The Beauty of God

There are times when we refuse to love one another, and the Holy Spirit is grieved. This severs our fellowship with our Father (Luke 6:37). At other times, we love one another too much and end up getting out of God's will. We enable each other, and spend all of our time loving people until we forget to give God any of our attention.

We are so busy serving others that we spend no time in the spiritual disciplines of bible study, prayer and worship of our God and King. God calls us to wholly concecrate our self to Him and His Kingdom. As we obey, our heart fills with the joy of the Lord, which becomes our strength (Psalm 28:7). We enter His Rest for eternity (Hebrews 4:10).

In return, Christ becomes to us more than we could ever imagine. He fills us through all of our being with all of His fullness (Ephesians 1:19). As we enter His rest, we relinquish our need to rely on our self to provide our own way in this world. We walk according to the Spirit and are blessed of God on a daily basis (Galatians 5:16-25).

Sometimes, we doubt that God hears our prayers. Many times it is because we are telling Him what to do and expecting Him to do it. God does not take orders from us. He is not our Aladdin's Lamp to grant our wishes. We tell him our problems and leave them in His capable hands, because He promises to eventually work them out for our good in His own way and timing (Romans 8:28).

All that we deserve is hell. Every sin we commit helped to crucify our Beloved Savior. Even our best efforts are just filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). We do not deserve His love and guidance, but He freely gives it to those who believe on Him (Romans 5:6-7). That is the beauty of God. He loves us regardless of our performance and yearns for our time and energy for Himself (Romans 5:8).

Prayer:

Father God, Your Spirit helps us in every issue we face in life. We usually have no idea how we should pray, but Your Spirit prays through us in deep expressions without words (Romans 8:26). Thank You for working Christ's divine character and nature in us through Your promises (2 Peter 1:4). Thank you also for loving us when we were the least lovable, and for caring for our every need, sometimes before we even mention it (Isaiah 65:24).

Thought for the Day:

The Kingdom of God is within us and gives us righteousness, peace and joy through God's Holy Spirit. - Luke 17:21

The Holiness, Rest and Presence of God

Who is mankind, that our holy God would give us a moment of His attention? We are nothing, worthless and the foulest form of life on this planet. 

Yet, God lowered Himself below the angels, and became a man, in order to save us and to bring us into eternity with Him forever (Psalm 8:4-6). Amazingly, God gives us His full consideration, care and affection now and always (Job 7:17).

If we relinquish control of our life to God's Spirit, He brings us into the presence of our Father God through Jesus Christ, illuminates God's Word to us and guides us to do God's will (John 14:26). 

The Spirit then begins the lifelong process of sanctifying us as His holy temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). He slowly transforms us into the image of Jesus Christ's perfect, divine nature (Romans 8:29; 2 Peter 1:4).

Each moment of our day, the Holy Spirit endeavors to bring us into the rest of God. We thwart Him by filling our hours with busyness. We cause our self to experience fits of stress and high blood pressure, because we do not allow our self to enter into God's rest (Hebrews 4:10). 

Yet, God's Spirit continually draws us ever deeper into fellowship with God until we finally, completely surrender to Him.

Then, we learn to walk in the holiness of God's precepts. His Spirit puts His love in our hearts for one another, so that we are proof of His existence (John 13:34-35). 

Christ in us loves the brethren through us by His Holy Spirit. As we seek God first, His Spirit will direct us in loving one another according to His will, without enabling one another.

Prayer: 
Father God, our ultimate joy is to live in Your presence, filled with Your Son, Jesus, and empowered by Your Spirit, who abides in us. Christ in us is our only hope of entering into Your glorious Kingdom (Colossians 1:27). 

Give us a burden for the lost, so we can reclaim them for Your Kingdom (Mark 16:15). Even the angels in heaven rejoice when one sinner repents and comes back to You (Luke 15:10).

Thought for the Day:

May we surrender our every waking moment into service for our God and King.

Faith and Courage

The Bible is full of the exploits of sinners just like us. God is not ashamed of those who exhibit their faith in Him, in spite of the moment of their weakness (Hebrews 11:16). 

Many of them had a calling from God and fulfilled that mission with faith in God's faithfulness. As people of faith, we can include our self in that great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1).

These people of courage stood strong and were on their guard (1 Corinthians 16:13). They resisted the devil by keeping a firm footing on their confidence in God. 

