Vessels of Honor

As children, we are guileless until we learn to lie to keep from getting into trouble, to cheat in order to win games, to instigate fights to get our siblings into trouble, etc. Then, we grow up living a self-centered life and wanting to be the center of attention.

This is when sin, which is innate in our human character, starts to gain control of our life. It grows in increments as we give in to the temptations to fulfill our desires and passions.

As adults, we have more frequent temptations to cross the line into depravity; and we often give in without any thought of the consequences. Even as Christians, we rationalize and excuse our thoughts and behavior.

Only Godly sorrow will bring repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10), and prevent us from giving in to the excessive temptations that we face every day.

As we realize that Jesus bore the penalty of these sins on Calvary's cross, we shudder to think that we contributed to His suffering. We willingly submit to the Potter's wheel, as He molds us and makes us as vessels of honor.

The only good news about sin is that God loves us, even as our sin breaks His heart (Romans 5:8). He quickly forgives all of our transgressions, when we turn away from our sinful practices (Romans 3:23, 6:23).

We can relate to the Psalmist's humanity as we pray similar prayers. We ask God to teach us to follow Him and His dictates; so that as faithful disciples, we can live in His truth all the days of our life (Psalm 86:11, 119:33).

When we listen for God's guidance, the devil has no room to slide in his lies. When we walk in the Spirit each moment of the day, we insulate our thoughts from temptation (Galatians 5:15-25).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that there are no shortcuts to holiness. We must go through the fire as You purify us (1 Peter 1:7; Malachi 3:2-4); but as with the three Hebrew children, You are always in the furnace with us (Daniel 3:25). We truly want the righteousness of Christ to reign supreme in our personality, thoughts, words and actions.

We want to take a searching inventory of our thoughts throughout the day, so that You can reveal to us any evil inclinations that will lead us away from intimate fellowship with You. You are the Potter, and we are clay upon Your Potter's wheel. Mold us and make us after Your will (Romans 12:2).

Thought for the Day:

God searches our heart and knows our thoughts; as we trust solely in Him, if there is any wicked penchant within us, He will lead us away from sin and toward His righteous ways of living.

- Psalm 139:23

A Very Good Heavenly Father

Some people say that God is not real, but a figment of our imagination. Well....I have proof that He is alive and well. He is very active in my life and leads me by His Spirit every moment of the day.

For instance, in a car accident, I flipped my car and slid down a hill upside down. I did not have one scratch or bruise, and the chiropractor could not find anything that needed adjusting.

In another car accident, I broke 11 ribs, a little finger, punctured a lung, and had a concussion and half a face full of glass shards. Yet, I was only in the hospital overnight, never took one pain pill, got a great night's sleep in my recliner every night, went back to work as a financial secretary after one week, and my face healed within a few days.

Now...tell me again that there is no God....HE is my very good Father, and I am so extremely loved by Him...Actually, I am a spoiled King's kid.

I have lived with pain, abuse, rejection, deprivation, and loss for much of my life in this world; however, Christ in me sustained me, and continues to bless me with His peace through it all.

You see, if we "grab" or strive for more out of life, because of discontentment with what we have, God wisely withholds His blessings from us, until we want Him more than we want what He supplies.

God created Paradise for us, but Adam and Eve wanted more. As with our first parents, God just may allow us to have what our heart desires, even if it is not in His will for our life. However, we always suffer the consequences of our decisions and choices made outside of His will for us. 

Jesus is our life (Colossians 3:3-4); and there is nothing nor anyone who can fulfill us better than an intimate relationship with Him. An intimate relationship with Him gives us all good things to enjoy.

Prayer:

Father God, we can never thank You enough for Your bountiful provision in our life. You bless us abundantly more than we could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20). There is nothing that You would not give to or do for Your children, unless it is not good for us. We trust You to care for us.

Please help us to live a life that will draw everyone in our family, friendships, community and world to Your generosity and goodness through the sacrifice that Jesus made for us all on Calvary's cross. You are always our very good Father and we bless Your holy name.

Thought for the Day:

Whether we live with plenty or lack, we are satisfied with God's presence in our life, and His provision for us through it all.

- Philippians 4:11-13; Colossians 3:3-4

Navigating the Darkness

At times, life gets so dark that we know a terrible storm is brewing just over the horizon. We sense the disaster waiting to happen, and our nerves ball up inside, as we brace our self for the impending doom.

As non-believers, we had to face these storms alone. I used to pull myself up by my mental and emotional bootstraps; and muster every ounce of courage I could dig out of my inner being, as I steadied myself for what lay ahead.

However, as a Believer in Jesus Christ, I now laugh in the face of adversity (James 1:2-3; Philippians 4:4-8). God's Spirit taught me, through my many trials, that all I needed to do is to rest in God's faithfulness.

I learned to be content regardless of the circumstances (Philippians 4:11), and to look for the seed for a miracle, which God plants within every catastrophe, which comes our way (Romans 8:28).

