All in Plenty
Do you complain to God during the times of hardship in your life, or cry out in anguish to Him in the times of pain and suffering as if they were meant to punish you? Perhaps we need to take a lesson from the fruit bearing trees and vines that grow gangly unattended, and don’t produce fruit in quality or quantity. The times we find the hardest are those that benefit us the most.
So often we think that there is but one way that we are called, and that God has a set process for leading us. We somehow get in our minds that there is but one way to serve God, and that if we don’t fit into the biblical walk exhibited by one of the twelve apostles then we are not correct in our faith. In fact, we are all unique and so is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Have you always wanted to be the kind of Christian that is a blessing to others? Perhaps you have watched saints in your church and wished you could touch other people in the same way that they do. Well, don't discount yourself because you may be rippling out blessings at a much higher rate than you think!
Are you sad today? I am referring to the sadness that occurs when we realize that Jesus is asking us to let something go that we believe we are unable to give up or that is impossible for us. Perhaps it is our wealth, but just maybe it is our poverty.
I am looking at my life this morning in such a way as to identify those things that are stumbling blocks to my faith. I am asking myself the simple question... "Am I separating myself from those things that stand between God and me?" Is my life focused sufficiently on Him, and cleansed of those encumbrances to my faith?
Who have we prayed for today? Does the heart of an intercessor live within us? Are we hoarding the atonement of Christ, or sharing its realization with others? These are the questions to ask ourselves this morning.
Do you follow Jesus without second thought? Do you give your faith free and unquestioned rein to rule your life? These are the questions that face us all and the crux of my morning contemplation.
Do I have the serenity in my life that Jesus had in His? Is my life spent settled into constant comfort and peace, and if not... why isn't it? Perhaps I am not truly abiding in Christ. These thoughts were provoked in me by my reading this morning.
Where do I make my abode? Where is my place of residence? This morning I am trying to determine whether I claim my earthly home as my permanent residence, or whether I list my heavenly home as such. Then there are the times, in my travels, thathome becomes the place where I lay my head.
Am I running the race that God has laid out before me, or am I like the horse that never left the gate when the gun sounded? Is the call of the Lord fading into the distance, or am I following His call into an exciting adventure? These are the questions to ponder today.
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 the struggle is less and the comfort has settled over us.
This morning we consider the decisions in our lives. Who makes our choices; are we making them based on logic and reasoning, or is God making them for us out of His wisdom? Have we turned our lives over to God, or are we still holding tight to the tiller of our lives and plotting our own course?
Does God visit with us day and night? Do we allow Him full reign over both our waking and sleeping hours? Have you ever had a heavenly visitation while sleeping, and if so, did you consider it real? That is the subject of my thought today.
Is my relationship with God close enough? Am I one with other believers and with Jesus? These are my thoughts as I go through this day. Will you join me in searching the answer to these questions within ourselves?
What does it mean to "seek first the kingdom of God?" Some believe this is to seek God totally and that all else will miraculously be provided, others feel it means to seek Him first and foremost, but then continue to live life by His commandments, and then some think it is to live as they always have and roll God into the cracks of our existing life. Which are you? Which do you seek?