They walked by faith and not by sight, needing no physical proof for their beliefs (2 Corinthians 5:7). We can stand strong too, knowing that fellow Believers around the world are experiencing similar or even worse trials (1 Peter 5:9).

We learn how to live a life of faith from these ancient, Biblical Saints. If we do not have faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). He wants us to come to Him believing that He exists and that He rewards everyone who earnestly seeks Him. 

Faith believes God's Word, and is sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see in the natural realm (Hebrews 11:1). Faith believes that God formed the universe by His command, creating the galaxies simply by His spoken word (Genesis 1:3). 

We look forward by faith to the Kingdom of God, because we are only aliens and strangers on this earth (1 Peter 2:11-12). Until we go to glory, we fight the good fight with courage, finish the race and trust in the goodness of God (2 Timothy 4:7). 

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for Your forgiveness, provided by Your sacrifice of Your own son (Romans 8:23). We have no words to express our amazement or our gratitude to You for this free gift (Ephesians 2:8). 

Our faith in You will extinguish all of Satan's flaming arrows, which he aims at us (Ephesians 6:16). By faith we eagerly look forward to Your Spirit birthing Your perfection in us (Galatians 5:5). 

Thought of the Day:

The righteous will live by faith. - Galatians 3:11

God's Unfailing Love

God hears our prayers and answers them (Psalm 40:1; Micah 7:7). When our soul faints from trials and stress, we can put our hope in the Word of the Lord (Psalm 119:81). 

Our soul finds its rest in the Lord of our salvation, because our hope comes from Him (Psalm 62:1,5). When we trust in His Word, others who also fear the Lord will rejoice because they see our testimony of His provision (Psalm 119:74).

At times, we may feel disheartened or discouraged without any reason. God is putting a burden on our heart and we have no idea who to pray for or what is going on (Romans 8:26). 

However, God's Holy Spirit knows and wants us to pray for God to work in these lives, for Him to send His ministering angels to protect them and for Him to provide for them in every area of their need. Prayer changes lives.

Even if we are the ones living through a time of illness, unemployment or estrangement from a child, spouse or parent. These negative circumstances give us an occasion to spend time alone with God. 

This is often one of the most precious periods of our life. As we linger in God’s presence, our soul is filled with strength, peace, love and courage. Protect against limiting God's glory by doubts and insecurities. Trust in His faithfulness to see us through every trial life throws in our path. 

He promises to work out even the most horrendous circumstances for our good (Romans 8:28). God’s love is unfailing and His deliverance is abundant (Psalm 27:14, 130:5,7; Isaiah 8:17). He is our help and our protection (Psalm 33:20).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us to spend time in worship and adoration all throughout the day. We thank You for all of the special "hugs" You give us in both the simple and complex ways You order our life. 

As we bask in Your presence, cover us with Your love and glory and fill us to the brink with Your Holy Spirit, so that we can accomplish Your will for our day.

Thought for the Day:

As we immerse our self in fellowship with God, His Holy Spirit fills our soul with inexpressible joy and transforms us into the divine nature of Christ. - 1 Peter 1:7-9; 2 Peter 1:3-4

Yielding to God's Spirit

As human beings, we are programmed to preserve our life. It is a foreign concept to allow any harm to come to our body or soul - our mind, will and emotions. We fight to the death to preserve our autonomy and the control over our own life. 

We spend our lifetime combating people and forces, which attempt to harm us in any way. Dying daily is not something we readily embrace (Matthew 16:24; 1 Corinthians 15:31).

However, once we yield to the power of the God's Spirit within us, we do not struggle with the world, the flesh or the devil. We realize that God is going to protect us and care for us through any issue in life. 

God may lead us into a catastrophe, such as Paul’s shipwreck, or into temptation like Jesus in the wilderness, or into torment like Paul in prison. Yet, we can rejoice in our tribulation, because His Spirit is leading us (Romans 5:3, 8:14).

We humbly follow God's Spirit, even if we know persecution awaits us. We have the confidence that God always opens a way for us (Romans 8:28). 

Even through the raging rivers, which attempt to thwart our spiritual progress, we eventually cross on dry ground (Nahum 1:3; Isaiah 43:6). Jesus puts all of His enemies under our feet, including Satan and His minions (Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 15:25).

We no longer fear Satan or march to the beat of his drum, because we are free indeed (John 8:36). We view our afflictions as new adventures in growing in Christ. Jesus did nothing on this earth without following our Father's direction. 

