39. Concluding Chapter 10

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

1 Corinthians 10:13
"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?"
10:16
"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful;

all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify."
10:23
"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

10:31

Lord, would it be considered to much to gather that all of these can be connected in one way? would i be insulting Your inspired word by taking such verses out of context? Let it not be so, i only desire to honor You.

What i gather is this. That God is faithful to provide and protect us, though we may feel very much alone in our trials, we have never endured anything that someone else before us had not also endured. And we are so victorious in our Lord Jesus that even when we are tempted in seeingly defeated circumstances we are always able to escape as He provides a way out for us. Priase God! All the while, we must live our lives according to the fellowship which we have with Christ. "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit (John 15:5)" Knowing that one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:23) we must learn to lean on the will of Christ, trusting fully in Him for all things. Furthermore, this knowledge (of 10:13) is not to be abused, for even though we are safe as far as the faithfulness of God is concerned, we are still humans prone to sin. Don't put yourself in situations testing the Lord. Struggle with alcohol? why are you at the bar? Do you struggle with sexual purity? Why are you alone with your girlfriend (boyfriend)? Don't test the spirit in this manner, though it may be lawful, it would most certainly not be beneficial to be unwise and lacking discretion. Finally brothers and sisters, do all things for the glory of God! We are protected by our Lord and in communion with the Son, therefore avoide foolish situations and do it for the glory of God. Ask yourself, would this honor Jesus and bring Him delight? If not, than why are you doing, saying, listening, watching, partisipating in such a thing? Is acceptance more important than devotion? Are the things of this earth more important than the things of God?

Jesus, Thank you for always putting Your mercy and grace on display in our lives. I know i myself have personally failed so many times at putting You frist in my life. Let it not be so my Lord. Let my life be a sacrifice to You, one that honors You and brings You the priase. Search my heart my King, and find the things that are not bringing You glory, allow me then the grace to honor You with such things, or cut them off and honor You still. Be my the prize and goal of my heart! And may the things of this earth which are passing away never catch my eye in such a manner that they compete for Your priorty in my heart. Delight in Your servant my Lord, for it is my desire to bring You joy.

38. Corinth 10 Part 3

"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful;

all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify."

1 Corinthians 10:23

We as Christ followers have been set free from the bondage of man made traditions and legalistic religion. Being made righteous in the sight of God through trust in Jesus and by no efforts of our own doing. Through the grace of God we have been set free from the bondage of sin, in that no sin has power or dominion over us; not even one. With that said, we are not free to commit sin, this is not the freedom God would have for us, as sinfulness is the opposite of righteousness. The Bible is clear on what is right and wrong, it is black and white in regards to sins against the Lord. But grey matters remain, for those matters it is better by far to lean on the side of holiness. As the life we live is not judged on the basis of how close we stood to the line with out crossing, but rather, how far we stayed away from such lines. Many things we are permitted to do, but do we do them to express our independence and act out in a form of pseudo-piety which is really rebellion? Or are we seeking ways to please the Lord and bring Him delight? Lean towards holiness. If we are always seeking the Lord, how we might honor Him, and encourage our brothers to do the same, than we will not be a stumbling block to any. Let us now seek the Lord while it is still called today, bringing Him glory from our lips to our actions to our deepest most personal thoughts; Bless the Lord.

37. Corinth 10 part 2

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?

The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?"

