Category: Obedience

Everlasting Light

Only when we seek through a lessening of our diligence to wander into the night are we subject to the fears and terrors of the night.

Meditation Thought: “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.  So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6)

Being children of the day, it is easy for us to be awake, alert. Only when we seek through a lessening of our diligence to wander into the night are we subject to the fears and terrors of the night.

When we keep the light of the Word firmly in our mind, the joy of the Spirit firmly caught within our heart, the ministerings to the world a habit of our body, then we are free from fear – at least we are free from paralyzing fear. We are confident because we can see through the Spirit the truth, and call upon the power of the Spirit to deal with that truth for us.

We need one thing: faith that the Spirit dwells within and is desirous of keeping us in the light.

Freedom from Fear; Joy Released

You are free of that you feared.

Meditation Thought: “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” (Colossians 1:21-23)

Little child, do you tremble because you have done wrong and you fear the consequences? You would undo what you did – but you cannot… you shrink from the future, knowing the past makes it unattractive.

And then, One comes before you, taking the consequences, intervening on your behalf, deflecting the pain you were sure would come. You are free of that you feared.

The relief! A chance to start anew! Will you thank the One who rescued you? Will you share the good news that there is an Intermediary who will arrange pardon for your sentence?

Will you have faith, believe that your Friend is true to you, and desires above all else to help you discover life’s purpose and joy?

Will you come into intimate fellowship with this Person who reveals to you your Father and His love, who brings light to remove the fears and the stumbling that exist in darkness?

If you choose, by faith in His Word, by pleasing to do His will – He who is the Image of the Father, for He is One with the Father – to conform yourself to His personality and teachings, then are you the expression of the Father on earth, with the dross of self-will and evil removed from you by the sacrifice of your Friend’s pain substituted for your pain: your appreciation of His stepping in to take the consequences of your unwise choices is the healing of His pain, the releasing of joy in His heart!

Trough and Crest

This moment is yours – and this moment is Mine: weld our moments together.

Meditation Thought: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

Ebb and flow. You have a fascination for moving water. It is a symbol of life itself. Be content when you are in the trough or on the crest, for both places are necessary for life: for your life.

In the trough you learn to trust without proof: this is faith, you learn to be obedient – this is discipline to make you sturdy and steady to withstand the low places, and to keep you thankful and not prideful in the high places. On the crest you feel grace and blessings which open your heart to the fullness of joy of My love; it is easy for your expression of love to overflow onto those in the trough near to your crest.

This moment is yours – and this moment is Mine: weld our moments together that they may be expressions of both spirit and flesh which expand love, reconcile that which is separated, heal that which is hurt, bring order to chaos, bring relief to the suffering, bring peace to the broken-hearted, bring hope where there is despair, bring forth fruit where there was no sign of life in the branch.

The way is not easy – but the rewards are great, for joy, peace and hope along this way depend not upon circumstances, or others’ treatment of you – but upon our moments welded together as one moment spanning heaven and earth: the Holy Spirit reaching from Mind to mind, Love to love, Spirit to spirit.

You know the way – the way of the cross: obedient, humble, selfless, loving, grateful for all blessings and guidance wherever it leads, knowing who has the world beyond death, into resurrection.

With eyes of faith
And tongue of love
Hands to comfort
And feet to move
Where’re I bid you go
Not one place
Shall you abide
Away from Love and Hope.
This moment, be it trough or crest,
Is triumph over all.

Kingdom Hope; Kingdom Joy

When we comprehend this, our whole perspective on life changes: we have hope even in the seemingly hopeless situations.

Meditation Thought: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

Although this sounds a bit strange, it does not take a great deal of thought to realize that Jesus is saying that those who do God’s will are bonded by being God’s children.

It is when we plod along, trying to perceive God’s will and attempting to do it, that we begin to perceive that some power beyond ourselves is truly at work!

When we comprehend this, our whole perspective on life changes: we have hope even in the seemingly hopeless situations.

When we have hope, we can more easily energize ourselves to take the effort to bring good results – and, frequently, with God’s guidance, we accomplish acts that actually astonish us.

If we know about some of these results, how many results are somewhere in the world we do not recognize? This is the reason we need to seek God’s will and to do it to the best of our ability! How else can the joys of the kingdom be spread across the world?

Hearing Aid

We need to be expecting to hear God at any moment – at every moment.

Meditation Thought: “The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.” (Psalm 29:4)

Some kinds of waves can penetrate some materials, but not others – there are sound waves, light waves, infrared rays, etc. – but the only ‘wave’ that can penetrate any place at any time is God’s voice: of instruction, of help, of hope, of love, of power.

When we are expecting to hear a voice, we are more likely to hear it when it comes. We need to be expecting to hear God at any moment – at every moment. Then the “still, small voice” is amplified so that it becomes clear and incisive and penetrating, enabling us to know that God’s will is for us at that moment.

Big Brother

…my big brother Jesus would know what to do in this situation. Let me check with Him and I know then I’ll be taking the right action.

Meditation Thought: “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:50)

“I’m a relative of Jesus” – what a statement to be able to make! Of all the name-dropping, that has to be the ultimate statement. And, yet it is true – as we, through faith in Jesus as Savior, accept our Father as our guide, our Creator, our loving, indulgent parent, and we obey Him as such, we are born into His Kingdom and His family just as surely as we are physically born into this world. And His Son is surely part of His family!

Maybe we should think more in terms of making decisions, going through a process such as saying to ourselves: “Well, now, my big brother Jesus would know what to do in this situation. Let me check with Him and I know then I’ll be taking the right action.”

The heavens rejoice at the expansion and maturing of the family of God. It is enough to know that this is so; we do not need to know why it is so. We rejoice because our Father rejoices as He delights in our obedience. Our delight and joy become contagious to one another; we want to continue this happy time, this happy relationship. There is only one way to do  it – we must do as our Father requests – in a manner of trust, pleasure, reliance and eagerness, as well as performing as competently as we are able.

Believing is Seeing

When it becomes a reality, it is My Kingdom on earth .

Meditation Thought: “Whoever… does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” (Mark 11:23)

“Seeing is believing – but believing is also seeing. Keep this phrase in mind as we work together. You need a positive, trusting attitude to complete your work to My satisfaction. This is not natural for you – but it is natural for Me and therefore, you must adapt, and adopt it as your own.

Concentrate on seeing in your mind what I want you to accomplish as a completed task. The vision is only a dream until it becomes a reality; when it becomes a reality, it is My Kingdom on earth – My promise fulfilled and fulfilling – mercy, resurrection, triumphant order of life as experienced by the Body of believers. The life encompasses many experiences but all are only different expressions of the one theme.

Once you accept this, it easier to understand your journey and the understanding produces an accepting heart. The accepting heart throbs with the joy of knowing the outcome will be triumphant which raises the energy level to new heights, bringing the triumph all the sooner.

Will you choose this way? If so, you must commit yourself completely, enthusiastically, happily and whole-heartedly.

 

The Beauty of Grace

…they will be attracted to an unusual beauty, a sweetness of spirit, someone who is effective and willing in helping them.

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

“I put on you the mantle of my grace for all to see. The beauty of my grace is to shine immediately to all those who look at you. My power is beneath that grace, working through you – but if you are not cloaked in my mantle of grace, and appear powerful in your own right, people see your human power, which will blind them to my power working through you.

The mantle of my grace protects you. If your own pride and thirst for power and recognition grow to the point that they burst open the fasteners of the mantle and it falls away, then what is visible is only your arrogance. If you stay meek under your mantle, keeping yourself healthy and fit and the proper size by feeding on My Word and My Guidance, and not indulging in the food of the world – false pride, selfishness, greed – so that you get too fat for my mantle of grace which I have thrown over you, the ones to whom I would have you witness of Me will not see a common, gross, unattractive creature, unappealing to them; they will be attracted to an unusual beauty, a sweetness of spirit, someone who is effective and willing in helping them.

In the first attraction they may not perceive that your power to help them, and their attraction to you, is not of your own doing, but is due to your dependence on Me. In deeper communication with you they will understand that your effectiveness is based on My power released in you: This is the purpose of each of my believers – to bring my beloved children to recognize Me as their Father and to delight in Me as their Guide and Protector, and the One who created them in love.”

Imitating Jesus

As we exercise our spiritual capabilities, they expand.

Meditation Thought: “He who believes in me will also do the works that I do.” (John 14:12)

Jesus came to teach us the way, not just preach about the way. He is our example; therefore we can learn to imitate Him – but in order to imitate his results, we must imitate his works. That includes the attitude (willing, self-sacrificing, compassionate), the spirit (listening to the Father and obeying Him), and the action (travelling where the need is, doing whatever is needed to bring comfort and healing).

As we exercise our spiritual capabilities, they expand – just as exercising our lungs expands our capacity, or exercising our muscles makes them grow. We must keep using our capabilities, or they will atrophy. Therefore, we must stay in prayer, practice diligently what we learn of God, seeking constantly for new enlightenment. As we have results, we will be encouraged, and try even harder – and the deeper the channel we dig for God’s love and power to flow through the more “works” will be accomplished through that channel.

Perfect Method

Help me to be alert so that I can be an apt pupil.

Meditation Thought: “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 GNT)

“works for good” – the good is not limited to those who love God, it extends to others too – often resulting in adding children to God’s Kingdom.

“with those” – “those” are needed to be used by God, and in order to be used, they must be aware of God’s call, to heed that call and act on it, and to trust God with the results, not judging the immediate results, but knowing that the ultimate results will be good for everyone and for God. The trusting is as important as the initial response, for the trusting is the acting on the faith – the believing that keeps the energy moving toward the completion of the purpose of God – whether that purpose was initiated by a call from God, or as by His response to a call to Him in prayer.

“everything” – Life is made up of a series of “things” – things involving seconds, things involving years – things that are crucial, things that are irrelevant, things that change the course of history, things that seem to not matter at all – but every one of these “things” is important enough for God to express His care, and His interest. All of creation is His and He is vitally concerned with all of it – He does not judge, as we do, that some “things” are so unimportant as to be unworthy of His attention. We need to think more in line with God’s example, so that as we work in tandem with Him, we accomplish His purpose more quickly than if we seek to accomplish that purpose by devising our own methods being ignorant of His more perfect method.

Prayer: Dear Father, I ask You to work in me in such a way that I will be using Your methods of accomplishing the tasks You set before me. Help me to be alert so that I can be an apt pupil. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.