Devotional Christian » knowing God’s will

Wholesome and Clean

Patricia Day — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:42:02 +0000

Ezekiel 37:23b – I will wash away their sin and make them clean, and I will protect them from everything that makes them unclean. They will be my people, and I will be their God. (CEV)

There is a major house renovation going on close to where we live. Actually, it has been in progress for weeks and weeks – new roof, insulation, siding, windows, doors, sunroom and storage addition – a complete overhaul! I don’t know, because I have not seen inside, but I have to assume that there is a great deal of updating, repair and cleaning being addressed inside the home too: and I assume this due to the time it is taking to complete the work.

I recall when my husband and I, were looking for a home in this park, that we viewed one particular unit that was in a beautiful location, the price was amazing (it would have left a great deal of ‘spare’ cash for renovations) but the condition inside was nothing short of ‘disgusting’: how anyone could have lived in the home in the condition it was in, was beyond our comprehension.

We had agreed that we were willing to move into a house of our choice and do work while living there, but the filth and the updates needed in that particular house, were way too bad for us to even consider moving in and living there in – there was far too much to do to make it habitable.

When some people are challenged to give their lives to God and invite Jesus into their hearts, they recognize the truth that they have sinned before God. As a result, they want to clean up their lives before they issue an invitation to Jesus. They don’t yet understand that God comes into our lives to clean us up, precisely because we can’t do it for ourselves.

Isaiah 64:6a – But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. (NKJV)

The good news is that God loves us just as we are. So when we become willing to accept God into our lives, thankfully, He does not shun our dirty lives like we rejected that dirty home. He welcomes us and cleanses us. He does not leave us as we are, with our disparaging thoughts, our criticism of others, our idolatry of all things material, and all our major and minor sinful ways. This process is called “sanctification”.

Isaiah 1:16 – Wash yourselves clean! I am disgusted with your filthy deeds. Stop doing wrong. (CEV)

Just as the house we viewed had much to clean up before being habitable, so God needs to clean up our lives, thoughts, and actions, so that we become a true reflection of His Son, Jesus, in our hearts, minds, and spirits.

James 4:8 – Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you people who can’t make up your mind. (CEV)

Prayer: Abba, make us aware of all that is in our lives, our thoughts, and our deeds, that is unworthy of Your presence within us. Wash us clean, and renew our spirits and hearts so that we are wholesome, presentable, and welcoming to all who look at us and the ways that we live. We want to be acceptable to You and winsome to them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

http://pepeprays.wordpress.com

MOTIVATE Me Oh Lord, To Sow

Hariette Petersen — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:37:13 +0000

I know for a fact that sometimes (many times), I do things to receive a smile, a surprised elation, an expression of gratitude from whomever I treat kindly. I watch for a show of appreciation. I know this because when it doesn’t occur, I feel wounded. That, my friends, is not love, nor kindness. It is flat-out selfishness. So, I find that when God gives me the seed of an idea to show kindness and love, then He blesses my action through His Spirit as I obey. Love is not self-seeking, it simply loves because it can do no different. When I don’t plant that seed and sow it where I am, it is sin, because when you know what to do and don’t do it, it is the same thing as knowing what not to do and doing it. Needless to say, I sin a lot in a day. Praise God for His mercy and grace. Like the old hym says, “Without Him I would be nothing; like a ship without a sail.”

It is God…

“who has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,” 2 Timothy 1:9

Grace saves us. And that same grace is our motivating force. Sometimes I am amazed at that little voice within that urges me to reach out and touch another in my day. Sometimes I walk away wondering what possessed me to do a specific thing. Then I realize it was of God. His Spirit reveals to me ways to be light in a dark world. When I act upon what is revealed, I become the salt He wants to use to season and add flavor to a tasteless society empty of nutrients, starving for love.

God is unbelieveably awesome. He intricately lives with us each day and guides us in His righteousness for His sake. He weaves a tapestry of goodness of which Christians are a thread to add color and meaning. He has it all figured out. He knows the plans He has for my life as I pick and choose where I go in any given day. He knows where I plan to walk and where I plan to stop and rest. As I make my schedule, He has inked-in divine appointments for me to play a part. He places various people He wants me and, me alone, to show compassion, empathy and encouragment in circumstances I encounter. I find that exciting.

When you think about today and what comes your way, I pray you have the discernment to see the ways the Spirit reveals His will. It could be a very exciting day to let go of ourselves and simply be all He has created us to be. To love others as He loved us…first. Think about it.

When others are mean, we can show kindness. When others are impatient, we can show patience. When others say discouraging things, we can encourage. When others are selfish, we can share what we have. When others ignore someone, we can notice them, smile, and say hello. When others reject us, insult us, betray us, we can accept, love and forgive. We may never know in our lifetime, how some small thing we do today will reap benefits for His kingdom. But we do know that Scripture says,

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2011

Plans and Agendas

Dionna Sanchez — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:03:53 +0000

One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 16:9. It says, “ In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

I love it so much because that’s how life is. I have an agenda; an intended course for my life. It often includes my wishes, dreams, and wants for my life. Of course I want to be a blessing to others along the way, but still….it’s mostly about me.

