Do happy-go-lucky people who seem to have the world by the tail really need God? We tend to think only those juggling a wheel barrel full of problems do.
Actually, everyone needs God, not only for salvation and assurance of eternal life, but for His peace, love, and abundant blessings. Another benefit of being a child of God is 24/7 care -- a Retainer assuring our refuge, our fortress, our deliverer, and our advocate.
Psalm 34:8,15 Taste and see that The Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in him. The eyes of The Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to The Lord in prayer
Joseph M. Scriven
Discernment is the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong, shades of gray, seeing things as God sees them.
We face choices every day. Evil doesn't always present itself as evil. Discernment is the key to living an uncompromising life. It helps us grow from babes in Christ to mature Christians.
Six principles to develop spiritual discernment:
1. Never trust your heart alone. Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it.
2. Seek the counsel of godly, wise, experienced, spiritual, Bible saturated people. Don't scoff the voice of wisdom, whether it be a godly parent, pastor, or friend.
3. Refuse to be naive or accept things on face value. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.
4. Avoid people, places, and things that even have the appearance of evil.
5. Make it your business to read, study, and know God's Word.
6. Ask God for discernment.
The world we live in today has become tangled like knotty yarn. In my day sin may have lurched around the corner, but it was not as brazen and dominant. I don't recognize this complex world. I don't belong.
John Flavel expressed it this way:
This world is a raging and wild sea which severely tosses about the heaven-bound passengers that will sail upon it. But this is their comfort and security: Psalm 65:7 "[The Lord] stills the noise of the sea, the noise of the waves, and the tumult of the people."
This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
J.R. Baxter, Jr
One of the dangers of today's Christian is thinking they have approached a certain level of security -- that the devil can't reach them anymore.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
People in the ministry of God are in the cross bows of Satan, more so than others, but not in danger of losing their salvation.
2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
On the spiritual realm we are not competing with one another. Our opponent is Satan. He is searching for the Christian who knows all the scriptures and has read the Bible seventeen times.
When Christians think too highly of themselves, they are in danger of failing.
Keep reading the Bible. Continue your prayer life. You will still make mistakes, but not as many. It will keep you closer to God. You will grow and you will learn. You will arrive when you get to heaven.
Time and again The Lord has taken the small things, those overlooked, mocked or despised to accomplish His eternal purpose. Seems like The Lord might prefer the odds stacked against us.
Never underestimate God's accomplishment with seemingly insignificant people.
Never underestimate God's ability to take our small acts of loving service -- performed in His name -- and greatly impact the lives of people.
And never underestimate God's ability to take our frailties, failures, and false starts, and rebound them to His glory. By His great grace, God uses weak things.
Zachariah 4:6 "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit saith The Lord of hosts"
Who knows what God can do? Who knows what God can build when you give your whole heart and life to Jesus?
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There's a crown and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus' Name.
Kittie Louise Suffield
My annual check up today at The Arkansas Cancer Research Center in Little Rock reminded me of leaning on Jesus at a desparate time in my life. Thank God, I'm 16 years in remission.
Is there a problem in your life that's too big for you. It's not too big for God. Circumstances may discourage us or people may oppose us and misunderstand us; but we have in Christ the spiritual resources to win the battle; a clear conscience, a compassionate heart, and a conquering faith.
Romans 8:31,37 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Sometimes we need a nudge to step aside and lean on Jesus.
Learning to lean, learning to lean
I'm learning to lean on Jesus
Finding more power than I'd ever dreamed.
I'm learning to lean on Jesus.
John Stallings
