Filling the Void Within

God created mankind in order to enjoy our fellowship. He pursues us throughout our entire lifetime, calling us to surrender our will to His Lordship.

His law does not restrict us, but blesses us all the days of our life (Proverbs 16:3; Philippians 4:19; Deuteronomy 30:16). Abiding in the law of the Lord ensures our fulfillment in this life and the next.

We have a personal, cherished relationship with our Daddy God, who knows us intimately (Psalm 139:7-14). Nothing else can ever fill the void designed just for God in our life (1 John 2:15).

Even during persecution or trials, God's presence in our life will walk in us through each negative experience. We can trust in God's faithfulness through tribulation.

We learn about God through His Word, which thankfully, He gave us to guide our life. The Bible also encourages us, inspires us and strengthens us (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

As new believers, our passion for a deeper relationship with God grows daily and continues throughout our lifetime, unless the flames are dampened by the cares of this world.

We prevent this by guarding our spirit, because out of it come the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). We consecrate our every waking moment to the service of our King Jesus.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that we cannot save our self (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that You are our benevolent Father who wants to bless us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3-6).

Help us not to trust in our self-righteousness or holy deeds to earn favor with You, but to realize that our worth comes only from our relationship with You through Christ and by Your Spirit (Romans 12:3-5).

Thought for the Day:

God righteousness assures us of all the benefits of an intimate union with Him. - Romans 3:22

Not Limiting God

 

Believers are actually foreigners here on this earth, because this is not our permanent home (John 17:16-18). We are camping out in this tent of flesh, until God calls us home (2 Corinthians 5:1). Our eternal life starts at Salvation, because it is simply an intimate relationship with God and with Jesus, whom He sent to restore us to Himself (John 17:3).

Satan no longer has dominion over us due to Jesus defeating Him and sin and death at His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:57). God redeemed us through Christ and He purifies our life through sanctification (Titus 2:14; Galatians 3:13; Psalm 66:10). The only limits placed on God are those we impose on Him by our unbelief, because with God all things are possible, if we only believe (Luke 1:37).

In the Christian walk, we surrender our life, goals and plans to God's will for us. We do not make plans and ask God to bless them, because this limits God and what He wants to accomplish through us. God does not want us to work for Him. He gives us the opportunity to give Him control over our life, so that Christ can live in us and work through us (Galatians 2:20: Colossians 3:3).

Jesus does this through His Holy Spirit, whom we receive at salvation. God's Spirit dwells in us and fills us with His wisdom and power (Romans 8:9; Acts 1:8). We take our focus off the things in this life, because we realize that our citizenship is actually in Heaven (Ephesians 2:19; Philippians 3:19-21). This allows us the privilege of dwelling with God for eternity as His adopted children (Ephesians 1:5).

Prayer:

Father God, we long for the day in which we can live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, with the government on His shoulders (Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 11:13-16). Thank You for using creation to preach the gospel to anyone willing to see Your truth (Romans 1:20). In fact, the rocks will cry out if we fail to tell the world of Your love (Luke 19:40). Remind us to faithfully share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone willing to listen. We thank You for redeeming us, for freeing us from the bondage of Satan, death and sin, and for making us part of Your family of Saints. We look forward to You living in us as Your Body for as many years as You have us on this earth; and then living with You, and knowing You even more intimately as the Bride of Christ throughout eternity.

Thought for the Day:

God makes us a holy city and sets us on a hill, so that the whole world can see Him in us (Matthew 5:14-16). We do not belong in this world; we are simply passing through.

Giving God Control

 

There are people who live in every generation who want to know God. They explore several venues provided by Satan and his minions, and many are taken captive by empty philosophies and spiritual sounding half-truths, which come from human traditions and the god of this world, rather than from God Himself (Colossians 2:8). These people stop short of the truth; and, instead, cheerfully believe a lie.

