In step

[RiverOL]

Rule of Life: Holiness (18 January 2019)
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking.
Don’t let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true.
(Psalm 139.23-24)

Reflect:
There are times in our life with God when we need to look at ourselves more closely. We desire to become more like Jesus, but all too aware of our shortcomings, weaknesses and sinful patterns in our lives. This Psalm, written by David, invites God to examine us through the safe assurance of being beautifully and wonderfully made and unconditionally loved. This is a safe place to be honest before God and ask for the Holy Spirit to change us.

Respond:
Reflect with God, in the knowledge of his unconditional love and grace, on an area of your life that needs his forgiveness and freedom. Confess your shortcomings and ask for his grace and love to strengthen you.

Midday Meditation:
‘The world gets pretty tired of people who have Christian bumper stickers on their cars, Christians fish signs on their trunks, Christian books on their shelves, Christian stations on their radios, Christian jewellery round their necks, Christian videos for their kids, and Christian magazines for their coffee tables but don’t actually have the life of Jesus in their bones or the love of Jesus in their hearts.’ (John Ortberg)

Evening Reflection:
Father, thank you, that no sin is too small to bring the conviction of heart that may lead us to repentance and more faithful living. Convict us of our smallest sins so we might learn to delight in your ways. Amen
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you; may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you from the storm; may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you; may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.

 

[RiverOL]

Choose your "cause"
Matthew 6:24-34
"... seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (v.33, NKJV)

Some people attempt to come into the Christian life at the level of self-control rather than at the level of love, and quickly discover that it does not work. I tried to come into Christianity this way. There was a time in my teens when I was greatly attracted to Christianity, but not willing to make the full surrender which it so clearly demands. Every day I would start out with the thought and purpose that I would do everything in my power to keep myself from sin -- and every night I fell into bed feeling a failure. How could a diseased will heal a diseased soul?Then I surrendered my life to Christ and something wonderful happened -- His love flowed into my heart and as I began to love Him, all lesser loves soon dropped away.

A university professor, writing on the subject of loyalty, says an interesting thing: "There is only one way to be an ethical individual and that is to choose your cause and then to serve it. This central loyalty to a cause puts other loyalties in their place as subordinate. Then life as a whole is coordinated because all lesser loyalties are subordinated."Translate his thinking into New Testament language and you find an interesting similarity. The "cause" we choose is Christ and His Kingdom, and when we seek them first, then all other things, including self-control, are added to us. This does not mean, of course, that once we become Christians we automatically become people of supreme self-control. We have the potential for that, but it becomes a reality only as we continually surrender and submit to Christ's control.

Prayer
O Father, I am so thankful that when I threw my will on Your side, You threw Your will on my side. I am controlled because I am under control. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Victory in the Spirit War
Thus says the LORD to you: “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s”
—2 Chronicles 20:15b NKJV

When deception, unforgiveness, bitterness, or unbelief knocks at the door of your heart, you must allow faith to answer. When fear knocks, faith must respond.
The difference between a citizen of God’s Kingdom and a defeated Christian is clear: When a Kingdom man is engaged in a battle, it doesn’t make him bitter; it makes him better. The battle may be long and hard, but he is a persistent man of faith. He sees beyond the immediate skirmish to greater victory ahead. He learns what it means to walk in submission to the King and to walk in authority over the Enemy.

Spiritual warfare can make you more sensitive to the Holy Spirit. By relying on Him when times are at their toughest, you learn to love others more. You begin to see people through His eyes, and you respond with a heart of faith and generosity.
Depend on His direction when you are in the heat of battle.

