Divine Appointments

 

 

God is very involved in our life. We do not always recognize His participation, because we think we are the ones earning the blessings, which He freely showers on us each and every day.

Divine appointments and interventions occur moment by moment. His angels protect us and His Spirit directs us to safely progress from one event to the next.

We rarely give God the glory and we often take the credit for how smoothly our life is running. He not only introduces the events of our life, but He also coordinates the timing and circumstances surrounding them.

He leads us and other people involved with us to say and do the right thing at the exact time and way in which we or they needed His divine intervention the most.

If we practice sitting still and quiet in His presence (Psalm 46:10), we will know with more assurance that He is God; and we would see His involvement in our life, which would build our faith in His faithfulness, love and care for us (1 Kings 19:11-13).

During times of companionable silence, God communicates with us in His still, small voice that penetrates our awareness deep within us. Silence truly is golden and more productive than the stress of worldly demands, negative self-talk and destructive friendships and activities (Psalm 46:10).

Prayer:

Father God, we desire above all else to walk in Your Spirit and to do only those works which come from Your heart. Do not allow our thoughts, words and actions to grieve Your Spirit, but give us words of life that make a difference in another's life.

All of our good works are nothing more than dirty rags if they are not done by Your Spirit's direction (Isaiah 64:6). It is only what we accomplish by Your Spirit that lasts into eternity. Rise up in us and accomplish Your will in and through us (Acts 14:1). We give You all the credit for the fruit of our life and we praise You for your strength, which is our joy.

Thought for the Day:

The whisper of God teaches us to listen more, to limit our actions and to wait on Him rather than to race ahead of His Spirit's promptings; rather than jumping into stressful activities to which He is not calling us, we truly listen and do only those activities in which He call us to participate.

Into the Silence

The world is so noisy. All around us, even out in the country, social media, TV, car radios and stores are blaring advertisements and voices almost 24/7.

Many people have a noisy soul too. Their thoughts and feelings are bombarding them with negative issues that demand their immediate attention. They are weary and discover no rest, even in God's presence.

In sleep they dream disruptive images, which come from their troubled soul. They argue with significant others in their life and even argue with their own self; finding no peace at all.

Only if we disappear into our spirit and immerse our self in God's peace can we find ultimate silence regardless of the dissonance of circumstances around us.

As we sit in His presence, we get lost in Him and focus on His still, small voice within us. We worship with the angels and enjoy our front row seat with Jesus in heavenly places even now (Ephesians 2:4-7).

We sit in companionable silence with Him as we bask in the pleasure of God's face shining on us as He takes joy in our company (Numbers 6:25; Psalm 80:3; Zephaniah 3:17).

Finding comfort in the silent presence of our significant others is also a joyful experience. We may chat amiably or snuggle silently and recharge our battery for the coming tasks which will demand our attention.

Holding our child as they drift off to sleep is one of the most satisfying experiences in life. We watch their peaceful features and enjoy their unconditional love as their breathing slows and their tiny eyes droop.

Yet, our most meaningful relationship is dwelling continually in God's presence. He permeates us with a quiet peace, sane direction, cheerful thoughts and a holy existence. We pray or listen as the moment dictates and enjoy the constant fellowship of His company.

Prayer:

Father God, as we abide in Your presence we experience deep peace, unexplainable joy, and Your comfort and support as we share with You our tears of worship or burdens. You are kind to all of us who trust in and obey You. We wait patiently for You in our alone times and in the cacophony of daily living (Lamentations 3:25-26).

By faith, even in our worse trials and times of testing, we joyfully count on Your faithfulness to produce endurance in our soul (James 1:2). We dwell in our spirit and snuggle under the almighty shadow of Your wings (Psalm 91:4). You give us peace which overcomes human reasoning, and You shower us with Your blessings regardless of the hardships we experience in this life (Philippians 4:7).

Thought for the Day:
Times of silence give us rest, hope and strength to face the next trial.

Free at Last

In our society, God's name is used more to damn someone or thing than to bless them. The last few generations have no concept of sin. Wrong is right, and right is often viewed as wrong.

Sin is the norm for many, and church is foreign (Ephesians 4:21, 6:1; Colossians 3:9). They view Christ's death on Calvary's cross as a waste of a life, rather than as the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.

Until we understand that God's Word is our ultimate authority, we will not comprehend our disobedience to it, and our need to ask Jesus for forgiveness (John 14:15, 23).

Even the law of our land teaches us that there are consequences for our behavior. The police and courts hold us responsible to uphold the law or we are punished.

When we transgress God's law, we deserve to suffer the penalty of death. Yet, Jesus suffered our eternal punishment for us (John 3:16-18). He gives us His life in our spirit, which was formerly dead because of Adam and Eve's sin (Ephesians 2:1; Galatians 2:20).

When we decide to live for God, rather than for our self, our spirit is no longer dead in sin and separated from Him. Jesus makes it possible for us to spend eternity in Heaven (John 3:16-18; Romans 10:13).

We are dead to sin now, and free from its strangle-hold on our life (Romans 6:6, 11, 18). We are able to discern right from wrong and to walk in holiness by the help of God's Spirit within us.

When we die physically, we will not die spiritually. Our last breath on earth is followed by our first breath in Heaven (Matthew 25:46). We will spend eternity with God.

We can trust our life on earth to God's perfect plan for us (Ephesians 2:10). We find fulfillment, peace and joy through His love and forgiveness (Romans 14:17).

We collapse into God's waiting arms with the confidence that He will catch us and never, ever let us go (Hebrews 13:5). He abides in our spirit now and makes a huge difference in our life (Romans 8:11).

Prayer:

Father God, there are not enough days in our lifetime to show our appreciation to You for all that You do for us each day. Remind us not to take Your goodness and grace for granted. Teach us to praise You for all of the blessings You shower on us each and every day.

Help us to learn to discern the leading of Your Spirit as we commit each day to You (Proverbs 3:5-6). We do not want to depend on our human reasoning, because this reaps mediocre results at best. We want to walk in Your Will by the direction of Your Word under the power of Your Holy Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

God improves our spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and physical health as we trust Him, follow the guidance of His Spirit, and live, move and exist in Him. - Acts 17:28