Devotions - Prayer
“So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, ‘Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!'” (Job 2:7-9).
One message I get from the book of Job is: Do not give up on God because of suffering or bad experiences.”
Our age of “INSTANT” everything has caused us to lose the ability to wait. We expect to learn patience instantly, and in our hurry, we miss out on the real blessing of it. What do we want now?- relief from pain is at the top of our list. We want an instant cure for everything from toothaches to heartbreaks.
When God finally spoke to Job, he didn’t offer Job an answer. Instead, he drove home the point that it is better to KNOW GOD than to know answers(see also John 17:3).
Sometimes suffering is an attack by Satan on our lives. Sometimes we do not know why the suffering but need to know, that the suffering may be shaping us for special service to others.
When hope is deferred, the psalmist says, the heart becomes sick. During these seasons, we can only do one thing. We must hang onto whatever faith we have to get through each day and entrust our lives to Him. (Hab 3:17-18).
When faith doesn’t see results it challenges what we believe. We must pray as Job prayed: “Teach me what I cannot see” (Job 34:32). God says there is a purpose in everything we go through(Ro. 8:28). God is always bigger than Satan’s afflictions. See 1 John 4:4-We fight FROM Victory if we have Jesus!
Our greatest tests come when we cannot see positive results from our faith and obedience. In such cases we must die to our expectations and entrust them to our Lord.
But Job is an example for us of how we must break through our natural view of life so that we begin to see things in a different light. This book is here to teach us that God sometimes has to translate theology into painful experience before we really begin to grasp what He is trying to say to us.
Father, thank You that You have sent Your Son, who has endured more suffering than I. Grant me the strength to endure whatever You allow into my life, that I may bring Glory to You. Amen
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Instead of hanging out in an imaginary place where I could avoid conflict and hurt, I embraced real life, with real people and real struggles.
Although it took much time and work to process hard situations, with each one I grew.
* It involved loving the people around me, enjoying each new day, and releasing hurtful events and people from the past.
Our Heavenly Father knows when we struggle with our thoughts and emotions and feelings. They can be a place where we work through issues with wisdom and care, or a playground where bitterness sprouts and anger is fed.
Is He taking you by the hand, like He did me the last few months? If so, I celebrate with you. For He’s leading you into growth. It is still a personal daily commitment I need to make and ask the Holy Spirit to lead! It is not EASY!
My prayer is that you’ll swing high in day-to-day joys of real life as a strong person of faith.
Hebrews 10:19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
Don’t let the truth slip away from you! Stay awake and alert. You have an open door into God’s holy presence, so go into Him with full assurance of faith, making your petitions known.
Christ’s blood has already made the way for you and nothing stands between you and the Father. You have every right to enter into the holy of holies, to receive all the help you need!
Make a special effort to stay present with the Lord. Resist the temptation to dwell on the past, and deliberately let go of all failures and regrets. Walk with Jesus here and now even though your tendency will also be to race ahead and try to see what the future holds. There are things that you need to see and deal with right here where you are now. Let Jesus show you and give you wisdom.
Psalms 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
Dear Jesus,Today I shut the gate to the playground of unhealthy thoughts, with Your help. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read MoreThe Bible never says we won’t have negative thoughts, emotions or desires, but it does says we can have victory over “the flesh” if we choose to continually walk by faith.
“Blessed is a man who perseveres under the trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12
The sin that makes God cry is being committed daily, not by pagan workers of iniquity but by multitudes of Christians—
**the sin of doubting God’s love for His children.
Jesus Christ was God in the flesh, and according to the book of John He wept when those closest to Him doubted His love and concern. (John 11:35)
*That was God incarnate at the tomb of Lazarus, crying over friends who failed to recognize who He was.
Jesus spoke to God in the presence of those around him. He wanted them to see that God is in the midst of their pain and hurt.
**God is present in our pain and suffering. He mourns with us when we are sad; he limits himself to feel these losses with us. He does listen to our cries when we are hurt.
Jesus says: “Here I Am.”
