Hidden out of Sight

When we embark on our Christian quest, we learn to recognize Jesus in every aspect of our day - positive and negative. When something is hidden, it cannot be seen; it is invisible and under a cover. It is not readily accessible, except to the one who hid it.

We are hidden with Christ in God, but He knows exactly where we are. We are not alone, because we are filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19, Amplified Bible). We are in an intimate union with Jesus by His Spirit.

We live in the center of God's will, led by His Holy Spirit because Christ is our whole life (Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:3-4). Sin is not an option for us, when Christ is pre-eminent in our choices. We have no attraction to unrighteousness, and no desire to grieve God's Spirit within us (Ephesians 4:30).

God calls us to live in such a manner that when people look at us, they see Him rather than us. This occurs when we give God the credit and glory for the deeds He accomplishes in and through us. We run to Him, follow His path for us, and give Him all of the glory for what He accomplishes through our life.

The righteousness of Christ consumes us, fills us, and crowds out any ungodly desires or behavior. We are not separate from Christ. We are unified with Him as one being (Galatians 2:20). By following His peace within us, we recognize the will of God, for each moment of our life.

This peace rises above all physical, emotional, mental, natural, and human thoughts and reasons (Philippians 4:7-9). We do not trust our heart, because it is unreliable (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Instead, we discern God's will in our spirit, and this floods our soul with His peace.

Prayer:

Father God, You are our all in all - one God of all people, and Lord of all, as You work through all and abide in us all. We start this adventure by inviting You to dwell within our spirit (Ephesians 4:6). Then, before we do or say anything, we want to consult You rather than to depend on our own plans and viewpoint (Proverbs 3:5-8).

Thank You for directing our thoughts, words and actions every time that we consult You for Your will for each moment of our life. We trust You with our whole heart to provide for and to protect us in every issue of life. We promise to cease from consulting our human wisdom, and to rely on Your wisdom instead. We love You with every fiber of our being, and we are thankful for all of Your blessings on each moment of our day.

Thought for the Day:

When we trust in, rely on and obey God during each moment of our day, He keeps us on track for success, gives us the best of everything, and fills our resources with abundance for every good work that He calls us to allow Christ to preform through us.

- Proverbs 3:5-8; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 2:10

Inner Peace, Joy and Contentment

When God’s Spirit fills us, we cannot help praising Him. We even wake up with a song flowing through our mind. Once we go to the Cross of Christ and surrender our sin-filled life, the Spirit brings forth new life through His fruit and He starts to rid us of every obstacle that blocks His flow. The more obstacles in us, the more trials we endure. The quicker we relinquish our self-centeredness to Him, the less tribulation we encounter. Even when we do go through the normal trials of life, our attitude is so spiritually-minded that the natural issues do not rob us of our peace, joy and contentment.

Prior to salvation, our spirit is dead in sin (Ephesians 2:5). After Salvation, our humanity is dead to sin. We die with Christ through His death and we can no longer live in habitual sin (Romans 6:2, 6:5, 7:4; 2 Corinthians 5:14). Christ in us triumphs over sin in us. We are free from the power of sin, because we now live in our true identity in union with Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). Although we are not yet perfect, we press on to attain this goal, because it is possible through Christ’s divinity within us (Philippians 3:12). If we keep on living in sin, it is because Christ is not living within us (Romans 6:1-2).

Once we realize that we are dead to sin, then we enjoy a fresh new life as we identify with Jesus’ resurrection and walk in union with Him (Romans 6:4-5). In Him all of our needs are met according to His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19), God’s abundant and unconditional love flows over us like a waterfall and we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). He gives life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells us (Romans 8:11). Our physical body will tire from exertion, but we have His supernatural energy in our body, soul and spirit when Christ lives His life through us.

If you feel annoyed or stressed about some area of your life, seek God’s will in it. Our negative emotions signal our need to let go of an idol in our life. Surrender it to the Lord who cares for every aspect of our life. Trust God to work out these issues with His victory and to give you His peace and joy in the midst of it. Relinquish your will to His and enjoy His many blessings. Go with the flow of the Spirit’s direction, rather than your desires and plans. Find out what God wants to do in and through you at this moment and allow Him to work to accomplish His will in the earth.

His guidance always brings us inner peace, even if we do not like what we must do. With Christ in us, we experience true contentment all through the day (Philippians 4:12). We give thanks to God, even for the negative aspects we face, knowing that He will work them out for our good (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 8:28). We rejoice in the Lord regardless of our trials (James 1:2). As we trust God’s faithfulness and obey the leading of His Spirit, we relinquish the need for human understanding and we acknowledge and accomplish His will for each moment throughout the day (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Prayer:

Father God, due to Your dynamite power within us, we are no longer slaves to sin, but bondservants of the Living Lord (Romans 6:6; 2 Timothy 2:24). You are our sanctuary and strength, our constant protector and provider in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). You give us Your peace so our hearts will not be afraid or anxious in times of trouble (John 14:27). Even when our soul is troubled, we find hope in Your faithfulness (Psalm 42:11). Those who hurt us will fade like the grass and die away, because we trust in You (Psalm 37:1-5). Your promises protect our life (Psalm 119:50). You keep us in perfect peace as we keep our focus on You regardless of the people and circumstances around us (Isaiah 26:3).

Thought for the Day:

When Christ lives His life in and through us, we are a people who are unwavering in faith, devoted in purity, insightful in wisdom and unconditional in love.





Thank you, Stephanie Bentley, for sharing this photo.