1 Corinthians 10:16

In light of the example given by the Israelites on how we are not to live (v1-11) and that "no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man (v13)" We are to "therefore...flee from idolatry (v14)". In so doing, we also take part in the communion of Christ, having perfect fellowship with Him. Communion in the Greek (koinōnia) refers to a sharing or association on the level of marital-like intimacy. This is by NO means sexual in nature. But rather, the act of such fellowship in its purity, is very intimate. We cannot have a relationship with Jesus if we are not intimate with Him; being like minded and caring for the things that God cares about. I have never in all my life experienced intimacy in a relationship without the frequent exercise of communication. How much time do we spend on our knees in prayer, speaking with God about the things that are important to us, and praying until we are brought into His presence on the level of perfect oneness? To pray in Jesus' name, is to pray according to His desires and perfect will, to pray on behalf of His divine nature. To understand the things of God we must have understanding of who God is. This is not revealed to us by emotional highs or unexplainable experiences, the truth of God is revealed by the Word of God; the Bible. This closeness cannot become unless we are willing to let go of our sins and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. He is gracious to us and full of mercy, God desires that none be lost but all come to trust in Him; God is not a tyrant, He is a father who loves, yet He remains Just and Righteous and deserves our respect.

"You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons;

You cannot partake in the Lord's table and the table of demons."

10:21

The Corinthians were still living the lives they lived before Christ, only now with a incorrect view of God's freedom from their sins. Today, 2010, you rarely hear about anyone participating in animal sacrifice, but we can still be caught in our own modern versions 'partaking in the table of demons'. We cannot be people of this world and children of God, it is not possible."...The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.(Romans 8:7)" We must commit our lives personally to the Lord God, and repent of our sins for the love of our Savior.

Father, guide us by Your mercy away from our past. My soul cries out for oneness with You my God, to be set apart from this world and to live in the peace and light that shines so brightly from Your throne of grace. Let it be, that You find delight in us, Your servants. May we be a blessing to You and may our sacrifices be sweet to Your senses. Be blessed my Lord, be blessed both now and forever more. Amen.

36. Corinth. 10 part 1

"But with most of them God was not well pleased..."

1 Corinthians 10:5a

In spite of all their blessings; being released from bondage, baptised into Moses, under the guidance and protection and provision of Christ with spiritual food and drink, most of them choose disobedience over obedience. In midst of their new circumstances they chose rather to abuse their freedom with overconfidence in the flesh and as a result an entire generation never saw the promised land. vs6-10 lists some of the sins they committed and the punishments inflicted on them as a result of their disobedience. Among their sins were idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God and complaining against God.

"Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for out instruction..."

10:11

We all have a story, its being told every hour of every day, for everyone to read. What does our story tell? We, similar to the Israelites, have been set free from the bondage of sin, have been baptized into the life of Christ by the Holy Spirit, and are able to be in constant communion with our Lord Jesus. So what will our story tell? In the midst of all our spiritual blessings, do we yield to the will of God and submit to His authority? or do we lust after the things they lusted after, giving into the passions of our flesh, abusing the grace of God? There are only two outcomes to our story, either we are examples of how to live, or how not to live. What does our story tell?

35. To know You!

"Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I
am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart."

Jeremiah 24:7

The Babylonians are the dominant power in the known world, and they are deporting the Judeans from their country. God promises to do them good, and that their captivity was for their own good (vs. 1-7).

There is a cry within my heart and soul to know You, the living God. Lord, I want more than head knowledge of You, more than facts about You, more than theology concerning You, I want You. To be personal and closely connected to You, Lord, intimate in words and feelings. Guard my mind from the absudity of worshiping You for anyone other than who You are. Open my eyes to see Your truth and my ears to hear Your word speak that truth in my life. Jesus, would You do surgery on my mind, cutting away the cancer that has corrupted my thinking and has impaired me from knowing You in spirit and in truth. There are so many voices in the world, so many ideas and broken philosophies of human creativity... but only one voice of Truth. Jesus I praise You, God with us, Living Word that came to earth, speak Your truth into me. Let the lies be lies, and may they sound to me as nails scratching on the chalkboard of treason; You are God and there is no other but You. Having been saved from my sins, and reconciled to You, may i know You better Lord.

"For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight"

Collossians 1:19-22

34. Bless the Lord!

"Bless the LORD, o my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy Name!"

