A Divine Relationship

Many people attempt to develop a relationship with Jesus and are not able to completely enter into this intimate union with Him (Luke 13:23-24). This is because they seek this relationship for all the wrong reasons.

They want the benefits of the fulfilled Christian life, but they do not want to live up to the commitment. Joshua encouraged Israel to choose to serve the Lord, and that is actually what it takes to have this coveted relationship (Joshua 25:15).

God's grace provides the opportunity for salvation to every person ever born (Titus 2:11). He is not willing for anyone to perish in the flames of hell for eternity, but for everyone to come to Him in repentance (2 Peter 3:9; John 3:18).

We do not earn this stature, because it is a free gift; but it does require a choice to commit to the Lord in wholehearted dedication to His ways and His Word (Romans 5:15).

Satan will fight our choice at every turn. He is used to having us in his service and he wants us back. Therefore, spiritual battle is an ongoing event in the Christian's life (1 Timothy 6:12).

Our power of choice is still alive and well in the heart of every Believer. We make choices every day either to serve God, our flesh, the world or the devil.

Satan tempts us as he did Adam and Eve, to make choices from our self-motivated will, independently from God's will for our life (Genesis 2:1-17; Ephesians 2:10). To draw us away from God's best, he uses legitimate needs we have as human beings; but they end up being lies.

God will convict us; but it is up to us to choose to totally surrender our body, soul and spirit to Him; so that His Spirit can heal our body, sanctify our soul and regenerate our spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that conviction does not save us, it simply humbles us and brings us to the point of repentance. The good news is that Christ in us is greater than any influences outside of us (1 John 4:4). The more we understand our new identity in You as an authentic Believer, the more quickly we grow in spiritual maturity.

With maturity, we find it easier to choose to live in dependence on You for all of our needs. We realize that it is not necessary for us to sin in an attempt to meet our basic needs. When we hunger and thirst for Your righteousness (Matthew 5:6), You supply everything for us according to Your glorious riches (Philippians 4:19).

Thought for the Day:

Conversion only comes through a heart-felt commitment to follow Christ with our life; and it stirs us to read our Bible, to attend worship services, to attend Bible studies and to praise God in every moment through every circumstance - the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Most Profound Verse in the Bible

Read: Mark 9: 17-29

"Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" - Mark 9:24

A father brings his son to Jesus. The boy has a mute spirit and experiences epileptic-type seizures. He believes Jesus can heal his son; yet because the disciples already failed to bring healing through their prayer, he is anxious and concerned. In these few words, he is telling Jesus, "Although I really do believe you can heal my son, I am afraid of being disappointed yet again. So, I need you to help my unbelief."

We all feel this way sometimes. We know what the Word of God says, what preachers tell us, and what our friends share with us about their experiences with God healing them; yet, we still have such little faith! The Bible promises that if we have faith no larger than the tiny mustard seed, we are in luck! That is all God requires (Luke 17:6). Luke 13:19 reminds us that this tiniest of all seeds, the mustard seed, grows up into one of nature’s largest trees. Our faith grows too, as God proves His love to us.

Through this tiny verse God shows His humor and mercy in the same breath! He teaches us that the most important decision we make in life is to choose to believe, even when circumstances cause us to feel uncertain of that belief. God understands our human dilemma, which causes us to look by sight instead of by faith. God understands that we lose hope and get discouraged. So, God put this powerful verse in the Bible to remind us that it's okay with Him. As long as we choose to believe, then He will help our unbelief!

Prayer:

“Lord, we want to walk in obedience, trusting in Your promises and doing greater works than Jesus did (John 14:12). Help us to fully surrender to You. Help us to let go of our concerns and to let You handle our life. Help us to trust Your provision and timing. Most of all, though, Lord, help our unbelief.”

Thought for the Day:

God has His reasons, which we cannot fathom; but hindsight is always 20/20!