Have we truly abandoned ourselves to Jesus? Is He the source of our life's energies, or do we simply vocalize His name so that we can feel good about our faith, and appear righteous before others?
Have we truly abandoned ourselves to Jesus? Is He the source of our life's energies, or do we simply vocalize His name so that we can feel good about our faith, and appear righteous before others?
Where do we make our abode? Where is our place of residence? This morning we are trying to determine whether we claim our earthly home as our permanent residence, or whether we list our heavenly home as such. Then there are also the times, in our travels, that home becomes the place where we simply lay our head.
Coming to Jesus; this is my contemplation this morning. Is this the physical act of circumcision, baptism, and communion, or something far deeper and more spiritual? What does Jesus mean by these three simple words... "Come unto me."
Are we seeking the Lord as we should? Are we asking Jesus for the things that are right in the eyes of God? This morning let’s ask ourselves these questions and seeking to place Him foremost in our lives as we pray, and walk this world.
Are we reluctant to ask something of God? Are we too embarrassed by our condition, or too ashamed of our sin, to reach out to Him for forgiveness and help? When should we bring our needs and our contrition before Him in prayer? Sometimes we do so at a certain time of day, or come to Him only when we feel overwhelmed, but we have been told specifically when we are to come… we are to come always, right now, and without ceasing, and in so doing we find that this is also how God forgives us.
Are we running the race that God has laid out before us, or are we like the horse that never left the gate when the gun sounded? Is the call of the Lord fading into the distance, or are we following His call into an exciting adventure? These are the questions to ponder today.
Jesus said that He would do anything we ask in His name. What do you think that means? Are we the type people who gets an offer of a free dinner and orders the most expensive thing on the menu? Is it an open invitation to ask for the moon, or something quite different? Why is Jesus making us this offer?
Are we working out our own salvation, or are we sitting on a church pew on Sunday while depending on someone else to tell us what we must do to save ourselves? What is our role in salvation, and has God been working in us willfully to His good pleasure?
I will not be afraid today. My God stands with me, and in trusting this, I fear nothing. Are you facing the world alone? Do you only seek God when you come up against trouble? Do you only turn to Jesus in the midst of life’s storms? Try walking with Them before hardship arrives!
It is true that God never forsakes us, but this morning we will contemplate the fear that we can have of being abandoned by Him. Let’s look back in our lives to identify a particular time of doubt we have encountered, and look into how such times are often associated with the quiet times in our faith, and the routine nature of our Christian lives.
Today I am mulling over what it means to really know God. What should a life be like that is fully engaged with the will of God? I am considering that place in faith where our struggle is less and a comfort has settled over us.
So many time I have felt the hands of Jesus as He washed my feet. I have come to Him for forgiveness only to find that His response would be “Sit down.”, and He would proceed to wash my feet as He spoke with me of life, death, forgiveness, and eternity.
If left to our own devices, what would we be like? If God was withdrawn from the equation of our lives what would the solution then become? I don't know if I really want to contemplate this or not because something tells me I won't like what I find.
Trusting solely in God, this is my contemplation this morning. There is none but Him who is true and always dependable. He is worthy of our trust and His Word never wavers. Yet, despite this knowledge, we have a tendency to place our confidence in our own ability to resist temptation, and each other’s loyalty and selflessness. By doing this we find ourselves disappointed over and over again, and yet we persist in this behavior. We are fallible, and in being such we have the propensity to let others down that have put their trust in us, but God never fails us and His Word is forever true. Even Jesus acknowledged the inability of man to be trusted.
Do you only commit a portion of yourself before God when He asks something of you? Do you use such language as "I will but", or, "just let me do this first", or perhaps you ask "what about this?" Do you place certain conditions on when, or whether, you will follow God's will for you? Maybe it's time we should just respond "here I am."