 

[RiverOL]

Rule of Life: Everyday Life
Morning Encounter:
Read:
You take care of the earth and send rain to help the soil grow all kinds of crops. Your rivers never run dry, and you prepare the earth to produce much grain. You water all of its fields and level the lumpy ground. You send showers of rain to soften the soil and help the plants sprout. Wherever your footsteps touch the earth, a rich harvest is gathered. Desert pastures blossom, and mountains celebrate. Meadows are filled with sheep and goats; valleys overflow with grain and echo with joyful songs.
(Psalm 65.9-13)

Reflect:
The beautiful imagery conveyed in this Psalm reminds us that this is a God-inhabited world. The Psalmist delights in God the Creator who provides crops, soil, rain, mountains and meadows. The world is a place that reveals the wonder and majesty of God. In our everyday lives – whether in rural or urban settings, we can live with a continual openness and awareness of God’s presence and majesty.

Respond:
Stop several times throughout this day to pay attention to God and practice being in his presence. If it helps, set an alarm to help you do this. Read some Scripture, whisper the Lord’s Prayer or just be with Jesus. What was this experience like for you?

Midday Meditation:
‘We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.’ (C.S. Lewis)

Evening Reflection:
‘I make it my business to rest in Christ’s holy presence which I keep myself in by a habitual, silent and secret conversation with God. This often causes in me great joys and raptures inwardly, and sometimes so outwardly, so great that I am forced to use means to moderate them, and prevent their appearance to others.’

 

[RiverOL]

Danger areas of life
Proverbs 15
"The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." (v.4)
What are some of the areas of life in which we need to have self-control? Let me select what I consider to be the three most important. The first is the area of sex. Controlled sex is creative; uncontrolled sex is chaotic. I need hardly say that sex outside of marriage is clearly forbidden by Scripture and those who engage in it will find it leads not to fulfilment but to disintegration of the personality. That disintegration may not come right away, but given time -- come it will.

Within the marriage relationship also there is need for self-control. If one's partner becomes the means of self-gratification, instead of a person to be loved and respected, then again, disintegration sets in. You cannot use another without abusing yourself. Your attitudes toward another become your attitudes toward yourself. If you use another for sex purposes, then sex uses you. Sex is a dedication or it is a desecration, and when it becomes desecration, it becomes degradation. Another area of life in which we need the self-control which the Spirit provides is that of the tongue. James points out that the tongue is an important indicator of how well we control ourselves (James 3:2). There are three stages, we are told, in verbal communication -- impulse, consideration, speech. Many omit the second and jump from impulse to speech. The person who has self-control pauses between impulse and speech and gives himself to consideration. The Holy Spirit -- if we let Him -- comes to our aid to help us be sure that what we say is what we want to say.

Prayer:
O God, help me to be a disciplined person in thought, word and deed -- especially in thought. And help me to hold my tongue when I should and speak when I should. In Jesus' Name. Amen

​

 

[RiverOL]

The Purpose of God's Limits
As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites.
—Genesis 19:36-37 NLT

Lot and his daughters miraculously escaped the destruction of Sodom but apparently carried the essence of that ungodly city with them.
Moab, born out of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter, grew up to be an unsavory character. His was an attitude birthed in Sodom and Gomorrah: “Go ahead, whatever you do is permissible. No one will hold you accountable.” This is a destructive mindset.
God sets limits for you because He loves you. Those boundaries are for your protection. God cares about you! He cares so much He allowed His only Son to die for your sin. If you have strayed from Him, turn, repent, and find grace.

 

[RiverOL]

Bodily indulgence
1 Corinthians 9:19-27
"I beat my body and make it my slave so that ... I myself will not be disqualified ..." (v.27)

A third area of life in which we need self-control is that which has to do with bodily indulgence. The body, by its very nature, is comfort-loving and too much comfort is debilitating to the soul. The mother of John Wesley is reported to have said: "Whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, however innocent it may be in itself -- that thing is sin to you." David Hill puts it this way: "There is before each one of us an altar of sacrifice, unseen but real and present; and on this altar we are called to offer ourselves. There is some crucifixion of the flesh, some physical self-sacrifice, the abandonment of some bodily indulgence which the spirit of man knows that he is called to make."What are some of the things our bodies clamor for? One is food -- and generally speaking, we eat far more than is good for us. Another thing the body clamors for is sleep.