I often don’t trust my own judgment. I don’t want to go down a certain path in life and say that “It must be God’s will” when it certainly wasn’t. So this verse speaks for my heart and truly it says what my heart intends all along…that I don’t want to step outside of God’s will.

I want the Lord to determine my steps in life regardless of my own plans. Of course I’m hoping they will intersect or coincide at some point, but if I’m way off track – I’d rather defer to God’s plans because I know if I pursue my own without His blessing that it will be all wrong.

The thing is… God WILL determine our steps. Whether we ask Him to or not. He loves us and wants what’s best for us. I’d much rather work with Him than against Him along the way! I’d much rather learn the easy way than the hard way about just what it is and where it is that He desires to take me. That being said, remember that God knows your heart. He often will use and direct you to things in which you are gifted at or where your natural personality leans. He just may “tweak” how you get there!

Life is about agendas. We all have them. We all pursue them.

God knows our hearts and He certainly knows our mind and what we are thinking. Give your plans over to Him and seek Him in your quest to fulfill your life’s dreams and longings. Ask Him to direct your steps.

I promise that you can trust Him with the task.
~ Dionna Sanchez

madetomom@yahoo.com

Is It God’s Will If It’s Hard?

Dionna Sanchez — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:12:50 +0000

It took me a long time to realize I had the wrong perspective on what God’s will for my life was. Somehow, as I was growing up, I came to believe that if something was hard for me; if things didn’t go as planned – that that must be a sign that it was not God’s will for my life.

I’ve since corrected that assumption.

As an adult, I’ve learned that the exact opposite is true. In fact, I think that sometimes things are the hardest when we are headed in the direction God wants for us. God says in Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

God told us that we would have troubles and trials.

In John 16:33 God tells us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

1 Peter 5:8-10 says, “Be controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

There are so many more verses in the Bible where God tries to prepare us for difficulties and spiritual trials. He tells us that facing tough times is pretty much a “given.” So why do we give up so easily? Why are we so easily deterred? Why do we quit when the going gets tough?

I believe that God raised us up to be warriors, not quitters. I think Satan knows that we are far too easy of a target. All it takes is some temptation, pushing of our buttons, some delayed outcomes, busyness, stress, and illness – and Satan knows he’s got us. You see, he doesn’t want us to fulfill God’s will! That would make us more powerful because we’d be growing in the Lord and thriving. God’s power would be unleashed in us! That’s the last thing Satan wants. So when things start to get extra hard….we just may be on the exact RIGHT path.

I do realize there are times where God tries to communicate that we are making poor choices in our life. There are times of correction. But I think when those times come; we’ve already been hearing God whisper (or yell, as the case may be) to our hearts for quite awhile first. The circumstances only solidify what the Holy Spirit has been trying to already tell us.

Life is hard. Oh man, is it hard! I’ve done some hard things. I can only imagine if I’d been allowed to flee and run away as I’d wanted. How I would have missed some deep blessings.

We are not runners. We are not quitters. We are warriors. And as much as we’d like to pretend that we don’t have any enemies – we have a very real, spiritual one who is out to hinder, provoke, discourage, and detour us any way he can. He’s out to make things HARD.

God tells me that my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord are going through the same thing as I am. That encourages me. Together, we can all fight through the “hard stuff” and be determined to set out in the destination that God wants for us. Any other way is quicksand.

I Need God’s Wisdom

Hariette Petersen — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:29:49 +0000

Sometimes I want to know more. I want to be able to make the right decisions for my life. I don’t want to go outside of the will of God and find myself flailing about in the midst of consequences I actually bring upon myself. I want more than anything to stay within the pathway He sets before me. And while I want one thing, I have to accept the fact that what I want may not be the best choice for me or for others. Ultimately, I want God’s best. I take seriously the larger decisions in my life. I think everything I do works together with God’s plan to build up His kingdom and grow me spiritually. I have various folks in my life who influence my thinking; sometimes they just add to my confusion.

“For this world’s wisdom is foolishness with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the wise and recognizes how futile they are.” 1 Corinthians 3:19-20.

Futile. We try to reason everything out and the more we reason, the more we seek another’s counsel, the less we know and the more muddled our thoughts become. That is when I retreat. I actually stop talking to people about my quandry, my crossroad. I sit quietly before the Lord and ask Him for His wisdom. I rest until I have a clear answer. That can be daunting. Sometimes the answer seems totally out of sync with anything I’ve been advised. I don’t know about you, but most times God leads me to act, not on logic, but on faith. The leap may be frightening. I tend to argue with God in these times, just like Moses saying he couldn’t speak before Pharoah. So God gives him Aaron to go along and help him. Sometimes I think all the things God used to make Pharoah let Israel go, was to show Moses the power of God’s might. I relate well to old Moses. But that is because I take my eyes off God and put them on myself. Moses was more concerned with his inadequacy than God’s adequacy. Logic sees as far as one can see before the jump; faith sees God at the end of the jump. From that vantage point, we catapult with courage, knowing He provides a safe landing.