Psalm 103:1

How often are we more concerned with Your blessings than with Your character, my God. How i cling to You with tear stained clothes when my life falls apart and i weep at the feet of Your mercy. But when things are well... when things are well how empty are my words! Mouth expressing gratitude and heart distracted by lip-service. Since when was i more concerned about the words i say than about the God i worship? You the Lord God are good at all times, in very nature perfect and with out fault, abundantly just and Your mercy cannot be measured. Father You have been blessing me in all my life, let it not be a distraction to me. May i never forget where my blessings come from, whatsmore may i never forget You the Blesser of my life! Emptiness by the things unfullfilling, loneliness from the people distant to me, sadness from being in such a broken world... yet none of these things compares to the desparity of a life that does not know You. Jesus, be ever more real to me every day. Guide me down the path that is lost in You, where the world fades away into ever increasing darkness and the pleasures therein blur into unrecognizable figures. My God, be blessed by everthing that is within me and may i bring You delight, not in lip-service, but in loving thanks and a life poored out to You as a living sacrifice. Bless the LORD, O my soul, bless the LORD.

33. The Will of God,

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ; Mark 12:29-31

"If you love me, you will obey what I command."

John 14:15

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification..." (To be sanctified is to be set apart from sin to holiness; in context referring to sexual impurity, more on that later)

1 Thessalonians 4:3

That's all there is too it. There is no cryptic message, no hidden secret of new mysteries revealed, it is straight forward brought to You by the mouth of God. To be in His will is to be sanctified, set apart from this world and its evils and to live a life of obedience and dedication to our Lord Jesus, doing everything in love. Heart and soul and strength, the whole being, devoted to Christ, giving zero space for anything not of God. So I ask my soul, are you free of a pattern of sin? Are you loving the Lord in trusting obedience to the things He has asked you to do? Is your conscience clear of defilement? Than rest assured, you are in the will of God. Trust Jesus, He is powerful to do what He said He would do, He is wise in knowing the best for you, He is good and will work out all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Pray earnestly still that you remain in the will of God, that you forsake your sins and turn to Jesus who alone makes us holy. God will, in all His providence, work in your life to accomplish His will, no doubt about it. The question, however, remains; are we willing to submit everything to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and allow Him to use us? Submit to the God who loves you, He will not let you down.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

32. Wholeness in Christ

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

LORD, my trust is in You, and in Your faithfulness I rely. I found myself walking around the corridors of my school today remembering some things to close to heart for me to forget. And a variety of negative emotions bundled up inside my heart. Loneliness of love now lost crushes my spirit to weakness. Where does my joy come from in my humanity? From a mind and spirit set on You O Lord. All the things in this world are inconsistant, changing in seanson and level of intensity. Nothing i have found or experienced has left me fulfilled for longer than a moment in time. But You my God are never changing, a constant help and healer to those who trust in You. Where does my joy come from, to whom may I turn? You alone satisfy my soul and deliever me from the pits of depression. Blessed be Your name! My hope is in You, and my strength is in You alone; i have no where else to turn. Where can i run to but to You my God? Who else can exchange my insecurity for strength? Who else has the power to restore my brokenheart to wholeness? None but You Jesus. May my heart rejoice this day, trusting in Your unfailing love towards me. Thank You Jesus, i'd be lost without You.

31. An Abomination to the LORD!

"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,

But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,

But He loves him who follows righteousness."

Proverbs 15:8-9

"The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD,

But the words of the pure are pleasant."