People differ in the amount of sleep that they need, but we must watch that we do not spend more time in bed than is good for us. How delighted, too, the body becomes with the luxuries of life. It has been said that the luxuries of one generation become the bare necessities of the next.

We must not go too far and see the body as an enemy that has to be continuously afflicted. Self-control helps the Christian to offer to God an obedient personality which is not cloyed by comfort or sluggish from indulgence, but sensitive to guidance and ready for all His perfect will.

Prayer
O Father, once again I ask that You dwell deep within me by Your Spirit and help me to be free from the clamoring desires that would cancel out my effectiveness. I ask this in and through Your peerless and precious Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

The Danger of “Little” Sins
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.” —Joshua 7:19 NIV

One day many years ago, I was out raking leaves in my yard. When I completed the job, I looked around with great satisfaction. The yard was beautiful, the grass lush and green. Everything was perfect. Putting my rake back in the garage, I stepped back outside for one more prideful look. As I walked across the lawn, I slipped on an acorn, fell, and nearly broke my back. One little acorn was my downfall.
Achan’s “acorn” was greed. Stealing a forbidden object and then hiding it in his tent, he thought, “It is just one sin. No one will notice.” But God knew his heart and his actions.
Do you try to hide things from God? Do you say: “It’s just a small infraction. I can keep it a secret. I’m not really hurting anyone.” Allow God to search your heart, cleanse it, and fill it with His Spirit. Forgiveness is always just a prayer away.

 

[RiverOL]

Rule of Life (20 January 2019)
Morning Encounter:
Read:
A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.
(John 10.10)

Reflect:
Over centuries, Christians have developed rules and rhythms to help them to centre their lives on Christ. A rule of life can be a set of simple statements about our intention to stay alive and awake to God. This is not a legalistic list of do’s and don’ts – but more about ways in which you will partner with God throughout the days and weeks ahead. The statements might include a commitment to daily prayer, practicing hospitality, exercise, eating healthily, serving others, being with God at work. Ultimately a rule of life helps you to love God more and experience his presence in your daily life.

Respond:
Reflect on the different practices you’ve been able to experience this week. Which practices around prayer, holiness, compassion, Scripture and others do you enjoy? In what areas do you need to stretch and grow? Take some time to write or journal specific ways that you will attempt to be with God next week.

Midday Meditation:
Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more. (St. Ignatius of Loyola)

Evening Reflection:
God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God. Instead, the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night. They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. Those people succeed in everything they do. (From Psalm 1)

 

[RiverOL]

A portrait of a saint
Colossians 1:15-29
"... the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (v.27)

The Christian in whom the fruit of the Spirit is fully evident is the best picture of saintliness it is possible to find. How would we go about painting a portrait of a saint? Some sections of the Church say that a saint has to have several qualifications -- faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance -- and all of them in an heroic degree. Others take from Scripture its own catalog of the virtues begotten in the human soul by the Holy Spirit. They see, therefore, in Paul's list an inspired catalogue of the qualities that characterize a saint.

How then does God go about painting a portrait of a saint? His canvas is the Scriptures -- the Word of God. The colors He puts on His palette are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control. The absence of any one of these virtues would be serious, for every one is needed if the portrait is to be a masterpiece. These colors, by the way, are not pastel shades -- every one is deep and rich and vibrant. The model He uses is the peerless example of His own dear Son, in whom every quality is seen to its utmost perfection and wondrously balanced by every other. Even now, as you read these lines, His brush strokes are at work, gently and lovingly caressing into your nature all the lineaments of your Lord's character. All He asks is that you hold still -- that you stop trying and start trusting. Do this -- and in the truest sense of the word, you will become a saint.

Prayer
My Father and my God, help me hold still as You go about the task of painting in me the portrait of a saint. Let every brush stroke reflect the beauty and loveliness of Your eternal Son. I ask this in and through His precious Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

How the Heck Do We Know?

