Inching through Life

We can ask God for what we want; and if He wants us to have it, He will give it to us (James 4:3). Yet, it is futile to waste time wanting what we do not have.

If we do, we are telling God that He is a poor provider and He does not have our best interest at heart (1 Peter 5:7). We are exhibiting a lack of faith in His faithfulness and exalting our self over Him.

We are also lacking in gratitude for all that He has already given to us (Philippians 4:6). We are keeping our focus on the temporal aspects of this life and functioning with human understanding.

Jesus died for us all, and rose again - giving us supernatural power so we will not live for our self, but for Him (John 3:16-18; 2 Corinthians 5:15). Jesus is the only way, truth and life; and no one comes to God except through Him (John 14:6).

Our Father God knows best. As we seek His Kingdom first, He provides us with everything we need for our spiritual, physical, emotional and mental well-being (Matthew 6:33). God also gives us wisdom as we ask for it, which guides us in our desires, thoughts and choices.

We stop inching through life as a caterpillar; and instead, we soar like a butterfly on the winds of adversity and trials. We mount up on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31); and rise above the earth as we glide on the air currents that God provides for us.

God gives us the wisdom we need to navigate through life, encourage the downtrodden, reject the devil's temptations to sin, and to make the decisions which affect the rest of our life.

Prayer:

Father God, we do not have to spend one moment longing for anything or anyone but You. We no longer love this world nor the things, which it offers us. If we really need something in our life, which we do not have, You will give it to us. You will move us to another state; or give us a different car, vocation or house; or provide us with a spouse or a child, if it is Your will for us.

Remind us to trust only in You and in Your provision and timing. You have a perfect plan for each one of us and living in the center of Your will is the happiest place on earth. We seek You with all of our heart and we rely on Your wisdom and grace to help us to navigate the decisions in our life.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus is our gift and reward in this life and the next, because He is our all in all. - Colossians 1:17

Trusting in the Almighty

 

The Lord preserves our life and inspires our devotion to Him (Psalm 97:10). He is our God and saves everyone who trusts in Him (Psalm 86:2). Our eyes are on the Lord, and we take refuge in Him. He will never leave our soul – our mind, will and emotions – destitute (Psalm 141:8). He is our constant help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

Even if the earth erupts in multiple tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanoes, which level the mountains, surge the roaring waves from the sea and level the earth with quakes, we have no need to be afraid (Psalm 46:2-3). We simply cry out to Him, who is our provision for as long as we live on this earth (Psalm 142:5).

God listens to our prayers and pays attention to our requests. He faithfully answers us with His righteous choices (Psalm 143:1). He allows those who trust in Him to experience His unfailing love with each new morning.  As we lift up our thoughts, choices and feelings to Him, He reveals His direction for our day (Psalm 143:8).

God’s hand deals out blessings and trials as we need them for our perfection. He allows defeat to mold us into His divine nature. He uses adversity to prove His faithfulness and to increase our faith in Him. Our weakness proves our need for His strength. Our independence melts in the furnace of affliction and we depend on Him more each day.

Prayer:

Father God, help us to listen to Your Spirit so that we may decrease as You increase in our life (John 3:30). Give us a hunger for Your life-giving Word of Truth, which nourishes and satisfies the longing of our soul (Psalm 107:9). Replace our hardened heart with one of flesh that is pliable under the nurturing of Your Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 11:19).

Thought for the Day:

We will not harden our heart to the Truth of God’s Word, but respond to every phrase, and trust in the Almighty as we follow the direction of His voice. – John 10:27; Hebrews 3:15

My Soul Thirsts for God

Prayer is our method of communication with God. We pray in one of two ways: monologues or dialogues. A monologue prayer is one-sided. We recite a litany of needs and tell God what we want and how He should provide it. 

We even give Him the game plan that we think is His best alternative. Of course, a dialogue is two-sided, and we are quiet long enough to hear from God.

God calls us to be still and to know that He is our Almighty God (Psalm 46:10). His words to us never contradict His words in the Bible. 

If we think we hear from God, and it is contrary to His Biblical words, then we know that Satan, the counterfeit, is trying to lead us away from God’s Truth. God's sheep know His voice; and the more we listen, the more we recognize that He is speaking to us (John 10:27-33).

Have you ever been very, very thirsty? You mowed the lawn or cleaned all the windows or walked for several miles in the heat and your body is crying out for water. 

