Confidence 2

Confidence 2

If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. JAMES 1:5 AMP

Getting help usually always starts with an admission of a need or lack. If I do not have a problem, or I figure I do not have a problem, of what use is an offer of help or assistance made by anyone? That's the start point of today's extract: knowing that when dealing with God, you can never get to a point where you are self -sufficient.

It is also important to accept that today's extract could be talking to me. What if I am the one in need of wisdom? Am I humble enough to know my limitations and present realities? Am I full of false airs, unable to see myself the way God wants me to, and so unable to approach God for the help He really wants to give me? I do not have all of life figured out; and there is a God who rules and reigns in the affairs of men. He sets up one and brings down another, and he decides who gets what and when and for how long. That's how powerful and eternal God is.

In God is found all that I need for life and Godliness. I go to Him daily, asking Him for help for the challenges and pressures of daily existence. I ask God, not grumble to men like myself who really can't help, and who also have their own issues to settle with God. He simply asks me to open my mouth, and be specific about my request and desire, and He will give me all I want and in the measure best suited for me. In this case, it is wisdom, but it could be anything. What qualifies me for anything from God isn't my righteousness, but the amazing love of a Father who delights to hear his children call on Him.

And if God could give me a whole Son, what else can't He give? If there is nothing too hard for God to do, then whatever I need is a small part of the mighty things He is able to do; after all, this is a God who says He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I could ever ask or imagine. So, ask. See him work wonders. His time of favour is here.

Confidence

Confidence

This is the confidence that we have in our relationship with God: If we ask for anything in agreement with his will, he listens to us. 1 John 5:14 CEB

It's all about relationships. Everything in life is determined by the strength of relationships. We trace our roots, culture, background and DNA to that same term: relationship. Nobody fell from the sky; we do share a common origin from Adam, and we are all from different families. However, in Christ, a new foundation is laid, and there is a common denominator binding all who share common heritage with Christ. Skin colour, language and culture find common ground in Christ, and our inheritance follows the same route.

So when today's extract speaks about confidence, it's not so much about physical blood connection, but by the grace, favour and blessings made available to all who share that common heritage. All through the Bible, you find that thread linking the old to the new testament. Men walked with God, irrespective of generation or exposure, and all found God to be the same: loving, gracious, generous and amazing. Today, the story hasn't changed; all who have dared to walk with God have the same story to tell: that if you ask him anything, it is that family connection that guarantees you answers.

I note that the asurance is that God listens, not that he is bound to give me what I want when I want it. If indeed I am his child, his will be of utmost importance to me. I won't want to go outside his will, or pursue an agenda he has not approved. If I am sure of my ownership and allegiance, then I am sure of being aligned with His will. He promises to listen, and because I am His own, I ask for his will to be done at all times. If I am still pursuing my own personal agenda, or I am having trouble letting God rule, maybe I am yet to grasp the full meaning of relationship with God.

So, before anything else, how's your relationship with God? Can God actually vouch that I am His own? Does the world hold a part of my heart and life? Whatever your answer may be, remember: relationship determine reward. His time of favour is here.

The Pursuit 2

The Pursuit 2

Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord , And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6‭-‬7 NKJV

For everything on earth, God has already assigned seasons and times. The wisest man on earth, Solomon, penned those same immortal words in Ecclesiastes: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven". If this is true about everything, is there any cause to doubt the words of today's extract?

We live in these times as if we are promised forever. We make plans and plot as if the world we live in today will never cease to exist. We are so much about the NOW and the HERE. Yet, God would have us know this: nothing down here was built to last forever; everything on the physical and visible plane falls within the scope of time and circumstances. While I still have the precious gift of time, there are one important thing God would have me do; seek Him.

The greatest discovery of man isn't anything else but God. When you find God, you find the greatest blessing you could hold. When God knows you as His own, you have the greatest powerin the world backing you up. And this search isn't anything done anyhow; it has to be a definite and deliberate search for God. The wicked must forsake his old way and return to God; the unrighteous man must change his thoughts and ways, and all must return to God. If I do not even know or acknowledge that i need help, how does God help me?

His promise is that if I return to Him, He will forgive, pardon and restore. What are you waiting for? If you need cleansing, forgiveness, restoration, favour, grace, he has these all in abundant measure, and he will give freely. His time of favour is here.

The Pursuit

The Pursuit

Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied. MATTHEW 5:6 AMP

Depending on the perspective you seek to hold on to, life is a race, a battle, warfare. At no time can I claim a no-conflict zone, where I can just relax and be free from attacks or trials or tribulations. Nowhere in the Bible does God promise anything like that. What he promises is a clear and corresponding reaction from God to whatever action my life produces. If I seek him, he promises that I will find Him. If I draw near, he also promises He will draw near. Of course, the opposite is equally true.

Today's extract also follows the same pattern. What would it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? By human standard, hunger and thirst are natural reactions. Apart from decisions to fast or keep away from food for some time, it is suicide not to eat or drink beyond certain days. In the same vein, it would appear that it is proper to seek after satisfying that deep hunger that only God can birth in a life. Am I only after the body and its needs or am I also seeking the spiritual food that will satisfy the deep eternal longings of my soul?

