Let Me Count the Ways

How much does God love us? Let me count the ways: We have nothing to leave at the foot of the cross, except our sin and self-righteousness. However, we take away with us His eternal life, which is full of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3).
 
He pours out His grace, mercy and faith on us, and we express a body, soul and spirit full of faith and praise back to Him. We no longer need to fear our disabilities, because Christ in us can do all things through us (Philippians 4:13). 

All doubt disappears once we realize that we can cast all of our cares on God, since He cares so much for us (1 Peter 5:7). God gives us the faith we need to surrender to His calling in our life (Romans 12:3). He is our rock, our defense and our protection (Psalm 18:2). 

He strengthens our life and gives us the courage to walk in His ways, even in the face of adversity (Psalm 27:1-3). He supplies every one of our needs exactly when we need it, even if we get impatient and lose hope (Philippians 4:19). 

He takes our fear and gives us power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). He liberally gives us wisdom to deal with every issue we face in life and provides us with His righteousness in exchange for our sin (James 1:5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:30). 

His Word is a light to our path and a lamp to our feet (Psalm 119: 105-109). He gives us hope, because we remember that his compassion never fails and his mercy is renewed every morning; He is good to everyone who seeks Him (Lamentations 3:21-25).

Although Satan runs about like a roaring lion, seeking people to devour, our God in us is greater than Satan who lives in this world (1 John 4:4). We are more than conquerors in all things through Christ, who loves us and gave Himself for us, and He allows us to lead others to His truth (Romans 8:31-37; 2 Corinthians 2:14).

He came into the world as the Light of men, and He brings us His Good News (Acts 2:14-21). He poured out His Spirit on us, and promises never to leave us or to forsake us (Acts 2:16-18; Hebrews 13:5).

Prayer:

Father God, Your grace, which brings us salvation, is available to every human ever born (Titus 2:11). I know each person must respond individually to this grace; and I pray that You will work out circumstances in their lives to bring them to the end of their self-reliance, so they will wholly surrender to You (1 Corinthians 6:19). 

Thank You for living in us; it is in You that we live and move and have our being (1 John 2:28; Colossians 1:27; Acts 17:24-28). We love You beyond words and look forward to praising You now and throughout eternity.

Thought for the Day:

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Doesn't God Care?

 

Part of the Good news is that God does care. In fact, He cared enough to become a man and die for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16). He feels our pain, because He took it upon Himself on the cross. God does not condone the deeds of the wicked or those who condemn the righteous (Proverbs 17:15). God repays those who afflict the helpless with suffering, and He gives relief to all of those who are distressed, if not in this life, then in the next (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7).

So, do not be afraid of those who do evil, or allow their escapades to upset you. God already planned their demise (Psalm 37:1-2). God avenges all of those who transgress or deceive someone else. He already solemnly warned that this would happen (1 Thessalonians 4:6). He is the God of second chances. He forgives anyone who repents of their evil deed. He is slow to anger and full of loving kindness, but He also keeps His Word (Numbers 14:8; Psalm 103:8; Deuteronomy 7:9). God hates the suffering in the world more than we do. That is why He became a man. He died to save us all from an eternity in hell.

God is not slow about defending us, nor is He ignorant of our plight, nor disinterested in our circumstances. He is simply patient and kind. He never brings judgment on a person or a nation without first sending a warning to them, so that they can repent. He wants everyone to receive Him, so that He can bring us all Home with Him. When people who have known pain, finally connect with God, they realize that He has loved them every moment of their life.

God walks through our painful times with us and it hurts Him every bit as much as it does us. He carried that pain to the cross. The closer we come to the eternal wisdom of God, the more foolish the wisdom of this world becomes (1Corinthians 3:19). God uses our suffering to teach us obedience and to perfect us into His image, just as Jesus’ suffering perfected Him (Hebrews 5:8). When we finally feel His encompassing love, we realize that what we suffered is nothing compared to what He suffered. His love is perfect.

Do you want to experience perfect love? All that God requires is that we freely come to Christ and receive Him as our Savior. Then, we reject our life of sin and seek His Spirit’s direction each moment of every day. We live a full life, because we see Him as He lives in and through us (John 14:19). The presence of His Spirit in our life proves that we are a true child of God (Ephesians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 1:22). His presence in our life works through us to build His Kingdom in the earth. We thirst no more, because we found the fountain of life (John 4:14).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us to leave retribution in Your hands, because You will always repay the evil doer who harms us (Romans 12:19). You judge every work ever done, even those things we do in secret, the good and the evil. You reward the good and judge the evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Those who hurt us will not get away with it, even if we forgive them, as You teach us to do (Matthew 6:14), because You will hold them accountable (Hebrews 4:13). Help us to love our enemies and to do good to those who despitefully use us (Luke 6:28).

