FORGIVENESS

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  Matthew 6:14-15

            Forgiveness is the keystone to Christian belief.  Without forgiveness it is just another religion among the many religions of the world.  God forgives those who ask for it with a pure and sincere heart.  God knows a heart’s motivation.  He knows if the one seeking forgiveness is sincere in his or her desire to truly change their ways and follow a different path.  That’s what forgiveness really is, not just a slate wiped clean, but also the impetus to change.  The Spirit’s entrance into our lives confirms our being forgiven and should spark a personal revival in our soul.  To continue down the same path that leads to destruction is to not fully understand the nature of God’s forgiveness. 

            There are those in our lives who we need to forgive.  We need to forgive them as Christ forgave us: unconditionally, mercifully, graciously and lovingly.  To not forgive others is to ignore what God’s forgiveness really means.  If He can forgive you, then who are you not to forgive another?  We are no better than the next person.  Neither are we any worse.  God sees us equally; equally in need of redemption.  No one is exempt.  All are in need of forgiveness. We must not hold another’s sin over their head.  Forgive, for to not forgive enslaves you, not them.  We forgive for our sake more then the one we are forgiving and we become a little freer when we do.

            People are going to slip up from time to time.  It is their reaction to that slip up that reveals the character change that has taken place.  The difference lies in whether their sin is habitual or a singular event in time.  We are to receive forgiveness from the Lord and then turn our back on that sin, make a 180-degree turn as it were, and walk off in the direction God has prescribed.  Don’t get yourself caught up in a web of bitterness and angst; forgive freely as you have been forgiven.  The person that benefits the most will be you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE: The NEW LIVING TRANSLATION has been used for today’s text and is published by Tyndale House.    

THE EXAMINER OF HEARTS

“People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.”  Proverbs 21:2

            Life is filled with people who do their own thing believing they are in the right.  They feel they have the right combination; belief in God, being nice to other nice people, doing kind things for others, kicking a few dollars in the offering plate (if they go to church at all) and perhaps even donating to a charitable cause.  They don’t steal or murder and only lie or cheat when they are boxed in a corner and have no other choice by their own estimation.  In that same estimation they are doing just fine.  But what does God think of their choices in life? 

            Our motivation is crucial to the Lord.  Do we make decisions based on what we think is right based on our own definition of right and wrong or do we make them based on the standard’s God has set forth in his word.  Doing what is right in our own eyes can be a dicey and dangerous thing. At times it can be the furthest thing from what God would have us do.  Do we ever consult the Lord, asking him for direction or guidance in our decisions?  Or are we simply too busy for such things. 

            If we would like to know that we are right with the Lord we must place his standards far above our own.  Anything thought of by us without the Lord’s input is inherently flawed because we simply do not know the right path to take on our own.  God wants us to succeed in his name throughout this life.  To think we can make a go of it without his intervention is a mistake.  Belief alone is not enough.  His way is the only safe, righteous and true way and the only way we can be assured will lead us to heaven when this life on earth is over.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE: The translation used today is the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, published by Tyndale House.

THE DEPTHS OF GOD

“Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” Romans 11:33 

                  If you lack wisdom or knowledge, dip into the deep resource that IS God. The conventional wisdom of this world cannot compare to the wisdom that is God. He is the embodiment of wisdom and knowledge. His essence is truth. He IS so everything about Him is eternal and everlasting. Nothing else on this earth can be spoken of in such a manner. All of creation is finite … the Creator is not. While it is impossible to comprehend, He was and is and always will be. How does a finite mind grasp that concept? It doesn’t. It’s not possible. Oh, some pontificate endlessly about their theories and write dissertations that fill library shelves regarding the topic of God as they attempt to make sense of Him and define Him in terms they themselves can understand; however, they are nothing more than men with very large egos who only think they know.

            The place in which God’s wisdom and knowledge exists flows on endlessly. Notice I did not say ‘the place which contains the wisdom and knowledge of God’ because I believe it to be uncontainable. I believe, just like God Himself, His wisdom and knowledge is living, breathing and never ending.       

            There isn’t anything this side of heaven that makes any sense at all when it comes to God and all the riches He has at His disposal. So rest in God … rest in the knowledge of knowing that you cannot figure it out.  Imagine, if you will, that you are in a free fall through time and space, yet all the time are seen by a God who will not allow anything to harm you. You are safe in His arms, even while you are falling. Instead of stressing about the landing, allow yourself to reside in the peace of God for He will never fail or abandon you. What you must endure God is aware of and has either prepared you for or will sustain you through. Seek His face. Reach out for His wisdom and knowledge and then strap yourself in for the ride of your life.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE:  The translation used is the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION; Published by Tyndale House.