Proverbs 15:26

The Sacrifice. All external acts of worship, all deeds of religious activity, all public displays of humility without internal love and faithfulness are an abomination to the LORD. Going through the religious life performing "good" deeds by putting yourself on display is NOT proper worship to God. When did Jesus become a religion? What ever happened to our first love? The love we felt when he came and broke through time and space to pierce our souls with the conviction that Jesus is alive and loves us enough to pay our price by His death on the cross? Traditions, rituals, habits... these are not in them selves bad, but if they replace our relationship with Jesus and become our religion than we have fallen far from our Truest Love. The way of the wicked. His life pattern, his habits, his speech, his time spent with others, everything he says or does, it is an abomination to the LORD. For the wicked do not love God, they have no appreciation for what He has done, and they care not about the things that God cares about. They only want to live their lives for themselves and once a week (or less) come before God and be religious. He loves those who follow righteousness. Evidence of a believer can be found in the fruit that they bare (Matthew 7:16), whether or not they were ever truly saved should be seen by the unbroken pattern of their lives, public and personal. The thoughts. Finaly we see the issue that sums the ones read before, that even the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD. Once again God is not looking at what we do externally, but the Lord searches the Heart. We as christians can not be perfect while in these bodies, but what is the pattern of our life? is it righteous living in thought and deed, or are we hiding our sins behind the falasy of self-righteousness.

Father, You know me better than i know myself, and You have seen my life in brokenness. You have seen the idolatry of my past and the wicked way i used to live. Yet You are forever faithful and Your love knows no end, You show mercy to those who are an abomination against You, Your loving kindness is bigger than the vast horizon; with no end in sight. Look deep inside my soul and seek things that are unpleasant to You, reveal to me the things that grieve You that i might confess them to you and repent of my sins. Lord, Let my thoughts be pleasant to You my God, my source of Righteousness.

"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Jeremiah 17:10

30. Quench my Thirst.

"O God, You are my God; early will I seek You;

my soul thirsts for You;

my flesh longs for You in dry

and thirsty land where there is no water."

Psalm 63:1

O God, You are my God. You LORD are my lord, my King, my God and my Redeemer. I do not follow You because of the choices of my parents or because of that of my friends, neither is it because You are popular in my generation. I choose you because You alone are God and there is none other besides You. Yet it is a thing to laugh at, to think that it is I who have chosen You my God. For it was You who chose me before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) even the very faith for which i stand is not of my own doing, for the faith itself was a gift from You (Ephesians 2:8-9). Early will i seek You. When the days of man are like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow (Psalm 144:4), one can not imagine anything more valuable than that of our time. What else do i posses that You could possibly desire? All I have is from You, and all things are in Your possession to begin with. What do I have that You have not given me? I can only return my time and all my affections to You; my life being what You so desire; to seek you before any other in my life. My soul thirsts for You. There is no doubt that my soul is thirsty! I do not question the cravings I feel within. However, I often find myself seeking things and not You my Lord. I gulp down the salt water of this life never satisfied by its deceptive nature. For as salt water deceives the drinker, never quenching his thirst, so this life never satisfies the desires of my soul. Only when i drink in Your living water am i ever truly satisfied. The water which You give that causes me to become fountains within; never to thirst again (John 4:14) My flesh longs for You. You alone have satisfied me in the past, You alone will satisfy me in the future. Father search this heart of mine, that so easily allows strangers to roam about its rooms, and wanders off after frivolous things creating idols along the way. Guard my heart from its own carnality, as it looks to replace You with vain things on earth. Knowing full well that You can never be replaced, may I seek after You alone and offer You the praise Your due. Jesus be glorified and worshiped in my life, not only on my lips or actions, but in the secret places of my heart where only You and I have trod. There sweet Jesus, lover of my soul, be Lord of my life.

29. Truth or Emotions?

"Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse Yourself! Do not reject us forever. Why do You hide Your face and forget our misery and oppression?"

Psalm 44:23-24

One of the reasons why i trust the bible and love it, is for its honesty. No biblical hero in the bible is perfect, none but God alone. The authors of the bible had no problem in sharing their imperfections either. Abraham early on lacked faith, Moses was a murderer, David committed adultery and later sent the husband off to die in battle. Horrific stories of the great men of faith, later to be used by God in mighty ways. Here we see in psalm 44 an insight into the heart of a troubled man, and the word speaks to some of us today.