As we mature spiritually, our soul – our thoughts, choices and emotions - comes to this same place of thirsting for God (Psalm 42:1-2). The soul of a spiritual Saint is consumed with longing for more intimacy with God (Psalm 119:20).

We want all of our being to be filled with all of the fullness of God, to have the richest measure of His presence and to become a person entirely filled with God (Ephesians 3:19). 

Our soul yearns for God, even as we sleep; and our spirit seeks more intimacy with Him both day and night (Isaiah 26:9). Our body and soul ache for Him and cry out for our living God (Psalm 84:2).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that intimacy infers honesty. We cannot have a personal union with You without an agreement to completely expose our life to Your Holy Spirit. We cannot hide anything from You, because You already know everything about us (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13). 

Thank you that Jesus invites those of us who thirst after Him to come to His living water. Even those with nothing to offer to Him are welcome (Isaiah 55:1), and He freely gives us all things (Romans 8:32).

Thought for the Day:

Our intimate interludes with the Lord are our favorite times of the day.

Longing for God

Read: Psalm 63

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” - Psalm 63:1b

Sometimes we feel separated from God, like a child who loses a parent to death or gets lost from them in a retail store. They feel frightened and angry, and so do we. This sense of separation from God may come as a result of a loss or crisis in our life, which leaves us feeling forgotten or uncared for by God. We may feel alienated from God during a time of personal sin or failure; and we struggle with fear that God may condemn or reject us. Or we may feel segregated from Him if we move from our church to a new community, and the people and worship style are different from what we are used to experiencing.

Most people turn to relationships to fill their need for love, acceptance and security. We also use material possessions, financial gains and accomplishments at work to feel powerful and successful. We put too much emphasis on these superfluous aspects of life, trying to extract happiness, fulfillment, peace and security from them. These temporal achievements are a hollow victory that soon crumbles at our feet. This contaminated water cannot quench our thirst and this junk food will never gratify our hunger.

These weak substitutes only cause mental and emotional illness and they never fully satisfy our needs. We have no one other than the Lord in heaven or earth that will bring health to our flesh and strength to our bones (Proverbs 3:8). He is the only true and living being who will perfectly nurture to our soul – our mind, will and emotions (Psalm 42:5,11). Only the Lord strengthens our heart and is our fulfilling portion forever (Psalm 73: 25-26). His words are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:10). He satisfies our longing and He fills our empty soul (Psalm 107:9).

It is only as we free our soul from dependence on these carnal surrogates, that we are liberated to find fulfillment in the one place most people look to as a last resort. The only truly rewarding association a human being is capable of having is with the Creator of our soul. Only God knows what our deepest needs are and how to satisfy them completely. The reason so many people never develop a relationship with God, however, is because we can only find Him if we search for Him with our whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

When we surrender our life to God, He bestows upon us His unconditional love (Jeremiah 29:11). God is patient with us and kind. He does not envy, nor boast and is not proud. He does not dishonor us, and is not self-seeking. He is not easily angered, and He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil, but He rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). When we come to Him, He works His loving character and the fruit of His Spirit into our soul (Galatians 5:22-23).

In the words of Psalm 63, the psalmist helps us to verbalize our longing for God and our relationship with Him. He is our one, true God and we earnestly seek Him, thirst for Him and long for Him with our whole being. Without His presence in our life, we feel like a traveler in a dry, parched land without any water (vs1). God offers us a safe sanctuary and exhibits His power and glory to protect and provide for us (vs2). God’s love for us is better than life. His love causes us to break out in spontaneous praise and to lift our hands in adoration because of all He does for us (vs3-4). We praise Him for His provision of our daily needs (vs5).

Even in our bed at night we remember what He does for us and we keep Him company during the night watches (vs6). He is our help and He hides us under the shadow of His wings and encourages us with His blessings (vs7). We cling to Him throughout life and He makes us strong in times of adversity (vs8). He takes vengeance on our enemies and vanquishes them from before us (vs9-10). We rejoice in Him and glory in Him. Those who oppose God and come against us for our beliefs will be silenced (vs11).

Prayer:

Lord God, my soul yearns for You in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for You (Isaiah 26:9a). Who among us fears You anymore and who obeys Your word? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in Your name, O Lord, and rely on You, my God (Isaiah 50:10). Teach us to seek You, LORD, while we may find You, and to call on You while You are near (Isaiah 55:6).

Thought for the Day:

“The time is surely coming," says the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine on the land--not a famine of bread or water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” - Amos 8:11