Thought for the Day:

When people turn their heart away from God, they can no longer hear His voice.

Liberating Truth

 

Jesus is more than just the Vine on which we flourish. He is also our Son Light and Life (John 1:4). The fruit of His Spirit springs forth from the branch of our life, because His life flows through us. Think about this for a moment. Do not read over it and then forget what you saw. We are nothing without the Vine. Christ works in and through us. His life flows through us and feeds the world with His fruit in our life. It is our privilege to be so united with our risen Lord.

This union allows us to shrug off the anxious thought, the carnal impulse and the dread of the future. His love reveals to us the lies, which Satan convinced us to believe. God’s Spirit takes us back to the experience in our life where Satan planted the falsehood. His Spirit then reveals His truth and sets us free from living from the premise of these lies. Our life changes radically when God shows us that we are more than conquerors because He loves us (Romans 8:31-39).

God’s peace reigns in our soul, if we just allow it entrance. It takes a change in our focus from believing Satan’s lies to believing God’s Truth. Once we recognize our union with Christ, we can go to the ends of the earth at God’s command. We live in contentment and joy regardless of our circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13). His goodness and mercy envelop us each and every day of our life (Psalm 23:6). His joy in us gives us His strength to meet any trial life has to offer.

When we change our focus from the negative aspects of our life to the joys of His life in us, then we face any obstacle with His confidence and hope. When we focus on the reality that our humanity is crucified with Christ, we also realize that we no longer live, but we are raised with Christ who lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20). We live by the faith, which comes from the Son of God, and we relish His love and sacrifice for us. This allows us to live in total surrender to His will.

We live in service to our King at home, at work, at church and in our community. We listen to His Spirit’s direction and we walk according to God’s Spirit, not according to our flesh or our human desires and goals. We live in the consciousness of His presence and we abide in His love and life throughout the day and night. We look for opportunities to allow His life to flow through us and to touch the lives around us. An encouraging word, compassion and grace, a kind smile, and the shared truth of His Gospel will set lives free.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, You dearly love us and desire an eternity of intimate fellowship with each one of us. What an awesome privilege You give to us! You are our God of great comfort, and You sustain us and prepare us for the spiritual battles we experience. In this corrupt and unjust world, You give us wisdom and comfort. You prepare us to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12). We trust You now more than ever. You equip us for the work that you called us to do (Ephesians 2:10). We love and worship You all the days of our life.

Thought for the Day:

Every person sins and we all miss the mark; however, we are all justified by His grace because of the redemption provided for us by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. – Romans 3:23-24

 

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Read: Psalm 139:13-14

Many people today criticize Christians who attend counseling sessions or who take medication for their mind. They make comments like, “Paul didn’t tell us to understand our self; he told us to die to our self.” There is a great deal of truth in that statement when it relates to our carnal flesh. However, the mind is an organ in the body. Would Paul and Jesus deny medical attention to someone simply because the Bible says to anoint with oil, and pray the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous?

Of course, we pray first and ask God to help us to understand what it going on in our soul – our mind, will and emotions. He may also use His Word, a Pastor or a Christian friend to give us clarity on our issues. However, it often takes someone who is trained in understanding the mind to shed light on our concerns. Often it is as simple as forgiving the pains of our past. Sometimes, it is more complicated, because we disassociated from some painful memory, and God wants to gently reveal it to us.

God uses every means available to help us to walk in love, power and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). God created three heavens: the sky over our earth, the galaxies of the universe and His throne room. If he created the heavens with this detail, it is obvious that the human body, soul and spirit are just as structured by His hand (1 Thessalonians 5:23). He cares about every part of us. According to Genesis 2:7, “The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living soul (soul). (KJV)

The Psalmist recognized the Inner Child of the soul: Psalm 131:2 “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (NKJV) Our dreams are one or the ways that our soul communicates with us; they are our safety valve. The soul dreams out its unrest to get our attention. Our negative emotions are another indication that something is wrong in our soul, and they provide a road map back to the source of our issue.

Our soul tries to communicate with us in many ways. Some are rather subtle; others are very alarming! When the soul’s needs are ignored, they eventually affect us physically and spiritually as well. Mind-related unrest causes our muscular, nervous, respiratory and vascular systems to break down. We get physical symptoms, some of which may have no physical cause or explanation. These are called psychosomatic illnesses.