. . . show me a sign that it is you who speak with me—Judges 6:17

“That was God . . .”

“I felt God nudging me . . .”

“I got the sense that God wants me to . . .”

We hear words like these. Sometimes we say them ourselves. But, how do we know it’s God? Well, rarely can we ever know conclusively; there’s mystery with God. There are times when we intuitively just know, down deep somewhere. And, often, this “just knowing” is enough. Other times, though, things are less clear and we must ask: Was that you, God? Or was that just me? In those situations, we need to be able to recognize his voice—to identify it.

Fortunately, his voice is unique—whether it comes through his still, small voice or through the words of others. It’s something we can come to recognize. So, what we need to learn is to identify the unique characteristics. We do that by reading Scripture. Fortunately, not all methods of hearing God are equal. Scripture, the method by which we hear his voice indirectly through the Biblical authors, sits above all others in importance and authority. As such, we have something against which we can run tests.

On a practical level, therefore, when we try to hear God by any other method, we simply need ask ourselves whether what we think we’ve heard fits within the principles set forth in Scripture. Indeed, that’s exactly what we are listening for when we listen for his voice—thoughts and words that fit within the principles of the Bible—not thoughts, nor words, by contrast, that contradict or add to Scripture.



Are you spending enough time reading Scripture, brother? Do you have a reading plan? If not, get one going, today. Do it with friends. For if you come to know him in Scripture, you’ll begin to identify God’s voice in other places too.

 

[RiverOL]

In the beginning
Morning Encounter:
Introduction:
Throughout the Bible, we see how God and human beings share life together. From Genesis, through to Revelation we see how God creates us and desires relationship with us. In the Old Testament God often chooses individuals, then families, then wider communities of people and finally a nation. In the New Testament we have the coming of Jesus, who is also called ‘Immanuel’ literally meaning ‘God with us’. Finally in Revelation, we see that God dwells with his people and life with God comes to its fullness and completion.

Read:
God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.” So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women. God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth. I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat. And I have given the green plants as food for everything else that breathes. These will be food for animals, both wild and tame, and for birds. God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good!
(Genesis 1.26 – 31a)

Reflect:
Human beings resemble God the creator and he desires a unique, conversational relationship with them. God longs for this same relationship with us today. In the second account of creation (Genesis 2.4-17) we see God as great artist, forming man and breathing life into him – further evidence of intimate relationship. And so begins the great adventure of human life with God.

Respond:
God wants a close and unique relationship with you, look for God in creation, other people or in new places today. Look for his presence in your life today.

Midday Meditation:
Give me a pure heart that I may see Thee,
A humble heart that I may hear Thee,
A heart of love that I may serve Thee,
A heart of faith that I may abide in Thee.
Amen.
(Dag Hammarskjold)

Evening Reflection:
Our Lord and our God, you are like the sun and also like a shield. You treat us with kindness and with honour, never denying any good thing to those who live right. Lord God All-Powerful, you bless everyone who trusts you.
(From Psalm 84)

 

[RiverOL]

Running Away from God
The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. —Jonah 1:1-3a NLT

The prophet Jonah reacted badly to God’s command. He turned his back and began a downward slide that ended in the belly of a “great fish.” His every action took him farther and farther from the Father.
Jonah’s was a sorry, half-hearted commitment. God told him to go to Nineveh and preach repentance, but Jonah didn’t quite make it. He said, “I started to go. At least, I made the attempt.”

Many Christians today are like Jonah—committed in word but not in deed. What about you? When God tells you to do something, do you run away? Or do you answer a resounding “Yes!” and move ahead with a heart full of faith?

