to the Lord. The unconventional warfare God told Joshua to use at Jericho (Joshua 6:20) puffed up his confidence. Therefore, at the next battle, in the tiny town of Ai, Joshua did not bother to consult the Lord.

He relied on his own wisdom instead. He sent up an army of about three thousand men, expecting to hear of their anticipated victory. However, God taught Joshua a lesson through this and allowed the few men of Ai to defeat Joshua’s army (Joshua 7:3-4). 

God humbled Joshua, and he ended up embarrassed and dejected. It happened again when the Gibeonite ambassadors tricked Joshua by their deceptive words (Joshua 9:14-22). Joshua foolishly believed he could handle these decisions without the Lord’s direction. 

We do this too. We forget to pray and to seek God's counsel when salesmen pressure us, friends and family manipulate us and those in authority over us demand things from us. True success in life only comes when we seek advice from the Lord before making a decision, and follow His advice even if it is not popular or seems not to make sense. Hindsight proves that God is right.

Prayer:

Father God, as Your children, we will need to make some important decisions throughout our lifetime. We have the choice of following a humanistic plan of action or of seeking Your divine direction. Remind us to trust in You with all of our heart and not to lean on our own understanding. 

Help us not to be wise in our own eyes, but to consult You (Proverbs 3:5-7). That way we will not be anxious about anything, but we will pray about everything and present our requests to You (Philippians 4:6). When we lack wisdom, we can ask You, because You give it generously to all without finding fault (James 1:5).

Thought for the Day:

Consult the Lord in whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

- Proverbs 16:3

Fellowshipping with the Trinity

<!--[endif]-->Prior to salvation, we lived as slaves to sin and pawns in Satan’s plan (Romans 7). Even after salvation, our sin of omission or commission builds a wall between us and our fellowship with the Trinity. No matter how slowly or how high the wall goes up – we feel a separation and distance from our Lord and Savior (Romans 1:18). Our prayers hit the ceiling, our joy ebbs and our peace is overwhelmed by stress and negative emotions. Without righteousness, there can be no lasting peace and joy.

We are separated from God due to our rebellion and unbelief (Romans 14:17). This severance of our union with Christ bitters our soul. Then, resentment becomes the mortar we use to adhere the stones of willful sin in place. As the wall rises ever higher, fears riddle our soul. We gradually grow more anxious and hopeless. Eventually, some even feel animosity toward God and rail against Him, hurling accusations at Him and slandering His name to anyone who will listen. We end up punishing our self by removing our self from the protection and provision of our Heavenly Father.

One day we finally wake up, and with humility and grace we surrender our life to Christ. We live as slaves to righteousness and bondservants to Christ who lives within us by His Holy Spirit (Romans 1:1, 6:18). When temptations come our way, we draw near to God, resist the devil, and Satan has no option but to flee from us (James 4:7). If we happen to sin, God is faithful and just to forgive that sin (1 John 1:9). However, as we walk in the Spirit, the lusts of the flesh are no longer a temptation (Galatians 5:16, 25). If we are born of God, we cannot live in habitual sin (1 John 3:9).

God wants more for us than just to redeem us from our sins. He also longs for a Bride without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). That is why God was in Christ, reconciling us to Himself (Colossians 1:20). He showed us His love, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Now, there is joy among the angels when every sinner repents (Luke 15:10). We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). As we keep our focus on Christ, He authors and completes our salvation as well as our perfection (Hebrews 12:2; James 1:4). By God’s Spirit, we are one with Christ and our life consists of doing our Father’s business instead of our own (Luke 2:49).

Jesus recognized that He could do nothing of Himself, and that He and the Father are one (John 5:19, 10:30). After salvation, we are also one with God through Christ. Jesus has the mind of God, and this mind is in us (1 Corinthians 2:16). Our union with Christ deepens as we focus on His work in us, through us and instead of us. We repent of our sins and walk away from our agenda of self-effort and good works. At first, we have to practice listening to God’s Spirit as He guides us through our day. Slowly, it becomes second nature for us to follow the Spirit’s direction for each moment.

Prayer:

Father God, Joshua is a good example to us of listening to Your direction. The walls of Jericho posed an impossible obstacle. As Joshua obeyed Your instructions, the walls fell straight down. Even archeology proves the accuracy of this Biblical account. Joshua did not use human reasoning to capture the city; but He followed Your will for seven days, and then the city fell before his eyes (Hebrews 11:30). The wisdom of man is foolish when compared to Your ways (1 Corinthians 3:19).

Thought for the Day:

Fellowship with the Trinity and listen to God’s Spirit within you to accomplish His will for your life moment by moment.
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Thank you, Amazing World and Shirley Kreamer for sharing this photo.