GOD’S GOODNESS, FORGIVENESS & LOVE

“O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.” - Psalm 86:5

            We know God is good because Jesus says so in the Gospels (Luke 18:19). As a matter of fact, according to Jesus, not even HE is good. So who on earth is good and what exactly is good. By worldly standards the term ‘good’ is relative. It can mean one thing to person A, but something quite different to person B. It depends on your perspective and view of life in general. With Almighty God, there is a set standard for living that defines what is good and what is evil. If we live to bring God glory, rather than ourselves, we will be able to focus in on exactly what God considers to be good.

            God’s forgiveness comes from a position of grace … his grace. It’s his undeserved favor. We did nothing to earn it. Like any gift we have to receive it and in this case allow it to alter the path we’re on. His forgiveness comes out of his unfailing love for his children. We are all created by God but only certain ones of us embrace his forgiveness to the fullest and spend the rest of our natural lives living to please the Lord. His standards are the only ones that matter. His standards are the only eternal truth. His standards will take us exactly where he knows we will flourish and blossom into all God knows we can be in Christ.

            So in a single statement we see that the Lord is a good God who readily forgives based on his unfailing love for us all. Submit to his plan for your life today and find out what it means to experience peace, hope and mercy all at the same time. Nothing on earth can provide that. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

OUR CALLING IN CHRIST

“Therefore I … beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” – Ephesians 4:1

            1 Corinthians 11:1 has always been my understanding of our calling in Christ. It says, “And you should imitate me (Paul), just as I imitate Christ.”  If we take the time to truly imitate Christ’s behavioral traits in our everyday life, the end result will be eye opening.  We will exhibit behavior that we’ve never shown before. We will see things differently. We will begin to act differently. It won’t be instantaneous, but if we earnestly seek to live for God in Christ, we will succeed.

            It is my belief that our chief calling is to be Christ’s ambassador or representative on this earth. Living for yourself is an empty existence that amounts to nothing of any lasting value. Those things we accumulate will become meaningless over time. However, when we emulate Christ we leave a lasting legacy of peace, love, mercy and compassion throughout our life. Make a point of dedicating your life to behaving like Christ as much as you are able with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will guide and direct you if you allow him to. Every gift you may need to navigate thru this life is at your disposal. All you must do is seek it and you will find it. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

Translation used: The New Living Translation.

GOD IS OUR SUSTAINER

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” - Psalm 55:22 

            The Psalmist reveals that a Christian’s life will not always be happy & prosperous. There will be burdens that we will need to bear. That is why keeping our faith locked into the Lord is so critical. We mustn’t allow the enemy to steal our conviction. Trusting God is an everyday thing, not just when times are good. Our faith needs to show itself most when trials arise. Our faith will lead us to trust in God. He is worthy of our trust because he has no record in all of scripture to have failed. He will sustain you with his righteous right hand ^[1]

         Always remember that you are not alone, God is in you and is with you always. No matter who in this life may have hurt or abandoned you, God will never hurt or abandon you. The burden you face may be due to bad decisions you have made, but things never have to stay that way. He is the God of redemption, the God of second chances. The world says it cannot be done, the Lord says nothing is impossible to those who believe. Your burdens are temporary and the trial will pass in time. Focus on the Lord and allow his Holy Spirit to infuse you with a fresh dose of life.

            If you are down, know that you will not stay down forever, because those that rely on the Lord shall rise up. Trust the unseen God, not that which you can see, for your eyes will deceive you, but the Lord is truth. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

^[1] Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

GOD IS WITH YOU ALWAYS

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” - Deuteronomy 31:8

         Just as the Lord sent a pillar of fire at night & a pillar of cloud during the day for the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt ^[1], so the Lord will go before those who have put their trust in him. This combined with his presence within you in the form of the Holy Spirit & the fact that he is ubiquitous in nature has you completely covered by our gracious God. Therefore, though we fear things we either cannot see or do not understand, in reality we have absolutely nothing to fear because God is with us every second of every day.

