Category: Obedience

Jesus’ Job Description for Us

Love from someone and love for someone both cast out fear.

Meditation Thought: “‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’” (John 6:28-29)

If you believe in he whom God has sent (Jesus) to show you the way of life – which you were meant to take for your fulfillment and your joy – you will then desire to follow the pattern of his life: trusting in the Father; obedience to the Father and such love that all selfishness is eliminated as the joy of serving and observing the transformed lives as a result of that serving becomes natural and total.

What appears to the selfish ego as sacrifice and distasteful is the very light that reveals the kingdom beyond the more easily seen world. It is in the kingdom-revealed knowledge that one becomes a follower of Christ’s ways. It is possible to observe Christ’s ways from the viewpoint of the world, but it is only possible to emulate them through the viewpoint of the kingdom.

“Perfect love casts out fear.” Love from someone and love for someone both cast out fear. And when the love is flowing freely, this is the force that clears out sin and rebellion, that promotes health and healing, that produces joy and beauty and appreciation.

The Desires of your Heart

Be alert, pray, have faith, act, praise God!

Meditation Thought: “Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted.” (Isaiah 49:13)

“If I do everything you pray for instantaneously, you will become as a spoiled child – you would expect to have your every wish granted, and thus you would be a dictator – a dictator to Me, your Lord, your Father, the highest authority. This cannot be. You are my beloved child, and I do delight to please you. Nevertheless, you are far too ignorant of the ways of the world and My Way to be able to decide what is to be done. You must learn, step by step, from Me, how to cope with life – how to think and act. This is what you learn from prayer and praise and trust and hope and faith. What more could a loving Father do for a beloved child?

Do not fret when you must make effort for, and must wait for, the desires of your heart. Your life is so much a part of all life – and vice versa – that it takes time to have proper movement and proper results for health and happiness for all concerned.

There are ways you can facilitate the process: be Alert for the signs of the Kingdom – both within the world and without; Pray; have Faith; Act; Praise God.”

A Noble Vessel Ready for Service

…knowing that the stressful moments are the very times that are the most productive times in terms of changes for the better.

Meditation Thought: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth. ” (Psalm 8:9) “If any one purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21)

It is through the majestic power which is the basis of the majestic name that noble uses are made of noble vessels.

Noble vessels become noble by the yielding of self-will to eternal will – by being caught up in a cause greater than self, to the point that commitment to the cause is more crucial than commitment to one’s self. It is not disagreeable to be a vessel instead of the master, it is a joy. It is knowing that one’s function is tailored to one’s abilities, but more than that, it is realizing that the master desires to constantly enhance the vessel and consecrate it to more and more beautiful and crucial function. The master combines form with function as do human artists, giving pleasure to all involved.

This results only when the vessel is yielded to the complete will of the master, not resisting the touch that moves a part here and there, though the movement may be painful for a time. To know the master is all that a master should be, and to be content to belong to this master, trusting him, and being glad to be his, is to conquer all that is distressing, knowing that the stressful moments are the very times that are the most productive times in terms of changes for the better. This is what makes life living, not a static, immovable state, but a dynamic exciting anticipatory state.

Sing in New Life

Only by giving up the life of the present can we move on to a new life.

Meditation thought: “Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare.” (Isaiah 42:10,9)

If we will allow Him, the Lord will constantly bring us into more knowledge of Himself. This is how the Father enables his child to mature, developing into a person able to do many things the Father does, thus fulfilling the Father’s dream for the child as well as fulfilling the child’s desires.

Only by giving up the life of the present can we move on to a new life. When God is our guide into the new ventures, we can move on in anticipation and hope – not fearing the future, but glad for what our loving Father has prepared for us.

We shall have trials, for all have not yet seen the glory of God and the joy of being His. But we can, if we will, be content in knowing what the sages of the ages have sought to know: the Truth, the Reality, the best way to live one’s life, for both the joy of the present and the joy in the future.

Actions of those living in sync with the Spirit make no sense to others. It’s the difference between living a new life compared to living a life stuck and mired in the past, ignoring or rejecting God’s revelation of “new things” through the life of Jesus.

To move on the “new things” is to experience the power, the grandeur, the joy and the anticipation of a life based on loving God with all our soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Fruits of the Spirit: Cultivating Peace and Joy

Sighing shall flee away

Meditation Thought: “…a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way… the redeemed shall walk there… they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35: 8,9,10)

The Holy Way is the Father’s will. It is the way of the Son’s obedience and it is they way of the Spirit’s power. It is the natural way – the way which is best for God’s beloved children.

