“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 13 And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NLT)
The Bible portrays the Christian life as a walk. It speaks of “walking” in the Spirit, “walking” in God's ways, “walking” in love, and “walking” in truth. No matter how we understand it, the word “walking” always involves action. Our lives, then, shouldn't be stale and lifeless. Our lives ought to move and develop to be increasingly becoming more like Jesus. The Bible calls this "sanctification."
But what if we feel that we are going backward instead of forward? Do we know how to turn around? Only by faith in Christ can any of us move in the right direction. If we feel ourselves sliding backwards, here is the solution:
- First, have assurance that God keeps every promise. The Bible contains an amazing number of guarantees for believers, including wisdom for the asking, God's constant presence, and peace when we focus on Him.
- Second, wait for God’s response. In other words, prepare for what He will do because of your confidence in His promises. Remember God sis already involved in tomorrow’s plan and is waiting for us to catch up.
- Third, be aware daily of His involvement in our life. By spending time in the Word, prayer, and meditation, we will become sensitive to what He is doing.
- Fourth, pray boldly because we are God's children. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT) Approaching the Father in such a manner isn't a prideful confidence, but an overflow of our love for Him as creator and our faith in Him as God.
- Finally, obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is the true test of our belief. In fact, the Bible says that without action, faith is dead. “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:17 NLT)
Is there a sense that our life is progressing and we are maturing into Christ's likeness? Or do circumstances and our character flaws seem to hold us back? God promises to continue making His children beautiful throughout their lives. We can resist Him or cooperate with His gracious work in us.
When we consider how great God is, our desire is to obey His word. We realize that the Word that God gives us is for our own good. And we cannot help but obey God because we love Him.
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:9-12 NLT)
We serve and worship an awesome God. Worship Him - trust Him, love Him, serve Him and obey Him. May our reverence of God, our sense of awe at who He is and what He has done be the basis of all we do.
Praise Him. Bring glory to His name.
Hello Again!!
7 years ago
