A Sure Path

God's desire is that we know Him, love Him above all others, and trust His guidance from day to day. Prov.3:5-9 As we do this, all else follows. If each of us had nothing but Him, and yielded to His control, it would be easy. But our struggle comes from all the other choices and options along the way that He allows us to experience.

As the earthly realm is enlarged, Satan works his ways to distract us from God's original purpose...a changed life, a truly holy life, motivated in our hearts by the great love we have for Him.  We love Him because He first loved us. We serve Him, because He first loved us. We have faith in Him because He first loved us. Complete trust is fully based on the awareness that the Lord has always loved us, loves us now, and will continue to love us. Not for what we do, but because He created us to love and be loved by Him. Our loyalty and love for Him should reign supreme in our lives, and as it does it clarifies our view and gives us the right perspective.(Rev.4:11)(Ps.119:1-4)

  In my life, knowing God's will for me is not always about knowing what I should do, in a particular circumstance. In fact, many times, as I ask for guidance, He reveals or reminds me of the things I know I shouldn't do; the things He clearly reveals in His Word to me. He does not always show me the choice to make, He often shows me a choice I shouldn't make, or a better way. This type of direction depends on a day-to-day desire to be close to Him and to please Him..(Ps.119:133)

Jesus Christ is my enduring leader. Although every human relationship is different, and every personal circumstance new, Jesus Christ is the same as He was yesterday, is today, and will be tomorrow. (Heb.13:8) The sheer wonder of such consistency and His promise!  It inspires me to trust Him to lead me through life. Circumstances of life can often seem ambiguous or confusing. He says in His word, He knows the end from the beginning. This means the Lord also knows the order of things that He planned! Therefore,  I can trust Him to lead me through to that end, can I not?(Deut.31:8) (Rev.22:13)

 Jesus is my enduring lover.  I am promised an everlasting love, not based on my character, or what I do, but on His Divine Eternal character and the Holy Spirit within me. Not only will He always lead me; He is also there with me loving me as He guides and leads me. He is my true and faithful friend above all others. I realize an awareness of His presence and His love(Jer.33:3)(Heb.13:5)(John 13:1)
 
Jesus is also my enduring example of excellence.  He embodies precept, promise and power. He is the best example I can follow. He will never falter or fail. He will never disappoint. He will always bless and accomplish His purpose through me as I obey.(John 13:15) (Matt.4:19)(Phil.2:12,13)

 In summary,My Lord is good, wise and unchanging. He knows the end from the beginning and has the wisdom and power to lead me from that beginning to that end.  He gives me the enduring promise of His undying love.


GTD2/17/14








 

Anew You "Because He Loves Me"

--Having given a considerable amount of time to wait for input from my previous request to readers, it is now time to continue. While waiting, I have come across an opportunity which will  fan the embers of devotion in this writer's heart. One thing that I've been impressed with in the life of Jesus is that 'He went about doing the Father's will", not waiting for others to agree, or even necessarily follow. He had to do what He was called to do in devotion and obedience to the Father, and frankly, if no one followed, He walked on. He could not be distracted from the higher goal of pleasing His Father by devoted obedience.

I am weary this evening, having not slept well last night. In my insomnia, I read the first sections of "Because He Loves Me", which I acquired so easily for my android phone Kindle last night from Amazon.   The theme that has been burning in my soul is "Anew You". This book seems to be a very nice guidebook for me to find the reconstructive process necessary to "anew" especially in motive and matters of the heart. May God receive greater love from each of us as we seek to grow in grace and knowledge and yieldedness to His Indwelling loving leadership.

From my heart, in His love, by His grace,
Gail

 

Thinking on Things January 2011

Do you make lists? I tend to do that, especially as I get older. It does help me to not forget what needs to be accomplished, or attained. Somehow I am impressed to go toward a simple list for this New Year. I believe this list will guide me in the days ahead to remain focused on what is important. To assess things of true (value) it is necessary to judge by THE TRUTH, God's Holy Word to me.

1.Recognize my purpose: To love God, to be devoted to Him. He wanted someone to love and be loved by Him. He loves me because I am His child. What I do is noted by Him, but that is not why He loves me. He has goals for me, but that is not why He created me. If I love God the way He desires to be loved I will be fulfilling the desire of His heart! It will lead to the acts of love and obedience that my being is equipped by God for.

Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive Glory (praise and adoration), and Honour (respectful obedience) and power (my strength and ability): for Thou hast created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

2.Recognize the plan: To love the Lord with all my heart, soul, and mind. It is an intentional, fervent love, that will involve my emotions, my physical body, and the submission of my will (willing to, wanting to) do the things of His good pleasure. This is a constant,trusting love that He actually develops in me as our relationship grows. This is a wonderful, mysterious love unlike any earthly relationship, since it is built on trusting my all-perfect and truthful God Who will never break a promise to His child!

Luke 10:27 "Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with all thy heat, with all thy with all thy soul,; and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself."

3.Recognize the priorities: Next, to impart His love to others. Only by developing my relationship with Him, will I then love and help others the way He wants them to be loved. Unconditionally. In this sharing of my beloved, I cannot hold myself back. My motive will be love. Jesus personified this example for us.

John 17:26 "And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith Thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."

4.Recognize His presence and power: God Himself is ever-present with me as the Holy Spirit. He is within and without. He guides,leads,and empowers me. How I thrill as I write this because God alone knows the path ahead this year. It may be a dark path that He will enlighten, or a steep path that is hard and rocky. It may be that He will need to carry me. His loving care for me will never fail.

Ephesians 4:30 " And grieve not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God and ye are not your own,? Ye are bought with a price...therefore glorify God in your body and in your Spirit, which are God's." "...for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God and they shall be my people.
" I Corinthians 6:19,20,2 Corinthians 6:16 "Greater is He that isin you than he that is in the world."I John 4:4

Enjoy a Thankful Thanksgiving

Have a thankful Thanksgiving!

That is what I have decided must be the correct holiday greeting.Tomorrow will be the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday.Whatever the day may bring, it will probably bring comparisons to other years, other Thanksgiving dinners. Whether it seems better or worse, it will be original. Practically almost
the same or possibly very different.

What will your Thanksgiving day be? Will it be in the same location as always with the same people as always? Maybe new acquaintances will be at the table. Perhaps others may be gone, either just this time, or from now on.

Will you be thankful for the changes as well as the expected? Major changes may be at the least unsettling, possibly devastating were it not for the unchanging Christ Who is always with us. He will ease us into a new situation with His comforting and encouraging presence.

You can have a Thankful Thanksgiving because you are not alone
and can be grateful for the constancy of His
love.

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."Heb.13:8

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:18

Your Personal Independence Day

4th of July is the date of Americans celebrating our independence from the tyrannical rule of Britain's government. America was truly justified in seeking independence from Britain's selfish, ungodly rule. Their implementation of God's law was unfair, and unequal.  From that day we established a system based on Godly principles found in the Holy Bible to maintain an indepence from evil-doing to our fellow Americans. This was the birth of America's independence from Britain, and America's dependency on God as a nation!

 The essence of our personal individuality as a person is an independent spirit. God created us to have a self-preserving nature to keep us alive. To be otherwise is not normal. Our nature tends to personal experimentation and implementation of what we see before us! As we mature, we assess our circumstances and make judgments about what our behavior should be. This thought process leads us to decide if we need to act.

When we allow our independent spirit to be ruled or motivated by anything other than love not only for ourself, but also those around us, our independence may become a dangerous and destructive force. This is the force of selfishness. Selfishness (putting ourselves first) can be directly counterproductive to God's purpose for each of us.

God's wise plan is for each of us to be willing to consider Him first, and others next, in the same manner we would want to be treated. Note the order in God's greatest commandments to us:

1. "For thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

2. Next, "And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."  Matthew 22:39

This order is the antithesis of how we usually want to act, ie.  do "our own thing". No, no way...every action has a reaction and effect on both ourselves and others.

I am thinking of a story that illustrates how most of us are. A pie is placed before a family of four. One child is directed to "cut a piece first". Thinking that he is cutting a piece for himself, he cuts a rather disproportionately large piece. The parent then says, " Okay, give that piece to your brother. and pass the knife back to me." Then the pie is cut into three equal smaller parts and distributed to the three remaining family members.

We are most like that child. We really want the "biggest piece of the pie". But God our Heavenly father is a parent that will not let us live independently. Even when we are not surrounded by others, we should ask His desire first, since He is ever present, then we act as He directs.

Remember, we do not live independently of others. To do so is wrong and will lead to an evil, unfair way of life. God's formula works! Try it!