Devotions - Prayer
Proverbs 5:11–14 At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly [or the church].”
Those are the words of somebody who has known the way of righteousness for many years, somebody that is seen regularly in church. Somebody who knows how to say “Amen” when the preacher says the right thing. Somebody who knows many of the hymns by heart. Somebody, maybe, who prays in public meetings. And yet, that person has never given heart obedience to the truths that he has learned.
And here he is pictured at the end of his life, realizing too late that he has missed it all – that he knew it with his head, but he never believed and obeyed it with his heart.
It is remarkable that when Jesus speaks about hypocrites, He uses particular language. He says, “The end of the hypocrites will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” I have asked myself why particularly that language about hypocrites, and I believe the answer is:
- Because they are people who have known it all, all along, but never obeyed it.
- And there is a particular bitterness in finding yourself rejected and in the midst of ruin at the end of your life when all those years you have sat in church and known the right thing, given outward assent, but your heart has never been changed.\
- You have never come to the place of true surrender, commitment and making Jesus truly Lord of your life.
Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to Know You and your Truths. Help me daily to become more and more surrendered to you. Amen
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Isaiah 41:29 Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.
Let’s be done with “what if’s” and move forward to “what next”.
Habakkuk 2: 2 Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
I must fix my eyes on what is unseen.
Our short lives here are sowing times so let’s you and I sow while we can. For a time is coming when the chance to store up treasure in heaven has passed. A time is coming when you and I will no longer be able to witness the truth and love of Christ to those still lost.
To Move Forward, need: Goals, Accountability and Gratification.
Goals. Don’t give up, and don’t lose faith. God’s plan in your life will take place in His timing. You were created for that purpose, as long as you are after His heart….you won’t miss it!
A goal is looking into the future and aiming in a certain direction. Attack it with your faith and submit it all to God.
1) A goal gives us direction:It gives us vision and direction. Keep your eyes on the target and fight to get it done.
2) Goals give you purpose:Have purpose for everything you do.
3) With goals you must have a plan:“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
4) Use your faith:You have the word of God. You have Jesus. You have the Holy Spirit. You have God. Get scriptures to stand on to help get past all the blocks and distractions. Even when your ready to quit, read them.
5) Commit yourself to your goals:Lift up your goals to God. Pray over your goals. If you apply yourself, commit yourself, always keep your eyes on the finish line, and don’t stop you WILL get there.
Accountability: I am accountable for my own life to God, God is going to judge ME for my life, for how I conducted my life, how I served others.
Delayed gratification.
Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Teach me Lord with Your knowledge, wisdom, truth and discernment that we may bring You the Glory! AMEN
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John 17:17 ” Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”
In this prayer, Jesus prayed twice that the Father would keep His disciples from evil.
Then He reveals the way that God will accomplish this – through His Word, the holy scriptures.
*Anyone who desires to live for God, reject the devil, and reject the world’s system, must know God’s Word.
Hosea 4:6 My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me(lack of knowledge). Since you priests refuse to know me,
I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.
We must study the scriptures, for they reveal the will of God for our actions and attitudes.
To be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, we must be filled with God’s Word.
God’s Word is His will! Those who are ignorant of God’s Word will be ignorant of God’s will.
Psalms 119:89 Your eternal word, O LORD, stands firm in heaven.
The starting point for any Christian is understanding God’s will for his life. How can a person obtain such knowledge?
The first step is to desire it-be hungry.
Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
*People ask the Lord for knowledge of His will but don’t receive it because they aren’t seeking with ALL THEIR HEART.
*No one who has ever sought the Lord with all his heart has ever been disappointed.
The Holy Spirit is the dispenser of God’s wisdom. It is through Him that we know the things God has revealed to us.
*One of the primary ministries of the Holy Spirit is to reveal God’s will to us.
There is no way we can walk worthy of the Lord and please Him if we don’t know His will.
Furthermore, we can’t be fruitful without the knowledge of His will.
God has provided all that we need to be successful and victorious in this life. Believe His Word.
I’ve always told myself that I want to do God’s will. But I have, for most times, been clueless about that ‘God’s will’.
1 Thess. 5:18 Be thankful in ALL circumstances, for this is God’s WILL for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
“Be thankful in ALL circumstances”. Lord, help us to never grow beyond being thankful. Amen
Read MoreThis Christmas Eve, I ask—
1.”What would be your best gift of all to receive?”
After much thought about material things it finally came down to: “the need to needed” and the “assurance of God’s love” for me as well as my wife and family members. ” TO BE LOVED ” WOULD BE MY GREATEST GIFT to receive.