I have often wondered at times where God was in the story of my life. But it's not a matter of "Where is God?" it's a matter of "Where is my trust in God?" When things are great and life is going well for us we say, "God is good, Blessed be his name!" Yet at the first sign of trouble, when life is out of our controlling hands, than we say, "Why God? Why?" God has not changed, He is not man that He should change. Trusting in God and taking Him at His word is not an emotional matter. Faith in God does not hold the foundation of emotional wellness. Job lost every thing, he was an emotional wreck but he had the faith to say "May the name of the LORD be praised" (Job 1:21). Even Jesus was stressed to the point that his blood vessels ruptured and blood ran down his face (Luke 22:44), Yet He had the faith to say, "Not My will but Yours be done" (vs42). Emotions are a part of our God like character, being created in His image we posses emotions. But they are not the foundation of faith, God is good all the time period, not based on how we feel, but based of who He is. Put Your trust in God, not in man or yourself. Put Your trust in the grace of the Lord Jesus who loves You enough that He gave His life away to die on your behalf. Then wait patiently on the Lord who will restore you, the emotions will come later, but start with trust.

God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble
Psalm 46:1

28. God is good!

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.”

Psalm 42:11

Lord, a stern reminder to place my hope and trust in You. While I sit here at work contemplating my past I am overwhelmed by the vastness of my sin that You forgave. When my sin caused me to hate You, Your love stood strong; When I rebelled against You, You chastened me unto repentance; When I lived in complete idolatry, you patiently drew me back unto Yourself. “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3). Not I, Lord, not I. From the depths of my soul I praise You and thank You LORD for what You alone have done for me, what You have done for mankind. I am not innocent, but You make me innocent; I am not pure, but You purify me with Your blood; I have no righteousness, but You poor out on me the righteousness of God that saves me from all my sins deserve. Praise God! Why indeed are you downcast, O my soul? Have you forgotten so soon what the Lord has done? Do you not remember that God did not save you because you were good, He saved you because you needed to be saved; it was all by grace alone. Praise God! And thank Him for His free gift of salvation, that he should save even one such as I. Guide me in understanding, rest my hope in You, for You alone are the giver of perfect rest, and in You in soundness of the soul. Lead me away from the man I was, put to death the sins of my past and teach me to live righteously. My heart desires oneness with You my king, may it be O Lord, may it be so.

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103:12

Praise God!

27. Be still

“Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations;

I will be exalted in the earth”

Psalm 26:10

Amidst all the chaos that was going on around the psalmist he had the courage to stand before the people and trust in You Lord. In my daily walk I often forget just how grand You truly are. You who formed the earth and the universe both known and unknown (Gen 1), You who parted the sea and rescued Israel from the hands of the Egyptians (Exodus 14:21), You who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1), paid our ransom (1 Timothy 2:6), and rose again on the third day (The gospel message); God incarnate, God with us (Matthew 1:23). I forget that You are with me and that Your Spirit resides in me (1 Corinthians 3:16). I admit that I am often far too caught up with the current circumstances of my life or preoccupied with future ones that I ignore your gentle voice of reassurance, listening rather to the loud voice of ‘self-sufficiency’. In other words, I’m too busy for You God. Yet it is never too long before my plans fall apart and my life slips through my controlling fingers and breaks to pieces on the ground. All the while You are ever more kindly calling me towards Your love and mercy, Lord it is you who restores my brokenness. Be still, O my soul, and know that He alone is God, and He loves You. Be glorified in the way you use me, may the sum of my life be fitting of your calling grace.

"God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.”

