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Living Righteously Transforms Your Circumstances

God-directed thoughts produce God-directed actions.

Meditation Thought: “Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who revere him and do what is right.” (Acts 10:34-35)

If we consider ‘revere him and do what is right’ as living a faithful and honest life, we can see that Jesus demonstrated how such a life can lead to peace – in all circumstances. And not only peace in the circumstances, but the wherewithal to change the circumstances to achieve, or even create, that peace.

The secret? Put God first. It opens the door for his activity in our lives. Good is brought about, justice is tempered by mercy, forgiveness is possible, transformation takes place. The inner commitment to a faithful and honest (or devout and upright) life, directs all outside expressions. God-directed thoughts produce God-directed actions.

When we choose to live this way, there is less turmoil for there is a standard by which to make decisions. There is less wavering and more wisdom, perception and effective actions.

The Power of Patience

And so I have hope.

Meditation Thought: “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.” (Psalm 130:5)

I am not God. I do not instantly know the truth of any situation. Therefore, I must wait for the Lord’s instructions to me that I may act in wisdom. I can have hope because I know:
– The Lord loves me – He created me in His image and therefore He cares about me and for me.
– He has given me the ability to learn what He would desire that I know.
– He longs for me to become knowledgeable about ‘the way things are’ and He has hope in my discernment to act accordingly.

I can rejoice in the situations where I realize that I am learning what my Father desires me to learn and I can hope even in the midst of situations which are displeasing to me – whether due to my own mistakes or whether they exist for the opportunity of my learning and growing. Eventually, and in either event, when I seek the Lord’s will, and His help, and His strength, the situations all change into circumstances which bring glory to Him and joy to us both and fulfillment and peace to my soul.

And so I have hope. As long as I have the Spirit of the Lord working within me, I have all I need – both now and in the future.

Glorious Transformation

Meditation Thought: “ And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The glory of the Lord shines into our contrite heart,
Our dark intentions, our despairing souls become transformed: the warmth of Love,
The light of Truth
Penetrate: healing, purifying, beautifying.
As we are changed into His likeness.
We once again reflect His image, as He made us,
The ravage of the rebellious years
Is removed – remembered no more.
As a father’s glory is enhanced by his child’s true reflection of his father,
So the glory of the Lord is enhanced by our reflection of Him.
We reflect Him when His Spirit is within us,
Giving us His qualities in such abundance
That all alien forces take flight:
Hate flees from love.
Selfishness flees from grace.
Sin flees from mercy.
Doubt flees from faith.
His righteousness takes possession of us.
Not the righteousness of a pharisee is this,
But the righteousness of a Christ.
The righteousness of a lover, a giver, a healer.

THE Formula for Success!

  • Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37)
  • Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39)
  • Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
  • Get God’s Words within you (Psalm 119:11)
  • Reaffirm Jesus as your Lord and Savior by every thought, word and deed. (Romans 10:9, Colossians 3:23-34)
  • Praise God’s Holy name (Psalm 103:1)

Blessed Prayer

May God’s blessing flow upon all those whom I love, upon those whom I do not love, and upon those for whom I pray even though I do not know them.

Meditation Thought: “The unfolding of your words gives light;
    it imparts understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130)

Holy Spirit, dwell with me, that the words and wisdom of my precious Lord will be enshrined in my heart and mind, pouring from my mouth according to His will, that His purposes might be accomplished through me. Forgive me, Lord, for my sins of omission and commission, and direct my thoughts and deeds, my attitudes and emotions, that the joy of Your Presence might shine as a beacon in the dark.

May Your blessed Presence fill all my days with praise, and my nights with peace. may You be my understanding and my overseeing, that my life is consistently doing Your will – all of Your will, and only Your will.

May my body and mind be truly a temple for my beloved Yaweh, Jesus and Holy Spirit – a place of worship, peace and joy dedicated to each personality, sensitive to each personality, open to responding to each personality that it might be made more beautiful and more useful and more fulfilling to God and to man.

May Jesus’ name be praised, He who was obedient even unto death, He who loved even unto death, He who rejoiced even with the knowledge of the cross. Jesus, I thank you for the bearing of my sins, so that truly, my burden is light and Your yoke is easy, that your yoke is not to enslave me, but to guide me to the places which will make me ecstatically happy, rejoicing in You placing the yoke on me as I asked You to do – trusting that being yoked by You was better than being free, floundering in all directions, but never finding fulfillment of the purpose of my life.

May God’s blessing flow upon all those whom I love, upon those whom I do not love, and upon those for whom I pray even though I do not know them.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that we should not perish but have everlasting life.” “My cup runneth over, and surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

Today’s Value

The world will not last; the Kingdom will. Your body will not last; your Spirit will.

Meditation Thought: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23)

Serve the Lord with joy! For in joy did the Lord create you – and serves you: through teaching you the precepts of life in the Spirit.

Each moment has meaning, has value, has influence on every other moment of your life. For each moment serves to move you into greater, more willing service to the Kingdom, or into more estrangement from it and greater conformity to the world. The world will not last; the Kingdom will. Your body will not last; your Spirit will.

Take heed that this moment, which is always now – present, not past, not future – is dedicated to the service of your Lord, for in serving your Lord, you serve yourself – you serve all of humankind.

Do not fear to be bold in the expression of your faith: if you will cling with all of your might to the wisdom of the Word and the truth of the Spirit, you shall serve your Lord and serve man as the natural consequences of serving your Lord: thus is the gospel spread and the Kingdom expanded and joy increased.

Influencers

How can we improve? Surely the first step is to recognize that we simply are not capable in ourselves of being so brilliant – so perfect – that we can make the proper decision. This is the point where we are willing to call “Help!”.

Meditation Thought: “He who influences the thought of his time influences the thought of all the times that follow.” (A quote from a book, An Apple a Day)

Why do we forget that every thought engenders an action (or a rejection of action)?

We are focused on ourselves, our physical or mental feelings at the moment, our mood, our preoccupation with thinking what we will do later – and we may miss the turn off of the road that we should follow.

How can we improve? Surely the first step is to recognize that we simply are not capable in ourselves of being so brilliant – so perfect – that we can make the proper decision. This is the point where we are willing to call “Help!”. And we know from where that help can come – Lord, you are the helper, the enabler, the guide, the protector, the lover. We cannot see you; we cannot feel you; we cannot hear your audible voice.

So, how do we meet together? Oh – to seek You in prayer, to listen to that soft, but real “voice” of thought in our minds, to be alert and aware of what situations surround us – and then to cope with them – through prayer, through the advice of the scriptures, through the knowledge that our loving Guide is competent, willing and available. You, of whom there is evidence through the ages.

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?

Harvest Time

First the giving, then the receiving.

Meditation Thought: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray, therefore, the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

The harvest is not usable until it is gathered – it has been long in reaching the harvesting state – but all the time and effort is wasted if it is left in the field to rot. There must be laborers to go at the proper time to bring it into the storehouses. The laborers must be knowledgeable, willing and strong to complete their task – they must give much of themselves before they can enjoy the fruits of the harvest. First the giving, then the receiving.

Flying Lessons

Do you know that I created you to love you, to interact with you, to have adventures with you?

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, the will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:30-31)

“I am here. Do you believe Me? Do you realize that you could not exist if I had not created you? Do you know that I created you to love you, to interact with you, to have adventures with you? You do? Then base your thoughts and your actions on these promises. This is the key to the kingdom.”