As God So Desires

Hariette Petersen — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:19:26 +0000

Again and again I worked on writing assignments and nothing seemed to flow. Words seemed stilted, sentences contrived. Thoughts were disjointed and rewriting did nothing to create a work worthy of publishing. So I stopped. I deleted paragraphs and entire devotionals. My writing grew hollow; my thoughts dried up. I wondered. Is God shelving me? Has He removed His hand from me? Does He want me to do something else, or nothing at all?

Life kept living and moving around me. I saw God’s love in so many instances. I witnessed His grace in trials and difficulty. Yet, words to describe His work in and around me ran from my fingertips. My brain was caught in a fog. I felt bad. I felt bad for those I’d made promises to. I felt inadequate and useless. I questioned myself. How could I begin to write any words of encouragement when emptiness and disquiet were my companions–when dust collected on my keyboard and monitor?

“Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” Jeremiah 18:3-4

There are times in our lives in which we feel shelved. We may think our lives are so marred with inadequacy and wasted moments that God has moved on to another vessel, to fill it with perfumed roses. We may feel our time has passed, our hour of usefulness is up. Should that be so, what do we do? We rest. We wait. We sit where the Lord has placed us and collect dust if He so desires. It is God who decides what good we are to be for His purpose.

As I read through this passage in Jeremiah, I noted that the vessel the potter “made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter”. In His hand–not mine. He was forming and shaping. He was designing and working into me the curves, the depth and width of His choosing. As He worked, the vessel was marred. So He made it again–”another vessel”. God’s transforming grace does not end at the moment we receive new life in Christ. God is continually fashioning and molding His vessel for His plan and purpose. Whether we house fresh roses or sit empty, God is using us. We may not know how; we may wonder if we have been forgotten because the spot in which He has placed us seems a wasted space, without activity. These kind of thoughts focus on ourselves rather than our Lord. Christ is all encompassing. He is in me and with me. Who am I to question?

God Is Not Hiding Truth: Jesus Is the Light

Hariette Petersen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:38:52 +0000

Ever had a person tell you something and then say, “Don’t tell anyone”? Then a few days later someone else tells you the same secret and says, “don’t tell anyone.” You begin to wonder how many people know this secret.

Jesus told parables to crowds which left many wondering about their meanings. Later Jesus explained them to his close disciples. In old testament times, God directed His people to share the sayings they learned. To relate the history of the Red Sea crossing. To explain what happened in Egypt with Pharoah. He wanted His precepts and commandments passed on to their descendants.

“I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old. Which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed.” Psalm 78:2-4

No longer does the Lord keep the truth to Himself. He has given us His written word and the Living Word–Jesus Christ–to share with all the world. The Gospel is good news. It’s simple to understand. All that Christ did and is doing in our lives is important to share with others. We each know praiseworthy deeds of the Lord. Each day He provides for us. He guides us. He sustains us. What keeps us from sharing that good news with others? Christ is still at work in our lives; why do we guard it as if it is a secret? selahV

Trust Jesus, He Is the Master Gardener

Emily Riley — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:58:10 +0000

A while back, I was planting some seeds. As I was putting them in the soil, I began thinking about my life. God has ordained each step and He knows the plans He has for me. But often I feel like I’m just stumbling along blindly, not sure where He is leading. I’m like the seeds. And sadly, there are times instead of trusting the Gardener’s plans for me, I think that I know better. I think I know the type of soil I need to be planted in, the amount of sun and shade I need to properly grow, the amount of rain that would be best for optimal growth, and the type of plant that I’ll grow to be.

But Jesus as my Master Gardener; however, lovingly shows me that I don’t know these things. I don’t know if I will grow to become a flower or a stalk of corn. I don’t know what I need to thrive because I can’t see the end result. But God knows the plans He has for my life. He provides that the care I need based on what type of plant I am. He planted me where I needed to be. He waters me with the exact amount of rain that I need. He places me in the sun because I need that heat to grow. He does all this because He loves me. He cares for me and weeds the garden of my life and at times prunes my little plant because He wants me to grow and bear Him fruit.

When the harvest time comes, because of His work, I pray that He will be glorified through the growth in me. He is the one who ordained my steps. I can trust in Him.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that you know the plans for my life. Thank you that I can trust you when I can’t see where you are leading. Thank you for the promise that You are leading. Give me grace to trust in You, whether you plant me, uproot me, bring the sun, rain or shade. Your ways are good and I look to You, the God who called me and planted me, to be the God who will continue to guide me every step of the way.

Emily Schankweiler is a gifted writer and poet. She has a cross-centered focus that can be clearly seen on her personal blog.