“We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands.”-1 John 2:3
“In fact, this is
love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not
burdensome”-1 John 5:3
To “be” a Christian is more than just believing in
Christ, it is obeying Christ.All that
is required for salvation is belief (Acts 16:31), however if belief is true
belief it will be accompanied with action.“We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands.”
Dear Lord,
Teach Your people
to show their love with actions and obedience.Teach us to love You by loving others and obeying Your leadings.
“If this is so,
then the Lord knows how to rescue the
godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of
judgment.”-2 Peter 2:9
You can rest in
peace because “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trails.”No worry is needed, nor any help, God’s got
it all under control.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the
assurance we have in You.Thank You for
always taking care of us.Teach us to
trust You more and more each day.
“Cast all your
anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”-1 Peter 5:7
Simple and straight forward yet at the same time very
powerful if we chose to believe it.The
God of the universe cares for you.What
a privilege it is to be cared for by the Creator of the world.
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal
that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to
you.But rejoice inasmuch as you
participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His
glory is revealed.If you are insulted
because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of
God rests on you.”-1 Peter 4:12-14
“But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating
for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure
it, this is commendable before God.To
this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example,
that you should follow in His steps.”-1
Peter 2:20-21
Dear Lord,
Help us to remember
what You did for us and empower us to live that way for You.Give us the mindset of service and not the
mindset of convenience.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, God’s special possession, that you
may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His
wonderful light.”-1 Peter 2:9
Just as Abraham was blessed to be a blessing (Genesis
12:1-3), we are God’s chosen people that we may “declare the praises of
Him.”It’s not about us receiving His
blessing, but about us giving His blessing!
Dear Lord, Thank You for Your
blessing and Your love for us.Thank You
for entrusting us with Your praise and mission to reach the lost. Help us to
obey You and declare Your praises.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that
can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,
who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation
that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”-1 Peter 1:3-5
Dear Lord,
Thank You for this
incredible promise of life!Praise be to
Your name forever and ever!
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray
over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.And the
prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise
them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.Therefore confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”- James 5:13-16
Dear Lord,
Teach Your people
to pray like this.Teach us to truly
grasp the power of prayer, for prayer truly is “powerful and effective.”Lord, teach us to “pray without ceasing” (1
Thessalonians 5:17) as we walk through each day with You.
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of
the misery that is coming on you.Your
wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.Your gold and silver are corroded. Their
corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have
hoarded wealth in the last days.Look!
The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out
against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.You have lived on earth in luxury and
self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have
condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.”- James 5:1-6
Dear Lord,
Thank You that the
treasure we store up in heaven is not uncertain like the treasure we seek to
store up on earth.Thank You that when
we are in You we do not have to fret about tomorrow or worry about the things
we need that we do not have.Lord, make
me poor so that I can have wealth in You, make me poor so that I don’t forget
about the treasure that really matters, make me poor so that I can become more
like You.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near
to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you
double-minded.Grieve, mourn and wail.
Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He
will lift you up.”- James 4:7-10
James lays it out pretty plainly here, “resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.Come near to
God and He will come near to you.”Ok,
so let’s do it!
Dear Lord,
What words of
wisdom Your words provide.Teach us to
see You simply and clearly; the answers aren’t always as complicated as we make
them seem.
I’ve tasted Your glory and I left it there.
You poured out Your Spirit and I didn’t care.
Still you loved me.
I’ve lived for myself with nobody to blame.
I took what You gave me and squandered Your grace.
Still You loved me.
Nothing compares to what You’ve done for me
Nothing compares to what You’ve done for me.
I could live for the broken and share in their pain.
I could die like a martyr or live like a saint.
Just to love You.
I could sing like the angels and gather Your praise:
Be blessed beyond measure and give it away.
Just to love You.
Still nothing compares to what You’ve done for me.
Nothing compares to what You’ve done for me.
My heart has been broken; I’ve laid out my shame.
Because of Your mercy, all I can say is
I love You.
So I’ll tell of Your story, I’ll carry Your name.
I’ll live for Your glory Lord, I’ll share in Your pain.
Just to love You.
Nothing compares to what You’ve done for me.
Nothing compares to what You’ve done for me.
Nothing compares to what You’ve done for me.
Nothing can separate us
Nothing can separate us
Not death or life
Or depth or height
Or unseen power
Now or ever!
“When you ask, you
do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”- James 4:3
Once again (see previous posts: God’s Promises Are True!
and It’s About The “All”) it is not
about the “me” it is about the “all,” or maybe better put, it is all about God.
Dear Lord,
Help us to remember
that it is about You and Your mission, saving the lost.May we pray with this in mind so that we may
receive what we ask for in Your Name!