Then there are those who claim to know Christ as their Savior, but they have not made Him the Lord of their life. He is their helper and their insurance policy in times of trouble; they trust Him and they believe in Him, but He is not their Master and King. They have not yet come to a place of absolute surrender of every known area of their life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

However, if we want to live in a place of perfect peace, we will keep our mind constantly in tune with the Spirit of God (Isaiah 26:3). We will do the works, which God created for us to do. We will seek His pleasure in all things, rather than to seek our own pleasure in this life (Ephesians 2:10). Believers realize that the temporal, earthly aspects of this life are all passing away and only the eternal components will last.

Believers are living stones, fitted together into the dwelling place of God (1 Peter 2:5). We walk worthy of the calling He gives us (Ephesians 4:1). We avoid sin and deprivation by walking toward the Light of life (John 1:4; Matthew 5:16). Jesus died in our place and gives us the victory over both sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:57). We have faith in His faithfulness and walk in His divine power within us (2 Peter 1:3).

Prayer:

Father God, I totally surrender every part of my life to You. I want You to have it all. I want to walk in Your divine will and to do the works You created for me before I was ever born (Ephesians 2:10). I devote my every waking moment to You to use at work, at home and at play. Fill my heart with Your love for those You want to love through me.

Thought for the Day:
Everything in our life, which we surrender to God’s control, will come back to us refined and renewed.

What is a Born Again Believer?

Prior to our salvation, we had a body and soul, but our spirit was dead in sin. As a Born Again Believer our spirit is now alive and contains the Spirit of God. We can enjoy constant quiet time within our spirit, regardless of what is occurring in our body or soul. With this regular fellowship, our soul abides in a state of peace, which causes our body to remain in better health and vitality.

This does not happen before we are Born Again. In God’s presence, we refresh our soul. Even if He remains silent, we enjoy the companionable silence of His friendship and lordship in our life. Regardless of our circumstances, we live in serenity in our spirit. As we focus on our connection with Christ in our spirit, He heals the negative feelings of our body and soul.

We look at life from a spiritual rather than an earthly viewpoint. We love Christ immensely; our soul draws nourishment from His existence in our life. His Word comes alive in our mind, His presence comforts our fears and His love pours over us like a waterfall as we keep our mind focused on Him (Isaiah 26:3). We do not need to see Him with our eyes, because we hear him with our inner ear (Matthew 11:14).

We feel His Spirit within us (Colossians 1:27). We float through life as the Spirit of God stirs the waters. We flow with the ebb and current of God’s will. People see God’s life-changing power within us. So many turn a deaf ear or blind eye, preferring to believe Satan’s lies. Others want our same experience, so we travail in birth pains with them. We desire to win people to Christ, so they can live in the love of God with us.

Prayer:

Father God, You are the author and finisher of our salvation. Jesus made this possible by His sacrifice on Calvary’s cross, and Your Spirit drew us to Your precious heart. Thank You for loving us, caring for us and helping us in our doubts and fears. We look to You to provide our daily bread and to lead us away from every temptation, which might bring dishonor to Your name.

Thought for the Day:

Taste and see that the Lord is good. – Psalm 34:9

 

Our Futile Self-Life

In our finite existence, we experience many areas of life, which are so painful and almost impossible to survive. However, with God, all things are possible (Luke 18:27). So, when God dwells in us, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37), and we can accomplish whatever He calls us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Outside of His anointing, we are powerless and our efforts are futile (John 15:5). We reap no lasting value from all of our earnest, but frantic works for God.

In truth, God does not expect us to succeed apart from Him. As Paul declares, we often concede to sin when we actually want to walk in holiness. We cannot even achieve many of the spiritual goals we set for our self (Romans 7:15-24). There is no shame in this. The shame comes when we persist in living for God from our own self-efforts. We continually fall short, and we live in disgrace and depression because of our failures.


Our attitudes influence our body, soul and spirit. Criticism, gossip, self-pity, depression, anger and bitterness all strongly impact our soul, which in turn affects our body and spirit. Once we realize the futility of attempting holiness on our own, we can sigh in relief and stop disparaging and demeaning our character or someone else’s failings (Proverbs 15:4, 18:21). Living a holy life is impossible for us, but more than possible for Christ in us (Colossians 1:27).


