All in Christian
Do we long for the Holy Spirit? As new Christians, while going about seeking a deeper understanding and comfort in God’s Word, do we realize that God has already sent His Holy Spirit to us for just this purpose? David called out in Psalm 119 for Understanding and comfort too, and just as it is with us in our early days of faith, he really doesn’t know what to call Him. In due time, we come to know His name... Holy Spirit.
Do we claim the joy of our faith? Do we claim it even when things aren’t going well? The church is filled on Sunday with joy, and singing, but so often we see those same saints on Monday morning with sad faces, somber, and with the look of a mourner. Reentering our day to day life is no reason to abandon the joy we know in Jesus, or the hope we have in our faith. Have we become on again/off again Christians, and what message does that deliver to those around us... and to God?
How often do you walk with a God? I am not talking about just reading the Bible, attending church, performing works such as feeding the hungry, or praying your needs to Him, but how often do you actually walk with him in conversation? Sometimes we get so busy doing things, and saying things of faith, that we forget that this is not a checklist, or a job, it is a loving relationship, we are children, and that some walks with Him, if we choose to take them, take hours, days, weeks, or longer.
A man is watching as Christians sing and worship Jesus, then he listens as the pastor speaks of life that awaits us in Christ. All of this stirs something in his heart, and he feels an urge to come forward and be saved, but he doesn’t. It is the age old struggle between good and evil that is raging within him. He hears the good news of Jesus, but Satan continues telling him he is lost, and in that lie, salvation seem beyond his reach. Salvation isn’t complicated, and the call to the altar requires only one price... for us to believe.
You say you are a person of faith, but what does that mean? As it concerns our life there are two ways that we can approach our walk of faith; the first is by making our faith a part of our life, and the second is by making our life a part of our faith. We should each ask ourselves the question... “Which way do I order my life?” On the surface we might think it sounds like an academic exercise, but in the eyes of God it is much more than that.
Praising God is something we can’t do often enough. It is different from giving thanks, which acknowledges Him for providing, healing, or in general, doing specific things for us. “Holy Praise” serves to extol the character, and virtue, of God. We are acknowledging His divinity, loving nature, goodness, kindness, mercy, grace, and every virtue we have come to know as being who He is. Our first words should be to thank God each morning for our new day, but our very next breath should be filled with words of “Holy Praise!” By virtue of our praise we are telling God that He is great... and we are small. This is our sacrifice of self as we acknowledge Him as our Lord.
Are you in the midst of spiritual study, prayer, and contemplation with your spouse, your family, or a small group of friends? Perhaps you are taking a break at your place of work to quickly read a few verses of scripture, or this devotional message, while the daily grind goes on around you. Every moment that we find to spend with God is precious, and to be cherished, but none more so than when we are completely alone with Him..
Do we humble ourselves before God during times of danger, and when we are in need of deliverance, or do we attempt to wield Him like a shining sword before our enemies? Pride, it is one of our greatest ills before God. We are not meant to hold Him over the heads of those who challenge us or those who frighten us, but are meant to call on Him as we seek to know His will, and to pray for His deliverance... even though we are unworthy.
Does the world weary you, and weigh you down? Well, it is rare to find a peaceful refuge in this place of frothing humanity, and sin, but that is exactly what Jesus offers us. Just as He stilled the waters He also settles the souls of those who believe in Him, giving them peace, and in so doing providing them rest. Are you tired and weary today, and in need of relief from the burdens of life? Then Come to Him!
Do we allow the everyday afflictions of the world to redirect our trust away from God? Do we find ourselves, like David sometimes did in Psalms, arguing within ourselves regarding what we know of God’s goodness, provision, and rescue, and the need for our own physical selves to step in and defeat the enemies and obstacles that challenge us? In such times, David described what was happening to his spirit with words such as “cast down”, or “in turmoil”, but today we use terms like depressed, anxious, and lonely, when we face the world alone.
How do we envision our final days? Do we see ourselves resting peacefully in our home being tended to by our families, or are we tormented by what lies ahead, and everything those final hours will bring us? Are we afraid we will die destitute, and with nowhere to call home? Whatever we anticipate, either spiritually or physically, Jesus will be at our side, and He asks us, just as He asked Peter, “Do you love me?”, and then tells us to follow Him in those days... to face death on our own cross just as He did upon His... lovingly, brave, and certain in God’s will.
Are we working so hard at getting through our daily life that we miss the beauty and happiness swirling around us? What about in our faith? Are we so busy minding our religion, and the other things in life, that the joy of faith escapes us, and the rejoicing seems to be for others, but not for us? My friends, don’t let Satan rob you of the inexplicable joy that is rightfully yours, and the glory we find at its heart. He will attempt to refocus your attention so completely on the mundane duties of church life, that you will miss the fruit of faith, and your relationship with God.
Do we ever find ourselves mocked and treated poorly because of our faith? Are we physically beaten, passed over for promotions at work, or simply made fun of? It seems that we can’t remain invisible to those who do not believe as we do, but why is this so? Well, to those who are not of faith we are a constant reminder to their soul of the fallen state it is in. I am not certain that their conscious mind even knows why they find us repulsive, aggravating, an object of scorn to be humiliated... or in some dire cases, a person to be eliminated; perhaps even killed.
When you pray is it a loud raucous prayer, or a quiet conversation? Do you ask the Lord for His help and provision in a bold and demanding prayer, or a humble and unassuming voice filled with meekness and fear? Is your place of prayer a city street, a distant mountaintop, a quiet chair in your home, or perhaps, as scripture says, a closet? However you pray, and wherever you currently do so, always remember to whom you are speaking... and that He is your God, your secret Father, and that He loves you personally with all His heart.
As we walk in the way of the Lord we become stronger in our faith. When we experience the hardships and suffering of life God is provided with opportunities to increase us, and in this way, as we are approaching life in a righteous manner, God not only helps us, but also rewards our belief. However, for those who walk contrary to the way of God there is no betterment, or reward... only self awareness, the pain of conviction, vain attempts to return to joy by their own doing, and destruction at the hand of their self determination.