God in the Details

 

God does not often show Himself strong for us during a trial. Initially, this hurts our feelings and causes us to doubt His love for us. However, God's love is exactly what prevents Him from rescuing us from life's hurts and challenges.

God is teaching us that this life is inconsequential in His larger scheme of the ages. His goal in our life is to transform our body, soul and spirit from this humble, earthly state into conformity with His glorious eternal plan for us.

He also shows us that all things, even our health, finances, comfort, suffering, family and life are subject to Him (Philippians 3:20-21). As His Spirit sanctifies us, we learn to submit to His will and to surrender our entire life to His wisdom and direction.

This gives us hope in God, rather than despair from overwhelming circumstances, thoughts and feelings. He is constantly at work in our life, planting seeds for a miracle in all of our trials.

We just have to patiently wait for Him to reveal them to us. He longs for us to trust in Him alone, and to desire His will instead of our own goals and plans.

We eventually learn that our suffering in this world cannot be compared to the glory of living in God's presence both now and throughout eternity (Romans 8:18).

Hardships are merely temporary and fleeting, especially as we keep our eyes on Christ and the prize of our inheritance of the Kingdom of God (Acts 17:11; 1 Peter 4:12-13; James 1:1-13).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to meditate on the truth that You are in complete control of everything in this world. Allow this fact to penetrate deep within our soul - our thoughts, choices and feelings - so that we learn to trust You and not our human reasoning throughout every moment of our day. We do not need to understand Your thoughts, because they are so much more profound than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

You simply ask us to remain open and willing to submit to and accept Your will and ways - even in the trials. You renew our human spirit by making Your truths known to us. We are created in Your image (Colossians 3:10), we have Your mind (1 Corinthians 2:16), and by Your Spirit we learn to walk as You would walk in our shoes (1 John 2:20).

Thought for the Day:

As the reality of the fact that our life is hidden with Christ in God becomes more of a reality every day, we draw away from the world, the flesh and the devil and find our true joy only in service to our King Jesus. - Romans 12:2

A New Nature - Obedience and Faith

 

Jesus learned obedience through the things, which He suffered, just as we do (Hebrews 5:8). He dealt with the common curse of His pesky human flesh all the way to cross, just as we do (Hebrews 4:15).

He laid down His human life on Calvary’s cross and came forth from the grave in His immortal glory, just as we will, once He returns for His Bride (1 Corinthians 15:54).

We receive our redemption through His blood, and we gain the indwelling of His Holy Spirit through His resurrection and ascension. We are dead and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

When we come to intimately know the living Lord, we start to experience eternal life right here on this earth (John 17:3). He gives us the love, which God gives to Him (John 17:26). We live in this world, just as God sent Jesus into the world, to accomplish God’s will for our lives (John 17:18, 20).

At the same time, Jesus gives us a new nature and makes us holy (John 17:17-19; Colossians 3:10). His Spirit teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live disciplined, holy and Godly lives - not by our own self-efforts, but through Christ Jesus within us (Titus 2:12).

When Christ is foremost in our thoughts and we pray about His order for our day, even cleaning the house, tending the children, working in the secular world, ministering at church, preparing meals and spending time with our family is the result of a spirit-filled life.

Prayer:

Father God, You continually give us exceedingly great and precious promises of salvation, for the purpose of us partaking in Your divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). You sanctify our heart of flesh and give us Your Spirit to perfect us.

As we keep our focus on Your glory within us, we are transformed into the likeness of Christ with ever increasing holiness, which comes from the sanctifying work of Your Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:2). Thank You for including us in Your family and for providing for all of our needs.

Thought for the Day:

We have the potential of becoming spiritual beings in a carnal world, because of the divine power and authority of Christ in us. - 1 Corinthians 15:48

Living in Contentment

 

God equips us to live in His abundant life, but we do not recognize it, because we are too worried about some aspect in our worldly life. We want this person, place or thing more than we want to live in the will of God.

In my walk with the Lord, I have learned that if I do not have something I think that I need, or that I want so much that it consumes my every waking and sleeping thought, it is because God does not want me to have it.

God protects us by withholding from us what is not good for us at this time. If I go out and procure my desire for myself, if I settle for second best and choose my way instead of God's way, I am always disappointed and I cause trouble for myself.

If I focus instead on loving God with each moment, He will provide for me what I need in order for me to accomplish His will for my life. In His provision, which He gives me in His way and timing, I find complete fulfillment, peace and joy.

God has a perfect plan for our life. Altering that plan will bring us discontentment, suffering and unhappiness. He supplies us with His church and the world around us to give us opportunities to serve Him, which helps us to find pure joy in our day.

There is a time for grief in our life too. We can journal our feelings, allow our tears to wash away our grief and tuck our thoughts and feelings in the heart of God for His safe keeping.

I actually purchased a heart-shaped box and I write all of my desires and concerns on little slips of paper in that box. Then when I think about them again, I remind myself that they are in the heart of God, and He will care for them for me (1 Peter 5:7).

I review my little box from time to time and write the date that God answered that prayer and supplied those needs in His timing and way. This builds up my faith and also prevents me from living in torment from overwhelming grief and worries which I cannot control.

Prayer:

Father God, when we are consumed by longings for what we do not have, we are actually insulting You and Your provision for our life. We beg You, quote scriptures at You and attempt to control You by having faith in what we interpret as Your promises. Teach us to enter Your rest and to trust in Your provision.

You are sovereign over the world and our life. You give us what You want us to have when You want us to have it. Remind us that as we seek You and Your Kingdom first, You will provide us with what we require, even if it is often not what we think we want. Your provision is always better than our desires, because You know what is best for us and You have our best interest at heart.

Thought for the Day:

If our faith in God is vibrant, and full of awe and expectation, we will be open to move into the deeper waters of faith and committed service to Him, as we allow Him to provide for us what we need to live in fulfillment and contentment.