During the day, it is important to take our soul’s temperature. What are you thinking, feeling and wanting to do, and why? Are you stressed, working too hard, missing some quality time with friends and family, or ignoring the healthy desires of your soul? It is not selfish to minister to your self, unless your whole focus is on yourself, or if you care for yourself to the detriment of others. Do something fun every day and your soul will thank you for it. Reading God’s Word, fellowshipping with other Christians and attending Bible study is as important to your soul as to your spirit.

Prayer:
Father God, please convict Your Children who judging one another falsely. Remind us not to strive to establish our natural identity or to seek to establish purpose and meaning in our natural life, because our life is now hidden with Christ in You. You know our heart better than we do, so we ask You to show us the issues in our soul that are hindering our spiritual walk. Help us to take up our cross daily by acknowledging that You are our only source for a meaningful life.

Thought for the Day:

God sits on His throne in heaven, but He also dwells in the hearts of His children.
 

(To read more about what the Bible says about the soul, check out these verses: Genesis 42:21; Psalm 6:2-3, 23:1-3, 42: 5-6, 107: 5-6.)

(To read more about how a sick or wounded soul affects our whole being, check out these verses: Psalm 42:11, 62:1, 63:8, 84:1-2, 142:7; Proverbs 13:25, 21:23, Isaiah 55:3.)          

 

The Benefits of the Race

 

Throughout our lifetime, God shows us who we really are (Galatians 6:3). We no longer excuse our failings and justify our motives. We recognize that even all of our accomplishments are filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6). We realize that we run a very real chance of standing before Him on the judgment day in shame and loss (1 John 2:28). Therefore, we confess that we are sinners and call out to Him for salvation. In exchange, He gives us all of His righteousness along with His Spirit, who takes up residence in our newly Born Again spirit (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 3:7). 

We never find true peace in life until we stop living for our self and live for God instead. We see His little love letters to us all throughout our day. We abide in His presence and rejoice in His provision and love for us. He strengthens us (2 Chronicles 16:9). His mercy and goodness keep us all the days of our life, and then we dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6). He deserves more from us than half-hearted devotion and praise (Romans 6:17). He wants us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When we do, His praise is on our lips every moment of the day.

Paul teaches us not to center our contentment on the circumstances of our life, but on the peace that God’s Spirit provides from within us. Jesus experienced heart-rending loss and adverse trials; yet, He taught us to count our suffering as a gift of joy (James 1:2-8). The purpose of our life is not to amass worldly goods, but to honor our Father in Heaven, just like Jesus did. Though we make a living in the world, our vocation is actually our ministry to use for the glory of God.

Paul likens our life with the Lord to a race. Christianity calls for the same characteristics of training and commitment (Hebrews 12:1-3). Running a race takes devotion and dedication.  Some people stand on the sidelines in church and even in life. However, running the race is so much more exciting, and even has the possibility of receiving awards at the end. God never leaves us, but gives us the courage and strength to finish the race (Hebrews 13:5; 2 Timothy 4:7).

God’s love is described in dimensions. It has height and length, depth and width (Ephesians 3:18-20). God’s love is proportionate and all encompassing. It completely surrounds us, encasing us in His love. Nothing can ever separate us from His great love (Romans 8:31-39). What can we do for Him in return for His grace, mercy, joy, peace and love? Even if we are just eating and drinking, we do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). We can purpose in our heart to develop the deeper commitment of a life hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

Prayer:

Father God, intimate fellowship with You is available to every Believer. It requires time and energy from us, quietness and confidence, and commitment and adoration. If we spend all of our time in the world, and give You only our spare change and hurried moments as we fall asleep at night, we not only insult You, but we short-change our self as well. We may have to hit the bottom of the barrel, before we ever take the time to look up into Your glorious face and live our life in worship to You.

Thought for the Day:

The Battle is the Lord’s and our best chance of success is to follow His strategy and obey His direction. -  Joshua 6:1-18

Father God Knows Best

 

If we refuse to heed the Spirit’s prompting in our life, we destroy our self from the inside out. We surrender to our flesh and Satan’s purposes, and we allow them to take up God’s place in our soul. If we choose to focus on sin in the TV shows, movies, or music we partake of, we invite Satan to also use our body, as well as our soul (Deuteronomy 11:16). God lives within us. Do you really want to drag Him through the mire with you?