2. “What would be your best gift to give to Others?”
My goal in this –is to give my love I have received from the Lord to others and be bold this season to Lift Up JESUS and His unconditional love He has for all that ask. “TELL OTHERS I LOVE THEM”
So my grown-up Christmas list would have one simple wish. That every person would truly understand the outrageous grace gift that God offers to each one of us. All we have to do is open that gift in faith.
Christmas is when the gift came to earth wrapped in swaddling clothes.
I wish that everyone who hears the Gospel message would comprehend the one way love that God demonstrated. Instead of turning His back on sinners who deserved just that God chose to reach out to His creation with a radical plan for forgiveness. A plan that is unlike any other religion in history.
Man made religion always demands something to earn salvation.
God’s plan for redemption requires the lost to bring nothing to the table other than their sin and the need for salvation. Nothing.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
This Christmas Serve your spouse, family and friends instead of waiting to be served by them. Everything starts with Love by responding in a Christ-like way.
Your- healthy relationships places focus on others and not yourself.
Father, open the eyes of my heart. I see that for that to happen there must be the bending of the knee, the imploring of the Spirit in prayer, so that truth becomes vital and compelling. Help me love my wife Laura and never treat her harshly. Help me Love from a Pure Heart Lord. Help me respond in a Christ-like way to love my children, Grandchildren, Family and friends. Amen
I praise You because You made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What You have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother’s body. When I was put together there, You saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in Your book before I was one day old (Psalm 139:14-16).
We tend to find our identity and worth in the fact that we are chosen by someone.
The knowledge that I am chosen frees me to serve Him whole-heartedly and boldly without bowing to the unrealistic expectations imposed by others.
The knowledge that He created me allows me to embrace the gifts He has given me and encourages me to strain every choice, every decision through the filter of God’s perfect plan for my life.
Knowing whose I am draws my attention away from both the critics and the cheerleaders in life, and fixes my gaze on the only one I have to please … God.
We come to Jesus alone. There are no “group rates” when it comes to knowing God. It’s always one-on-one and very personal.
Just think of it! God Himself supervised our formation. We were created in love – for love – with a specific and holy purpose in mind.
We can rejoice with the Psalmist who wrote, “Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to Him; we are His people, the sheep He tends” (Psalm 100:3 ).
Knowing whose we are settles our souls and directs our steps toward the path God intended when He shaped us. You and I were created as a living, fleshed out representation of God’s love.
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God(That holy religion which God has sent from heaven) is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness(Pardon of sin, and holiness of heart and life) peace(in the soul, from a sense of God’s mercy; peace regulating, ruling, and harmonizing the heart.)and joy in the Holy Spirit(In a word, it is happiness brought into the soul by the Holy Spirit, and maintained there by the same influence).
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life(The salvation purchased by Christ, and given to them who believe): that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Father, I want to know You and find Your plan for my life. I choose to see myself through Your eyes of love, forgiveness and grace. I want to be the person You created me to be. Thank You for loving me. Help me to walk each day in the knowledge that I am Your child. Amen.
Get your mind right,then you will overcome!!! (Ro. 12:2)
How Can I Have Eternal Life?
Each of us faces the same dilemma.
*We have a sin debt that we owe to God but no way to pay for it.
*None of our solutions – living a moral life, being religious, or doing more good deeds – can take care of our problem.
God Himself has provided the solution – one that both satisfies His justice and grants us mercy.
God sent His Son to pay the penalty we owed.
*Jesus was qualified to be our substitute because He never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21).
*Jesus willingly took our place on the cross and experienced the full measure of the Lord’s wrath against our sinfulness.
*In dying for us, Christ secured our salvation by paying the debt for all our past, present, and future sins.
When we trust in Jesus and surrender our life to Him, He becomes our personal Savior and Lord.
The great tragedy is that many have heard the gospel and rejected it.
*Some are like the rich ruler who placed his trust in material possessions and turned his back on the truth.
*Others have refused to even listen.
*Another group is convinced they are heaven-bound, based on erroneous confidence in their own good deeds.
Only those who have entered into a relationship with Jesus through faith in Him will be welcomed into heaven.
If you’re wondering, How can I have eternal life? there is only one answer: through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
We have an Enemy who actively seeks to blind people to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Pray that many who are separated from the Lord will trust in the Savior and gain everlasting life.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they KNOW you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
* Eternal life requires entering into a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. When we admit our sin and turn away from it, Christ’s love lives in us by the Holy Spirit.