“Therefore, since
we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so
worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming
fire.’”- Hebrews 12:28-29
Isn’t it great to know that God is offering us “a kingdom
that cannot be shaken?”What a great God!He is worthy of all our reverence and awe,
for He is a “consuming fire.”
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the
assurance we have in You.Thank You for
the promise of a kingdom that “cannot be shaken.”You are truly great and I am thankful for the
opportunity to worship You.Thanks!
A couple of months ago I had a dream.In my dream I read a story about a man who
was talking with an angel.In my dream I
underlined and starred the end of the story for future reference, but when I
woke up I did not remember even having a dream and went on with my life.Last night I had a similar dream.In the dream I was in the same setting and
was looking over my notes to find that same story.However I woke up before I had accomplished
that task.But this time, when I woke up
I remembered the dream.I had to think
for a while if I had really read the story in the first dream or if I had read
it somewhere else prior to the dream.After
I thought about it I concluded that I had never read the story outside of my
dream.So then I had to try to remember
the story from my previous dream without being able to look back at it.
“The world was not
worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and
in holes in the ground.These were all commended for their faith,
yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned
something better for us so that only together with us would they be made
perfect.”- Hebrews 11:38-40
Wow, how awesome would it be to have God say of You, “the
world was not worthy” of you?That is
pretty amazing to think about, pretty cool.I also couldn’t help but notice, once again, the mention of not
receiving God’s promises while on earth.However this time it adds “because God had planned something better for us.”Like I mentioned in my post God’s
Promises are True! it is not about the “me” it is about the “all.”
“’For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declare the Lord.‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah
55:8-9)
Dear Lord, Thank You that Your
ways are not our ways and that Your thoughts are not our thoughts.For we would all be in great trouble it they
were!Thank you looking out for me and
for loving me even though I don’t deserve it.I pray that You will teach me what it means to live for the “all” and
not for the “me.”I pray that I would
have faith to obey You and that one day it can be said of me, “the world was
not worthy.”Lord I know that the only
way that can happen is if You do it through me.I pray that I would daily surrender myself to You can become
increasingly filled with Your Spirit.
“If they had been thinking of the country they had left,
they would have had opportunity to return.Instead, they were longing for a
better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their
God, for He has prepared a city for them.”- Hebrews11:15-16
Dear Lord,
Teach us to long
for You.Teach us to long for the day of
Your return.Teach us to long for Your
kingdom to come.Teach us to long for
this more than we long for this world.Lord teach us to live in such a way that you will be honored and
unashamed to be called our God.
Amen
Quick note:If we
truly long for His return and for His kingdom to come to earth, if we truly
long for that more than we long for this world our choices will be the same as
those mentioned in these verses.“If
they have been thinking of the country they left, they would have had the
opportunity to return.Instead, they
were longing for a better country- a heavenly one.”It is not enough to say we are longing for a
“heavenly one” if all we do is sit back and pray for Jesus’ return.If we really long for His kingdom to come we
must take the words of Matthew 24:14 (“And this gospel of the kingdom will be
preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end
will come.”) to heart, and go.Just like
the verse says, “if they had been thinking of the country they had left, they
would have had an opportunity to return.”In order for the “better country,” the “heavenly one,” to come we must
first be willing to go.We cannot say we
long for the day of Christ’s return if we are not actively apart of His mission
to save the world.
“All these people were still living by faith when they
died. They did not receive the things
promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting
that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.”- Hebrews 11:13
I like the reminder this verse gives that just because
our reward for faith isn’t seen right away doesn’t mean that God isn’t faithful
in fulfilling His promise.I think so
many people today expect free handouts from God just because He is “good.”Non-believers and believers alike throw out
the argument that “if God is good why does He allow so much evil to take
place,” and underneath the question is the attitude that we deserve more than
God has given us.Of course this is not
the case!In fact it is the exact
opposite that is true.We deserve
nothing but judgment and death from God and instead He has given us freedom and
life.The promises of God are not always
seen during our lifetime, but we can be 100% assured that they will be seen in
God’s perfect timing.What we must
remember is that God’s promises were never about us, they have always been
about Him.We must stay away from the futile
thinking that demands God’s blessings now and remember that it is Christ’s
Kingdom that is at stake and not our comfort.God’s promises are for all believers and it is only when the “all” is
included that Christ can accomplish things beyond our imaginations (Ephesians
3:20).We must live our lives for the
“all” and not for the “me.”
Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your
sacrifice that made available to me the gift of salvation.Thank You for the many promises You have
given to me.Teach me to live for the
advancement of Your kingdom and not for the advancement of myself.Help me to remember that Your promises are
trustworthy and true even if I don’t see them in my lifetime.Use me to bring Your promises to earth. I
love You and want to be used by You.Forgive me for not always showing it.Live in me more and more so that our power might be displayed in my weaknesses,
for I am very weak and in need of You.Forgive me for the selfishnessand obstinate choices that I make on a daily basis.Teach me to be self controlled.As Zechariah 4:6 states it is not by might
nor by power but by Your Spirit.I want
to be Spirit filled Lord, please make me Spirit filled.