So long as we do not, out of rebellion brought on by stubborn self-will, refuse the walk the Holy Way, we travel with peace, joy, love and all the other fruits of the Spirit which we can gather along the way. This is true regardless of circumstances. Only as we believe this, and integrate it into every area of our lives, does the kingdom within become recognized. And as we realize that we are in the kingdom, through our knowledge that it is an internal place, we are able to bring changes in the external world which liken it to the kingdom.

We all seek approval – but we need to seek the approval of the Father more than the approval of our human companions if we are to be producers of the fruits of the kingdom. The world needs farmers to feed fruits of the spirit to a starving world!

Seeds of Opportunity May be Found in the Weeds

Which means we may have to get dirty.

Meditation Thought: “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.” (Acts 7:9-10)

“God rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharoah.” God raised Joseph from despair, from a low place, and put him in a place where he could be happy, fulfilled and honored while at the same time helping others. This was a process; it took time.

This is often the pattern. We may not choose to go where we must, to do what we must. Yet in those very circumstances are the seeds of the opportunity God perceived for us. If we are faithful, trustful and work to do our best no matter what the circumstances, then God’s provision for His faithful results in a joyful conclusion.

The Power of Humility

The whole is not whole if there is a missing part.

Meditation Thought: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)

The way to be happy and content in being ‘humble and gentle’ is to realize that one is a part of a marvelous whole. The contrasts are then brought together and integrated in such a way as to bring peace: on one hand, the part is nothing compared to the whole. On the other hand, the whole is not whole if there is a missing part. To know this is to be joyful that one can be a part of an exciting whole, yet humble in realizing that one is only a part.

Though some may not realize the truth of being only a member of a whole (as in the body of Christ), life has a way of challenging that thinking. If circumstances are analyzed instead of merely tolerated, or fought against, then it is possible to perceive in greater clarity and depth in the nature of oneself and the nature of the whole.

With this perception, more appropriate thinking takes place and actions are taken which produce better results. One is able to “be patient, bearing one another in love and eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” And is so being, these qualities are drawn into one’s life from others, thus each part becomes a better part, causing betterment of the whole – more health for all – not a healing of one part at the expense of another part.

I Don’t Understand; You Don’t Desert

I suppose that is the prime distinction between the Father and the child – the knowledge of the whole.

Meditation Thought: “I give thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart… and give thanks to your name for the your steadfast love and faithfulness. (Psalm 138:1-2)

I am the child, and you are the Father. In my limited experience I cannot understand the full consequences of not obeying Your requests, nor of heeding Your suggestions. So I err – and suffer – and learn; at least hopefully.

You do not desert me in my times of need. I don’t understand Your operating procedures enough to know why sometimes You allow natural consequences of people’s actions to occur, and at other times You miraculously intervene.

I suppose that is the prime distinction between the Father and the child – the knowledge of the whole.

I need to be rescued from the sickness of downheartedness and lack of faith this morning. I trust that I shall be rescued!

I go now, Lord, to seek Your will and do it – please allow me to experience Your steadfast love and faithfulness this day. Amen.

Step-by-Step: Seeking Lord’s Guidance in Decision Making

Do not make complications where none are intended.

Meditation Thought: “Moses answered them, ‘Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.'” (Numbers 9:8)

Look before you leap. Look to the Lord – where? You have His Word, you have His life – both as a record and His strength within you. Do not make complications where none are intended. Step by step, do what seems right After
1. Prayer
2. Listening
3. Analyzing for
a) priorities
b) the details of the situation
c) likely consequences – both positive and negative.

And, when the deed is done, pray the Lord’s will be done – and trust that it will, and do not speculate any further.

Exchange Your Crown: Finding True Freedom in Faith

You cannot wear two crowns at the same time. Exchange the old for the new. Take care of what thoughts, words and deeds proceed from you, for they shall return, essentially of the same character.

Meditation Thought: “They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.'” (Revelation 4:10-11)

“Cast your crown before Me. I have given you the crown of your freedom of will. You are not compelled to hold it out as an offering to Me, who first gave it to you. But if you find the courage and the desire to hand it back to Me, you will receive far better than the crown of free will. You will have the crown of My will shining upon you. It brings beauty and grace, love and truth, all that you long for. But you cannot wear two crowns at the same time.

Exchange the old for the new.
Exchange the crown of the world for the crown of the kingdom.
Exchange the focus of your life from yourself to Me.
We are bound together by our relationship.
We are bound together in our purpose.

Take care of what thoughts, words and deeds proceed from you, for they shall return – added to, altered, enlarged – but essentially of the same character.