         It’s seems totally illogical that a spirit being can be everywhere at the same time, however, since the Lord isn’t encumbered by the restrictions of a physical body, nor is he held back by the constraints of time & space, he can be anywhere at anytime in any form he chooses. It then becomes a matter of belief. As I often say, it's a choice. You either choose to believe in a loving, merciful God or you don't. Those who choose not to believe have much to fear for they have no hedge of protection about them as the children of God do.

         Knowing that the Lord is always with you wherever you go should bring comfort & peace to you. There is no harm that can come to you. As a matter of fact all that takes place in your life is either caused or allowed by Almighty God for his express purposes to bring you to full maturity in Christ. Trust in God always. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

^[1] Exodus 13:21 “The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.”

I stopped asking God ...

This is a definitive sign that spiritual maturation is taking place in your walk with the Lord. rlkeller

GOD’S KNOWS BEST

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 55:9

            I would like to make something crystal clear; we absolutely do not need to understand the ways of God in this life.  We aren’t asked to understand. We are asked to have faith. We are asked to trust him. But we are never asked to understand. God does things that boggle the mind. He needs no ones permission to do what he does. He created all things and does as he so wills to accomplish he purposes.
          To go along with this we must make a clear cut choice to believe it, then let things go. We are asked to imitate Christ’s behavioral patterns, not reinvent the wheel. God already has a spiritual course charted for each one of us. It’s up to us to choose to accept his will and his way of reaching that plan. It doesn’t take seasoned, mature faith as much as it takes the faith of a small child. No questions need be asked. No concern needs to be entertained. If anyone knows exactly what he’s doing its God. He has never and will never fail us. We need to ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to bring us to the place where our trust in God overtakes our fear and worry so that we can truly become all that he knows we can be this side of heaven. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

I’M RESPONSIBLE FOR ME

“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” – Galatians 6:4-5

            Mankind has an interesting habit. He or she is guilty of comparing themselves to others. There are several reasons why this takes place; legitimate reasons in their own minds. Perhaps it’s to help them feel good about themselves. Maybe it’s to reassure themselves that they are doing well. Comparisons are fruitless though because the Lord, thru the Apostle Paul, says to us in his letter to the Roman believers ^{(Romans 3:23)} that we have all fallen short of God’s glory. It’s due to our sin. So flawed individuals are comparing themselves to other flawed individuals.

            What we must do is compare ourselves to the only perfect example, Almighty God. It’s the only way we will see the flaws that crease our hearts. It’s also the only way we can get better. Sin takes it’s toll on ones soul. Thru the Holy Spirit working within us, we can refresh and renew our heart, soul and spirit.  

            We are responsible for our own thoughts, words and actions. All mankind will one day stand before Almighty God and answer for their lives. ^{(Romans 14:10-12)} As followers of Christ it is imperative that we make a regular assessment of our relationship with the Lord. Compare yourself to Christ and emulate what you see. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

Resource:  The Life Application Study Bible.

Note: Believers will stand before the Bema or Judgment Seat of Christ to give an accounting of their lives in Christ. ^{(2 Corinthians 5:10)}

ASK & YOU SHALL RECEIVE

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.  But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” – James 1:5-8

            Wisdom from a worldly perspective is the ability to discern or judge what is true or right. It is to have common sense and good judgment. While these could be considered Christian characteristics, the wisdom of the world comes from finite and therefore limited sources. The wisdom God gives comes from infinite and therefore eternal sources. So it is no small thing when we ask God for wisdom. We are indeed seeking discernment and good judgment, along with a dose of common sense; no question about it, but our source is like an underground spring that never runs dry. When all the supposed wise men of this world pass away, God still was and is and ever shall be.

            Scripture is clear, do not waver in your belief for asking is one thing, but asking expecting to receive it is something else entirely. This world has nothing to offer that is of any lasting or eternal value. The best man can muster are things that need to be replaced over time. Focus on the Lord, especially when things have gone awry. Don’t allow the craziness of this world to dampen your faith or cripple your trust in God. Ask for that which you need with confidence, knowing that God hears you and will answer. The Lord never withholds blessings from his children. Stay loyal to God no matter what may befall you. Don’t be unstable in your thinking, but rather stand strong based on your beliefs. God shall not fail you! Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.