Category: Grace and Truth

A Life that Rules

We all want to rule in life. It is much easier to do things voluntarily rather than to be forced to certain actions. The Lord tells us how to rule in this world.

Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, But the slack hand will be put to forced labor.

The hand of the diligent will rule in school, on the job, in friendships and in every area. If you are diligent your children, when you have them, will become like you and it is much easier to raise diligent children rather than lazy children. If you learn to be diligent, which is a discipline of your character, you will be much happier and you will be a blessing to those whom you do life with, whether on the job or in the home.

Proverbs 18:9 He also who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys.

Slackness comes next to destruction and everyone who is slack in their work will be a burden to everyone. Also, if you are slack in the time of stress then your strength will be limited by your own doing.

Proverbs 24:10 If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited.

However, there is an area that if you learn to be diligent in, then it will overflow in every area of your life and help you in your areas of weakness. We all struggle with weakness of character but if you are diligent in your relationship with the Lord then He will make His strength known through your weakness.

Deuteronomy 6:17 You should diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you.

You must be diligent in your seeking after Him. Do whatever it takes to run hard after God and to know Him and what He has commanded you to do. Get your friends to help you. Go to an older godly woman and ask her to meet with you and to pray for you. Don’t wait until someone comes to you. Seek assistance and you will find help, knock and the opportunities will open for you.

Joshua 23:11 So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.

You must be a woman of purpose and that purpose must be to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind. If you love Him you will keep His commandments.

John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.

Not only will your life be smoother if you learn diligence but you will rule in this life. In your spiritual life, if you learn diligence, not only will you learn His commandments but you will keep them. When you keep His commandments He will make Himself known to you and you will receive the greatest treasure there is and that is to know Him.

 

 

 

 

A Life that Chooses Life and Peace

There are two people within the Christian. There is the “old person” which is called the flesh and there is the “new person” who is the new spiritual man that came alive when a Christian is born again. He is born spiritually. This truth is a puzzlement to an unbeliever but is a reality to the Christian. A religious man asked Jesus this question 2000 years ago.

John 3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

Jesus answered him because he was truly seeking to know the truth. The Lord knows your heart and if you are sincerely seeking to know the truth then you will hear the truth.

John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

You must be physically born and your must be spiritually born to become a child of God and enter His kingdom. We are born spiritually dead and that is why we do not understand spiritual matters until we are born again. When we become born again then His Spirit enters into us and unites with our spirit and makes us become alive spiritually.  For this reason, no one can give us assurance of our salvation but the Spirit and He does assure our spirit that we have become His child.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

When you become His child, by becoming born again, you have now within you the “old man”, which is your flesh and the “new man” which is your spirit. If you allow the flesh to control you then you will experience death. If by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the flesh then you will live.

Romans 8:12-14 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

If you are a Christian then you will want to be led by His Spirit. If you are a Christian then you will not want to sin. If you will feed your spirit by spending time with the Lord through His Word and prayer and allow His Spirit to control you then you will experience life and peace.

Romans 8:5,6 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

The Christian life is a process of maturing and becoming more like Christ. It takes time and obedience. We all fall but the Lord picks us up and helps us get back on track.

Proverbs 24:16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,

You will find that the more consistent you are in your quiet times with Him the smoother your Christian life will be. It is a “sweet life” to walk with the Lord. Don’t get discouraged. We all have to learn to walk with Him. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

He loves you and He remembers your sin no more!

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

 

 

A Life that is Strong

In the last chapter of Proverbs the Bible mentions the godly woman and how she makes her arms strong and girds herself with strength. Some women may be physically strong but others may be weaker in body. Certainly when we age we become weaker even if we feel as though we are strong when we are younger. However, even when our body may become weaker we can become stronger spiritually.

Proverbs 31:17 She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.

What is the source of our strength? Our relationship with the Lord is ultimately the source of our strength. When we walk with Him and keep His commandments then He makes His presence known to us.

Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

In His presence we know the fullness of joy. The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Nehemiah 8:10 …Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

How do we know His joy? How do we begin to walk with Him daily in His presence? When we give thanks to him then we begin to enter into His presence. We also learn to bless His name.

Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

Learn to thank Him every day. Learn to thank Him on a continual basis. Has not He been good to you? Give thanks to Him and bless His name. Your youth will be renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Just as the joy of the Lord increases our strength so also sin decreases our strength and drains us of our energy.

Psalm 32:3,4 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.

Sin and guilt drains us but confession cleanses us and brings us back into that fellowship with Him. He will renew your strength and you will once again know His joy.

Psalm 51: 7-9 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

How blessed are those whose strength is in Thee and whose heart draws near to Him. Zion is where the temple was where the Lord dwelt.

Psalm 84:5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion!

 

 

 

A Life that Seeks First

We all seek after something, whether it is fame, fortune, security, significance,purpose and meaning in life or all of the above, there is something deep within us that seeks. Oftentimes when we find what we are seeking it leaves us even more empty because many of the things that we think will make us happy are only an illusion, an emptiness that we realize is only vanity.

Ecclesiastes 4:4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

Many of the things that we seek are only a rivalry with another, a one up man ship or envy, coveting or jealousy. Again, it will not satisfy and we will only want more.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.