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away .” Revelation 21:4
Time and time again Christ’s dearest associates on this earth doubted His love for them.
*Think of the disciples in a storm-tossed boat that was taking on water.
*Jesus was in the stern of the boat, sound asleep. Fearing for their
lives, His followers shook Him awake and then accused Him of outrightunconcern. “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38).
*How their accusation must have grieved the Lord! That was God Almighty in their boat!
How could He not care?
***But whenever men take their eyes off the Lord and concentrate
instead on their circumstances, doubt always takes over.
*Jesus was astounded! He said:
“How can you be afraid when I am with you? How can you question My love and care?”
Christians today grieve the Lord in this matter even more.
Let us look for His exceeding mercy and love, admit the sinfulness of our unbelief, and recognize who He is!
In John 11:25 Jesus makes what may be His most COMFORTING claim of all:
“I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE“.
Lord, Help my faith to sit solidly on Biblical Truth. Thank You Jesus! Amen
Read MoreFrom a Christian perspective, spiritual warfare is the cosmic war of good versus evil:
- its battles are fought daily between God and Satan;
- between the Christian Church and the world system ruled by our spiritual enemy;
- within every child of God, between the Holy Spirit and the lusts of the carnal flesh.
The clear meanings of good and evil, as defined by God rather than man, are revealed within the verses of the Holy Bible and the life of Jesus Christ.
Spiritual, is dealing with three key things the enemy sends at us: temptations, deception and accusations.
Accusations:
*The devil is known as the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10).
He is known to take a believer who has done an embarrassing or gross sin in their past, and continue to rub it in their faces and beat them down with guilt and condemnation over their past.
The fiery darts of the enemy in Ephesians 6:16 are accusations sent our way.
For example, when the devil tries to accuse us of our past sins, we are to have faith in the work of the cross and know that they are forgiven and not to look back. Faith is what we use to put out the fiery darts of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16).
Therefore when the enemy tries to remind you of your past, tell him it’s been washed away (2 Corinthians 5:17), your sins have been forgotten (Hebrews 10:17) and you have the righteousness of God (Romans 3:22)!
The tearing down of strongholds:
♦ A stronghold is deception that’s taken hold in a person’s mind.
♦ It’s an incorrect thinking pattern based on a believed lie.
*People can get incorrect perceptions of God by listening to Satan as he tells them how God doesn’t love them, etc.
*People can feel like dirty old sinners when they believe Satan’s accusations as he continually reminds them of their past (which has been washed away!).
*Strongholds are based on lies from the devil.
*They can come in the form of deception or accusations.
*Accusations always lead to guilt and the feeling of unworthiness, which weighs you down and tears you apart spiritually.
Since strongholds are built upon lies that we have been fed, the way we tear down strongholds is by feeding on the TRUTH (in God’s Word), which is the opposite of what the enemy has been feeding us.
If the enemy has been feeding us a lie, we need to stop eating the lie and start feeding ourselves the truth.
The weapon we use to tear down strongholds is found in Ephesians 6:17, “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
A sword is an offensive weapon and is meant to tear down and kill the enemy’s troops.
*Strongholds are the devil’s assets in war, and he uses them against us.
*Take up the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word) today, and start slaughtering the enemy’s assets that he’s been using against you!
Thank You Jesus for the Cross: saving a sinner like me. Thank You for the Armor (Ephesians 6)to protect me here on Earth. Amen
Read MoreEven when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
What are the things you’re worried about? The election? Your health? Your bills? Your kids? Are you worried about the future? The fact is there are lots of reasons to be afraid in today’s world. But God’s promise is that, even in your darkest valleys, he is walking beside you. (see Psalms 23)
It’s interesting to note that there are 365 verses in the Bible that say, “Fear not.”
God provided us with one “Fear not” message for every day of the year! Don’t you think God is saying, “Get the message. Don’t be afraid.” It’s interesting that almost every time God talks to someone in the Bible, the first thing he says is, “Don’t be afraid!”
Why? Because our hurts and hang-ups can often cause us to think that God is out to get us, that all he wants to do is condemn us and punish us. But that simply isn’t true. Jesus is the proof of that.
When we understand God’s grace and mercy, then we have no need to fear the future. God isn’t trying to get even with you.
- Jesus has taken the penalty for everything you’ve ever done wrong or will do wrong.
- Jesus paid for the penalty for everything you’ve ever done wrong on the
So when a bad thing happens, you don’t have to think, “God’s getting even with me.” Instead, remember, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me”(Psalms 23:4 ).
Fear not! Thank You Jesus! Amen
Read MoreThe natural human loves inspired by God (Agape) is the only love essential to human survival.
Only God’s Divine Love can give us the identity, value, dreams and purpose we need to live life to the fullest.
God’s Love for us IS Jesus as Our Substitute.
John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
On the cross, God treated Jesus as if He had committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe.
Did you get that? Let it soak in. Jesus took on EVERY SIN!
**God treated Him as if He committed, personally, every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe though the fact is He committed none of them.
That’s the great doctrine of substitution. —And that’s the first side of imputation.
*God imputed our sins to Jesus.
*Jesus was guilty of none of them.
*God treated Jesus as if He committed all of them.
*And God just unloaded His fury for all the sins of all the people who would ever believe in Him in the history of the world.
***God unloaded all His fury against all their sins on Christ.
To borrow the language of Leviticus 16, Jesus became the “scapegoat.”
The scapegoat was guilty of nothing. But the High Priest, as it were, laid all the sins of the people on the scapegoat and sent him away. He was without sin. But sin was credited to His account as if He had personally committed it and then God punished Him though the fact is He never committed any of it.
On the cross, God treated Jesus as if He lived your life so He could treat you as if you lived His life. That’s the Gospel. That’s substitution.
Only God’s Divine Love can give us the identity, value, dreams and purpose we need to live life to the fullest.
Dear Lord, will You help me notice things for which I can be thankful in each circumstance I face today? Will You help me remember to pause and acknowledge this as evidence of Your presence and love for me? And will You help me remember to choose to focus on Your presence until Your powerful peace rushes into my heart and helps me see everything more clearly? Amen
Read MoreThe phrase “forgive and forget” is not found in the Bible. However, there are numerous verses commanding us to “forgive one another” (e.g., Matthew 6:14 and Ephesians 4:32). A Christian who is not willing to forgive others will find his fellowship with God hindered (Matthew 6:15) and can reap bitterness and the loss of reward (Hebrews 12:14–15; 2 John 1:8).
Forgiveness is a decision of the will. Since God commands us to forgive, we must make a conscious choice to obey God and forgive. The offender may not desire forgiveness and may not ever change, but that doesn’t negate God’s desire that we possess a forgiving spirit (Matthew 5:44). Ideally, the offender will seek reconciliation, but, if not, the one wronged can still make a decision to forgive.
You’ve heard this phrase over and over: “Forgive and forget.” There’s only one problem with it: You can’t do it. It’s impossible! You really can’t forget a hurt in your life. In fact, you can’t even try to forget it. Because when you’re trying to forget, you are actually focusing on the very thing you want to forget.
Forgetting is not what God wants you to do. Instead, he wants you to trust him and see how he can bring good out of it. That’s more important than forgetting, because then you can thank God for the good that he brought out of it. You can’t thank God for things you forget.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” .
It doesn’t say that all things are good, because all things are not good. Cancer is not good. Disease is not good. Death is not good. Divorce is not good. War is not good. Rape and abuse are not good. There are a lot of things in life that are evil. Not everything that happens in this world is God’s will.
But God says he will work good out of the bad things in life if you will trust him.
When you come to him and say, “God, I give you all the pieces of my life,” he will return peace for your pieces. He gives you peace in your heart that comes from knowing that even if you don’t understand the hurt in your life, you can still forgive, knowing that God will use that pain for good.
The ideal is to forgive and forget. Love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5) and covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). However, changing hearts is God’s business, and, until an offender has a true, supernatural heart change, it is only wise to limit the level of trust one places in that person.
Being cautious doesn’t mean we haven’t forgiven. It simply means we are not God and we cannot see that person’s heart.
Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you. Amen
Read MoreGod’s supernatural Love is not affected by the other person’s response, nor is it dependent upon circumstances.
* “If you love someone [with God’s Love] you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. God’s love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:7-8
The “pearl of great price” is no mere piece of jewelry but the very Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:46). To pursue God’s many rewards over God Himself is to misunderstand and forfeit those rewards!!!
A man who searches for wealth his whole life will not achieve his goal unless he discovers that one pearl of infinite value.
What do we value the most ? .. It SHOULD BE God and the Words He has spoken in our Bibles!! And not anything worldly.
**Let’s put Jesus on the top of our priority list and have our personal values match what Jesus has taught us. (Jesus Character in the Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-12)
1 Corinthians 3:13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.
Investing your life in Gods cause!!
1. Live for eternity!!
2. Live with urgency!!
Philippians 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
The only thing significant about us is what God can do through us.
*We are important because God loves us and God had a plan for us.
*We are important and significant because of what God can do through us.
*God had given us gifts, use your gifts to lead a significant life, a life that changes someone else for the better, a life that takes advantage of what God did for us, what happened to Christ on the cross.
*We are significant only if we build up a life on God, and if we allow ourselves to fulfill out true purpose as God’s servant and God’s Temple.
*That is our significance. And without God, we will feel insignificant forever. (see Matthew 6:19-21)
Father, help me to see that the only impact I can have in this world is by being faithful to You and to the message that has been given to me. May your church (the Body of Christ) be made up of people who, above all, obey Your orders. and give all Glory to You and share Your Love with others through Your words and Our Actions. Amen
Read More“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and prayfor one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:24-25).
What Jesus is saying is, “The great hindrance to having faith in God is pride, the pride that refuses to forgive (an inflated sense of one’s personal status or accomplishments).
*You have the power to have that removed if, when you stand and pray, you will forgive those who have offended you.” Because the only thing that stops us from forgiving one another is pride.
We feel justified in wanting others to forgive us but also in feeling that we have to exact a price for the hurt they have caused us. So, in many ways—subtle, or direct and open—we insist that we will not forgive, that our offenders have to pay for what they have done to us. Somehow, we are going to make them crawl, make them beg or plead for forgiveness.
“And that,” Jesus says, “is a great mountain that needs to be removed, for it is blocking the flow of the life of God to your faith.” So when you stand and pray, life will flow from God when you are able to recognize that you, too, need forgiveness. God has forgiven you. God has offered it freely to you; give it just as freely to the one who has offended you.
The one thing above all else that seems to block the flow of the life of God to an individual, to a church, or to a nation, is:
- this unwillingness to forgive, this holding of grudges,
- this desire to put somebody down in order to feel good yourself,
- this unwillingness to set these things aside and let God heal all the hurts of life.
The Lord brings us through a time of testing and adjustments. There are corrections to be made to our path of life, and those corrections will begin to bear fruit as soon as we let go of the things that have been a distraction and a hindrance to our progression.You will now be able to see with greater clarity and understanding, as you walk in the Spirit.
Proverbs 10:17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray.
Father, how many times I have refused the forgiving word, the restoring act, only to be tormented by fears and anxieties and worries. Thank You for the forgiveness that is mine in Jesus Christ. Teach me to extend it to those around me. Take my pride from me! Amen
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Psalm 42:1–2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
David speaks there about a thirst of the soul. He says, “My soul thirsts for God.”
I suppose we are all familiar with what thirst is in our personal experience.
David speaks about a relationship to God that’s parallel to physical thirst.
He says, “My soul thirsts for God. When can I go and meet with God?”
• Do you know what it is to thirst for God?
• Have you ever felt that deep, inner longing that cannot be satisfied with anything less than God Himself?
