A Gift for God

Revelation 5:9-10
"...for you were slain, and your blood has bought people from every nation as gifts for God. And you have gathered them into a kingdom and made them priests of our God; they shall reign upon the earth."

Reading the Bible is never boring because there is always new treasures to be discovered. This morning I received this treasure. The blessed knowledge that in accepting Jesus as my Savior I have become a gift to God the Father.

Putting Aside My Will

When I decide how circumstances should be or how they should go in my life, that is a form of pride. I should remember that the Lord knows better than my flesh. I should therefore not demand my own way. As Jesus said, "Father if you are willing, please take this cup of horror from me. But I want your will, not mine." (Luke 22:42) We need to trust in God alone and not in what our flesh knows, feels or sees. "Then He said to all, 'Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him everyday and keep close to me!'" (Luke 9:23).

"Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ, who though he was God, did not demand and cling to His rights as God, but laid aside His might power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men. And he humbled Himself even further, going so far as actually to die a criminal's death on a cross. Yet it was because of this that God raised Him up to the heights of heaven and gave Him a name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)

And the best part of all of this is that the Lord will not leave me alone to accomplish His will. "For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey Him, and then helping you do what He wants." (Philippians 2:13) One of my doctors who has been with me throughout this long trial I have been going through said to me "You certainly have got character." Today I came across this verse "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perserverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4). So I am blessed beyond measure that God has used me to display His majesty. ~By RJ Finley~

Vision and Darkness

"When the sun was going down a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him." ~Genesis 15:12

Whenever God gives a vision to a Christian, it is as if He puts him in "the shadow of His hand" (Isaiah 49:2). The saint's duty is to be still and listen. There is a "darkness" that comes from too much light - that is the time to listen. The story of Abram and Hagar in Genesis 16 is an excellent example of listening to so-called good advice during a time of darkness, rather than waiting for God to send the light. When God gives you a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will bring the vision He has given you to reality in your life if you will wait on His timing. Never try to help God fulfill His word. Abram went through 13 years of silence, but in those years all his self-sufficiency was destroyed. He grew past the point of relying on his own common sense. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not a time of God's displeasure. There is never any need to pretend that your life is filled with joy and confidence; just wait upon God and be grounded in Him. (see Isaiah 50:10-11)

Do I trust at all in the flesh? Or have I learned to go beyond all confidence in myself and other people of God? Do I trust in books and prayers or other joys in my life? Or have I placed my trust in God Himself, not in His blessings?

~By Oswald Chambers

Psalm 37:1-11

A short study of this Psalm reveals things we need to do and promises the Lord makes to us.

1. Trust the Lord
2. Do good
3. Feed on the Lord's faithfulness
4. Delight yourself in the Lord
5. He will give you the desires of your heart
6. Commit your way to the Lord
7. Trust Him and He will bring it to pass
8. Rest in the Lord
9. Wait patiently for Him
10. Do not fret - it causes harm.

Psalm 37 is a profound song of trust in God during life's circumstances that are difficult to understand. The psalmist reminds us that God is in control, even when we suffer and don't know why. He reminds us that, as we rest in our God, we can trust that He will make all things right at the right time. ~Bill Crowder