Put On the New Self
Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above(Eternal Perspective), where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your MINDS on things that are ABOVE, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
We must do it out of love for Christ, not fear of hell.
Set our sights on things above, that is what we must do.
Look to Christ, while He may be found. Amen. (see Colossians 2:2-3)
Read MoreI have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. – John 10:16
Hearing and responding to Jesus’ voice is the key to having a two-way relationship with God.
It is the difference between having religion and a relationship.
*Can you recognize God’s voice in your life?
*Are you listening to the Shepherd’s voice?
*Do you respond when He calls?
**Ask Jesus to help you increase your ability to hear. Give more time to spending quiet moments in His presence reading His word to hear His voice. He wants to be your Good Shepherd.
And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not (Mal 3:18).
When Moses led the people out of Egypt he had several crisis moments during those forty years.
His greatest crisis was when he came back from the mountain and discovered the people had made a golden calf. It was after this he came to a profound conclusion.
“Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.’ What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Ex 33:15,16).
The difference between a Christian and a non-believer should be that the Christian brings the presence of God with him to work.
However, this is not always the case. A Christian can shut out the presence of God by his behavior.
*Like the Israelites who experienced great miracles in their lives but began to worship idols, we can move away from God.
Sin separates us from God.
His presence moves away from us. Moses realized, he too had to have the presence of God with him to lead such a people.
The prophet Malachi was saying a day is coming when you’ll be able to recognize a clear difference between the righteous and the unrighteous
*Ask God to fill you with His overflowing presence in all you do today.
Imagine our “feet” as representative of our “souls”. When we make wrong emotional choices, it’s like stepping into a mud puddle.
*We don’t need a full bath (to get saved again) in order to become clean, but we do need to wash our feet (recognize and repent of wrong choices.
“Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet…'”John 13:10
Thank You Jesus that You are the Way the Truth and the Life and nobody comes to the Father except through You. Help us to become more and more like You Jesus. And to do this help us to come to KNOW You more and more each day. Help us to see and create the time needed to get to KNOW You more. Amen
‘So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15).
Living a Balanced life is evidence of a Spirit-led life.
*Seek God and He will answer you. He will set you free from all your fears.
*If we hold to Jesus’ teachings, we are his disciples and will know the truth which will set us free.
People work long hours for many reasons which can lead to significant problems in our lives.
One reason people over work is that they often think they must work longer hours to keep up with their workload.
*This is often the surface reason people give to the question of working long hours.
Like any compulsive behavior, there is usually something beneath this behavior.
As a former workaholic myself, I can tell you the root of overworking is often:
1). A fear of loss!
2). A need for self-acceptance created by performance.
We are looking to gain self-esteem needs from our performance instead of being secure in our position in Christ.
*Romans 8: 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
So, in order to avoid work becoming an idol and a compulsive behavior, we must maintain a “Balance” that provides time to spend quality time with the Lord, our families and fellow believers.
Be reminded that “NO” is an anointed word, and you don’t have to apologize for using it as often as is necessary. The enemy will accuse you of being heartless and will send a hefty dose of guilt and condemnation your way, but this attack is a seduction.
* It is designed to lure you into countering a haughty spirit with haughtiness and control with a power struggle when “NO” is sufficient.
*Saying NO, doesn’t have to be a fight, just stand your ground and maintain good boundaries.
James 5:12 And since you know that he cares, let your language show it. Don’t add words like “I swear to God” to your own words. Don’t show your impatience by concocting oaths to hurry up God. Just say yes or no. Just say what is true. That way, your language can’t be used against you. Amen
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There are many paths to Jesus, but only way to the Father, through Jesus.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 “If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
*We can trust God because He has a plan and a purpose…
*Knowing Jesus is knowing the Father. This is not only because Jesus did exactly what He saw His Father do, but Jesus was God in the flesh.
“No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus is protecting us from our sins and we see Jesus first and He protects and cleanses us and “cleans” us up to look “pretty” for the Father.
God is good and merciful but he knows what sins we have committed and without Jesus, we would all be in Hell.
And also, God is so merciful because He sent his one and only Son down to protect us!
The disciples didn’t realize that seeing Jesus was seeing God. They were expecting something more.
Many times we miss seeing God work in our lives and circumstances because we are looking for something stupendous.
Although it is true that God is totally awesome, He doesn’t usually choose to manifest Himself in that way.
God spoke to Elijah not in the fire, wind, or an earthquake, but in a still, small voice.
Jesus didn’t come to this earth in a grand way by man’s standards, but was born to poor parents in a stable.
Isaiah 53:2 says that Jesus had no form nor beauty that would make us think that He was anything more than a mere man.
Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, that God chooses to do things this way so that no flesh will glory in His presence.
The Lord wants us to focus on Him through faith and not concentrate on the physical things He uses.
The primary reason that God chooses to use those who are nothing by the world’s standards is so that no one else will take the credit for the great things that are accomplished.
Lord help me to show your love to others that I see day to day. Amen
Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Bless the Lord by blessing someone less fortunate today through Your……Time, Talent & Treasures
“And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness…and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:10-11
*God wants to do mighty things through us.
*God wants to express His love to the world through us.
*So if we are clinging to one thing that gets in the way of His accomplishing that—some willfulness, some refusal to trust Him for everything—He points it out to us.
Sometimes God wants us to add something to our lives before He brings His best.
This may involve something we have not done, so He wants us to ask, “Have I been slow to respond to something God has asked me to do?”
“You will do even greater works, once I send you My Spirit. He will empower you. Greater things are yet to come!” (see Acts 1:1-8).
Indeed, greater things came–at that time the disciples would go beyond Israel and the Middle East, into Europe and India and Africa, “preaching the good news of Christ” to the nations, all within their generation.
*The Lord has things to teach and to show us that we could not have received until now. These will be times to remember and to cherish even though they seem to be beyond our ability to fully deal with presently. It’s not our power that will bring Us through; it is Jesus’ Power!
Zechariah 4:6b “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” Says the LORD of hosts.
May we go, empowered by Your Spirit, to make disciples of all nations. Use us to bring many to You Jesus! Thank you for Your word to keep fear and discouragement out. Thank You Jesus for the Victory Amen
*Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
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God’s Word is the only way to access what’s happening in your spirit. You can’t go by how you feel or even your experiences. Experiences can grab your attention or touch you, but only the Word of God can truly reveal what’s going on in your spirit. There is a spiritual you, and in the spirit, you are perfect.
1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul prayed, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There are many verses that say this, but this one puts it all in one. It’s really clear that you have a spirit, soul, and body-not just a body and a soul, but three parts to you.
On the inside of every Christian, there is a completely brand-new person that most don’t have a revelation of. Even if they’ve heard of their inner man, functionally they don’t live according to it.
They live and face their problems based on their physical ability and what they feel. If you control your thinking with what is true in the spirit, it’ll control your feelings. All you’ll experience is life and peace. Romans 8:6 says,
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
God began speaking these truths to me through His Word, and I started relating to Him based on faith in what the Bible says. It has changed my life. I’m telling you, there are so many Christians looking for some type of experience or some external thing that’s going to change their lives! But it’s the Word that’s the foundation for everything.
The Word of God is what will change your life. The reason you may be living under the thumb of the devil is because you don’t know who you are or what you have.
The Bible has more than 7,000 promises from God to you—promises of success, confidence, health, prosperity, strength, wisdom and more. Why does God make these promises? Because he wants you to learn to trust Him. Find a promise in God’s Word for you this day. Amen
Read Hosea 4:6, John 1:12, Col. 1;14 , 1 John 4:4 &5;18, Ephesians 2:10, Phil 4:13 and Psalms 139
Read MoreMatthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
The principle of the Old Covenant was “do” and you shall live.
The principle of the New Covenant is “it is done,” and includes redemption, reconciliation, righteousness, and sanctification.
*The work is finished!
*We are complete in Him!
In the Old Covenant, men found themselves unable to abide in its agreement, for it was based upon a man’s performance.
The new agreement, however, is based totally upon God’s grace (is unmerited mercy (favor) that God gave to humanity by sending his son to die on a cross, thus delivering eternal salvation).
Under the Old Covenant, men approached God through a priest, while under the New Covenant, we have direct access to the Father through Jesus Christ.
Under the Old Covenant, man could not be cleansed of a consciousness of sin while under the New Covenant, our sins and iniquities are remembered no more, and our guilty consciences are cleansed.
Prior to salvation we are incomplete and there is a constant striving in every person to satisfy their hunger.
Through the new birth we are complete in Christ and our hunger now should only be for more revelation of what we already have in Christ.
In the same way that Jesus had the fullness of God in Him, we also have the fullness of Christ in us.
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Thank You Jesus that through our new birth we are complete and we have the Holy Spirit IN us to guide and direct us in Your ways. Amen
Read MoreThe Book of Proverbs Are For Work, Life and Living
The writers of proverbs want the readers to:
internalize God’s truth. OR: get God’s Word in your heart.
Below are thoughts on books 5, 6 & 7 of Proverbs.
