I was visiting one of the rebuild coalitions in the South side of Houston – on the way to Galveston yesterday. They start each day off with a devotion. It reminded me of our work in Mississippi. It is so important for those who have been called by God to serve others to keep their eye on the prize. Focused on the One who called, gives strength, and provision for whatever it is that He has ordained. And so it is with us, but we need to be reminded from time to time.
“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture,” – Psalm 100:3
We need to be reminded that He is the Lord – the Creator God. He made us – all of us. As Christians – we are His people. Not everyone that is the creation of God is a child of God. That requires a new, spiritual, birth. Not even all of Israel is “Israel”. That is why Jesu told Nicodemus, a teacher of the Law (the scripture) that Nicodemus “must be born again.”
“For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”– Romans 9:6-7
We are His people and He is our God. You and I are spiritual descendants of Abraham – spiritual offspring – a promise made through Isaac by faith in Jesus, the Messiah. That should mean something more than the fact that we are going to heaven – that we have eternal life – it should be the motivation for how we live and what we love.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” – Psalm 100:4
In light of the great salvation that we embrace – every day we should be thankful and give praise to God for He is good. Instead, so often, the concerns of this world overwhelm us. Consume us, stealing our joy and causing us to lose focus on whose we are.
“Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” – Mark 4:18-20
Jesus contrasted the lives of the those who allow “the natural life” to cloud their vision and the joy for those who keep their focus and place their trust in the Lord.
“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100:5
Do you really believe that? The proof will be shown in how you respond to your natural life and what it brings your way.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4
The only way you can do what James said is by the power of God and faith in God. Otherwise life will be a continual struggle – without joy – without hope. The fruit of the Spirit will neve be yours if you try to live your new life using the old nature. You are doomed to failure. Think about it. Pray about. And then praise God!
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