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

Forced Simplicity?

Simplicity of life. Maybe this current economy is forcing that upon us. Our country is no stranger to these sort of times. We get used to having plenty and then things change. These times bring us back to the basics of life, to what is most important. I found a blog called Treading Softly that shares thoughts on the economy. It is an interesting piece.

Simplicity of life can bring a form of serenity as we shed our vanity & pride. Those who survive such times learn that true joy is not bound to material wealth. It is in the hard times that we find we do not need all the glitz and glamor. But these days, people do not want to speak of negativity, our ears are itching for only the positives.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
~2Timothy 4:3~

We all hope for better times, this is not wrong, but what things are our hearts set on?

THE FEAR OF LACK

There are endless varieties of fear, but one of the tormenting fears that many people suffer from is the fear of lack. They fear that their needs won’t be met—that God won’t come through in time. Hebrews 13:5,6 gives great comfort to those in this situation: Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

You may be in a situation right now that you’ve never been in before. You may be facing new responsibility that you don't know how to handle. You may have needs that are beyond your resources and the spirit of fear is attacking you and telling you that you aren’t going to make it. You may feel all alone in your situation, like nobody cares. But God cares about you!

When God says in these scriptures to be satisfied with your present circumstances, He doesn’t mean that you cannot desire change. We should be content in Jesus, knowing that He has heard our prayers and believing that He’ll never fail us. We must learn how to enjoy where we are on the way to where we are going.

God is a God of progress. He’s never standing still. Even when it seems that absolutely nothing is happening in our lives, God is working behind the scene on things that He’ll manifest at exactly the right time. God is life, and life must flow otherwise it is no longer life. Dead things stagnate and no longer move, but life is always moving, stirring and making progress.

Beloved, God has a good plan for you, and He’ll manifest it right on time. Fear not! God is with you, and He’ll never leave you nor forsake you. He’ll not leave you without support! If you need financial support, He’ll provide. If it’s physical support you need, He’ll sustain you while you’re waiting for your full manifestation of healing. If you need emotional support, He’ll comfort you with the kind of comfort that only the Holy Spirit can give. He’ll nourish you and bring you back to a place of strength in every area of your life. God is for you. He is not against you. Satan is against you, but God is for you. The greater One lives in you! (See 1 John 4:4.)

From Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

by Joyce Meyer

Thinking on God's Majestic Love

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.

Psalm 24:7-8

God's supreme sovereignty requires a befitting holiness of life and heart in His worshippers; a sentiment sublimely illustrated by describing His entrance into the sanctuary, by the symbol of His worship-the ark, as requiring the most profound homage to the glory of His Majesty.

~Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary~

We need to swing wide the gates of our hearts to let in the King of Glory. Isn't it amazing that the King of Glory wants to come in to us? In all His majesty, He is so humble and full of love.