Category: grace

A Position of Wisdom

When we recognize that we are far better off with He who is infinitely better qualified directing our lives than we would be to direct them ourselves, we have moved from the position of foolishness to that of wisdom.

Meditation Thought: “I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)

It is to God’s delight, and to our own self-interest, to perceive the truth of the fact that God is the ruler of the Kingdom, and though as a citizen we have numerous privileges and rights, we do not have a right to replace Him as ruler at any place at any time. When we recognize that we are far better off with He who is infinitely better qualified directing our lives than we would be to direct them ourselves, we have moved from the position of foolishness to that of wisdom.

It is this position of wisdom (yielded to God’s direction) that was created for us, and is always available to us, if we are preceptive enough to seek it. The true value of it, however, is not seen until we have sought it, have not only recognized that it is the position we should seek, but have fought every obstacle which would keep us from it, including our own inner freedom of choice.

Healing the Body

Though we can learn from others who have gone before us, we must play our role alone. We must make the effort to learn what we need to know, to do what must be done, to endure what must be endured.

Meditation Thought: “An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life. (Proverbs 31:10-12)

“Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh” (see Genesis 2:23), why do we not have perfect health? The grafts to not always “take” the first time – the moving of one part of the body to heal the injury of another part (i.e. the Body of Christ; see Romans 12) . We must, when sin diseases the Body, each do our particular job required to work together to repair the ravages of the sin.

At one time we are the patient and must patiently endure the operation;
At another time we are the doctor, actually moving and causing change in some area:
At another time we are the nurse, caring for the patient;
Again, we may be the friend who ministers with our support and love and encouragement;
Perhaps we are a relative, feeling the pain deeply, but unable to stop it from happening, for the pain is part of the cure.

And so the process goes on, age after age, and though we can learn from others who have gone before us, we must play our role alone. If we are to be competent in promoting healing, we must make the effort to learn what we need to know, to do what must be done, to endure what must be endured.

And the strength and courage to continue on lies in the faith that the healing is possible because there walked on earth One who was in perfect health, without the disease of sin, and He promised that if we believe in Him we shall do the works that He did (see John 14:12).

What He did in his physical manifestation on earth, He does today through the new Body which was transplanted as the old body was crucified on the cross. The new Body is not free from disease, but in the healing of the disease that invades it, the Father is glorified.

Transformation Particle by Particle

The joy of its progression of success from highly diseased to emerging health is to the glory of God and to the peace of His child.

Meditation Thought: “But he, full of the Holy Spirit… saw the glory of God…”

Be filled with the Spirit and see the glory of God. The glory of God will transform your life with a replacement of righteousness for sin, love for hate, patience for impatience, joy for bitterness, knowledge for ignorance, truth for delusion, wisdom for foolishness, power for weakness, tolerance for scorn and light for darkness. Truly the power of the Spirit gives birth to a new creature, as the old is buried in the graveyard of sin. The new creature is born of the righteousness of belief in – and commitment to – the resurrection of our Lord and the power thereby released to forgive our sins.

The mind, the will, the heart – once exposed to the knowledge of this act of God’s grace – and once accepting and acting on this knowledge – are transformed, bit by bit, from the particles containing sin, to cleansed particles containing the purity of the Father as transplanted by Jesus Christ, the Devine Physician. Thus is a sin-filled person cleansed of the disease, and given new health of the inheritance of this image of the Father. The transplanting operation never ceases in the bottle of the world, but the joy of its progression of success from highly diseased to emerging health is to the glory of God and to the peace of His child.

Encouraged but not Driven

By God’s grace I am not left alone to cope.

Meditation Thought: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)

By God’s grace I am not left alone to cope. I can call upon My Father because He first called me. I know that He loves me, seeks me to be his close companion, partner, child with all the rights and privileges that word implies. The joy! the confidence! The unutterable gratitude that this knowledge engenders! Truly, the resurrection life is “life in a new dimension”. And that “new dimension” is beautiful, exciting, but with a peace of being loved, being cared for, being encouraged but not driven.

Power Source

“Can you work miracles in the physical? Can you understand mysteries? Can you provide all resources you need, regardless of circumstances? Can you overcome ego, greed, desire to free yourself to love wholly? If you cannot do all of these works in your own strength, then may I do them with Mine?”

Meditation Thought:  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

“If you cannot stand alone, then it is obvious that something outside of you holds you erect. Delight that this is so, for My upholding strength shall be of far more value to you than you relying on your own strength.

Your adversity is turned into opportunity,
Your mistakes into healing ministries,
Your frustrations into peace,
Your guilt into righteousness,
Your inadequacies into works,
And all of your weaknesses into My glory.

Out of humility shall you call upon Me – and in love do I rescue you, bless you, help you. I shall not force Myself upon your claims – therefore, whatever you claim for yourself is what you will manage by yourself – but whatever you yield up to be consecrated, devoted, dedicated to Me, and used by Me, shall be under My jurisdiction and My influence, and my direction. What area is better handled you yourself? Physical? Spiritual? Financial? Relationships?

Do you understand? By choosing to trust every area of your life to Me, you ‘modernize’, you ‘improve’, you are dealing with the ‘new and improved’: the new creature in Christ, and, the workings of the Holy Spirit.