If you have, I want to tell you that God is waiting.
You can go and meet with Him and satisfy that thirst in your soul, which cannot be satisfied by anything but God.
Deliberately deal with things that distract you from seeking Jesus’ face with a whole heart.
These are critical times in your spiritual development and supernatural progression. This is a time when you need to get your head screwed on straight–to become clear in your thinking and calm in your emotions so that your attitudes, motives and actions line up with the truth of God’s word. Become ONE with Him.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled
Lord, I come to you with my thirst for You – Fill my cup of love to over flowing that I may give to others. Thank you for all Your promises to all of us in Your perfect Word. Amen
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Ephesians 2;10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
God rested on the 7th Day of his work.
Gen 2: 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
** God didn’t rest because he was tied, but because it was a blessed day?
*Activity does not indicate productivity.
*Action does not mean production.
*Just because it looks quiet now does not mean God has stopped work in your life.
He has not abandoned the project.
*Just because you cannot see anything happening does not mean nothing is happening.
God is still on the throne and He is doing a work in your life.
* He has not stopped working.
*He is still working.
Remember you are the clay and He is the potter.
It may look like the more you have prayed the more nothing has happened. Not so. The Master is at work and He is working on a masterpiece. Masterpieces often take awhile.
You are beginning to ask.
*Has God forgotten me?
*Is He acting on my prayer request or requests.
*Has he changed his mind?
Remember He is not man to lie or the son of man to change His mind.
Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the Ancient of days. Strong as ever. More than reliable and dependable forever.
*He is still God even though you cannot feel or perceive Him.
*He is still God even though you have not seen the miracle.
*He is working for your good.
You may not see it now but in the end you shall see that all along He was working for your good.(Romans 8:28)
If Jesus, who was God in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16), could humble Himself and value our good above His own welfare, then we should certainly be able to do the same. It can happen when we die to self and live to God.
Prayer is seen by God in your actions. It is what “We Choose” to do each day.
You ARE GOD’S MASTERPIECE!!!! (Ephesians 2:10)
Lord, thank You for hearing my cry for help. Thank You for Your steadfast love, which rescues me from my restless wandering and leads me in the straight way. Amen
Read MoreMatthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
As we in Mark 16:15, Jesus Christ commissioned His Church to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God in all the world.
Here in Matthew 24:14 Jesus gives a prophecy of the effects of that preaching in the end time just before His return to save humanity from self-destruction (Matthew 24:21-22).
“A witness” here can mean “testimony” or “a declaration of facts”. The word is neutral—it can include both giving a message of hope and a message of warning. “The Gospel will bring either salvation or a curse, depending on how it is received” ( Matthew 24:14).
The “end” Jesus referred to is the end of this evil age of human misrule. When it ends, something much better will come in its place—the peaceful Kingdom of God.
The night is far gone; the day is at hand. (Romans 13:12)
- This is a word of hope to suffering Christians.
- It’s a word of hope to Christians who hate their own sin and long to be done with sinning.
- It’s a word of hope to Christians who long for the last enemy death to be overcome and thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).
How is it a word of hope for all these?
“The night” stands for this age of darkness and all its sin and misery and death. And what does Paul say about it? “The night is far gone.” The age of sin and misery and death is almost spent.
The key way it is different is that the day has dawned in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the end of this fallen age. He defeated sin and pain and death and Satan. The decisive battle is over. The kingdom has come. Eternal life has come. Amen
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When we “stuff” disappointments, these buried resentments can cause us to act exactly the opposite of how we want to act.
“…for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:15
When is the last time someone saw something happen through your life that could not be explained other than God working in your life?
When you begin to see this happen, you will be modeling ministry as Jesus modeled it. You will be bringing the Church to the people, not the people to the church.
Luke 17:17 Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Relatively few people who receive the goodness of the Lord return to give Him thanks for what He has done.
That does not keep the Lord from doing what is right for us.
*He healed all ten of these lepers according to their request – not just the one who was thankful.
*However, there was only one out of the ten that was made “whole.”