“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are
coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same
sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near
to worship. Otherwise, would they not
have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once
for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.But those sacrifices are an annual reminder
of sins.It is impossible for the blood
of bulls and goats to take away sins.Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and
offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for me; with burnt
offerings and sin offerings You were not pleased. Then I said, “Here I am—it is
written about me in the scroll— I have come to do Your will, my God.”’”- Hebrews10:1-7
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your
willingness to come to earth and do Your fathers will.Your sacrifice has given me life and now I
lay my life at Your feet.As I repeat
Your words give me the faith to live them out.“Here I am, I have come to do Your will, my God.”
And all the windows fastened down
I spent the night in sleeplessness
And rose at every sound
Half in hopeless sorrow
And half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin' through
To drag us all away
And just before the sunrise
I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle
And a voice began to call
I hurried to the window
Looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches
And the sound of soldiers' feet
But there was no one there but Mary
So I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me
As she told me where she'd been
She said they might have moved Him in the night
And none of us knows where
The stone's been rolled away
And now His body isn't there
We both ran toward the garden
Then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and empty tomb
Just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in
Was just an empty shell
And how or where they'd taken Him
Was more than I could tell
Oh something strange had happened there
Just what I did not know
John believed a miracle
But I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation
Couldn't lift me very high
'Cause I'd seen them crucify him
Then I saw him die
Back inside the house again
The guilt and anguish came
Everything I'd promised Him
Just added to my shame
When at last it came to choices
I denied I knew His name
And even if He was alive
It wouldn't be the same
But suddenly the air was filled
With a strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere
Drove the shadows from the room
And Jesus stood before me
With his arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees
And I just clung to Him and cried
Then He raised me to my feet
And as I looked into His eyes
The love was shining out from Him
Like sunlight from the skies
Guilt in my confusion
Dissappeared in sweet release
And every fear I'd ever had
Just melted into peace
He's alive yes He's alive
Yes He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive yes He's alive
Oh He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive yes He's alive
Hallelujah He's alive
He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive He's alive He's alive
I believe it He's alive
Sweet Jesus
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”-1 Timothy 6:17
Dear Lord,
Teach this truth to Your people.You are our God who “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”This doesn’t mean we will always have what we want, but what it means is so much more.It means that what we have You have provided and it is enough.Help us to “enjoy” what You have given us instead of seeking what we do not have.
“God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen.”(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.-1 Timothy 4:7-8
As an athlete this verse has spoken to my heart many times.It is easy to pour our efforts into athletics, school, work, and all the other activities that we are involved in.However we must remember the most important training we can give ourselves is the training that will make us more like Christ.For this type of training has “value for all things” and holds “promise for both the present life and the life to come.”That is the type of training that I want to pour my heart into, because it is the kind that will last!
Dear Lord,
Help us to remember why we are here.Help us to keep focused on You and Your kingdom.Train Your people and make us godly.We want to become like You.
"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not harm then at all; they will place their hands of sick people, and they will get well.'"
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."
I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live through you and me...
“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which He entrusted to me.”-1 Timothy 1:8-11
It seems as though I should still be living under the law is for sinners and I am certainly a sinner.However what I must remember is that I have been washed, I have been sanctified, I have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, See previous post Our Identity in Christ).I have been saved!The law no longer applies to me in this way.
“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.”-1 Timothy 1:3-4
I like the simple explanation given at the end of this passage: “such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work.”Things aren’t always as complicated as we make them.Being a follower of Christ isn’t about “controversial speculation” but about “advancing God’s work.”It’s not about wining arguments or living perfectly, it’s simply (and sometimes not so simply) obeying God.
Dear Lord,
Thank You that Your promises aren’t speculative and that Your truth is sure.Teach us the wisdom to discern what’s from You and what is false.Teach us to live by faith and spur on others to do the same.
“As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you we command.May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”-2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
Thank You Lord for Your faithfulness in the midst of our doubt.Thank You for sustaining us in the midst of this world’s darkness.Thank You that we can have confidence in You.
There is so much to be forgiven for, yet all of my filth has been washed as white as snow through the power of Your blood (Isaiah 1:18); and not only that, but that same power has been made available to me so that I can live in its power (Romans 8:11, Ephesians 1:18-21, see previous post "The Same Power!"). Thank You for this incredible gift of new life and the daily assurance of forgiveness that comes with it! Teach Your people to live in this power and to use it to do mighty things for You (even greater things than You yourself did while living among us, John 14:12).
