2024-04-12
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Once the process of spiritual transformation (or as my church calls it, spiritual formation) takes places, we begin to be motivated to please God. Let me share some of the reconnaissance we get from the Scriptures on how to do this: HE 11: 6, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” In that same great faith chapter, we learn just enough to whet our appetites about Enoch, in HE 11: 5, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death [translated] and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God.” The only other we read about who was translated was Elijah [2 K 2: 11-12]. Does this mean that we must be so pleasing to God that He decides we don’t have to go through physical death to go to join Him in heaven? Thankfully not! However, HE 11: 6 tells us we certainly must have faith. As followers of Jesus Christ, we understand that God is Trinitarian, which means He has three Personalities, the Father (Who is invisible and makes decisions, especially about creation), the Son, Jesus Christ, (Who has been given the primary duty of redemption), and the Holy Spirit (Who has been sent to every believer, imparts God’s wisdom, and acts as the believer’s conscience). That is why JN 15: 5 [Christ’s words] are so important. “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Our relationship with the Lord is the most important thing we have when we are living in the Spirit. It’s not only important to us, but to Him. As a matter of fact, He seeks us out to come to a place where we meet with Him in prayer and in listening to Him as often as we can. That’s not the behavior of a god that takes His followers for granted or lies to them; our God love us so much that He created us in His own image [GN 1: 27]. It makes no sense that God would not love a person created in His own image! So, what can we do to nourish our relationship with Him and thus, please Him? 1 JN 3: 21-22, “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him.” If ever there was a two-way street this and prayer are examples—we give and He blesses! Remember 1 JN 3: 23-24, give this concept arms, hands, and legs; “And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us. We know it by the Spirit, He gave us.”
Our experience with other humans is often disappointing, because of mankind’s built-in imperfections. Sometimes it’s betrayal like what happened with Judas Iscariot and Jesus. Sometimes it’s unkept promises or a myriad of other kinds of evil. Mankind can disappoint not only other people but God Himself. I mention this because we need wisdom and discernment. Those things are readily available to us because God’s mystery-Christ and the Holy Spirit in us--allows us to tap into Go’s wisdom, which gives us discernment. PR 9: 10, “To be wise you must first have reverence for the Lord. If you know the Holy One, you have understanding.” When at a crossroads, we have been given a way to pray for wisdom and discernment, in PS 110: 65-66, “Do good to Your servant according to Your word, Lord. Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust Your commands.” Many times, I have cited EPH 2: 8-10, which tells us all about God’s grace that we receive and an assignment to get started doing the work that fulfills His will for us. We certainly should be acknowledging what God is giving us in our prayers, teaching/taking Bible classes, and other work we do. Moreover, we should acknowledge His “Love Letter,” –the Scriptures that He gives us. To know how we should do this, we should watch Him at work, offer Him thanksgiving and frequent praise, coming to know Him by His marvelous attributes and deeds. As we do these things, we will fall deeply in love with Him, His word, and His ways. What a blessing!
PRAYER: O Most Holy One, I must repeat, “What a blessing!” Your presence and intervention in our lives and so much more. We are not abandoned [PS 9: 9-10]. You give inner joy and peace, even when we are the recipient of bad news [PS 112: 6-7], feel overwhelmed by our challenges [1 COR 10: 13], or are depressed [1 PET 1: 3-4]. You give us the gifts of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate in our lives and are available to us 24/7 in prayer. When we yearn for You, we can find You, You are there. You let us know You want good things for us JER 29: 11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you not to bring disaster, plans to give you hope and a future Our Lord deserves our forever praise, loyalty, thanks, reverence, and service. Then you will call on Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me, and you will find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” We can have the freedom and confidence to expect these things when we pray authentically. We offer this prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen
NEXT WEEK: That freedom and confidence in our prayers is something God gives us [EPH 3: 12]. There are enough more things that God gives us as the Holy Spirit elucidates them in next week’s devotion as well. Just when I think He has given me all He has for me, He shows us more ways we can please God and more about living in the Spirit. His generosity is enormous, as He reveals to us the details of the relationship with Him; He wants us to have. What a great God we have! Despite all the trials going on in this world, He won’t allow us to get so down that we can’t look around us in find Him at work blessing us. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2024. All Rights Reserved.
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