A New Creation

It is healthy for us to take an inventory of our thoughts and feelings every day (John 7:24). This prevents negative thoughts and emotions from piling up in our soul and exploding at the least provocation.

Satan's lies, our own insecurities plus neurosis from our past, and the world's judgment on us keep us enslaved to negative thinking. Yet, God's Word admonishes us to take our thoughts captive in Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

We tend to dwell on this temporal earth, embroiled by human reasoning and trapped by the hour glass of time - still eating from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil and attempting to save our self (Genesis 2:17, 3:5).

These negative constraints affect our thoughts and emotions. We attempt to improve our self, but whatever is conceived by the flesh can be aborted by the flesh. We live on a hamster's wheel - always running, but getting nowhere fast. However, there is hope for us in God (Psalm 63:2:5; Romans 15:13).

God chose us and loved us while we were still sinners (John 15:16; 1 John 4:10; Romans 5:8). At salvation, He makes us His Children and co-heirs with Jesus (Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:2; Romans 8:17). His Spirit is building us into His house (Hebrews 3:6).

We cannot craft any lasting changes to our character in order to earn His love. He makes us clean - not by our good deeds and intentions, but by the blood of Christ (John 15:3; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Psalm 127:1).

Jesus makes us wise, righteous, redeemed and a new creation; so that we glory in the Lord rather than to take the credit (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). Christ in us continually draws us into a more intimate union with Himself and our Father (Colossians 1:20). We simply obey (John 14:15).

Prayer:

Father God, Your love frees us from doubt and condemnation, which are fed to us by our own insecurities, the world's condemnation and Satan's lies. Please draw our loved ones away from the seduction of this world, deliver them from the lies of the devil, and allow them to feel Your love and conviction cascading over them like a waterfall.

In You there is no shame for our failings and idiosyncrasies, only love and acceptance just the way we are (Romans 5:8). Your Spirit perfects us through a lifetime of sanctifying exercises (1 Thessalonians 5:23). You make us one with You and Jesus Christ through His residing presence and Your Spirit's sanctifying work in us until You become our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4).

Thought for the Day:

Jesus is one with us in spirit and in truth; and He brings us into His rest in His perfect peace and love as we keep our soul focused on Christ in us. - Colossians 1:27; Isaiah 26:3

Our Patched​ Humanity

Through a lifetime of fighting the circumstances, which life deals out to us, we are so encumbered by bandages that it is hard to function. Our body and soul often end up bruised, broken, patched up and in the hospital - on crutches, just to traverse our day. Our spirit is already dead in sin, and no help to us at all (Ephesians 2:1).

Once we come to Christ through salvation, He heals us from the inside out. Our works of righteousness have no influence over God's love for us or our eternal standing; but they are very necessary for our wedding garment as the Bride to our Savior, King Jesus (Revelation 19:8).

We start to focus more on the spiritual, eternal aspects of life rather than the humanistic, temporal issues. Life is no longer about us; but Christ is now our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4).

Even when our faith wanes, He helps our unbelief (Mark 9:24). Our spirit is perfect; but our soul - our thoughts, choices and feelings - is still in the process of healing and maturing in His faith within us (Galatians 2:20).

God elevates us as His adopted children and we no longer depend on our self (Ephesians 1:5). We turn our faith toward Christ and we live by the direction of His Spirit. His peace floods our soul and our pent-up anger dissolves (Isaiah 26:3).

God's Spirit conforms us to the mind of Christ and transforms our nature to Christ's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). He exchanges our human weaknesses with God's strength; so we can do all things through Christ's presence within us (2 Corinthians 13:4; Philippians 4:13).

Prayer:

Father God, often when we pray, our mind is full of what we did and did not say or do. We cannot get in touch with our true needs, because we are not listening to our own soul. We are not listening to Your Spirit either, who wants to pray and function through us.

Yet, as we spend our time in complete and anxious-free prayers of praise, we learn to live unencumbered by things of this earth. We enter into a life of praising and worshipping our living Lord. As we trust in You alone, You make all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). Our faith is built and strengthened as we see Your faithfulness in our life.

Thought for the Day:
Journaling our thoughts, feelings and prayers allows us to empty our soul from its load of cares and concerns; when we look back over what we wrote and the prayers of our year, we see God's hand, working in the details our life.

Inching through Life

We can ask God for what we want; and if He wants us to have it, He will give it to us (James 4:3). Yet, it is futile to waste time wanting what we do not have.

If we do, we are telling God that He is a poor provider and He does not have our best interest at heart (1 Peter 5:7). We are exhibiting a lack of faith in His faithfulness and exalting our self over Him.

We are also lacking in gratitude for all that He has already given to us (Philippians 4:6). We are keeping our focus on the temporal aspects of this life and functioning with human understanding.

Jesus died for us all, and rose again - giving us supernatural power so we will not live for our self, but for Him (John 3:16-18; 2 Corinthians 5:15). Jesus is the only way, truth and life; and no one comes to God except through Him (John 14:6).

Our Father God knows best. As we seek His Kingdom first, He provides us with everything we need for our spiritual, physical, emotional and mental well-being (Matthew 6:33). God also gives us wisdom as we ask for it, which guides us in our desires, thoughts and choices.

We stop inching through life as a caterpillar; and instead, we soar like a butterfly on the winds of adversity and trials. We mount up on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31); and rise above the earth as we glide on the air currents that God provides for us.

God gives us the wisdom we need to navigate through life, encourage the downtrodden, reject the devil's temptations to sin, and to make the decisions which affect the rest of our life.

Prayer:

Father God, we do not have to spend one moment longing for anything or anyone but You. We no longer love this world nor the things, which it offers us. If we really need something in our life, which we do not have, You will give it to us. You will move us to another state; or give us a different car, vocation or house; or provide us with a spouse or a child, if it is Your will for us.

Remind us to trust only in You and in Your provision and timing. You have a perfect plan for each one of us and living in the center of Your will is the happiest place on earth. We seek You with all of our heart and we rely on Your wisdom and grace to help us to navigate the decisions in our life.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus is our gift and reward in this life and the next, because He is our all in all. - Colossians 1:17