2009 – Day 55.Feb.25 – Spiritual Ends

2009 – Day 55.Feb.25 – Spiritual Ends

Passage of the Day: Exodus 2: 15 – 25 … Linked to passage for study …

My Journal for Today: Again, we meditate upon what got Moses from his plush worldly control in Egypt to the ignominious desert place with the Midianites. And to highlight his devotional point for the day, Swindoll makes a stark statement of truth, illustrated by Moses’ decisions and actions. He writes, “Spiritual ends are never achieved by carnal means.” And a bit later in his piece for the day, Swindoll puts this truth into a word picture, by writing, “You cannot sow a fleshly seed and reap a spiritual plant.”

Do I sense an “Amen!” from any readers here? Perhaps you have memories of sowing carnal seeds and the resultant outcomes which followed. I sure do. And Swindoll, illustrates these points by such cases as one hedging on the income taxes and then trying to thank God for the resultant tax refund which comes from those choices. He rightfully says, God will never bless us with worldly results when we manipulate, scheme, and plan in the flesh. God’s empowering and enabling grace will only pour out on those who are obedient to His will and His way, through His word. I think of His promises in this regard from both the Old and New Testament … in Scriptures like Joshua 1: 8 and from Jesus Himself in John 14: 21.

The principle is simple and straight forward if one desires Spirit-blessed results in life; and that is … we must know and be obedient to God’s word, His principles, and His commands. When we are and act according to God’s will and in His way, He will bless the outcomes. But when we choose to do it our way, as the old song, My Way, by Frank Sinatra proclaims, we must reap the whirlwinds which follow, … the consequences of our own flesh-driven choices. And we must not try, if some worldly blessing of riches or sensational rewards results, to thank God for what comes down. When I do it MY WAY, it is MY RESULTS which are gleaned; but when I do it GOD’S WAY, it will be HIS RESULTS which pour forth.

I know this truth; and I just pray that I can learn the results from doing life God’s way. Moses had to learn this lesson with 40 years in the desert. And he learned the lesson big time! But I hope I can take the advantage of scriptural truths like the ones quoted above; and do it the right way – God’s way! – on the front end so that I’m not taken into the dessert because of living life out in my way.

And that’s my prayer for you as well. Living in the Spirit yields Spirit-blessed fruit (see Gal. 5: 22 – 23). Living in the flesh yields the fruit of the flesh (see Gal. 5: 19 – 21).

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help us to ALWAYS go to You for the righteous way first as You command in Matt. 6: 33; and then to follow You ALWAYS in what we choose to do. Amen