Slow Down and Spend Time with God

The soul is the most overlooked aspect of our Christian life. Prior to salvation, we allowed our heart to advise us, control us and comfort us. This does not refer to our blood pumping organ, but our inner self of thoughts, choices and emotions - our soul (Proverbs 4:23, 15:13, 23:7; Matthew 12:34-35). This way of life is weak, at best, but all we had.

When we come to Christ, our spirit is Born Again, and we begin the adventure of living in and by the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:16-25). This is when we start to mistrust our soul, and rightfully so. However, we also ignore the needs of our soul, thinking that they are carnal and unholy. Some of our soul's demands are unrighteous idols, which we lay at the altar for sacrifice (Romans 8:6-7; 1 Corinthians 3:3).

Yet, many of our soul's desires are given to us by God, and He wants to supply them through His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19; Ephesians 3:16). We can nurture our soul by listening to praise songs, reading God's Word, learning a new hobby, taking college courses that interest us, making new Christian friends, planting a garden, exercising to trim down and raise endorphins, serving in the ministries of our church, planning a healthy snack to look forward to every day, joining Bible study classes, etc.

The most powerful way to nurture our soul, however, is to be a friend of God. It takes time to develop this relationship, but it is so nourishing to our body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Slow down and spend time alone with God. You will focus on the wholesome side of life, find peace and joy in the midst of negative circumstances and feel God's presence in each moment of the day.

Prayer:

Father God, Satan has his agenda for our life, and we merrily follow his lead until we come face to face with Your invitation to accept Jesus as our Savior. Satan's deception is no match for Your presence in our life. He fades into the background and loses the battles he wages for our soul. Your Spirit nurtures our body, soul and spirit as we follow Your direction for each new day. We love You and give You all the praise and glory for Your wondrous intervention in our life.

Thought for the Day:

God's Spirit transforms our soul into the image of Christ throughout every moment of our life. - 2 Corinthians 3:18

Crippling Doubt

Doubt is such a common travesty among the Saints of God, starting with Adam and Eve. Take Abraham and Sarah for instance. They waited so long for their child, that they doubted God’s promise. They hatched an alternate plan to the Lord’s arrangement and Ishmael came as a result. They eventually had their own child, but their doubt produced a thorn in his side. To this day the Arab nations want to crucify the Jews (Genesis 17:15-21; Genesis 18:10-14).

John the Baptist, imprisoned and lacking in faith, doubted that the man Jesus was actually the Messiah. He sent two of his disciples to question Jesus. The Lord pointed to the miracles He performed and that He preached the gospel to the poor as proof that He was certainly the Messiah (Matthew 11:1-7).

Pilate was torn by doubt. He doubted Jesus’ story; yet, he also doubted the Jews accusations against Jesus. He finally made up his mind, declaring that he found no fault in Jesus. However, he was not a man who lived up to his convictions. He turned Jesus over to the Jews, so they could crucify Him (John 19:1-7).

Everyone knows about doubting Thomas. He was gone when Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. When Thomas heard the babbling excitement of his peers, he refused to believe their account. He wanted the proof of seeing Jesus with his own eyes before he would believe in the accounts of the resurrection. Jesus humored him and appeared in the room without even coming through the door. He calmed their fears and allowed Thomas to touch His wounds as proof that He lived again.

Jesus chastised Thomas for his doubt and told him that those who believe without seeing are more blessed than those who believe only because they see proof with their own eyes (John 20:24-29). Unbelievers have this same problem. They refuse to believe because we cannot prove God to their human senses. How can anyone explain a spiritual concept with human terms? The two are in different leagues and the spiritual is much more profound than the earthly (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Jesus actually proved His resurrection by presenting Himself alive by many infallible proofs. Over 500 people saw him at one time and many heard Him during the forty days between His resurrection from the grave and ascension into heaven. He also hung out with His apostles, cooked for them, spoke about the kingdom of God and promised to send them the Holy Spirit to comfort and direct them after He returned to Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:5-8; Acts 1:3-4). However, people today even doubt the reality of their testimony.

Double minded people are unstable in all of their ways. They are like a wave driven by the sea and tossed by the wind. They live unbalanced lives and are plagued with doubts (James 1:5-8). God said that if anyone lacks wisdom, He would provide it liberally without reproach (James 1:5-7). We do not have to live in crippling doubt, when we can ask in faith and receive anything from the Lord that is in accorance with His will (John 14:13-14). He will help us with our unbelief, if we make the commitment to believe (Mark 9:24).

Prayer:

Lord God, you gave us the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in them. You give us rain and fruitful seasons and the beauty of nature. You fill our hearts with gladness. You do all of this to prove Your existence (Romans 1:20; Acts 14:15-18). Yet, people persist in rejecting You and denying Your reality. Father, forgive them, because they are blinded by the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). Please remove Satan’s deception from their lives and set them free to believe in Your majesty and power.

Thought for the Day:

God have mercy on those who doubt. – Jude 1:22