We say a "little" prayer, we read a "little" scripture, and we feel a "little" better for a "little" while. It is because we treat GOD and the Bible as "things", we do not GET PERSONAL! To read Jeremiah 29:11 PERSONALLY would be like this, "For I know the plans I have for you Randy, plans that give you a future Randy, and hope." The Bible is a very personal conversation with GOD and us. Or, "Randy, why are you anxious about anything, can you change anything by worrying...?" When we pray, Matthew 11:25, "Randy, you are weak and weary, come to ME and I will give you rest." We can even get more PERSONAL by Praying GOD'S WORD back to HIM. Psalm 51, "LORD, it's Randy again, YOU promise to have mercy upon me O'GOD according to YOUR LOVE...YOU promised to blot out my transgressions..." LORD, I need the PEACE YOU promised me and YOUR Promises to be with me ALWAYS. LORD, I really need YOU, especially today! DO WE LET GOD BE PERSONAL, or do we just say a "LITTLE PRAYER", "READ A LITTLE SCRIPTURE", "FEEL BETTER" FOR A LITTLE WHILE"?
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TEMPTATION; a misunderstood excuse to SIN. "GOD cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts HE any man." (James 1:13). We are TEMPTED from the perverseness of our hearts. When we have a passion to be gratified; want power or wealth; or seek "happiness" from the world; WE are the ones creating our own TEMPTATION, not GOD. Too many times we blame GOD for "Tempting us"; or being "Lured" away from GOD by the devil. Was JESUS really "Tempted" in the desert? NO, HE would have had to have wanted all of those things more than HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD! Do we "Choose" to sin, then blame it on TEMPTATION? HOW COULD WE BE "TEMPTED", WHEN WE ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD? Once we come before the HOLINESS OF GOD, there are no TEMPTATIONS, and we don't even realize that the devil is trying to "ATTACK" us! WE DON'T SIN BECAUSE WE ARE TEMPTED, WE SIN BECAUSE IT IS OUR CHOICE.
Matthew 4:1, "JESUS was full of the HOLY SPIRIT and led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." Did JESUS allow HIMSELF to be tempted to show HIS POWER over temptation? Or is it to show HIS HOLINESS could not be compromised from HIS allegiance to GOD. HOLINESS that no power could tempt or separate from GOD. This happened immediately after JESUS' Baptism. It seems our greatest Temptations (seeing how our moral qualities will endure), like JESUS', come "immediately" after we have experienced DIVINE manifestation or FAVOR. It is not "our will power" or "determination" that over comes TEMPTATION. It is our relationship with GOD, AND HIS HOLINESS IN US.
Why did GOD create Adam and Eve if HE knew they were going to sin? If nothing can happen "outside" of GOD, then the "fall" of mankind is part of GOD'S sovereign plan from the beginning. It is kind of like having Paradise, losing Paradise, then regaining a "Greater" Paradise. Perhaps some limited understanding is, if GOD created "robots" to do what HE wants, there is no LOVE or GLORY TO GOD. But if Creation chooses GOD after experiencing both the "Fall" and the "Lifting" up, then GOD'S Glory is manifested in all HIS fullness. The GLORY of GOD is manifested when we are in perfect AGREEMENT with HIM. Romans 9:19, "...But who are you ...to answer back to GOD? Will what is molded say to its MOLDER, why have you made me like this?..." Have we ever considered that just maybe, our freedom in making choices brings PERFECTION AND AGREEMENT TO GOD'S WILL? When we ask, WHY GOD OR WHY THIS GOD; AREN'T WE DOUBTING GOD? Or even worse, aren't we saying, "PROVE YOURSELF TO ME GOD"!
How can we expect the things we ask for in Prayer, to come true? Are our Prayers as Pure as the Innocence of JESUS? Or do we Pray with PRIDE, where we ask GOD to grant us our request so we can "save face" or "make others" Respect us? Isn't that some way asking for GOD'S GLORY? The same is True when Praying with SELFISHNESS, GUILT and FEAR. Mark 11:23-24, "...and does not doubt...whatever you ask for in Prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." PRIDE, SELFISHNESS, GUILT AND FEAR, create DOUBT; this Doubt keeps us from believing JESUS will GRANT our PRAYER. We just spend energy praying the same thing over and over; losing our concentration; and END UP BEGGING, NOT BELIEVING. AMEN!
