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








 

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!