You can become the richest person in the world and you still will not be happy. Your life will feel more empty than before because you will have gotten what you thought would make you happy.

Ecclesiastes 2:23 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.

Your life will have been lived in vain if you do not seek what the Lord has designed you to seek. Your days will be filled with pain and your work will be grievous. You will not see meaning in many of the things that you do and some people will even have trouble sleeping at night.

Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

If you do seek Him then you will find Him if you seek Him with all of your heart. If you seek Him, not only will you find Him and be satisfied, but you will receive everything else that you need to make you content as well. In seeking Him not only will you be content but you will understand that it is more blessed to give than to receive and your life will overflow with joy, satisfaction, contentment and life!

Matthew 6:33,34 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Lord tells us that if we seek Him kingdom first and His righteousness all of the things that the nonchristians seek will be given to us and we will also need not have to worry about tomorrow. So, He says He will give us the meaning and security that we are seeking. He will give us what we need. He cares for us but He wants us to seek Him, so that we do not get caught up in the emptiness of wanting more and more and more.

Psalm 119:37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways.

Pray for revival first in your own heart. Revival comes when we quit seeking vanity and start seeking Him, that He might revive us in His ways.

A Life with Stability

We all long for stability in our lives. When your world is shaken it is a frightening feeling. The Lord promises His children stability so that no matter what happens in your life you will have a calmness within. You will not have to fear the times present nor the times future.

Isaiah 33:6 And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is his treasure.

The Lord will be your stability and His Word is the foundation of a life that will not be shaken when the instability comes.

Luke 6:46-48 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

The Lord tells us what to do so that we will not tremble or be dismayed.

Joshua 1:8,9 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will act wisely. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The Bible says that what the wicked fears will come upon Him. The wicked have a lot of fears because they do not seek the Lord not listen to His Word. They want to be in control but most of life is out of our control.

Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

The wicked flee when no one is pursuing. Guilt causes a person to run away from life and also to have unfounded fears.

Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing,
But the righteous are bold as a lion.

The Lord says to be strong and courageous. Boldness, strength and courage is what should characterize our lives for we have One who is always with us and will never forsake us.

Hebrews 13:5 …for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

When we are stable in our faith then not only will we have much joy but we will bring joy to those who have taught us in the faith.

Colossians 2:5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

A Life that is Successful

Three times in the Bible the Lord says that if you will do a certain thing then your life will be successful or prosperous. This is a promise with a condition but it is well worth the work. However, unless your heart wants to do it then you will not be able to persevere. You must want to please the Lord in all that you do. This activity helps you learn to do what pleases Him.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

You must humble yourself before the Lord and ask Him how you can learn His ways. He says that He teaches the humble His way. God’s Word teaches us His way but His Spirit is what gives us the understanding.

Psalm 25:9 He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way.

Again, the Lord says in Scripture, if you will meditate on God’s Word and delight in His Word then the Lord says that in whatever you do you will be prosperous.

Psalm 1:2,3 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Again, in the New Testament, the Lord mentions again this activity of looking intently at the Word of God and doing what it says.

James 1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Do you feel God’s blessing in your life? Do you need His blessing? If you have never done this then why don’t you ask the Lord to help you? What is it that the Lord wants you to do? He wants you to learn to meditate on His Word and live by what He says in His Word. Meditation is putting God’s Word in your heart and thinking about what it means and how it applies to your life.

Psalm 119:48 And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Go to a Christian who puts God’s Word in their heart and seeks to live by it and ask them to help you. It is a great reward and a great promise because the Lord wants you to spend time with Him and delight in Him. It is through His Word that He speaks to His children. He wants to communicate with you and wants you to fellowship with Him.

 

 

 

A Life of Belonging

One of the most precious truths that become ours when we become a Christian is that we belong to Him. We become one of His sheep and He becomes our Shepherd. Of course, we become His child in reality but the Lord uses the picture of the Shepherd and the sheep to show how much He cares for us. We all long to belong to someone and when we come to Him then we belong to the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us.

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Before we become a sheep we first become a lamb for a lamb is a baby sheep. Being the Good Shepherd, He cares tenderly for the lambs and before they learn to walk He carries them just as a mother tenderly carries her newborn babies close to her.

Isaiah 40:11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

The Shepherd carries the newborn Christian close to Him until they become strong enough to learn to walk and then as a good parent, He teaches them how to walk. Just as a toddler must first learn to step out in faith, so too, the Christian learns to step out in faith. When a toddler falls, the parent comforts and encourages the young child to continue until they can walk on their own. So too, the Shepherd tends for the lambs until they grow and become sheep. As sheep they are still dependent on the Shepherd but it is in a healthy developmental way.

Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Once the lamb has grown and is a sheep then the Lord guides them. They are not needy for He supplies what they need. That is the meaning of the sheep not being in want. He will make them, at times when it is needful, to lie down in green pastures so that they can be fed with green, nourishing grass. Notice, He does not make them lie down in the desert or on the weeds. No, He is a Good Shepherd and cares for the sheep. Also, the sheep need the still waters to be refreshed and so He leads them beside quiet waters so that their souls may be restored. Sometimes we don’t like the slower times in our lives but it is for our good. We need the down times so that we can be strong and refreshed for the busy times.

