Scripture:
Revelation: 7:17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Observation:
Will there be tears in Heaven? It says here in Rev. that there will be tears in Heaven. What kind of tears will they be? I wonder if they will be tears of regret. tears of what should have been, tears of what might have been. tears of what should have been while life was in the balance.
Application:
What if i lived life without regret? Can life really be lived without regret so that the tears that will fall from my eyes will be few? I want that. I want to life to my potential and life in obedience.
Prayer:
Lord will you help me to live life without regret? life with the fullest of response to your voice.
I love you
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Obey out of love
Scripture:
Jeremiah 2:26 “Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught. They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets— all are alike in this.
Observation:
We are so much like Israel. only feeling shame when we get caught. Sad. when will we begin to obey the Lord because it is a pleasure to love and honor Him? When will the desire of our hearts be to love our Lord and walk in ways that please Him. Instead we spend time wondering what we can get away with in hopes that we will get away with something. How crazy is that? What if our energy were spent growing in love with our master and Savor Jesus? What if our time were spent training ourselves to live right and not how to get away with that which is wrong? Hmmm
Application:
It's exhausting to keep trying to see what it is that we can get away with. I want to spend time loving my father like i love my wife. No one needs to tell me to love her and only her. I love Pollie because i love her. I don't want to hurt her in any way. I want my love and obedience to the Lord to be like that kind of love
Prayer:
Lord Help me to learn how to walk in a way that pleases you out of love and "want to" I get tired trying to obey out of a "have to" I love you and i want my feet and hands to show it. I love you
Jeremiah 2:26 “Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught. They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets— all are alike in this.
Observation:
We are so much like Israel. only feeling shame when we get caught. Sad. when will we begin to obey the Lord because it is a pleasure to love and honor Him? When will the desire of our hearts be to love our Lord and walk in ways that please Him. Instead we spend time wondering what we can get away with in hopes that we will get away with something. How crazy is that? What if our energy were spent growing in love with our master and Savor Jesus? What if our time were spent training ourselves to live right and not how to get away with that which is wrong? Hmmm
Application:
It's exhausting to keep trying to see what it is that we can get away with. I want to spend time loving my father like i love my wife. No one needs to tell me to love her and only her. I love Pollie because i love her. I don't want to hurt her in any way. I want my love and obedience to the Lord to be like that kind of love
Prayer:
Lord Help me to learn how to walk in a way that pleases you out of love and "want to" I get tired trying to obey out of a "have to" I love you and i want my feet and hands to show it. I love you
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
"Want to" vs. "Have to"
Scripture:
2 Chron 35:3 He issued this order to the Levites, who were to teach all Israel and who had been set apart to serve the Lord: “Put the holy Ark in the Temple that was built by Solomon son of David, the king of Israel. You no longer need to carry it back and forth on your shoulders. Now spend your time serving the Lord your God and his people Israel. NLT
Observation:
When we read the OT we need to remember that the cross of Jesus is the filter to look through. IOW: when we see the OT Arc we can look at the NT Presence of the Lord in our lives.
Here we see King Josiah decree to the Priests (in this case the people of God), that they were no longer supposed to "carry the Arc on their shoulders" I believe this is speaking to me about the fact that the religious things I do in hopes to 1. make God happy by my religious duties. and 2. impress people while looking so religious. Here the king says Put it in the temple. this for the People of the Lord in the NT is our hearts. IOW: put the Presence of the Lord back in your heart and with that there do what you were created to do. Love God and people.
Application:
With the presence of the Lord in my heart, I want my obedient act of service to be a "want to" not a "have to". When he remains on my shoulders like the OT arc it becomes a "Have to" not a "want to".
Prayer:
Lord I want to love and serve you because I love you. I want my obedience to be motivated out of love not fear, condemnation, or a "have to". help me my Jesus. I love you
2 Chron 35:3 He issued this order to the Levites, who were to teach all Israel and who had been set apart to serve the Lord: “Put the holy Ark in the Temple that was built by Solomon son of David, the king of Israel. You no longer need to carry it back and forth on your shoulders. Now spend your time serving the Lord your God and his people Israel. NLT
Observation:
When we read the OT we need to remember that the cross of Jesus is the filter to look through. IOW: when we see the OT Arc we can look at the NT Presence of the Lord in our lives.
Here we see King Josiah decree to the Priests (in this case the people of God), that they were no longer supposed to "carry the Arc on their shoulders" I believe this is speaking to me about the fact that the religious things I do in hopes to 1. make God happy by my religious duties. and 2. impress people while looking so religious. Here the king says Put it in the temple. this for the People of the Lord in the NT is our hearts. IOW: put the Presence of the Lord back in your heart and with that there do what you were created to do. Love God and people.
Application:
With the presence of the Lord in my heart, I want my obedient act of service to be a "want to" not a "have to". When he remains on my shoulders like the OT arc it becomes a "Have to" not a "want to".
Prayer:
Lord I want to love and serve you because I love you. I want my obedience to be motivated out of love not fear, condemnation, or a "have to". help me my Jesus. I love you
Friday, June 20, 2008
Simply obey
Scripture:
2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn't’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir,[c] if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!
Observation:
Naaman was inches away from forfeiting his healing. God had instructed him to follow a simple order (go down and wash 7 times). The crazy part of this order is that seems too easy. for some reason obedience to what the Lord should not be as hard as we make it.
The inability to simply obey almost cost Naaman a healed life. How much more me? when has the Lord simply asked me to follow a simply order, (tithe, seek forgiveness, reconcile with someone, keep short accounts ...)?
Application:
I need to note well that the Lord will not give me the next thing until i have finished the last thing He asked me to do. I don't believe obedience was ever intended to be a difficult thing. I think God wanted us to see what needed to be done and do it.
Prayer:
Lord will you help me to simply obey? I don't want to walk away from a healing or a blessing because I think your requirements are silly. - I love you Jesus
2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn't’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir,[c] if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!
Observation:
Naaman was inches away from forfeiting his healing. God had instructed him to follow a simple order (go down and wash 7 times). The crazy part of this order is that seems too easy. for some reason obedience to what the Lord should not be as hard as we make it.
The inability to simply obey almost cost Naaman a healed life. How much more me? when has the Lord simply asked me to follow a simply order, (tithe, seek forgiveness, reconcile with someone, keep short accounts ...)?
Application:
I need to note well that the Lord will not give me the next thing until i have finished the last thing He asked me to do. I don't believe obedience was ever intended to be a difficult thing. I think God wanted us to see what needed to be done and do it.
Prayer:
Lord will you help me to simply obey? I don't want to walk away from a healing or a blessing because I think your requirements are silly. - I love you Jesus
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