However, if we seek God with our whole heart (Deuteronomy 6:5), He will give us glimpses of His glory during our life here on earth. As we dedicate our thoughts, words and actions to Him, we desire less and less of the world. Sin starts to grieve us as much as it grieves God. Satan is no longer able to pull us away from our focus fixed on God (Deuteronomy 11:17-20). We read His Word, as our daily bread, and our spirit grows stronger each day.

If we heed the Spirit’s prompting, we realize that our humanity is dead and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). We realize that our humanity is actually crucified with Christ, and the life we now live is only by the faith of the son of God, who loves us and laid down His life to save us (Galatians 2:20). We change our focus from our self, and we begin to live in the will of God (Hebrews 10:7). We set our mind to accomplish the works, which God created for us to accomplish before we were even born (Ephesians 2:8-10).

We walk in the Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. Our life is a praise to Him who rides upon the clouds (Psalm 68:4). We live a holy life by faith in His faithfulness. This holiness is the result of our love relationship with Christ in us. We follow His example and walk in His light, because He is our light (1 John 1:5-7). The bi-product of this relationship is a life that prays, reads God’s Word, worships with other Believers, evangelizes and gives tithes and offerings.

Self-denial is not a life of sadness and struggle; it is freedom to enjoy the blessings of God instead of the fruit of the flesh. Our spirit is grieved when we sin, and the Spirit of God within us is fighting for our life. In difficulties, we surrender that trial or circumstance to God; and we walk in His Spirit, reaping the fruit of our labors. We can rejoice in the Lord regardless of our circumstances, because every trial is an adventure when God is in control. We live in the joy of the Lord (John 15:11).

Prayer:

Father God, You live the Christian life through every Believer. Show us the areas of our life that we give Satan a foothold into our soul. Thank You for Your spiritual wisdom that is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). Living in your presence we experience fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). We give you the praise of our lips and the dedication of our heart as we serve You with our life.

Thought for the Day:

God saves all those who endure to the end. – Matthew 24:13

Walking in Union with Christ

 

God’s Will controls the universe, holding all things together in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). Once our will aligns in harmony with God’s will, we have total fellowship with our Father. If we treat our salvation carelessly, we live in fear of God and man. However, once we finally realize the immense freedom of the children of God, we walk in His presence with peace and joy. As we walk in His truth, His word and His commandments, we walk in His love as well (John 14:15-30).

Jesus lived His life in obedience to our Father. He never did anything that He did not first see our Father do (John 5:19). Satan tempts us to walk in disobedience, but God always gives us a way to escape that temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Jesus lived His life to please our Father; and through Him, we follow in His footsteps (John 5:17-23). The life of the Vine flowing into the branch insures that we have the ability to obey God’s will. We take up our cross and allow Him to live through us (John 15:5; Luke 9:23).

Once we fall in love with the Lord of all, we want nothing more than to follow in His step, walk in His will and do the works, which He prepared for us before the beginning of time (Ephesians 2:10). He fills us with the knowledge of His will and gives us wisdom and spiritual understanding (Acts 17:11). Our union with Christ starts with our entire consecration to His will (Romans 12:1-2). Eventually, we will stand perfected and complete in Him, as we follow His Spirit’s guidance in all things (Colossians 4:12).

The Holy Spirit continually renews us until our life is absorbed by the mind of Christ. All of our desires and aspirations center on the Kingdom of God. We walk in His will in our daily life and His precepts richly dwell in us. We hide them in our heart and delight in the wealth of their fullness (Psalm 1:2). Their living power infuses our body, soul and spirit as we live for God alone (Hebrews 4:12). We learn to walk in perfect harmony with our King of kings. Enjoying the riches of the earth, yet, no longer walking in sin.

Every time a negative thought or emotion raises its ugly head, we realize that this is an area that we have not yet surrendered to our living Lord. It is an idol that our soul clings to, and will only reluctantly relinquish. Disobedience, even in the mundane issues of life, leads to a hardened heart and a dull conscience. Even if God’s will for the moment is tedious or aggravating to our flesh, we can rest assured that it is for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). As we totally surrender all things to God, our union with Christ deepens and our love for Him increases.

Prayer:

Father God, Your grace is a cleansing fire, which consumes the remnants of our flesh, until we walk in Your fullness and joy (John 15:2). Your nature is more a part of us than our own. When people see us, they see You, because You fill us through all of our being with all of Your fullness (Ephesians 3:19). Your joy is our strength and Your Word is life to our bones (Proverbs 3:8, 4:22). Take complete control of our spirit, body and soul – our mind, will and emotions – and use us for Your glory.

Thought for the Day:

Dwelling in the fullness of Christ and walking in His will brings complete freedom and fulfillment.