2026-01-02
Good morning, Dear Ones,
Last week, I began looking at four important questions we need to answer for ourselves with God’s help to get a fresh start. They are: 1) How can we cooperate with God’s efforts to civilize us? 2) How can we enrich our spiritual lives and those of others? 3) How can we enrich our relationship with God? 4) To what can we look forward? Today, let’s look at the second question.
Once a person has submitted to God’s call to faith, he must find ways to allow God to transform him to gain maturity. This means yielded leadership of his life to God. The most effective beginning and continuing effort we must make is studying the Scriptures. They are God’s love letters to those who love Him. The Father makes His will clear in the Bible. Obedience to God is another step one can take. This is especially true when He calls us to make difficult choices that conform to His will. IS 1: 19-20, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” JN 14: 15 & 23 are Christ’s words. “If you love Me, keep My commandments…Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
At the risk of being boring by repetition, let me remind all of us (including myself) of the importance of prayer. It’s an open channel of communication between ourselves and God, which He eagerly wants us to use. He tells us, in PHIL 4: 6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And yet there is more to this than simply asking for what we want. We must make a habit of visiting the shelter under God’s wings often, listening for His wisdom and direction. PS 91: 1-2, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God in Whom I trust.’”
Now that we can see some of the things we must do to move forward in our spiritual growth, we must also see what we can do for others around us. Our faith in God is by no means something we should keep to ourselves. As His faithfully obedient servants and friends, we must not only “talk the talk, but we must walk the walk.” Regular attendance in our places of worship means not only Sunday services but also getting involved with others serving the community and joining classes. There are huge needs all around us, and God has given us our skill sets to serve those needs. Some can volunteer in hospitals, others can serve the homeless in soup kitchens, still others can serve in a wide variety of groups-everything from doing repairs, yard work, helping with events to raise money for worthy causes, and the like. GA 5: 13, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” 1 JN 3: 18, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” HE 13: 16, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
There are times when the most difficult of all decisions is commanded. That certainly happened to the Lord Jesus when He was called in LK 22: 42 in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will but Yours be done.” Shortly thereafter, He gave His life on the cross, so that we might not perish but have everlasting life [JN 3: 16]. I’m reminded of this amazing sacrifice in favor of the Father’s will when I read and meditate over JN 15: 12-15, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.”
PRAYER: O most heavenly Father, we can’t help but be grateful that You chose us first to be Your friends. You intervene in our lives in the most wonderful ways. Every genuine prayer we send up, You hear and consider. Your wisdom is beyond any human, and You are making us better people as we engage in our relationship with You. When courage and patience are required on our part, You advise us to engage in careful thought and well-considered action. You never give us foolishness or encourage us to do evil. You are responsible for teaching us ethics that are compassionate and wise. If there is any good in us, it comes from You. PS 34: 8-9, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. Fear the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing.” We offer You our loyalty, reverence, thanksgiving, and praise forever. In Christ’s holy/mighty name, Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I am commanded by the Holy Spirit to examine the third question: How can we enrich our personal relationship with God? If we are still on earth, it means that whatever our test is, it is not over. No matter how mature we may think we are, it is the Lord that decides when and if we will be glorified. That means there is always room for improvement in our relationship with Him. These Scriptures show us His will. COL 3: 1-2, 17, “Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ...And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” MT 5: 16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Thanksgiving and praise to Him!
Grace Be with You Always,
Lynn JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2025. All Rights Reserved.
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