Are we seeking God? Do we search day and night for Him? Praying? Reading scripture? Well, although these things are good, let’s pause for a moment and be still. He is not hiding from us so we don't need to search for Him... He is all around us! When we realize that this is truth, then all that remains for us to do is to acknowledge that He is here with us now, and to enter an everlasting and loving relationship with Him. Yes, He desires us to be still and know that He is God.
The gift of salvation through God's grace is totally of God, and has nothing to do with our earning it... but does that relieve us of all responsibility? I was reading a devotional message yesterday in which the author agreed that our salvation was 100% the work of God's grace, but as he went on, he concluded that because of this we have "no responsibility whatsoever"! I agree that we have no responsibility in receiving the gift, but once received we most certainly have a responsibility... in fact, we have responsibilities as a result of it.
When I came to Jesus it was in full submission to Him, but have I served Him over all else in my life? Have I been the servant that God expects me to be, or has my commitment to Him become a convenience on my part? These are my thoughts this morning and as I seek the answers to them, I find that they often serve to convict me. I gauge my faith and belief against that of Jesus and find myself lacking. It is in moments like this that I cry out for mercy, grace, and to be covered in the blood of the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ. Will you join me in this quest for true faith, and a plea for mercy?
I am thinking back to the moment I professed Jesus to be my savior, and the events that brought me to that decision. I am considering the strength of the gospel that I heard and comparing it to all the preaching I have heard since then. What made the message strike home with me that day? What have I heard since?
This morning, I read of God's provision and gifts to us in my devotional message. I was strengthening myself in the understanding that He is always there, always good, and always hears and answers my prayers. My confidence in these facts forms the basis for my expectation in Him and relieves me of doubt and worry.
How far would I walk to hear the gospel, or to see the grave of a disciple whose hand held the cloak of Jesus? How long would I travel to reach the soul of one man or woman who had never heard of my Lord Jesus Christ? Would I walk on Pilgrimage over the Pyrenees and across Spain to Santiago de Compostela? Would I travel my entire life to reach the ends of the earth with the gospel welling up in me? Would I sail across raging seas in a small wooden boat to reach one lost centurion?
I am thinking about what it means to turn the other cheek this morning. Is it a sign of cowardice, bravery, or something else entirely? I think it might be the latter. Although it could be construed as a sign of weakness, or that it takes courage to stand and not retreat, it also demonstrates great faith to resist being provoked or enticed to sin.
Does God have to move something, or someone, out of the way before we will see Him? Is our attention focused somewhere other than on Him? Our God is a jealous God... He told us so, which begs the question... why do we taunt Him with our inattention? This is my concentration today and I invite you to join me. I am asking myself if there are people or things in my life that keep me from Him or draw my attention away from His desire for me.
How mature are we as Christians? Have we moved from that stage in our faith where the focus has shifted from learning who Jesus was, and how to live the life of a Christian, to that of actually knowing Him and living alongside Him? Are we fully engaged in and surrounded by the will of God, and in close relationship with Jesus? Or are we still battling within ourselves to wrest control from the sinful man that resides there?
Everything in our lives points to Jesus. The greatest and the least of our experiences lead us to Him. Saints haven't achieved some higher plane of self-realization... they have simply come to the understanding that everything in life reveals God, and Jesus Christ. Then, in all of this, nothing trumps the embodiment of God's will and grace in His Son! In this realization comes a relationship of incredible closeness.
Are we working hard for the kingdom? Are our efforts encouraging others in their faith? And do we merely work in a physical sense and neglect the spiritual? These are the questions I encourage each of us to consider this morningas we prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ. The coming of our Lord is imminent, but are we preparing ourselves, and those around us, for that moment?
Some say they are unworthy of God's consideration, and they convince themselves that they are not acceptable vessels for God's grace or to do the Lord's will. My response to them is this... who are we to judge... even to judge ourselves? By what authority do we determine our worth? You see, we are saved because God loves us, not because we loved Him. Grace is a one-sided covenant that is given by God. We don't earn it, and yet we receive it. How wonderful is this gift of grace.
How loyal are we to our Lord Jesus Christ? Are we inclined to say "absolutely!” but then catch ourselves pausing the television on some terrible show filled with foul language as we are browsing through the channels. Are we really serving God faithfully when such things as this happen, or are we walking a fine line between righteousness and the basic human desires and instincts of the old fallen person we once were?
Am I working hard enough and practicing my faith with enough diligence and dedication so that I will, at last, be called a mature son of God? Is my faith increasing, and my everyday life reflecting that increase, by exhibiting the true character of Jesus? Everyday life doesn't grow easier for the Christian, but it does grow more certain spiritually, and robust in belief and faith.
I went to sleep at my normal early hour last night, but I was awakened in a sweat, having been unsettled by a dream. I was worried about my teenage grandson who is at a crossroads in his life and is having a particularly rough time determining which way he should go. Through the Spirit, I knew I had been given this dream to comfort me and to teach and guide one of my grandsons. God often speaks to me through dreams it seems, and I felt that this was yet another of those occasions.