Proverbs 5 – Watch Out for . . . . . . . Look forward to . . . . !
- Watch out for sex without love. Proverbs 5:1-14
- Look forward to true love in God’s ways. Proverbs 5:15-23
This is a very abbreviated statement of the Song of Solomon
Don’t wait to see what happens. Prepare for temptation by deciding NOW how you will act when you face it. (11-13)
Strategy For Effective Living
Begins with … God’s Wisdom ….. Respecting and appreciating who God is; reverence and awe toward God.
Requires … Moral Application …. Trusting in God and his Word; allowing his Word to speak to us personally; being willing to obey
Requires … Practical Application …. Acting on God’s direction daily
Results in … Effective living …. Experiencing what God does with our obedience
Proverbs 6 – Get up and get going – BUT – Watch out!
- These verses are not a plea against generosity, but against overextending one’s financial resources and acting in irresponsible ways that could lead to poverty. Need a balance between generosity and good stewardship.(1-5)
- That which God hates! Proverbs 6:16-35
Things God Hates
- Violent People……………………Proverbs 3:31-32
- Haughtiness, lying, murdering, scheming, eagerness to do wrong, a false witness, stirring up discord 6:16-19
- Those who are untruthful……………………12:22
- The sacrifice of the wicked…………………15:8
- The way of the wicked………………………15:9
- Evil plans……………………………………15:26
- Those who are proud………………………..16:15
- Those who judge unjustly…………………..17:15
Proverbs 7 – The seductive nature of seduction. (Lust a warning sign of danger ahead)
- There is no new temptation! (Romans 12:2-renew the mind)
- Know: 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – 2 Timothy 2:22
God has given us His Truth to experience His Blessing in life.
“ I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.” (Colossians 2:2) AMEN
Read MorePhilippians 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.
*God has a plan for everyone, but we just have to remember to let him lead us in the right direction and not let our judgment cloud His.
We should all live as ambassadors of Christ, and through our works glorify The Lord our GOD. Live by example.
God has a plan for you and only He alone can fulfill His purpose for you.
Psalm 138:8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands.
It’s good to know that God has a purpose for each one of us.
The Scripture there does not say that the Lord will fulfill my purpose; it says the Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. There’s a great difference.
*I may have one purpose; God may have another.
*God does not guarantee that He will fulfill my purpose, but He does promise that He will fulfill His purpose.
And then the psalmist goes on to say, “Your love, O LORD [and that means ‘your covenant-keeping faithfulness’], endures forever.”
When God commits Himself to us to fulfill His purpose in our lives, that is a commitment for time and for eternity.
***And then, maybe out of a situation of desperation, the psalmist says, “Do not abandon the works of your hands.”
We have a strong assurance as we read these words: “You made me; don’t abandon me.”
This is for each one of us. God made us; He will not abandon us.
God has a purpose; He’s going to fulfill it. Maybe it won’t be your purpose, but it will be His purpose.That purpose will stand sure and unshakable no matter what you go through.
John 15:8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
What is that Fruit? The Fruit of the Spirit. Fruit is something we can easily see. The evidence of Godly fruit is not found in word, deed, talent, success or accomplishment, but rather in the humble qualities of:
*Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Lord, Help me see that my purpose is to glorify You through holy living and service. Amen
John 6:29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
Will you allow God to use your failures to bind you even closer to Him?
“…for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:14
When we truly see ourselves as God sees us, we can not help but to act in love to others.
God doesn’t see us for who we are by what we do or have done.
Instead, he sees us for what Jesus has done for us.
Therefore, my friends, Gods sees us as perfection.
*He still is our Father and does what he needs to do to rid the sin from our flesh, but our spirit is perfect.
I guess it may be looked at as God looking at an old rusty truck. We may think of our selves as ready for the scrap heap, but God sees a completely restored work of art!
The problem is that we allow the evil one to lie to us, and we believe that lie.
*It comes in many different forms and in many different ways, but the end result is that the thief wants to put us down, to destroy us.
However, when we listen to God, we hear a completely different message.
*How do we hear that message?
- By turning to God and rejecting the devil and all his schemes.
- We read our Bible and pray.
- We hang around people who proclaim and live the gospel.
- When we do all this, when we are really listening to God’s message, we will be consumed with love.
- And, when we are consumed with love, we can’t help but love others.
- God’s love will overwhelm us and drive us to loving, and helping, others.
- We will share the love of God and eagerly share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- It’s a beautiful thing, living out God’s love. I am reminded by Ephesians 2:10, that we are God’s Masterpiece! Thank you Jesus! Amen