Can you work miracles in the physical? Can you understand mysteries? Can you provide all resources you need, regardless of circumstances? Can you overcome ego, greed, desire to free yourself to love wholly? If you cannot do all of these works in your own strength, then may I do them with Mine?”

The Lord’s Prayer

You have touched me, softened me – yet strengthened me.

Meditation Thought: “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10)

My Prayer: My Father, who art in heaven – and in me – and in my family, my neighbor, and my enemy – enable me to perceive Thy will, obey Thy will, and rejoice in obeying it to the point of being numbed to all pain that once could have kept me from having the courage to do it – for my life now has meaning only through you. You have touched me, softened me – yet strengthened me, when I can do Your will, I know that You re-shape me into whatever you need at that given moment, at that given time, and that given place to be the perfect expression of Your ministering, healing Love. And so I pray – earnestly, by as act of my will – that Your will be done in my life here on earth and in heaven too. In Jesus Precious Name, I pray. Amen.

Tragedy to Triumph

It is what makes the simple wise, the sick well, the discouraged joyful, and the distraught peaceful.

Meditation Thought: “When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be everything to everyone.” (1 Corinthians 15:28)

“God may be everything to everyone”. “Love may be everything to everyone”. When love is everything to everyone, then is everyone subject to God. And being subject to God is to lack nothing. God, in various manifestations, is everything to everyone, everywhere. This is the mystery and the majesty of the Kingdom. It is what makes the simple wise, the sick well, the discouraged joyful, and the distraught peaceful. To be loved, to love, deeply, openly, unconditionally – this is what changes darkness to light, and tragedy to triumph. The power of the Holy Spirit is rooted in unconditional love, unconditional grace.

All. Yes, All.

All must have the opportunity of knowing that the way back is known and I desire that they come.

Meditation Thought: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

“Take the direction and power of My Spirit and embrace it, absorb it, allow it to permeate every part of your being – spiritual, mental, emotional – yield to My Spirit, for by being pliable you will be conformed to My Image by My Spirit. As you are conformed to My Image, you expand My love to the world, you minister to My children, you radiate peace and joy and understanding. And so it is with everyone who seeks My will, who desires to move forward in the journey of faith, in the fellowship of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and the Body.

My Spirit is manifested in infinite ways, through infinite creatures, in infinite circumstances – but all for one purpose: to reconcile every one of My beloved children to Me. Be My helper – seek out My lost lambs, and bring them back to Me. For until each is sought, and each is found, I am not content. All may not choose to follow you back to Me – but all must have the opportunity of knowing that the way back is known and I desire that they come.”

Constantly & Enthusiastically

To be humble is to become teachable. If we are teachable, God will teach us gently, thoroughly, and swiftly.

Meditation Thought: “But if we indeed judge ourselves truly, we should not be judged.” (1 Corinthians 11:31)

“Judge truly”. This is possible only in light of God’s revelation of Truth to us, that we may compare ourselves to the Pure Eternal Truth: the image of the Father, as exhibited by the Son, taught by the Holy Spirit, and revealed through the Word.

If we are willing to risk comparing ourselves to this Truth, we become humble – and to be humble is to become teachable. If we are teachable, God will teach us gently, thoroughly, and swiftly, thus fulfilling His purposes for us more readily.

However, if we deceive ourselves, either by comparing ourselves to something other than Pure, Complete Truth, or by mis-evaluating our own selves as we compare ourselves to the Truth, this constitutes rebellion in the refusing to humble ourselves enough to seek a true evaluation. And rebellion against God is the – willingly or unwillingly – with knowledge or in ignorance – to join in Satan’s plans to make us allies and to alienate us from the Father.

Thus we must constantly, and enthusiastically ingest the Word, pray for the Father’s will and guidance, seek to know every facet of Jesus Christ, and prepare ourselves to be worthy containers for holding the Spirit if we are to be competent judges of ourselves.

Am I Willing?

You can trust Him to re-make you more beautifully and completely in His image.

Meditation Thought: “…let each person lead the life (or walk in the way) that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” (1 Corinthians 7:17)

If you do not lead the life needed to complete the Plan of God, the Plan will not reach the perfection of God’s image. This is the crux: will you be willing to subject your total self to His total Plan? For you will feel the pinch of others being crowded against you as movement takes place to do cleansing, and building, and rearranging in order to undo the mischief done by self-will and Satan’s exploitation of that self-will.

If you can be soft, pliable, yielding – then God can re-shape you, move you and energize you to conform to whatever He needs you to be. If you can trust Him to re-work you – not only from what you were some time ago – but what you are at any given moment, you will have peace and joy in any circumstances, you will know the delight of being a light in the darkness, leaven in the bread, salt of the earth, the Father’s child not only made – but more beautifully and completely re-made in His image.

As a child can grow to look like, think like, and act like his father as time goes by, so you, by the willingness of your heart and the power of the Spirit released fully by Jesus’ obedience unto death, will bit by bit become more like your Father.

Do not tarry, but keep the conscious thought at all times to yield, to seek through diligence in pursuit of Word and Spirit – that the life-saving surgery, the surgery needed for improved health, and the cosmetic surgery all may be performed and completed to God’s glory and your joy.