As Christians, we walk by faith in the infinite, rather than by sight in the finite (2 Corinthians 5:7). There may not be much light on our path in life, but Jesus is our inner light and His Spirit is our guiding light (Matthew 5:14-16).

This enlightenment comes from the intimate presence of the Trinity within us. We have God's assurance that He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

At no time are we forced to walk in the darkness (John 8:12). We wait on the Lord; and He gives us courage as He strengthens our heart (Psalm 27:14). We follow the peace-filled choices that He whispers to us within our spirit (Philippians 4:7).

Prayer:

Father God, You always prefer that we live in obedience rather than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22; John 14:15, 21, 23). A total submission of our will, goals, direction and plans is the only guarantee we have for success in our life. This also prevents us from being too busy to enjoy Your presence and the blessings You prepare for us each day.

Thank You for being our Father and for adopting us into Your family as Your sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18). Your unconditional love is more fulfilling that we could ever receive from another human being. Thank You for drawing all those, who do not know You, closer to Your heart each day.

Thought for the Day:

God's Spirit enables us to navigate with pure joy and peace, even the darkest times that we will ever experience on this earth. - James 1:2-4

Life is a Bed of Roses

In life on this planet, we are often either in a trial, coming out of a trial or about to go into a trial. This is not a sign of spirituality, punishment from God or an attack by Satan. Life just happens!

Sometimes, we simply reap what we sowed in life. Possibly these ordeals occur because of acts of selfishness perpetuated by some other person. Some trials provide a course-altering experience to get us back into God’s perfect will for us.

Life really is a rose garden, but did you notice...roses have thorns (1 Peter 1:6). The trials in our life provide the fire for our Master Silversmith to shape and mold us into His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

If we have the wisdom and faith to take refuge in Him alone, God is a shield for us (2 Samuel 22:31). Tribulation strengthens our fortitude, patience, and spirituality, as it forces us out of our comfort zone and into unfamiliar and often unpleasant circumstances (James 1:2, 12; I Peter 1:6).

                                                        

God uses trials to gain our attention and to manifest His Son’s divinity within us (Isaiah 43:7; Genesis 50:20; John 9:3). They strengthen us and make us more resilient, so that problems, which used to devastate us, no longer make any impression on us (John 16:33).

We may not understand what God is working out in our life, but He is faithful and we can trust Him (Proverbs 20:24; Hosea 14:9). No matter what we experience, even persecution for our faith, Heaven’s glory is worth it all (Romans 8:18).

Once we trust in God's faithfulness, we can hide under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:4). We also enter into His rest and live from a positive place of dependence (Hebrews 4:10). The more we obey God’s Will, the more we realize that His ways are perfect.

God’s desire is for us to respond to any negative issues we experience with patient expectation and spiritual integrity, knowing full well that His faithfulness will work out everything for our good (Romans 8:28).

Prayer:

Father God, it is thrilling for us to watch Your character and fruit gradually replacing the carnal aspects of our personality traits (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:4). You always supernaturally sustain us and provide for us through every trial (1 Corinthians 10:13). In fact, we usually end up with more than we started with (Job 42:12). Through Your joy, and as we live a life of praise and prayer, we are victorious over life’s trials.

The world will constantly attempt to pull us back into its mold. The devil will try to deceive us into compromising our convictions. Even some in our natural and spiritual family will fight to dissuade us from following hard after You (Psalm 63:8). Life gives us many options, but living in the center of Your will enables us to endure persecution and to find contentment in all of our circumstances, because Your Son and Spirit dwell within us (Philippians 4:11).

Thought for the Day:

We often attempt to escape the trials of life, but God will not give us anything that Christ in us cannot bear; therefore, secure in Christ, we can endure life's trials with joy, gratitude and hope for a better future. - James 1:2-8

Help Through the Valley

We all have mountaintop experiences with the Lord where He reveals to us the personal reality of His divine Truth. This usually occurs during a valley experience of trials, difficulties or disappointments. 

When our life is on an even keel, with smooth sailing and just enough wind to fill our sail, we tend to forget God's presence in our life. We sit back and enjoy the ride, giving little or no effort to our day, but just coasting on God's blessings.

It is during the tempests that we get nervous that God is not going to work on our behalf. In truth, God actually works behind the scenes. He uses these issues to remind us that He is still God, and He is still on His throne.

Our Supreme Being is not an Aladdin's Lamp that grants our wishes. He is our Father God who cares about every issue of our life. He leads us away from destructive behavior and encourages us to walk in His will for our life.

We follow His example when, rather than codependently meeting the need of every person that presents itself to us, we consult God's will for this person and situation.

God may be using this trial to call this person into a deeper walk with Him. Every trial is an opportunity for God to work a miracle on our behalf. Our negative circumstance makes room in our life for God's positive, loving care.

