Passage of the Day: Esther 7 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: Today Swindoll reminded me of an important life lesson we need to keep in perspective from our study of Esther’s life. If you’ve been following what I’ve written the past few days under Swindoll’s devotional guidance, I’ve written of God’s sovereign intervention in the lives of the key players in the Book of Esther, as well as in our lives. And in summary, we’ve seen that God is God and we are not; … that God is in control of the events which alter and illuminate our times (to quote Walter Cronkite again); … and that we need to seek God’s will and act on His purpose through out free will and personal choices.
But Swindoll makes a good additional point. A distorted view in the awe of God’s sovereignty could cause the Christian to become complacent and/or apathetic. In other words, if we take an immature view of God’s sovereignty to lead us to sit back and do nothing because of God being in control, we miss God’s point of giving us the free will to act as His agents of change in this world. If we were to think, “Well, God’s in control; why should I worry? He will do what He wants to anyway.” And in one sense that has truth imbedded in that position. However, if I miss God’s purpose … that He wants me to be His legs, arms, hands, and mouth in this world, … the Spirit-led discernment and God-led enabling grace He gives me to do my part in shaping (or reshaping) this world could be for naught.
Yes, God is the sovereign God; but He created me to do my part in His sovereign plan; and He has given me, when I was born again into His family, His Spirit delivered enabling grace to be an integral part of His will for His world, His church, and His kingdom. And is that not the most awesome character-building truth? I do whatever I can to honor and glorify my God; and my God gives me His power to do just that.
What more can be said than … HALLELUJAH!!?
My Prayer for Today: Yes, Lord, … quite simply … HALLELUJAH! Amen
Showing posts with label perspective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perspective. Show all posts
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
2009 – Day 96.Apr. 7 – Three Secrets Revealed
2009 – Day 96.Apr. 7 – Three Secrets Revealed
Passage of the Day: Deuteronomy 34: 1 – 12 … Link to study today’s passage …
My Journal for Today: Today Swindoll helps his readers, like me, to see three secrets of life which are revealed by the life of Moses.
# 1. The secret of fulfillment in life is INVOLVEMENT. Do you look forward to the world’s stereotype of “retirement” some day where you kick back your life and go into auto-pilot, relaxing, playing a lot of golf or bowling, and joining a cool village of retirees focused on selfish living? If so, the stats say that you’ll live about 17 months after your 65th birthday. But cold, hard stats also tell us that those who are into others and living out Phil. 2: 3 – 4, will live a lot longer than those who live for self. I just turned 65 a few months ago. And I “retired” from my “professional” career of 33 years a few years ago; but I didn’t call it a “retirement.” I called it a “commencement,” because God has shown me His will for my life; and that plan involved reaching out to help others find what Jesus spoke of as His mission statement in Luke 4: 18. I exhort you to read that statement of INVOLVELEMNT and find yourself in that truth somewhere. So that’s life secret #1; … INVOLVEMENT in God’s work gives life length for His glory.
#2 . The secret of reality in life is HUMILITY. Moses discovered a humble surrender to God’s will and His way produced the realness which could be used by God for His kingdom purposes. So, as Swindoll points out, if involvement gives life length, HUMILITY gives it breadth. By being totally available to God, Moses was given opportunity to reach out in God’s Name and be His servant. Such HUMBLE surrender and availability gives life direction and purpose – Godly purpose. When we’re surrendered into the center of God’s will, His Spirit can use us in ways we could never imagine within our own flesh. So, we must ask if we are walking in our own will or God’s. If it is the latter, and we’re using our God-given gifts in a God-directed life, we will find life secret #2 and the Lord opening doors and giving us His power to serve Him with His purpose for His glory.
#3. The secret of happiness in life is PERSPECTIVE. I just went to three funerals in the past two weeks; and all of them were for Christian brothers who had lived with great, Godly perspective. Like Moses, these men learned that death was inevitable; but life is not. We have no choice about when we die; but we do have a choice as to how we live – while we live. Moses learned that lesson wandering for 40 years as a shepherd in the wilderness. I learned that lesson wandering 40 years in habitual selfishness and sinfulness. We both learned that turning our lives over to God gives us the purpose and power to be used for His glory. And seeing life (i.e., having that PERSPECTIVE) is life secret #3 and makes for joy that can never be found in living for self.
