Quicken Me, O Lord

Have you ever felt so parched and weary that you could literally feel the life draining out of your body and soul? 

Overwhelmed with the black defeat of sorrow, grief, misery, anguish, despair, hopelessness, despondency or depression, you simply wanted to crawl under some rock and die.

The Psalmist felt this way. His soul was so troubled that he begged the Lord to quicken him, to revive him, to bring him back to life (Psalm 143:11). He lifted up his soul to God and pleaded for revival (Psalm 119:149).

Being dead in trespasses and sin, we were quickened and brought back to life by the Spirit of God at the instant of our heart-felt repentance (Colossians 2:13). We passed from everlasting damnation to eternal life (1 John 2:25; John 3:16-18).

If we continue to live according to the dictates of our fleshly, carnal, human desires, our body and soul will die a little more each day; but if we take up our cross daily and crucify the sinful cravings of our flesh, the Lord will quicken us and we shall live (Romans 8:11-13).

The Word of God is living, powerful and extremely sharp. It is able to divide the carnal desires of our soul from the divine aspirations of our spirit (Hebrews 4:12-13). As we refresh our spirit in His Word, we come to know God and Jesus, whom He sent (John 17:3).

Rather than dying under a rock, we hide in the cleft of the Rock of Christ, our source of living water (Psalm 78:15). We see the joy in everything and we never thirst again (James 1:2-8; 1 Corinthians 10:4; John 4:14).

Regardless of our circumstances, we are saved from the troubling world in which we live. We count our blessings rather than ruminate over our sorrows.

We live in inexpressible joy, which if full of the glory of God (1 Peter 1:7-9). We experience the magnitude of His love and we are filled to the brim with His eternal presence (Ephesians 6:19).

Prayer:

Father God, teach us the secret to a happy life: one focused on You and Your blessings rather than on the depressing circumstances we are facing (John 16:33). Remind us to thank You even in the bad times, through our faith which is strengthened by Your constant provision in every area of our life; for when we do, we experience far less devastation from our trials.

Revive us by Your Spirit in our spirit, soul and body and enable us to strengthen others with the same comfort You give to us (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). When we mourn, You lift us to safety (Job 5:11). We do not fear, because You lift us up in Your right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Oh God of hope, fill us with Your joy and optimism, through the power of Your Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Thought for the Day:

Wait on the Lord, and He will strengthen your heart as you hope in Him alone. - Psalm 27:13-14

God's Fullness - His Spirit and Word

 

Once we fully surrender to the power of God's love within us, we can experience the unimaginable treasure of that love, which surpasses anything we ever experience in our life without God.

This happens as we submit to His Spirit, who will strengthen our soul and spirit with God's glory until He completely sanctifies and transforms our character, nature and personality (2 Peter 1:4; Psalm 51:10; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-24; Titus 3:5).

Jesus Christ makes His permanent home in our spirit, and we exhibit total faith in His absolute faithfulness. He is always with us and never leaves or forsakes us for any reason (Hebrews 13:5).

We send the roots, of our faith in Him, deep into the soil of His love for us. This firmly establishes us in His Kingdom and strengthens us through every trial we ever experience.

God's love is much more multi-faceted than human love. Our love is self-centered and biased. God's love is sacrificial, unconditional and all encompassing.

He gives us His love to enjoy and to share with those He brings into our life. Living in Christ removes the drudgery of life on this earth and gives us purpose and meaning.

When we live in God's presence, we actually live in the fullest life possible for us on earth, because Jesus is our way, truth and life (John 10:10). We obey His Spirit and His Word.

God's Word is quick and alive and sharper than a two-edged sword, helping us to discern between what comes from our flesh, the world or the devil, and what is God's will for us (Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 119:50).

We stop focusing on the petty concerns of this world and we walk in a new life, embracing God's truth and enjoying the fullest measure of His presence each moment of the day.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank you for flooding our life with the richest measure of Your presence. You comfort, encourage, calm, and instruct us by Your existence in our body, soul and spirit. Remind us to immerse our self in Your Word, to consult Your Spirit, and to walk in Your will every moment of our day (Galatians 5:15-25).

Enlarge our heart by Your presence, Your love and Your Word throughout our lifetime, so that we can view each moment from Your perspective instead of from our narrow human focus. Draw us ever closer to Your heart and make us aware of Your presence abiding within us (Psalm 119:32).

Thought for the Day:

It is God's Spirit, which gives us His new life, and His Word, which are full of His Spirit and abundant life. - John 6:63

Accountability Partner

We all have areas of our life that we ignore; little habits, words and facial expressions, which are less than stellar. We do not even think about them...but other people see them. Even more importantly is the fact that God sees them too. He has been watching and dealing with us about these issues throughout our whole life. They are called "blind spots".

We merrily go about our life without noticing that our testimony is tarnished by what we say and by the way we act. That is why it is so good to have an accountability partner. Someone that we love and trust, and that we know "has our back" through thick and thin. They love and respect us in spite of all of our idiosyncrasies.

We choose an accountability partner who would never turn on us or hurt us by the intimate details of our life, which we share with them. They should be spiritual, and endeavor to follow Christ with their life as well. They see our blind spots, those little nagging issues, which we ignore or are unaware of, and they are not afraid to point them out to us in love.

They are committed to God, and care about us as a friend and a fellow Christian. They are humble and recognize that they have faults as well; and they are growing and changing in their own lives. We can share anything with them and they will keep our confidence. These particular people willingly pray for God to strengthen us and to give us wisdom.

Prayer:

Father God, Jesus had twelve disciples, but He only took three to the mountain to see His transfiguration. He had three special friends whom He knew cared for Him deeply and would need the vision of His glory to strengthen them as they carried on His work after His resurrection. Help us to find those faithful few whom we can trust with our life and who will help us to grow in Christ.

Thought for the Day:

Since we dwell on this earth together, let us help rather than hinder one another.