 

[RiverOL]

No Fixed Rate
2 Peter 3
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (v. 18)

We are going to consider the things we need to know and do in order to gain a deeper and more intimate relationship with God. One of the questions put to me most frequently during the years in which I have been a minister and a counselor is this: "Why does one person seem to have a closer relationship with God than another, even though both have been on the Christian way for the same length of time?" Even the most casual observer of the Christian life cannot help but notice that people do not travel along the road leading to deeper knowledge of God at the same rate. We grow old at the same rate. But progress in spiritual things is not made at a fixed rate. From time to time I meet people who have fewer years of Christian experience than I do, yet they seem to know God more profoundly.


They leave me feeling seriously challenged and humbled. You have come across this yourself, haven't you? Surely you have met people who, though younger than you in terms of discipleship, are able to forgive injuries more readily than you, seem to be free of the nasty censoriousness you sometimes struggle with, and are swift to praise others whom they see doing more effectively the things they want to do themselves. Why? This is the issue which over the coming weeks we must make plain. Lovers of Scripture will have no doubt that God wants to move closer to us. The question we have to decide is: Do we want to move closer to Him?

Prayer
Father, make this time in my life a time of vision and venture in the things of God. May it become a time of spiritual advancement to a degree I have never before known. I ask all this in Christ's Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Abraham's Call
Morning Encounter:
Read:
The Lord said to Abram:
Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.
(Genesis 12. 1 – 3)

Reflect:
After the tragedy of the fall and the catastrophe of the flood, God calls Abram into relationship, and life with God begins afresh. This call affects both Abram and his family. There is no map, no precedent, just the promise of God’s presence as they begin this remarkable journey.

Respond:
Take some time to consider the journey of faith you have been on since your life with God began. When did it begin? Have there been times when you have clearly felt the presence of God along the way?

Midday Meditation:
O God my creator and redeemer, I may not go forth today except you accompany me with your blessing. Let not the vigour and freshness of the morning, or the glow of good health, or the present prosperity of my undertakings, deceive me into a false reliance upon my own strength. All the good gifts have come to me from you. They were yours to give and they are yours also to curtail. They are not mine to keep; I do but hold them in trust; and only in continued dependence upon you, the giver, can they be worthily enjoyed. Amen.

(John Baillie)
Evening Reflection:
‘Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.’

 

[RiverOL]

​

A Crucial Element
Acts 17:16-34
"... but now [God] commands all people everywhere to repent." (v. 30)
There are, of course, many reasons why some people move along the path of discipleship at a snail's pace, while others appear to cover twice the distance in half the time. It has much to do with the way we enter the Christian life. Those who have studied the manner in which people become Christians tell us there are two main ways of coming to faith in Christ. One is through a dramatic conversion, whereby a person confronted with the claims of Christ yields to Him in a single moment. The other is when a person moves more slowly into faith, and sometimes cannot even pinpoint the exact moment when he or she made the great surrender. What must be remembered is that both experiences are valid.

The best evidence that we are alive is not our birth certificate but the fact we are going about our daily lives as living, breathing people. I myself find no problem when individuals say they do not know the day or hour when they committed themselves to Christ, providing they show evidence that they belong to Him by such proofs as a desire to be alone with Him in prayer, a longing to know Him better through His Word, and an eagerness to meet and have fellowship with other believers. But no matter how one enters the Christian life -- suddenly or slowly -- the most essential element is repentance. I have no hesitation in saying that if we do not understand what is involved in living repentant lives, then regardless of how we start the Christian life there will be no successful continuance.

Prayer:
My Father and my God, if repentance is so important -- and I see that it is -- then help me understand it more deeply. I am at Your feet. Teach me, dear Lord. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.

​

 

[RiverOL]

Centred on God
Morning Encounter:
Read:
I will always look to you, as you stand beside me and protect me from fear.
With all my heart, I will celebrate, and I can safely rest. I am your chosen one. You won’t leave me in the grave or let my body decay. You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Sitting at your right side, I will always be joyful.
(Psalm 16.8 – 11)

Reflect:
Our life with God depends on us being centred on God and by keeping our mind focused on him. The suggestion in this Psalm is that the writer uses his imagination to draw closer to God and to make his presence seem more real and more tangible.

