I Corinthians 13:12 ” Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

Who can understand God?  Who can comprehend His ways or grasp His greatness?  What we perceive now falls so pathetically far from what we’ll then realize…when we’re face to face.

Psalm 63:1 ” O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

David wrote this Psalm while in the desert…and sometimes we travel through our own desert.  Those periods of dryness, when everything seems empty, parched and withered…those times when God seems so far away.   But be encouraged…God’s showers are coming!  Showers of blessings flowing down and filling your soul with living water.  Your emptiness will be filled, and because of those abundant blessings,  new life will spring forth from within.

Lamentations 3: 55-57 ” I called on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: ‘Do not close Your ears to my cry for relief.’ You came near when I called You, and You said, ‘Do not fear.’ “

I sit… shrouded by the darkest depths of the mire, for I know Lord, I am living with the despair  of bad choices I have made…and choices I had no control over.  So I cry out to You  for deliverance, for I believe that You will not only hear,  but also draw close and comfort me.   Because I put my trust in You… I know I can face all my fears.

Psalm 116: 8-9 ” For You O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”

Living according to the Will of God brings life, peace, and harmony within our soul.  Even when the tough times come, we can run and hide in His sanctuary  until the storm passes over.  Thank You Lord for rescuing me and giving me new life.  Thank You for that haven of hope and safety I can rest in  during those times of turmoil and strife.

I Kings 8:27 ” But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this temple I have built! “

This verse is part of King Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication for the temple he had built for the Lord.  He doubted that the Most High would live in something made by mortal men…for God’s magnificence  can’t be limited by time and space.  While the Lord may not be able to fit inside a building…you’ll find  He fits just perfectly inside your heart.

Romans 15:13 ” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may over flow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

That deep inner psychological sense of hope, confidence and expectation can only be reached and fully satisfied when we allow the Lord to fill that “God shaped” void inside us.  And that wonderful transformation then allows us to “spill over”….for the God of all hope fills us to over flowing so that we might give that hope  to others.

Romans 5:5 ” And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us.”

The hope we have is because of the Lord’s great love for us.  No disappointment is too big…no challenge too great, that His love can’t overcome.  This hope we possess has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit  who is continually encouraging us to not give up.

I Timothy 2: 9-10 ” I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

These verses tell us that we shouldn’t be calling attention to ourselves by our outward appearances…but rather the emphasis should be on holy living and good works.  This was really brought to life years ago at a Church we were attending.  The members dressed very nicely…to the point it was almost a style show every Sunday.  But one Sunday the Pastor stood at the pulpit and rebuked the entire congregation with this story.  A family had visited the Church for the first time and had enjoyed the service but they felt they couldn’t come back…because they didn’t have nice clothes to wear  and felt embarrassed.  Our Pastor admonished us all and then wondered out loud just how many other visitors might have felt the same way.  He then requested that we seriously reconsider how we dressed for Church.

Hebrews 1:3 ” The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being…”

We look like our parents…we possess characteristics  from both of them.  Our DNA is a family history from generations past.  Jesus was that perfect expression of His Heavenly Father.   Jesus Himself said in John 14:9, ” Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”  God’s divine glory and splendor took on flesh and came down here to earth to live among us…and His name was Jesus Christ.

II John verse 6 ” And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands, as you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love.”

As you start your journey into 2016, are you willing to yield all of yourself to the Lord…conforming yourself to His ways, not yours?  Are you willing to give Him that secret part of you that you’ve been holding on to…hiding from Him…unable to give Him fully?  Obedience is the fundamental key in our relationship with God…for His love is truly made complete in it. ( I John 2:5)