We are also children of God and co-heirs with Christ of the Kingdom of God (1 John 3:2; Romans 8:17). We only succeed in this life as we truly follow His example, and live and move and have our being in Him (Acts 17:28).

Prayer:

Father God, we have a problem with loving our flesh more than we love You (Ephesians 5:29). Teach us to nourish and cherish our relationship with You more than we cater to our own desires. 

Remind us of Your faithfulness and allow us walk in Your ways regardless of the trials or the temptations, which we face in our life. Help us to yield these issues to You, our Savior and our King, who lives within us with all power and might.

Thought for the Day:

We triumph over Satan and our flesh by the blood of the Lamb and our evidence that Christ reigns in us, because we do not love this life, even when faced with death. - Revelation 12:11

God's Deliverance

When we seek the Lord, He delivers us from all of our fears. Regardless of our circumstances, when we praise God in them, He will deliver us from them. 

As we bless the Lord at all times, His praises are continually in our heart, mind and words. We magnify Him as we worship His name together as His Body.

God helps us out of all of our troubles. His mighty angels camp out around us to deliver us from harm. When we look to the Lord for our help, we release our fears and worries and the relief shows on our face and in our body language. 

When we trust in Him, we are continually blessed. As we boast in the Lord, everyone else who serves Him will also rejoice right along with us.

When we revere the Lord, we lack for nothing that we need. God's eyes are upon us as we live for Him. He always hears our cries for His help, and He delivers us from all of our difficulties. 

We are content with God's will for our life. We run from evil and keep our tongue from speaking evil. We seek peace and pursue a lifestyle that provides us with tranquility.

When we feel remorse for our sins and are brokenhearted over the fact that we grieved the Lord, He draws near to us. Through all of our trials, He is there to carry us out of them all. 

Our soul continually rejoices in God our Savior. This is our pathway to enter God's rest (Hebrews 4:10). We do not depend on human reasoning and observations, but on the leading of God's Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, throughout our lifetime, we develop attitudes and opinions, which affect our choices. They are birthed from the input we receive into our life from others, from experiences and from our observations. 

You want us to exchange those attitudes and opinions for Your Truth (Philippians 2:5, 3:15). Thank You for giving us Your Spirit to transform the carnal appetites of our soul by renewing our mind into the mind of Christ (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23).

Thought for the Day:

God's Spirit delivers us from the hindrance of pride, which keeps us from knowing God. He captures our defiant attitudes and opinions and teaches us to obey Christ. 
- 2 Corinthians 10:5

Wise Wisdom

At times, we stay up all night with our mind whirling with issues that need a wise solution (Ecclesiastes 2:23). Solomon, the wisest man in the world, realized that following the world's wisdom is like following the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:17). 

He pursued God's wisdom instead. God's wisdom is the opposite of the world's wisdom, and it often takes faith to walk in it. The Apostle Paul tells us that the rationale of this world is futile. 

He advises us, when directed by God's Spirit, to dare to be unwise in certain temporal matters. This way we may truly become wise in eternal matters (1 Corinthians 3:18-20). 

Heavenly wisdom is not tainted by the world. It is pure, serene, tender, steadfast, sincere, sensible and full of mercy and the fruit of God's Spirit (James 3:17).

So many people miss the opportunity in their life to come to Christ, because they are so dependent on the wisdom of the world, that they miss the simplicity of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 2:21).  

Jesus Christ became the wisdom of God for us (1 Corinthians 2:24, 30). An intimate, personal relationship with the Son of God gives us wisdom of which unbelievers have no concept.

Mankind throughout the ages spent countless generations attempting to figure out the meaning and origin of life. All along, the answers to mankind's most perplexing issues are already described and answered in God's Word. 

God reveals His deep wisdom to anyone who seeks Him with all of his or her heart (1 Corinthians 2:10; Jeremiah 29:13).

Prayer:

Father God, Your wisdom instructs us to consider more than what meets the human eye. You want us to read between the lines, to think outside of the box and to envision Your reality instead of what we see in human terms. What we can see is merely temporal and earthly, tied to this finite world. That which is discerned only by Your Holy Spirit is eternal and lasting (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Thought for the Day:

God gives us His wisdom through natural events (Romans 1:19,20), the miracle of His Son (Luke 10:22; Galatians 1:16), His written Word and personal revelation, which He only gives to authentic Christians.