Respond:
As an exercise today, imagine that Jesus is right with you now, where you are. Use your imagination to picture Jesus in the space where you are as you begin to talk to him. Does his presence seem closer now?

Midday Meditation:
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
(From the hymn: Great is thy Faithfulness)

Evening Reflection:
God, we bless you for guiding us through another day. We confess that we looked to our own strength before we looked to you at times. Help us, Father, to learn to lean into your good and perfect will. We love you and we trust you. Guard us now as we sleep. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

A Change of Mind
2 Timothy 1:1-12
"... your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice ..." (v. 5)

Yesterday we said that there are two types of entry into the Christian life -- sudden and gradual. Paul the apostle had one of the most sudden and dramatic conversions in Christian history, yet Paul's disciple Timothy does not seem to have had a similar experience. We cannot tell for sure, but Timothy's coming to faith, a process apparently greatly influenced by his grandmother and mother, seems to have been much more prolonged. We said also (and some may have found this surprising) that without a clear understanding of repentance, and all that it entails, there can be no successful continuance in the Christian life.

So what is repentance and why is it vitally important? The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, means "a change of mind." But a change of mind about what? About where life is found. Prior to coming to Christ our minds are shot through with the idea that life depends on such things as self-sufficiency, self-management, and ego-building. The Bibleconfronts this self-centered approach to living and says that for our lives to work the way God designed them, the ego must be marginal and not central. In other words, Christ must be central, and the ego revolves around Him just as the planets revolve around the sun. This is quite a radical thought for any mind to grapple with, but be sure of this -- if there is no acceptance of it, the soul will not go on to experience a deep and developing relationship with God. No change of mind about where life is to be found -- no spiritual progress. It is as simple as that.

Prayer:
O Father, help me examine my heart and decide just who is central in my life -- You or me. Show me even more clearly how I can be more Christ-centered and less ego-centered. In the Name of Your Son I ask it. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

God Is Not Finished with You Yet
…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
—Philippians 1:6 NKJV

Many people believe they have been disqualified as Christian because they have been experiencing a period of barrenness. Perhaps this describes you. You have lost your joy. You can’t seem to motivate yourself to pray or read the Word. God seems remote, and you feel utterly defeated. If this is your life right now, be encouraged!
Barrenness does not have to be permanent! God is not angry with you! He is not finished with you! Barrenness is a time of vulnerability. It is when the Enemy tries to torment you and lure you away from God.

He will heap condemnation and confusion on you. He will bring fear and doubt and worry. That is when you must stand on the Word and believe that God is still at work in your life.
Jesus asked His disciples if they would leave Him, and Peter answered with words that should resonate through our lives today: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68 NKJV).
God is committed to finishing what He started in you. If you are in a season of barrenness, don’t despair. God is refining your faith. He is honing your patience. He is giving you an opportunity to reach out and touch His heart.

 

[RiverOL]

God with Us
Morning Encounter:
Read:
The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us. John spoke about him and shouted, “This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.” Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another. The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.
(John 1. 14 – 18)

Reflect:
The word ‘lived’ in this passage literally means ‘pitched his tent’ amongst us, making his home with us. There is also an Old Testament reference to the tabernacle where God’s presence came and dwelt. Christ is also known as ‘Immanuel’ which means ‘God with us’. Throughout the Scriptures we read of Jesus’ unique and everyday connection with his Father.

Respond:
Make it your aim today to connect with God in every part of your life. Bring every situation, circumstance, interaction and conversation before God this day.

Midday Meditation:
Lord, thank you that you come not only to the spiritually elite but also to those of us who feel like we are still beginners. Amen.

Evening Reflection:
I run to you, Lord, for protection. Don’t disappoint me. You do what is right, so come to my rescue. Listen to my prayer and keep me safe. Be my mighty rock, the place where I can always run for protection. Save me by your command! You are my mighty rock and my fortress. (From Psalm 71)