This is one way that we know that God is real and that He abides within our spirit, which is Born Again from sin through the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

We never need to fear our circumstances, because God plants a seed for a miracle in every trial. It may take some seeds longer to bloom than others, but we can rest in the assurance of God's loving plan for our life (Romans 8:28).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us to follow Jesus' example and to pattern our life according to His. He exemplified for us how to walk in Your peace through trying circumstances all the way to the cross. His greatest example was that He never did anything except what He saw You do, and that is how we can structure our days as well (John 5:19).

Help us to see what You are doing and to join You, rather than to act according to our human understanding, desire or will (Proverbs 3:5-6). Remind us that Christ in us wants to work in and through us, and He will use our spirit, body and soul to accomplish Your will for our life.

Thought for the Day:

God designs our negative circumstances to draw us closer to Him; He is the God of the valley, as well as the God of the mountaintops.

The Peace of God

My husband is a peace-maker. He can walk into any meeting and resolve issues, or call the couple or group to prayer over the matters at hand. He uses humor to diffuse tension, and his humility and love disarm strife.

God's peace rules in his heart and his attitude promotes peace in those around him. He is a good example to everyone who knows him, and we thank God that he is in our life. We learn to walk away from fear, because of the faith in God that He models.

God is holy, just and righteous in every area. He is worthy of our reverence and awe. Yet, He is also approachable, because He is always in us and with us, surrounding us and filling us with His loving presence.

Fear is a debilitating emotion that robs us of peace. Fear often prevents us from experiencing the joy of living in the center of God's will for us. Encumbering fear is a product of Satan's lies to our soul.

No amount of human effort can triumph over these lies. We need the supernatural help that only comes from total submission to God's will and complete trust in the Holy Spirit's power within us.

God's love casts out all fear and floods our soul with His peace (1 John 4:18). The faith of Christ, who abides within our spirit, overcomes every obstacle between us and fulfilling God's perfect plan for our life (Galatians 2:20).

God loves us regardless of our mistakes, shortcomings, failings and negative personality traits. His Spirit transforms us into the likeness of Christ and gives us the mind of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18) in exchange for our human frailties.

Praising God for His faithfulness to us always helps us to eliminate our fear, and enables us to walk in the center of His will for us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). God invites us to live in praise and to converse with Him each moment of the day.

Prayer:

Father God, You always restore what Satan steals from us, You heal us from our diseases, You forgive our sins and regenerate our spirit, and You answer our prayers as You drench us with Your love and peace (James 5:13-16). We trust You, and we know that You care for us and listen to our concerns (1 Peter 5:7).

You do not always give us what we want, because You know that some things are not for our ultimate good; but we praise You for listening to us and giving us what we really need (Romans 8:28). You always plant a seed for a miracle in every trial, and we thank You for Your constant presence in our life (Romans 11:29).

Thought for the Day:

We can approach God's throne, without fear of reproach, to request His help during any situation that may arise; He will flood our life with His mercy, grace and peace to help us in all of our times of need. - Hebrews 4:16

Serving Our Loving Father

God created us as a triune being with a body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). In our soul - our thoughts, emotions and choices - we have three ego states commonly known as our Inner Parent, Adult and Child.

King David understood this when he quieted and calmed His soul like a weaned child within him (Psalm 131:2). Our child-like faith is what enables us to dwell with God forever (Matthew 18:2-4).

Our soul is the most overlooked aspect of our human make-up.  God gave us thoughts to express our emotions in order to communicate our honest feelings with other human beings.

However, we often ignore the needs of our body, soul and spirit, because of the demands that our busy schedule puts on us. Negative emotions are red flags to alert us when there is an issue in our soul that needs our attention.

We rarely pay attention, however, because we bombard our life with useless trivia and concerns, and we consult social media more that we chat with God.

Most of the people living on this earth see God as a restrictive task master, and they do not want to hear the preaching of His Word or to have friends that proclaim the name of Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:3).

The tragedy of this viewpoint is that it is a ploy from Satan to keep people from experiencing for themselves the bountiful benevolence of our protective Father.

God does not want us to reap the consequences of our sin; therefore, He provided Jesus to take our punishment. He also gave us His Word to direct our paths away from destructive behavior.

As we sit still before the Lord each day, listening for the direction of His Spirit, we hear His reassuring voice comforting us as we benefit from His loving care (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for forgiving our unfaithfulness. We get so distracted by life that we abandon You for hours at a time. Instead, if we walk in Your Spirit, You enable us to bear more fruit for Your Kingdom. You give us everything we need to live a productive life (1 Corinthians 4:7). All of our talents and abilities come from You alone.

Many people fear losing friends if they commit their life to You. They do not realize that they will actually gain truer and a greater number of friends, family really, than they ever thought possible. These people will spend eternity with us, so our time together now is merely a prelude to the wonderful concert You prepared for those of us who love You (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Thought for the Day:

The work of the righteous is peaceable, and our service to our King gives us confidence and peace forever; no criticism makes us less, and no acclaim makes us more than we are in Christ; we do not rely on the praise of men or on human ideals of success, but we give our loving Father the glory for who we are, for all that we have, and for what we accomplish. 

- Isaiah 32:17