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

He will be with you always. He says that He will never leave you or forsake you. The Shepherd is always with you. Do not be afraid even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Hebrews 13:5 …for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

In His prayer for His disciples before He went to the cross Jesus prayed that they would be protected from evil. You do not need to fear evil.

John 17:15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

No one can take you from Him or pluck you out of His hand. You belong to Him. You are secure in Him forever.

John 10:27-30 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

When you belong to the Lord then He wants you to “be longing” for Him. He is good and He longs to show His love to you.

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.

 

A Life that Reaps What is Good

The Bible says that God is not mocked. We all reap what we sow in life. We can reap good or we can reap bad, either way, we reap what we sow. Many of our blessings or struggles are the result of what we sowed earlier in life and it could have been many years earlier.

Galatians 6:7,8 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

You can be a Christian and still experience death to your soul, which is your mind, will and emotions. For this reason, the Lord says to receive the Word implanted into your life which is able to save your soul. When you sow to the flesh then the corruption you reap is death to your soul. It brings you guilt, grief, destruction and corruption.

James 1:21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

When you are a Christian and you sow to the Spirit then you will reap eternal life.

Romans 8:5,6 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

Eternal life is knowing the Lord.

John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

When you sow righteousness, which is a right relationship with the Lord and the outcome is obedience to His Word through His Spirit,  then you will reap steadfast love.

Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

When you sow righteousness in others, which is leading them to a right relationship with the Lord through His Word, then you will be called a peacemaker.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

When you are a peacemaker then you will be called a Christian and will be known as His child.

James 3:18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

His Word is sown in peace which produces His righteousness.

Romans 1:16,17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

Are you sowing the good Word in the lives of others?

John 4:36 Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

The more you sow the more you reap. Sow a little then reap a little but sow abundantly and you will reap abundantly.

II Corinthians 9:6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

The more you sow then the more He supplies what you need and He will increase the harvest of righteousness.

II Corinthians 9:10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;

 

A Life that Listens to the Truth

Over and over again Jesus said to His followers, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”. If you could be told anything as a young person it would be to listen to the truth. He or she who has ears to hear, let them hear the truth. You will do what you listen to. If you do what is right then blessing and good will be poured out on your life. If you listen to the lies of the world then you will experience much pain, sorrow, loneliness, heartache, regret, guilt, remorse, and it will only be multiplied to you.

Psalm 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

Do not listen to or heed the advice that is found in the newspapers, online chat rooms, many blogs, magazines, etc. which are not founded in the Word of God. It could possibly create confusion in you if you are not sure what to do. The Bible says that God is not a God of confusion. IF you find yourself saying to yourself, “I am so confused” then back away and go to Him and ask Him for clarity and get in His Word.

I Corinthians 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace,

The Lord wants to and promises to give you peace if you will come to Him with what is on your heart. He wants to show you His way. Please listen to Him.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Wait on the Lord until He shows you what to do. He is there to help you.

Psalm 33:18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who wait for His lovingkindness,

Do not light your own fire, in other words, don’t make your own light. If you do not know what to do then wait. The Good Shepherd leads. He does not drive, pressure or push.

Isaiah 50:11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with firebrands, Walk in the light of your fire And among the brands you have set ablaze. This you will have from My hand: You will lie down in torment.

You will lie down in torment. Is that how you want to go to sleep at night? It is not what the Lord wants for His children.

Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.

He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. You are his beloved. He wants you to be loved by Him.

Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

A Life that Is Changed for Good

We all need to change or rather to be changed for good into a better person. However, we can not change ourselves. We may be able to make outward changes but we can not change our hearts and that is where true change needs to happen. The only problem is that our heart is sick and is deceived.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Before there can be lasting change in our life we need a new heart. Since the Lord is the One who made our hearts then He is the only One who can give us a new heart.

Ezekiel 36:26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

We will know when we have received a new heart because we will want to obey Him and walk in His ways.

Ezekiel 36:27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

We will no longer want to do the things we did before. We will be ashamed of the things we did before and they will no longer appeal to us in the same way.

Ezekiel 36:31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations.

We know that we have been changed because we will want to do what is right within our heart. Rather than want to sin we will want to obey the Lord because we will see that He is good and kind.

Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,

Even more than just wanting to obey Him, we will want to spend time with Him because now we are in a love relationship with Him. The God of the universe wants to spend time with us and we realize the incredible privilege that He has given to us to be with Him. When He gives us a new heart then He comes to live within our hearts through the Holy Spirit. He is the One who changes us and transforms us as we grow in our relationship with Him.

II Corinthians 3:17,18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

We grow in our relationship with Him as we spend time with Him in His Word and in His presence through prayer. Our life is changed and transformed through His Word as He replaces the lies that we believed before our new heart with his truths that set us free and give us life.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

As our lives are transformed into the image of God then we experience His will, which is good and acceptable and perfect. There is nothing to add to His will or take from His will, for God has so worked that we should love and fear Him all the days of our lives.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.