NO DEVO THURSDAY, FEB 4th!!

The next devotional will be posted Friday, Feb 5th.  

GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”   Jeremiah 29:11-13  NIV                               

            God has a plan for your life. Only He knows it in its’ entirety. His Word makes certain promises and assurances that you can rely on. That is the trust part of having faith and trust in God.  He knows what He’s doing. Nothing catches Him by surprise. God’s plan or will for you is set up with you in mind. He created you for a purpose.

            This portion of scripture reveals many things to us. It tells us that He has a plan to prosper and not harm you and that this plan will entail a future filled with hope. It promises us that if we call out to Him He will listen. The last statement in these verses is conditional … when you seek me with all your heart you will find me. This requires single-mindedness. It requires focus. It requires that all else be set aside. God wants you to find Him; He wants you to know His will for you.     

            When God speaks of “plans to prosper you”, He is not saying that you will be wealthy monetarily as some ministers preach. The material possessions we attain matter little to God. If believers could really get their mind around all that God has for them, they would not be seeking riches on this earth. Please understand an important distinction here … there is a big difference between acquiring riches and seeking them. You might acquire worldly riches as a direct result of serving God in some capacity and God has blessed you with these riches because He knows you are spiritually mature enough to use them wisely and touch others with them. Those who seek it for the sake of simply having it show a lack of faith in that they seek to rely on their wealth so they lack nothing even though God has promised to meet their every need. Acquiring things as if it were something important to attain will not find you peace, joy or happiness other than the type that is fleeting.

            Seek the Lord with your whole heart and you will see the direction you are to go. You will have what you need and find contentment, for God is at work in you and seeks to bless you.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

PLEASE THE LORD WITH YOUR LIFE

“Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you.”  Deuteronomy 6:18a

     Here we find Moses speaking the words of the Lord to the children of Israel.  The Jews could become rather stiff necks and agitated when things didn’t go quite the way they anticipated.  If you doubt that read about when Moses led them to the edge of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:1-31).  What was their reaction?  Do you know anyone like that?  Are you like that?  You are not bound for hell if you doubt God.  Acknowledge your weakness and seek the Spirit’s help to correct this flaw. God has never failed.  He doesn’t attempt to do something; he simply does it.  Therefore, it’s incredibly important for us as children of God to do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.

     The way to be pleasing to the Lord is to commit yourself to living a life according to what he has deemed to be good, just, righteous behavior in this sin sick world.  Be led by his word and do what you know to be right and you will never fail.

     We live in perilous times.  Times when terrorists, in the name of God, slaughter innocent men, women and children for not believing as they do.  In the face of such great evil, do what is right and good in God’s sight.  Never turn your back on the Lord, for only he can forgive sin and lead us to our eternal destination.  These pawns of Satan shall be victorious for a time, but will fall in the end. The will of God shall triumph over all evil when the trump sounds and time is no more.  Stand for God.  Live a righteous life with the help of the Holy Spirit and you shall be counted among the blessed of God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NLT

       In the chapter following Moses reciting the Ten Commandments of God to the people of Israel, he laid out the case for a wholehearted commitment to the Lord.  There is only one Lord and one God.  Those who refuse to believe that will find out its true when it is far too late.  Loving God is or should be our response.  We didn’t love God first.  It was he of whom scripture says “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”¹ And again “We love because he first loved us.”² 

       Our total and unwavering commitment to Almighty God is what makes us stand out among the unbelievers.  What is pleasing to the Lord must be what is pleasing to us, for we must come to the place where his will supersedes our own.  If this doesn’t take place then something is askew.  God didn’t move away or take a prolonged vacation.  He is all around you and within you in the person of the Holy Spirit.  So what has changed if your diligence begins to wane; surely not God?  It could be time for a spiritual assessment.

     While we are not bound by God’s Law any longer but rather under his umbrella of grace or undeserved favor, we should as a natural outcropping of our close relationship with the Lord live out his law as a byproduct of our commitment.  This occurs not because we have to but because godly living results in living according to his statutes.  So make an assessment of your walk with Christ.  Is it lacking?  Seek resolution by asking the Lord to point out weak areas in your spiritual life and then allow the Holy Spirit to begin to make changes within you.  The Lord wants you to succeed even more than you do.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

¹ 1 John 4:10    ² 1 John 4:19