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light.For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves,in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”-Colossians 1:9-14
Dear Lord,
Teach us to pray with the same kind of passion seen in this prayer.May these requests be lifted up to You on behalf of all the growing believers around the world.Continue to fill us with the knowledge of Your will through the wisdom of Your Spirit so that we bear fruit, grow in the knowledge of You, and become strengthened by Your might to be patient, enduring and thankful.Thank You for rescuing us from the dominion of darkness, teach us to share your light.
“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him”- Philippians 1:29
Dear Lord,
Teach us to suffer for You.Teach us to be willing to offer our entire selves up to You.Thank You for the opportunity for us to trust and believe in You, help us to also be thankful for the suffering it comes with.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.”- Ephesians 5:15
Like Wes Neal states: “If you are not consciously thinking His thoughts, you are not thinking His thoughts.”We must be intentional about how we live.I’ve always found it interesting that one of the last things Jesus told His disciples before His death was to “watch and pray.”He knew how important it was to live intentionally.We must choose to follow His lead.
Lord,
Make us intentional in how we live and in what we do.Teach us to “watch and pray.”Teach us to be wise.
“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”- Ephesians 5:5
“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11, see previous post Our Identity In Christ).
Dearest Lord Jesus,
Thank You for making us clean in Your sight.We don’t deserve Your love.You however deserve all of ours.
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;to be made new in the attitude of your minds;and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”-Ephesians 4:17-24
I don’t have much to say about these verses.It was just refreshing to read through them and be reminded of the new creation I have been made into because of Christ.But also be reminded to constantly surrender myself to Him so that I can continue to be made new.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for making me new in You.Help me to continue to surrender myself to Your will so that every day I can become more like You.
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spiritof wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”- Ephesians 1:17-23
Wow!The same power that raises Christ from the dead and seated Him as the right hand of God has been given to all who believe!What an incredible gift, what a great responsibility we have been given.
Lord,
Teach us to live in the power that You have given us.Teach us to use the full potential of the power that is living inside of us in Your spirit.Teach us to pray using this power and to live in it.Teach us to never back down from the strongholds of the Devil, but to confront them and overpower them with the “incomparable great power” living in us.
“For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.”- Ephesians 1:4
From the mouth of David:
“Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, Sovereign LORD, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant—and this decree, Sovereign LORD, is for a mere human! What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, Sovereign LORD. For the sake of Your word and according to Your will, You have done this great thing and made it known to Your servant. How great You are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like You, and there is no God but You, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for Himself, and to make a name for Himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever, and You, LORD, have become their God. And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise You have made concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You promised, so that Your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in Your sight. LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. Sovereign LORD, You are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and You have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever in Your sight; for You, Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.” (2 Samuel 7:18-29)
Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.”- Galatians 4:17
Lord,
Help us to be zealous for You.Help us to have the same kind of zeal to make Your name great as the people of this world have to make their names great.Teach us to have zeal for You and Your kingdom.Teach us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
“But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?”- Galatians 4:9
I just found it interesting that Paul chose to highlight the difference between us knowing God and Him knowing us.I didn’t look into what this verse is about or why it is stated how it is.It just made me stop and think about the truth to the words.Whether or not we allow God to “know” us, He is continually making Himself known (whether we choose to acknowledge it or not); on the other hand although God is all knowing it is our decision as to allow Him into our lives or to live on our own.I think that is what this verse is getting at.No matter what God is God and He has given us Himself (through His creation, word, and spirit), however it is our choice whether or not we give ourselves back to Him.It reminds me of Matthew 7:21-23 when Jesus says:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?’Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
This doesn’t mean God did not “know,” it simply means we never let God in.Once again this places the responsibility on us and not God.Which is how it should be.
Thank You Lord for the reminder to give myself to You.For I know that if I am not conscientious of dying to myself and living for You, I won’t die to myself and live for You.As Wed Neal states “If you are not consciously thinking His thoughts, you are not thinking His thoughts.”Lord help me to consciously think Your thoughts, and willingly live for You.
“Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith…. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.’ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”- Galatians 3:8-9, 13-14
Once again the idea of Christ’s blessing appears in Scripture.I couldn’t help once again notice that we are blessed to be a blessing.
I also find it interesting that the gospel was said to be foretold with God’s blessing to Abraham when God said “All nations will be blessed through you.”This reiterates the fact that the gospel must me shared to “all nations.”The gospel isn’t simply the story of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.But it is this story told to “all nations,” inspiring all nations and cultures to live in faith.What a great process to be a part of; bringing the gospel of Christ to all nations so that they can have faith and be blessed with the very Spirit of God!
Dear Lord,
Let us hold to the vision You have for the future of Your name.Let us announce the gospel to “all nations” so that You may receive the honor due Your name, and so that all peoples can enjoy the blessing that comes with knowing You.