Why is Lent forty days? Is this time supposed to be preparation for something new? If we "give up" something on a given day, is that "True" FASTING? Giving "up" something, but substituting "something" else we like to take its place, IS NOT FASTING! FASTING is to separate us from "The Attachments to the World" and AWAKEN our Spiritual Emptiness. Humbly helping others, breaks our "Soul Destroying" PRIDE! Praying is receiving "Heavenly Manna" where the WORD OF GOD is our Eucharist. PRAYER, FASTING AND SERVICE brings us into THE GREATEST FREEDOM OF ALL. Do we really think JESUS dreaded these FORTY DAYS? How could HE, when HE knew THE RESURRECTION was FOLLOWING? 1 Peter 1:3, "...HE has caused us to be born again...through the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST." PRAYER, FASTING AND SERVICE: are FORTY DAYS really enough? PERHAPS IT SHOULD BE EVERYDAY.
JESUS LOVES YOU; GOD IS LOVE. Too much time is spent "defining" something that doesn't need defined. Do we have to UNDERSTAND GOD'S Love to EXPERIENCE it? Mark 10:21, "...JESUS looked at him and LOVED him." John 13:1, "...showed them the full extent of HIS LOVE." John 13:34, "As I have LOVED you...." Romans 5:8, "But GOD commandeth HIS LOVE toward us..." GOD gives HIMSELF to us! UNCONDITIONALLY! HE doesn't give us HIMSELF IF, "we promise to clean up our act, or SACRIFICE HIMSELF IF we 'promise' to LOVE HIM." Maybe, just maybe, GOD'S LOVE is HIM giving HIMSELF to us UNCONDITIONALLY; and, just maybe, GOD'S LOVE is our giving ourselves to HIM, UNCONDITIONALLY. We don't have to UNDERSTAND IT, TO EXPERIENCE IT! AMAZING LOVE!
JOY is permanent not temporary. Do we think "people steal" or "interrupt" our JOY? Do we let the "world" or "people" hurry us up, take away our focus, or "separate" us from GOD? If so, "we have the Joy of a hypocrite", for it is temporary. What about the assurance that JESUS rose from the dead; ascended to Heaven; chose us to be with HIM FOREVER? John 16:22, "...and your heart shall rejoice, and your JOY no man takes from you." Knowing JESUS, gives us the kind of JOY that our FAITH cannot be shaken; people's actions cannot create doubt or unbelief. When we were children and something bad would happen; we would think of SOMETHING SO GOOD, that we were no longer afraid of the bad. JESUS IS THE JOY, JOY IS PERMANENT.
Did your parents ever "sing" RISE AND SHINE when it was time to get out of bed? Did it affect you like a dentist drilling on a bad nerve? But, when GOD says it, "RISE AND SHINE" takes on a whole new meaning (Isaiah 60:1). HE is telling us to RISE UP IN SPLENDOR because the GLORY OF THE LORD shines upon you. HE has given us HIS LIGHT so we can always see GOOD and evil and make the right choices. HE is telling us to RISE UP from our weaknesses and discouragement. RISE UP from our depression and sickness. RISE UP from our old ways of thinking. When we RISE UP we have GOD'S POWER and HIS Angels are surrounding you! When GOD says it, we get a whole new meaning from RISE AND SHINE!
Maybe we could even share this Scripture today with everyone we meet.... or someone may never know what it is like to RISE AND SHINE. Are we the "same" after Prayer as we were before Prayer? Were we "...Sober in prayer..." (1 Peter 4:7)? Were we "sober" not only in abstaining from alcoholic drink, but also "sober" from our minds still "reeling" from indulgence of worldly pleasures, or being ""drunk" with successes and failures of worldly business. Do we really, "give ourselves unto prayer..." (1 Corinthians 7:5)? Do we really PREPARE TO PRAY? A "hurried" non-committed prayer can be the same as "no Prayer". It was once said, "...I have so much to do today, that I cannot accomplish it without 'two or three' hours of Prayer." Do we really think, "We accomplish less when we are doing more; or that we accomplish MORE by doing LESS"? In the Prayer Life of JESUS, HE agonized in Prayer. After laboring in Prayer and coming into agreement with GOD, the actions we have to take, ARE NO BURDEN AT ALL.
Abundant Blessings Always, |
About the Author and writerThe writer for our daily devotionals wishes to remain anonymous in regard to his work, giving instead Glory to the Author. Archives
December 2015
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