Our part is to guard our body, soul and spirit and to live in surrender to God’s will (Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 3:5-6). As we meditate on God’s precepts and guard what we focus on, we will mirror His Word and delight in His Truth (Psalm 119:15-16). We are all lost and undone on our own, but Christ is victorious in and through us. When we come to the end of our self-efforts and completely surrender to God’s Spirit and Lordship, then God can actually use us for His glory.


Prayer:

Father God, we know that Your power is manifest only in our helplessness. As we daily surrender to Your will, You conquer our self-life and fleshly carnality. We are in Your care and You live out Your will in our surrendered life. We are strengthened by Your might in our inner core (Ephesians 3:14-21). Holiness and consecration bring revival in us and in Your church, so help us to deepen our union with You in all things.

Thought for the Day:

It is only as we realize our utter human hopelessness, and depend entirely on God, that He can use us for His glory.

 

 

A Willing Heart

Mother Nature gives us a perfect picture of what it means to be totally surrendered to God. The flowers bloom where they are planted. The animals interact in the area of the world where God placed them. Even the bugs dutifully fulfill their destiny. God’s Spirit and blessings are often blocked in our human life, however, because of our lack of surrender to Him. We miss out on all that God planned for us before we were even born (Ephesians 2:10).

Each of us is the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), but we do not allow Him to feel at home in us. We are so caught up in our own agenda, that we spin our wheels and get nowhere fast. We ignore and neglect God most of time. Some of us remember to give Him a few moments of time before we fall asleep, and some even rise up to give Him an hour of time prior to starting our day. Yet, this is not even close to totally surrendering to Him.

We are too used to maintaining control of our life. We do not want someone else to tell us what to do or to dictate the circumstances in which we live. We fear that we will suffer too much pain and loss if we surrender completely to God. We live in anxiety, fearing that He may send us to darkest Africa or coldest Alaska! Thankfully, God facilitates our surrender by freeing us from sin, calling us to Himself, providing all of our needs and helping us to trust in His faithfulness (Mark 9:24).

God sanctifies us and He will also perfect us, but it takes complete surrender to His plans for our life. God requires a willing heart. Then He will do the rest (Philippians 2:12-13). If we live in the moment, without regretting the past or fearing the future, God will fill us with peace, which exceeds our human understanding. He proves to us how gracious He is and that He plans to give us a future full of hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Jesus is our perfect example of a surrendered life.

Prayer:

Father God, even though You required that Jesus go through the cross, You shortened the time He normally would have hung there (Mark 15:44). You also shorten the time of our trials on earth, and You give us the grace to experience them with victory rather than defeat. You give us the faith and courage to face the future by granting that Your divine nature, which dwelled in Christ, dwells in us through Your Holy Spirit. We believe, and You help our unbelief (Mark 9:24). We completely yield our self to You to use for Your glory.

Thought for the Day:

When we totally surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our life, God uses us for His Glory.

Law of Life in Christ

 

When our spirit is Born Again by the Spirit of God in salvation, we are set free from the Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2). Jesus won this victory for us on Calvary’s cross. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus died to sin once and for us all. He bore the penalty of our sin and gave us His righteousness in its place (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 6:10). Our spirit is alive to God in Christ and our soul – our thoughts, choices and emotions - is now free from sin (1 Peter 6:11; Romans 6:7). 

Our old carnal, human nature is dead and our new, spiritual nature resides in its place (Romans 8:2). We no longer struggle with the sin and depravity that used to plague our life. Paul records his struggle with coming to this conclusion in Romans chapter seven. Then, Paul triumphantly records the culmination of his struggle in the conclusion that the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus sets us free from the Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2; John 8:36).

Satan wants us to believe that we have to struggle with our flesh and go through a long, drawn out crucifixion process. Satan wants to keep us occupied with the struggle Paul describes in Romans chapter seven. However, when we realize the completed work, which Paul clarifies for us in Romans 8:2, we are no longer centered on the temporal, earthly aspects of life. We come to realize just how comprehensive Christ’s work on the cross really is (Philippians 2:12-13).