What about you? Are you living with [#3] Godly perspective in [#2] humble surrender, [#1] involving yourself in the lives of others rather than self? Because … if you are, you are not just a man or woman of God; … you are a Godly man or woman. [#1] Godly INVOLVEMENT in life is empowering you to live longer. [#2] Godly HUMILITY in life is enriching you with purpose. And [#3] Godly PERSPECTIVE is providing you with the joy of knowing that you are serving God in His will and in His way.
If, however, you are pursuing life for yourself, you will find only YOU and what you pursue will be for YOU. That kind of narrowness and pride will – I promise you – lead nowhere but into yourself and unto yourself. Live for God and others, however, and you’ll be living for eternity. And as with all things life, that is our choice.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to live for You, … searching always for Your will and living in Your way. Amen
Passage of the Day: Deuteronomy 34: 1 – 12 … Link to study today’s passage …
My Journal for Today: Today Swindoll helps his readers, like me, to see three secrets of life which are revealed by the life of Moses.
# 1. The secret of fulfillment in life is INVOLVEMENT. Do you look forward to the world’s stereotype of “retirement” some day where you kick back your life and go into auto-pilot, relaxing, playing a lot of golf or bowling, and joining a cool village of retirees focused on selfish living? If so, the stats say that you’ll live about 17 months after your 65th birthday. But cold, hard stats also tell us that those who are into others and living out Phil. 2: 3 – 4, will live a lot longer than those who live for self. I just turned 65 a few months ago. And I “retired” from my “professional” career of 33 years a few years ago; but I didn’t call it a “retirement.” I called it a “commencement,” because God has shown me His will for my life; and that plan involved reaching out to help others find what Jesus spoke of as His mission statement in Luke 4: 18. I exhort you to read that statement of INVOLVELEMNT and find yourself in that truth somewhere. So that’s life secret #1; … INVOLVEMENT in God’s work gives life length for His glory.
#2 . The secret of reality in life is HUMILITY. Moses discovered a humble surrender to God’s will and His way produced the realness which could be used by God for His kingdom purposes. So, as Swindoll points out, if involvement gives life length, HUMILITY gives it breadth. By being totally available to God, Moses was given opportunity to reach out in God’s Name and be His servant. Such HUMBLE surrender and availability gives life direction and purpose – Godly purpose. When we’re surrendered into the center of God’s will, His Spirit can use us in ways we could never imagine within our own flesh. So, we must ask if we are walking in our own will or God’s. If it is the latter, and we’re using our God-given gifts in a God-directed life, we will find life secret #2 and the Lord opening doors and giving us His power to serve Him with His purpose for His glory.
#3. The secret of happiness in life is PERSPECTIVE. I just went to three funerals in the past two weeks; and all of them were for Christian brothers who had lived with great, Godly perspective. Like Moses, these men learned that death was inevitable; but life is not. We have no choice about when we die; but we do have a choice as to how we live – while we live. Moses learned that lesson wandering for 40 years as a shepherd in the wilderness. I learned that lesson wandering 40 years in habitual selfishness and sinfulness. We both learned that turning our lives over to God gives us the purpose and power to be used for His glory. And seeing life (i.e., having that PERSPECTIVE) is life secret #3 and makes for joy that can never be found in living for self.
What about you? Are you living with [#3] Godly perspective in [#2] humble surrender, [#1] involving yourself in the lives of others rather than self? Because … if you are, you are not just a man or woman of God; … you are a Godly man or woman. [#1] Godly INVOLVEMENT in life is empowering you to live longer. [#2] Godly HUMILITY in life is enriching you with purpose. And [#3] Godly PERSPECTIVE is providing you with the joy of knowing that you are serving God in His will and in His way.
If, however, you are pursuing life for yourself, you will find only YOU and what you pursue will be for YOU. That kind of narrowness and pride will – I promise you – lead nowhere but into yourself and unto yourself. Live for God and others, however, and you’ll be living for eternity. And as with all things life, that is our choice.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to live for You, … searching always for Your will and living in Your way. Amen
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