Psalm 46:1

26. Growing Deeper

“When you were dead in Your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,

God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,”
Colossians 2:13

Jesus, how many times can I thank You for being our sacrifice? The Righteous for the unrighteous, the Holy One for sinful me, The Son of God for mere men. What is man that You are mindful of him (Psalm 8:4)? That You consider my ways and take time to guide me in paths of righteousness? How great You are O God, showing love to a thousand generations of those who love You and keep Your commandments (Exodus 20:6). Jesus, I know there are sins in my life that are unknown to me, sins I have committed against You unknowingly. And once again I sit in awe of how massive Your grace truly is; forgiving what is presently unknown to me. Ignorance is bliss, the simple man said, but I do not wish to be ignorant in my relationship with You, neither do I wish to be ignorant of You my God. But to know You intimately, deeper than I could possibly imagine; that is my desire. To know The Personal God personally is one of the true great mysteries of the universe. But the process by which we come to know You is not mysterious at all. You are revealed in Your word to us O Lord, and it is Your Spirit dwelling in us that makes it all possible. I know much, and much I am satisfied with knowing, but in regards to the depth by which I know You, truly I am unsatisfied. My soul longs to be closer to it's Maker; closer to You Jesus. I turn to you “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (psalm 139:13-14). Therefore I pray that You remove from me my secret faults, the slow waters that carve this cavern between us, reveal such iniquities that I am blind to, remove them, and draw close to me once more. To imitate You here on earth would be soundness to my soul, train me in Your ways O Lord, for I long to be Your servant.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23-24

25. Not Emotions But Christ

"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.
"But you ask, 'How are we to return?'

Malachi 3:6-7

Since when has my God been different to me? Has He not always been the same, chastening me because of my sins yet out of love and not wrath (Proverbs 3:11-12), Loving me even since I was a sinner (Romans 5:8), calling me unto repentance (Luke 5:32), good in all He does for His very nature is good (Psalm 100:5). You Lord are unchanging, as Your word to us declares. Then it is to my ignorance of Your divine nature that I worship You on the basis of my emotions, and my emotions dictate Your blessed character. For how long have I been blind in this? And only now beginning to see the error of my ways? What kind of worship, if worship it can be called, is it to offer You on the basis of emotion? That I raise my hands to You almighty God, when I am in a good mood or joyous, only then to sit down in the pew ashamed to look up to You when I am sad, all the while wondering to myself where my sorrow comes from. Indeed Lord, Your word teaches that there is a time for sorrow that is from You as it leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10) and true is the story You taught of the sinner who did not raise His head but humbly asked forgiveness and he went away justified (Luke 18:9-14). But I do not mean to undermine the necessity of humility, neither do I teach a form of disrespect before You. I mean only to acknowledge to You as You Yourself already know that I have been ignorant of Your greatness. I have not based my conclusions of Your nature or of Your divine attributes on the foundation of Your word but on my emotions. You are not good because You do good to me, or because I am in a good mood, You are good regardless. You are not faithful because I am faithful to You or others, but because You are faithful. I must remember to praise You for who You are, not for how I feel, or for what I am going through. To neglect my praise for You is to neglect part of my very nature and existence, which is to bring You glory. It is Your sacrifice that is my basis for justification, not by any self merit or good feelings. Feelings always proceed out of a right standing relationship and a knowledge of You for who You are and what You have done; it is never the other way around. I want to know You personally, teach me through Your word, Lord, show Yourself to me, truly then I will praise You with honest worship.

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; His love endures forever.”
Psalm 118:1

24. Life is a Vapor

“Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.”
Psalm 39:4

“For What is your life? It is a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
James 4:14

In psalm 39 the life of man before God is described in 7 ways: 1) Unknown by man (vs4) 2) a Hand-breadth (4 fingers) in length (vs 5) 3) age is nothing (vs 5) 4) at its best a vapor (vs 5) 5) a Shadow (vs 6) 6) busy in vain (vs 6) 7) again a vapor (vs 11). Life is short, the old saying goes. I am 22 ½ years old, that is 8251 days, 1178 weeks, nearly 200,000 hours and almost 12 million minutes. Most of that time spent either playing, working, sleeping, or sinning against God. How much of my time have I given for Your glory? How many of those precious hours have been spent drawing closer to You Jesus? How many of those thousands of minutes have been devoted to prayer for the people I love and praise to You God who loves us? Not enough time has been spent in the areas that matter. It is time for much personal reflection, to draw in the loose ends of my life and to prioritize. What is of true value? What is worthy of being called essential? What holds priority? Lord reveal these to me in my life and in Your word, guide me to loosen the hold this world has on me and to refocus my energy and time to be spent in service to You my God. Let not another day go by in waste, but let it all be given back to You in purity and honest devotion. I thank You for Your patience with me, as You have displayed so much. How beautiful is Your forgiveness and Your longsuffering unto our sanctification. Set us apart O lord, for the glory of Your name, let us not abuse it with our lives.

“Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of a man.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV)

23. My Sin, Gods Perfection

“Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.”
Psalm 36:5-6

After demonstrating the sinfulness of man in the first four verses David proceeds to declare the perfections of God. Lord, who on earth can fully comprehend Your good nature? Like the psalmist, I cannot grasp the extent of Your mercy, or Your grace. That while I was still a sinner, and while I continue to sin daily, You still show loving kindness towards me. Should I stumble again, then Your mercy is displayed towards me as one who needs daily restoration. And should I confess my sins than you are faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and purify me of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). My salvation never had anything to do with my deeds for I was wicked from the day my mother conceived me. It was not by deed that brought me unto salvation neither will it be by deed that takes my salvation from me. But it is by Grace alone, lest I should boast of myself (Ephesians 2:8-9).You are my perfect salvation, my hope of glory rests on Your righteousness alone. Refresh me my God, for my feet are on unstable ground. I Have built for myself a false foundation and it melts away with the passing storms. Be my Rock, be my foundation! Apart from You all other ground is shifting sand, all other theology is worthless, everything is debilitating if it is not of You. So I cry out, renew a steadfast spirit within me. Reinstall the software of my mind that grows corrupt with ever increasing viruses. Cleanse my thoughts and replace them with Your own. Than my deeds shall be pleasing to You, as I walk in Your spirit and live by Your word. And I will praise You with the integrity of my worship.

“How precious is Your lovingkindess, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.”
Psalm 36:7

22. Living for Today

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13

These last few weeks have given me some time to reflect on the condition of my heart and once again ponder the things that are deeper than bone. After much thought and meditation on my life I come to the conclusion, that Jesus I am confused. I am humbled by Your grace for You do not treat me as my sins deserve. I can view my life as a waste, but it was that very wasteful life that has brought me to where I am. I might reflect on all the many stupid decisions I had made, and completely overlook Your loving-kindness through it all. Easily I could sit here and regret the many times I disobeyed Your calling and lived for my flesh, but I would than forget Your mercy on me and the longsuffering You endured. There is much regret in the past that I can not change, but Your mercies are new every morning. You walked me through yesterday to lead me to today, and though I strayed far from the path, You lovingly sought me and led me back on the path that leads me to You. Wonderful is Your kindness towards us. I have been one to often make big promises that I truly intended on keeping; I can not recall one that I actually kept. Tomorrow is filled with mystery, no one knows what tomorrow will bring, and one could go insane should he be led to the foolishness of such contemplation. Yet You say not to worry, that all is taken care of and that You will provide all of our needs. So if yesterday is unchangeable and forgiven, and tomorrow is a mystery and completely in Your care, than that only leaves us to live for today. This is not a new thought, but one I often forget. I know the bad choices I have made in the past, and I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but I know I can obey and live for You today. This is my prayer:

Everyday will You remind me to live is if its my last,
To take care of my responsibilities and keep my focus of the essentials.
To not allow my mind to be filled with unnecessary clutter,
That I might not forget the things that truly matter most.

Remind me that as far as the east is from the west,
So have You removed my transgressions from Your mind.
Soften my heart that I might learn from my mistakes,
And teach others to avoid such things as well.

Jesus, Guide me everyday in righteous obedience,
And continue to conform me in Your likeness,

Raise me up to be a man after Your own heart,

Yerning to please You in all my ways.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6