And the object of the pursuit matters. We can be so caught up in activity that we miss the important. We do not pursue after just anything: riches, fame, power or privilege. As nice as all these are, those are not the focus from God's perspective. It is his righteousness that must be of the utmost importance. When I seek God and His righteousness, I seek to introduce Him to my world. I am asking Him to take charge of the things around me, and to stamp his imprint on all that my life produces. When I am conscious of this, I will watch ALL that goes in or comes out of my life.

That same conclusion: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If I seek God, I will find Him. When his righteousness is my first priority, he has promised he will satisfy me. How will this happen: no matter what goes on around me, I have the inner peace and assurance that nothing external can shake. I rest assured that even when I cannot see change as quick as I want it, I am sure He is at work, and when the right time comes, at his own choosing, things will end in praise. What more could I ask for? His time of favour is here.

Light!

Light!

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 AMPC

For the commandment is a lamp, and the whole teaching [of the law] is light, and reproofs of discipline are the way of life. Proverbs 6:23 AMPC

When I read of the lamp and the light, it seems to give off 2 different meanings. It would appear that God would have me look at his Word again from a different perspective. What's a lamp? The closest image to this was the lamp set up in the old tabernacle, in which oil was to be kept to ensure that the light from the lamp never died. First of all, it would appear that the lamp was the receptacle, the object holding out the light, allowing the light to become visible and sustained.

Without the lamp, it would appear that the light would not be possible. Or it could be that the purpose of the lamp, and the way it was set up, was to give light to all who came in contact with it. Today's extract points to one conclusion: the Word of God seems to serve both functions: it is the lamp as well as the light. How does this truth affect me? The 2nd extract in Proverbs helps to clarify: I can take God's express commandments as the lamp. They provide me clear instructions on what God wants for me. I read them for instruction and information and guidance, but they will only become life-giving when I take the teachings and apply them to my life.

Of what use is knowing what the Bible says and yet, not live it out? Of what use is daily reading and meditation, yet no daily commitment to application and obedience? Information is good, but application is even better, and a lifetime of commitment to discipline by the Word of God is even best. Please note that the 2nd extract says 'whole teaching', not convenient half truths. I can decide to take the part I want and apply it to myself; it doesn't make it right, and I only end up deceiving myself.

Am I ready to take God at His whole Word? Would I willingly submit myself to sound doctrine available in God's complete Word? God wants to guide, He wants to lead, but He will not force himself on me. His Word is eternal, and is the manual for life. It will only work out its purpose in me if I take the Word and apply it as i should, not as I want. His time of favour is here.

Fully Committed!

Fully Committed!

Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance]. PROVERBS 16:3 AMP

I believe that the words of today's extract are very instructive for this season we are in. The world has tried to define success in terms of visible, physical things, and because the message of the world is always loud, man tends to be distracted by it. However, we are reminded again of the important and the necessary, as we journey towards the end of our earthly sojourn.

It is my responsibility to commit my works to the Lord. God won't force Himself on me, and he won't take over my life; I must give it to Him as a willing sacrifice. I note that it is 'works' referred to here, which are the physical manifestations of my thoughts. I could have great plans, but God expects me to commit their execution into His hands. I believe this is important because no matter how lovely the plans are, it is the execution that will affect lives around me, either negatively or positively. I must trust God that as i work, He will take glory in and through me.

If the physical execution (works) goes through Him, then I can bet that the plans (intentions, motives and desires) are also right, because I seek to please God, not myself. If God's will is my utmost desire, in my planning and execution, God sits at the forefront of it all. It is an empty gesture to claim that 'after all, God sees my heart' and then still proceed with hypocrisy and pretence. God knows too much about me and what is good for me. Nothing about me is hidden from view.

So, as this new year is still a few days old, what are those plans already drawn up? Who's sitting at the heart of those plans: you or God? Whose interests am I advancing, and who's taking the glory over my life? Am I seeking out God's will or seeking my own interests? Remember, with God, you just can't get away with pretence. His time of favour is here.

Life!

Life!

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. Psalms 90:12 NLT

From the day we are born, to the day we die, life is full of lessons for us. Every experience, good or bad, holds lessons for us, and it is very important that we remain sensitive to all that God would have us learn from the things he brings our way or permits to happen to us. Maybe, the biggest lesson God would have us learn is that the best and the worst of us is all tied up in the finite and limited concept called TIME.

We are creatures of destiny and purpose, yet we are given a definite and specific timeframe to discover, pursue and fulfil that purpose. We are eternal beings, yet given very temporal and definite timelines to prepare for that eternity. We are immortal beings put in a mortal body, with a mandate to work out eternity whilst living in the immediate. Life is short. That's a fact that many in the world do not seem able to comprehend.

We live as if we have been guaranteed eternal life in this mortal body. We live as if we are masters of our own destiny. We see people die daily, yet we think we are immune from death, maybe because we think that there is something in us that keeps death away. God alone is the one who can help us know our limitations, and keep us focused on what is important, which is the discovery and pursuit of God. Believe me, my greatest achievement in life will be the discovery of God.

Nothing down here was built to last forever, and God has promised that all I see today will be destroyed by fire. This shows me that true wisdom is seeking after those things that cannot perish, and those things are only found in God. If I understand how short my life is, I will walk with an understanding of my eternal destination. If I know I am only down here for a short time, I will prepare properly for my eternal destination. If I am only about what I can amass down here, it may be that I am yet to fully grasp the danger of losing it all in eternity.

God, help me know you, and keep my heart focused on you alone, so that the world and its distractions will lose its appeal. His time of favour is here.