We focus instead on the eternal, Heavenly aspects of everlasting life, which is ours both now in this life and in eternity. We no longer live in selfishness, pride and rebellion, but we completely surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our life. Our carnal nature is totally dead by our faith in Christ, and is replaced by the fruit of God’s Spirit. We no longer reap the negative consequences of a carnal lifestyle, because we enjoy the eternal advantages of a life complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10).

Prayer:

Father God, I see as Paul did that there is no need to pray for more love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith, because they are all part of Your nature, which resides within us from the moment of our salvation. We really are a totally new creation with all the attributes of Your triune Being living within us (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Colossians 1:19). Our carnality is now dead, and our life is completely hidden with Christ in You (Colossian 3:3).

Thought for the Day:

Jesus Christ really is our whole life. - Colossian 3:4

 

Praying in the Spirit

We follow God’s directive to witness to all the world by sharing what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes and what we read in God’s Word (Mark 16:15; 1 John 1:1). The Christ that we serve was God when He came in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). We have this Good News to share with anyone willing to listen. He allows us to experience a personal relationship with Him, which is deeper than any human relationship we could ever enjoy.

When Jesus returned to His rightful place in Heaven, God did not leave us as orphans, but came to us as the Holy Spirit. He calls us to repent of our sin and surrender our life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9). Even though unsaved people cannot fathom this wondrous relationship with the Spirit of God, it is always available to everyone who believes (John 14:16-17). He is the promised helper from Christ, the Spirit of truth, and He is with us and in us forever (John 14:16-17).

The Spirit fills us each new day by energizing our spirit (Ephesians 5:18). He leads us by His peace within (Philippians 4:7). Our prayers to God by the Spirit are powerful and effective (James 5:16-18). The Spirit gives us divine authority to demolish spiritual strongholds that arise up against the knowledge of God (Matthew 17:20; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). God leads us by His Spirit. He teaches us all things and reminds us of everything Jesus said to us (John 14:26).

We always pray in the Spirit for everyone (Ephesians 6:18). We do not need eloquent words, long prayers or loud voices; we just use sincere words from our heart to God’s (Ecclesiastes 5:2; Mathew 6:7-8). We confess our sins and He faithfully and justly forgives us (1 John 1:9). We do not have to be anxious about anything, because when we petition God in prayer, giving thanks to Him for all He already did for us, He guards our soul and spirit and provides for all of our needs (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:6-7).

When we come to God, we have confidence, that if we ask anything according to His will and for the purpose of our service to Him, He always hears us (1 John 5:14-15). When we cry to the Lord, He brings us out of the storm and into His quiet place of refuge (Psalm 107:7-8). He heals the sick (John 9:30-32), heals wounded hearts (Psalm 147:3) and generously gives us wisdom as we come to Him in prayer (James 1:5). His Spirit helps us to pray even when we cannot form the words (Romans 8:26-27).

Prayer:

Father God, when we come to You in prayer, You put to flight the devil and his demons (Mark 9:29), You heal the sick (James 5:14-15) and You give us power over our enemies (Psalm 6:9-10). You have complete power over every person and every circumstance on the earth (Daniel 4:35). We have total confidence in You, because we are Your people and You are our God (Zechariah 13:9). Help us to keep our eyes on You, and You will keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Thought for the Day:

Be alert to the Spirit within and always pray for one another. – Ephesians 6:18

Closer than a Brother

 

 

King David experienced every type of mental and physical anguish that we do. He worked out his feelings through writing his psalms. Now, David’s words give us solace too. David expressed the full gamut of human pain, as well as the consolation, which the Lord constantly provided for him. The only time the joy of the Lord flees from us is when we languish in our illnesses, sorrow and petty concerns, rather than looking to God in them.

In the dark places of life, we want a friend who will stick closer to us than a brother. The Body of Christ provides just such comfort for us, as well as Christ who dwells within our spirit. The presence of Jesus, “Emanuel”, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), fills each of us. His solace permeates our soul – our mind, decisions and emotions – to the extent to which we allow Him full reign and control over our life. God gives us His peace as He comforts our trouble soul (John 14:27). We are a reflection of Him in the earth.

The joy of the Lord is our constant strength (Nehemiah 8:10). We no longer entertain any anxiety in our soul about our life. We take no thought about the fundamental needs of food and shelter. God cares for His children, just as He cares for the birds and lilies. As we seek God’s purpose for our life and walk in His ways, we have His guarantee that He will provide for us (Matthew 6:25-33). Even if we wander in the desert of life, God sends clouds for shade, fire to keep us warm, manna and quail to eat and shoes and garments, which never wear out (Exodus).

God’s grace provides for our every need and is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9). He works out all things, even the most difficult of events, for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). These difficulties work His character into our soul and prove to us that He is worthy of our praise and trust. Jesus is our bread of life (John 6:35), and He is our all sufficiency (2 Corinthians 9:8). Jesus fills every chamber in our body, soul and spirit with His peace, love and comfort.

Prayer:
Father God, our faith increases with every verse of scripture on which we meditate, every moment we spend in abiding in Christ within us (Colossians 1:27) as well as every time we turn to You in our weakness. We surrender the control of our life to You, we take no thought for what tomorrow may hold and we forgive our self for the sins of our past. Remind us that any negative emotions signals an area of our life, which we did not yet surrender to Your Lordship in our life. We look to You for your love, peace and joy, which comes to us through the presence of Your Holy Spirit in our life (Romans 14:17).

Thought for the Day:

Hope prophesies that God is always with us no matter what circumstance we encounter. – Psalm 139:7-14; Proverbs 18:24

Returning to God

Read: John 13: 3-5

“For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.” – John 3:34

Jesus came from God and He looked forward to returning to God. He knew that His Father put all things under His power. Even so, He wanted to give His disciples one last lesson; so he washed their feet. He showed them how to use humility to prefer and to serve one another (John 13:3-5). He gave them an object lesson by His actions. He did not have to say a word.

Jesus showed the disciples that although we have power and authority from God, we do not have to act superior to others, insist upon our own way or demean anyone else. Jesus called people to a surrendered life, but He never forced anyone to submit to Him and He made no demands upon their lives. If someone chose not to follow Him, He willingly let them go.

God freely gives us His limitless Spirit and calls upon us to serve in this same manner that Jesus did. We are to use humility and to prefer and serve one another. Paul learned this lesson as well, and told us not to use our freedom to indulge our sinful nature; but to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13). Jesus wants followers who love Him with all of our thoughts, actions, emotions and strength (Mark 12:30), and then to submit to one another out of our worship for Christ (Ephesians 5:21).

Things of this world grow dim when we compare them to the eternal glories of heaven. We will spend eternity with the Trinity, the angels and every believer who ever lived. This thought should provoke in us the same eternal mindset Jesus exhibited. We do this by keeping our focus on Him and allowing His Spirit to lead us each moment of the day as we care for the needs of others (Philippians 2:3-4). Even Peter instructs us to use our gifts from God to serve others (1 Peter 2:16; 4:10).

By praying without ceasing, we fellowship with our Father all day long (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We follow the example Jesus set (Acts 10:38). We are guided and counseled by God’s Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25). This gives us the confidence to reach out to others and to share with them what God gives to us.

Once we repent of our sins and surrender our life completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we are assured of a place in the Heavenly Kingdom as the bride of Christ. We have the entire power of the full godhead – the Father, Son and Spirit – residing in our spirit through Christ (Colossians 1:19). We are saved to serve and free to enjoy the blessings of the Body of Christ (Luke 1:74).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You gave us your Spirit, and all of your power and authority. You desire that we love You first and love our neighbor as our self (Mark 12:33). This is more important to You than all the sacrifices and offerings we could ever make to You. I surrender to You my thoughts, will and emotions. I give my body as a living sacrifice to You as my Lord and my God (Romans 12:1). Into your hands I also commit my spirit (Psalm 31:5). Use all of me to do Your will for eternity.

Thought for the Day:

Love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. – Luke 10:27




Thank you, Zoe Novak, for the use of your photo.