Ceasing from Futile Efforts

Much of what we do in this world is busyness. We get overly involved and double-booked in our schedule; yet make no time for play, worship and fellowship with family and friends.

We burn the candle at both ends until we burn out, making our self sick in the process. We have so many irons in the fire that we can barely keep everything straight even with a calendar and sticky notes.

We have so little of our self to put into each endeavor that they are all lacking to some degree or another. We constantly run from one plate to another to keep them all up in the air and spinning.

The rare person who learns the value and secret of entering God's rest, ceases this striving in the flesh, follows the leading of God's Spirit each moment of the day, and trusts in God's overall plan for their life (Hebrews 4:7-10).

They are more interested in accomplishing the works which God preordained for them to do than in fulfilling their own goals and agendas (Ephesians 2:10).

They are not tempted by the world, the flesh or the devil to compete or to get ahead in this world. The trappings of life have lost their glitter and are no longer appealing.

Lining up their desires with the purpose of God for their life, they love Him above all else and they hunger and thirst for the manifestation of His presence to fill their body, soul and spirit (Ephesians 3:18-19).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for Your law, which showed us the futility of attempting to reach fulfillment by human means and measures. We are so glad that Your law pointed us to Christ and His finished work on Calvary.

A life in Your presence is ours once we convert from a child of this world to Your child - forever free of the cares of this life and joyously cared for by You (John 3:16-18; Romans 3:19-25; 1 Peter 5:7). Thank You for using us to demonstrate Your righteousness to the world around us and draw us ever closer to Your rivers of living water within us.

Thought for the Day:

What time is there in life for rest, recreation, serenity and fulfillment amidst the turmoil of agitated rushing after useless pursuits in a state of disorder, the tyranny of cares and the mountain of depression rising within our soul?

Undeniable Truth

Receiving God's Word as undeniable Truth is the first requisite for a life infused with love, joy, peace and power. When we doubt, we are in sin (Romans 14:22-23).

Yet, God lets us off the hook with one particular story. It is a man requiring a miracle and he humbly requests. "Lord, I do believe, but help my unbelief" (Mark 9:23-25).

How can he have faith and doubt at the same time? Didn't you ever feel this way? In your spirit you knew without a doubt that God could, but in your soul - your mind, choices and emotions - you wondered if He would.

Faith can move mountains and it often does. Faith can change lives, if the person humbly submits to God. Faith can give us hope in a hopeless situation.

Regardless of the amount of faith we have, God is not an Aladdin's lamp at our disposal to grant all of our wishes. He has a perfect plan for our life and some of that plan includes struggle and strain.

Not because God is mean of an ogre or vindictive, but He knows that our struggle makes us stronger. Look at a butterfly emerging from its cocoon or a chick coming out of its shell.

The struggle increases their ability to live in this world. If we help them and make it easier for them, they will most likely die. God planned for every struggle to bring us the strength to survive.

God connects us to the Vine of Christ. We draw every nutrient we need for an abundant life from the very blood of Christ. We bear fruit not by our own effort, but by the life of the Vine flowing through us.

Then, what does God do? He prunes us so we can bear more fruit - a temporary trial which makes us stronger. Yet, He does not stop there. He prunes us again so that we will bear much more fruit.

Prayer:

Father God, in the productive stages of our life, when we have learned the lessons brought to us through our pruning, we have an abundance of Your Spirit running through us from the Vine and we love who we are in Christ.

We do not need to be a separate plant in order to feel pride in our accomplishments. We are thrilled to have the privilege of abiding in our union with the Vine of Christ. Thank You for caring so much about the whole world that You chose to become Emmanuel and pay our sin debt for eternity (John 3:16-17).

Thought for the Day:

We love who we are in Christ and we rejoice when a new branch is connected to the Vine along with us. The Body, the Bride of Christ all intimately united with the amazing Son of God.

True Wisdom

Most people dedicate their life to making this world a better place, but someone comes along right behind us and takes the credit or destroys our lifetime of accomplishments.

God has used many individuals to change our world, such us Richard Pearse's airplane, Charles Babbage's computer, Madam Curie's radium, Alexander Fleming's penicillin. Yet, we use their products without recalling their name or contribution.

The self-help gurus and life coaches in today's society teach us that our real power comes from within our self. They tell us to trust our heart or our gut feeling. They promote intuition and self-reliance (Jeremiah 17:9).

They revel in all sorts of ungodliness and encourage others to do them as well (Romans 1:30-32). They set us up for failure, because apart from Jesus Christ we can accomplish little of any importance (2 Timothy 4:4; John 15:5).

We work diligently to inspire others; yet, we are just spinning our wheels. Apart from Christ in us we can do absolutely nothing that matters now or in eternity (Philippians 4:13).

Hopefully, as you sit in your quiet place, you will contemplate the presence of God in this world, realize your lack and cry out to Him for His salvation (Psalm 46:10).

Only when we come to Christ do we have true light and wisdom within us (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 2:14). With God in control of our life, we have the understanding and direction to accomplish His will for our life (James 1:5; Ephesians 2:10).

His Word lights our way in this dark and perverse world in which we live (Psalm 119:105). His presence gives us all that we need to live a Godly and fulfilling life on this earth (2 Peter 1:3).

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to prioritize our life according to Your principles and values (Ephesians 2:1-22). Humble us before it is too late for us, so that we can receive Your instruction and discretion rather than worldly gain (Proverbs 8:9-11, 17; Psalm 91:14; John 14:21; James 1:5).

True success in life comes only from pursuing You with our time and energy (Proverbs 3:16; 8:18, Psalm 119:1-2, 128:1-2; Matthew 6:33). Thank You for providing the opportunity for us to inherit Your Kingdom as co-heirs with Christ (Proverbs 8:21; Romans 8:17).

Thought for the Day:

God wants to give self-confident fools His true wisdom and truth along with an understanding heart. - Proverbs 8:5; Isaiah 32:6