Meditation: March 25

“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” Ephesians 4:14

Children are in a stage of indecision and in need of a guidance counselor to place them on the right track. But as we grow, the instructions are there to keep us on the established track made possible through spiritual fathers. Those formative years are so important in order for “the way” to be made clear when the pressures are brought to bear against the soul to compromise. Adults should no longer act childish in their approach to life. God provides for us what is needed for our stability, but if the godly instructions are not heeded, the winds of doctrine will leave unstable to being tossed to and fro and eventually they will be carried away from the foundation. God gave spiritual gifts to those who desire to become spiritually mature. Only the mature are able to lead others to maturity. Childish and unstable thinking will breed unstable souls who will follow another as quickly as they would follow you. Whatever impresses them at the moment holds their attention, but just for a little while. Then they will eventually move on to something different. God’s desire is for each to remain rightly joined for the sake of the Body. We are then edified and He will be glorified.

Meditation: January 8

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13

Believing is more than a casual thought in the direction of God. It is a firm conviction that God will do everything He has promised. His glory will cover the earth and we will be glorified together with Him. Our faith is not in vain, nor will our prayers go unanswered; yet circumstances often make it easy to identify with the Psalmist would have otherwise lost heart.

Faith is not faith unless it has been tested. The trying of our faith is more precious than gold. When we believe even when there are no visible signs to support our beliefs, God is then the primary focus of our lives. His goodness is not limited to the past, but to the present. He is our present help in the time of trouble and He is working all things according to His definition of good and for our glory. Our trust in Him provides a means for Him to complete His work within us; then we are enabled to see the goodness of the Lord in all things.

Meditation: December 9

“Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.”  Psalm 50:23

Our private world is to be set in order by us. We must begin and end our day with both praise and thanksgiving. God allows us to lives in a world of chaos but at the same time, He allows us to possess His peace. The peace that we experience is not as the world would know. It is a peace that is deep within the soul. As we present to the Lord an offering of praise, we are keeping Him in constant view. The circumstances are not greater than our God. Our faith in Him is strengthened because Jesus is both the Author and the Finisher of our faith. To glorify the Lord is to give Him credit for all that He has already done and to anticipate what He is about to do. Allow Him to be the thermostat to which the whole of your life is set. Then His Divine guidance and strength will be yours in order to you through.

Meditation: October 16

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (16) But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.” 2 Timothy 2:15-16

We must be presented as approved unto God. Our lives are to be on display as showing evidence of God’s character. How else would the world know that Jesus is alive and the same yesterday, today, and forevermore? It is the life that expresses the truest meaning to Scripture that others are able to read even clearer than the text itself. Their interest is prompted to read on until the Word irresistibly becomes life to them. We direct them to Jesus Christ, the source of all that may be seen in us. He is seen through our every effort. He is glorified through our every deed, and He is edified when we participate with Christ and all who have come to know Him. Ours is to establish His kingdom on the earth as it is in heaven. Those who profess to know but do not know Him bring shame and disgrace to His name. And their pride becomes their shame. But those who know Him have contained in His Word the every life that He promises.

Meditation: September 9

“Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Isaiah  53:1

God’s arm is His strength. The mighty strength of God has manifested in history to overthrow corrupt governments and to dethrone the reign of wickedness. When it appears as if all is lost and the exercise of faith is a futile act, God intervenes with His might to reconfirm the truth that He is God and besides Him there is no other. The question that wrest on the minds of many is,” where is God” and, “how could He allow such things to happen as many are experiencing crises today”? God is asking the question, “can faith be found among those who profess to believe in Me?” Not the fickle faith of those who merely believe for what they want to achieve, but for Him to exercise His might overthrowing the works of the enemy. The whole report of God must be believed if Jesus is to be in view. He provides evidence that the report is true.  Then it becomes our guide for living. When it is believed and acted upon, the strength of God is manifested among men. Unbelief restricts the power of God from flowing to the most needed places. Jesus could do no mighty works in Nazareth because of the people’s unbelief. They thought that they knew Him but were too familiar with His natural life to see Him and know Him after the Spirit. He invites us to participate with Him in what He is doing. We can then be set free from doing the same things repeatedly without producing results, but rather for Him to be glorified on the earth through willing and obedient instruments through which His power may flow through.

Meditation: July 15

“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”  Jeremiah 17:10

The Lord looks at the heart of every person and does not merely see its present condition. He looks into the heart at every contributing factor that motivates both mind and heart. We see the world and people through the lenses of past experiences whether good or bad. Our heart is set in a particular direction while our mind searches out new things to explore. God searches the heart in order to remove the debris that hinders our minds from thinking on things which are just, lovely, pure, and or a good report. Our thoughts will determine our action. Our truest motives are from either a pure or an impure heart. What God has ordained will continue to affect the lives of others bringing them to deeper and greater levels of understanding Jesus Christ. He must be seen in all that we do. When He is glorified through our efforts, our work will have eternal rewards rather than merely producing temporary relief.  He rewards the fruit of our doings and not our deeds alone.

Meditation: March 25

“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” Ephesians 4:14

Children are in a stage of indecision and in need of a guidance counselor to place them on the right track. But as we grow, the instructions are there to keep us on the established track made possible through spiritual fathers. Those formative years are so important in order for “the way” to be made clear when the pressures are brought to bear against the soul to compromise. Adults should no longer act childish in their approach to life. God provides for us what is needed for our stability, but if the godly instructions are not heeded, the winds of doctrine will leave unstable to being tossed to and fro and eventually they will be carried away from the foundation. God gave spiritual gifts to those who desire to become spiritually mature. Only the mature are able to lead others to maturity. Childish and unstable thinking will breed unstable souls who will follow another as quickly as they would follow you. Whatever impresses them at the moment holds their attention, but just for a little while. Then they will eventually move on to something different. God’s desire is for each to remain rightly joined for the sake of the Body. We are then edified and He will be glorified.