The Lord desires that we prosper in spirit, soul, and body.
*He wants us to be whole – not just healed.
*Part of the reason God meets our physical needs is to prove to us His willingness and ability to meet our emotional and spiritual needs.
The Lord is concerned about our temporal needs (Mt. 6:30), but He is even more concerned about our eternal needs. (Eternal Perspective)
All of these lepers needed physical healing and the Lord was moved with compassion and met their need.
***He was also desiring to meet their spiritual needs, but only one out of the ten came back for that.(Luke 17:11-18)
*The 9 were Jews, they were entitled to HEALTH, they keep the commandments, keep Gods word etc. When Jesus heals them they say ‘why is he late’ but the man whose not a Jew has gratitude in his heart goes back to say THANK YOU!!
*Gratitude is an attitude, it is in ones character. It is a way of life! It’s my Identity.
Being un-thankful is always a sign that self is exalting itself above God.
**Thankfulness is a sign of humility and cultivating a life of thankfulness will help keep “self” in its proper place.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life – that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
1 Thess. 5:16 Always rejoice, 17 constantly pray, 18 in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not extinguish the Spirit.
Dear Lord, Please help us to walk according to the leading of Your Spirit in these areas today… tomorrow… the next day… Amen
Read More- Psalm 139:13–16-For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Some years ago, God began to speak to me about the marvel of the physical body, about the marvel of my own body, that it is a masterpiece of divine workmanship(see Ephesians 2:10). And I began to be concerned that I treated that masterpiece right, that I did not abuse it, that I did not neglect it.
Your body has a very special purpose.
- God provided the material in the depths of the earth. He fashioned it together.
- He had a blueprint before it ever came into being, and He worked it out in every detail.
And, you know, the purpose for that body, the supreme purpose is to be God’s temple – the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. We can’t fashion a building that will hold Him, but in His infinite grace and mercy God predetermined that He would fashion a body and that that body would become His dwelling place.
Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
Thank You Jesus, that I am Your child, heir, established, anointed, sealed by You and a citizen of heaven-Chosen, Holy, Blameless in You, forgiven. Yes, I have hope, purpose, redemption, been shown the incomparable riches of God’s grace, have access to the Father, have a new attitude, new lifestyle and have been called by YOU! What Love! Amen (See Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 2:1-10)
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Our self-life will never “mellow” with age. We can’t tame it…we have to crucify it.
* “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”. Galatians 6:14
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” (John 8:12)
Shadows are created all around us when something blocks light, and so it is with the shadow of doubt.
When we focus our thoughts on ourselves and how inadequate we feel, or what others think about us and how we’re performing, we cast a shadow of doubt in our minds by blocking the light of God’s Truth in our hearts.
But we were not designed to block the light.
We were created to live in the Light by focusing on what God thinks about us instead of what we think about ourselves.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12b )
When we follow Jesus closely and completely in our thoughts, turning away from doubts and lies, we can find lasting security and confidence in Him.
- I have to purposefully shift my focus daily-from my feelings of inadequacy to God’s promises of His all-sufficiency and grace in my life.
- I have to choose to focus on truth {the Light} so I can exchange my feelings of low self-confidence with lasting “God-fidence.”
Feeling paralyzed and stuck in a place of insecurity is not where God intends for us to live.
When Jesus spoke to the people in John 8:12, He called them out of darkness.
Now He’s calling you and me – to step out of the shadows of doubt so that we can become the God-fident people He created you to be.
A person whose assurance and soul-security is found in what He says and thinks about them.
When you feel inadequate, God says: You are CHOSEN.
“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.'” (Isa. 43:10a NIV)
When you feel unworthy, God says: You are PRECIOUS and LOVED. “… you are precious and honored in my sight, and … I love you.” (Isa. 43:4a NIV)
Dear Lord, You say I am a chosen person, a royal priest, a holy person, a Masterpiece belonging to You. Help me believe that and live beyond the shadows of my doubts as I follow and focus on the Light of Your truth today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen