John 7: 17-18 "Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but the person who seeks the glory of the One who sent them is a person of truth; there is nothing false about them."
These verses stood out because I have often caught myself covering the truth to protect my "reputation" and avoid "human consequences" such as receiving a look of disappointment or reprimand. This passage challenges me to place God's will above my own so I may live as a person of truth and integrity. It reminds me that knowing God's heart more requires consistent reading of the Bible and delving deeper to understand what He's trying to tell me. When I speak and act, I want to do so out of love for God and people, not selfish ambition or fear of the opinions of others.
John 7: 37-38 "On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
It's interesting that Jesus should talk about being thirsty after a great feast, but the context allows us to see that He clearly wasn't referring to natural thirst. So then, if we aren't to take Him in the literal sense, what exactly did Jesus mean? I'm just coming out of what I term a "spiritual dry spell" because I made an active choice at our recent Church camp to not just let my relationship with God fall by the wayside. It has been a challenge for me to remain true to His devotion because my usual routine is to gravitate towards the television and fill the spaces in my time with non-constructive activities and "noise". Still, I want to be a blessing to others, which means I need to refuel by drawing strength from God. Only then will life flow and I won't continue to run on empty, dragging my feet to work and begrudgingly participating in ministry.
James 3: 17-18 "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."
This is a good yardstick for me because I often wonder if what I have in my head to say to someone is godly wisdom or just me talking. I question myself because my motives aren't always good. I have a tendency to want to speak my mind in a way that I am "offering advice" when really my heart just wants the person to be put in their place. True wisdom (i.e. wisdom from God) is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit. It is impartial and sincere. I cannot rely on my emotions and skewed thinking anymore if I am to demonstrate these attributes. I need to renew my mind with God's truth.
Deuteronomy 7: 9 "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments."
God has indeed been faithful to my family for generations past and present, and I know He will continue to be faithful for generations to come as Fab and I choose to continue in the godly heritage we have. We want to leave a legacy for our children and their children and their children's children. A legacy that is good, everlasting and in line with the will of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment