The selfish human nature is always striving for the liberty of self-determination. “I want to do what I want, when I want to”, is our mindset. But with that enticement comes deception and seduction as we wander farther and farther off the right path. And sooner or later, we find ourselves in the middle of perversion, and wonder just how we got ourselves into such a mess. In the search for freedom, we have instead become a piece of property…owned and controlled by depravity and lies.
Month: August 2017
Genesis 9:11 ” I establish My covenant with you; never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
The sign of the promise made by God to Noah was a rainbow…a everlasting covenant that we still see today when the sunshine breaks through the rain clouds. This arch of colors is used both in the Old and New Testament to describe the glory of God. Ezekiel 1:28 says that the glory of God was a radiance around Him like a rainbow. And John describes a rainbow encircling God’s Throne in Revelation 4:3. So the next time you spy a rainbow, take a moment to be in awe of God’s magnificent glory on display for you.
Luke 16:13 ” No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Where does your allegiance lie? Do you hold firmly to your “things”…your material possessions…your earthly goods at the detriment of your Christian walk? If you’ve been worshipping at the altar of retail shopping…has money and wealth now become your god? The contrast between selfish love and the love of Christ couldn’t be farther apart and more difficult to admit to in our own lives…but Jesus is also very plain in this scripture that we cannot serve both Him and money…For our loyalty can only be to one master.
I Samuel 16:13 ” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.”
God had sent the Prophet Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s seven sons as King. As six strapping young men paraded past Samuel…each time he thought to himself, “This has to be the one!” But God reminded Samuel in verse 7, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” It wasn’t until the youngest son, David, was called from the pasture, that God declared, “He is the one.” This should give all of us encouragement…especially those who have said to themselves, “I have nothing to offer God.” The Lord doesn’t consider outward appearances. He looks only at what He can do through us if we’re a willing worker.
I Thessalonians 5:14 ” And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
Even though Paul was addressing this letter to the Church in Thessalonica…he probably could be speaking directly to any modern-day Church you know. Certain members of the Thessalonian Church, in anticipation of Christ’s return, had become careless and neglectful of their responsibility to work and support themselves. In other words…they were sitting around, waiting for the Rapture! Now, we may not see that degree of slothfulness in Church today…but what you can see is the attitude that “It’s me and Thee, God, and I’m not worrying about anybody else.” Paul warned that laziness and apathy would contribute to the downfall of any Church. Secondly, as the Church Body, we are to be Spiritual Cheerleaders for the fainthearted…the worry-warts…and those who can only see the cup half empty. We are to be encouragers of each other. Finally, as the Church, we are all to be ready with a helping hand for those who are weak spiritually, for when they grow, the Church grows.
Isaiah 1:11 ” The multitude of your sacrifices – what are they to Me? Says the Lord. I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.”
God looks carefully at what we offer Him. But He looks even more closely at what we don’t offer Him. Are you withholding some area of your life for fear He’ll tell you to stop it? Are you denying Him a corner of your world because you enjoy it way too much? What we offer up to the Lord is much more important to us than to Him…for what He’s looking for is a total surrender…a relinquishing of ourselves…and a giving up of control. As I Samuel 15:22 states, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” God’s looking for our obedience not some ritual.
Ephesians 1:18 ” I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.”
For many of us, we are riding on the shoulders of those who have come before us. Maybe it was a Grandmother, Great Aunt, or Great Uncle that were so influential in your early years. This someone, whose strong Christian walk stirred your own soul and formed early on your ideas of just who God was, became a shining example of His light and truth to you. And as they walked the walk and talked the talk…that assurance of who God was and His matchless power and authority became more real every day.
Ephesians 1:17 ” I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”
What’s motivating your thoughts and actions today? Is it the Lord or something else? Is the driving force behind what you think and do Godly or worldly? When we are motivated by the desire to know God better, each day is a new discovery of divine knowledge…not just shown to us, but clarified and witnessed by the Holy Spirit within. And with that daily recognition of the truth, our motivation shifts from selfish to selfless.
Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
You have found favor in the eyes of God. He will be your everlasting light, (Isaiah 60:19) and your shield, your very great reward. (Genesis 15:1) Walk before Him with all integrity, sincerity, and honesty and He will not hold back any good gift from you.
Colossians 1:9 ” For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His Will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
This would be my prayer for you today also. That the Lord would accomplish in your life His plan and purpose… and you would be able to grasp the concept and see the relationship between knowing God and living for Him. You know God to live…in other words, you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ which leads to eternal life. But then, you live to know God…that is, you continue to faithfully walk with God, which develops this close, intimate relationship that only grows deeper every day. I pray that you would know God to live, and live to know God. Amen.
Safetypinlove 