#peace – Page 16 – Instructions To A Young Life

A Life that Lives to the Fullest

Do you really want to live life to the fullest. Life is so sweet when done right that you will truly feel as though you ride on the heights of the earth and the Lord says that you can if you will live according to His ways. He is life and came that you might have life to the fullest.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

If you are not having an abundant life but feeling as though your cup is half empty or that others have gotten what you want and so you have feelings of frustration and disappointment then why don’t you try living according to what the Lord says. It is certainly worth a try if “your way” has not worked out. He came to give you an abundant and overflowing life. A life that is filled with gratitude and gladness, which is another word for happiness. Joy comes from the presence of the Lord and we can have joy no matter what the circumstances if we live in His presence but gladness is altogether different. Gladness is that feeling in your heart of being excited and happy. It is not just an emotion but a confidence that all will work out. It is the feeling that you had in school when you knew that you had studied hard for a test and were confident that you would do well. That is what gladness is in life. It is a confidence, peace and a great feeling within your soul. It is happiness.

Hebrews 1:9 “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”

This verse is what was written of Jesus. He was happier than all of His companions and those around Him. If you think that Jesus went around sad then you are sadly mistaken. He lived life to the fullest here on earth and wants to teach you the same.

Psalm 25:9b And He teaches the humble His way.

When you learn to live according to God’s ways then you will ride on the heights of the earth. Take God’s Word, the Bible, and open it up and start asking the Lord to teach you His ways about everything in life.

Isaiah 58:14 Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

His ways are sweet and they are good for you. His promises are the land of milk and honey. He wants you live on His promises and trust Him. You will see His love in a thousand different ways and you will live life to the fullest.

A Life with Hope

Hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised will come true and faith is the assurance that what He promised He is able and will also perform. We hope for what we can not see.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.

Only the Lord can give us hope. However, our hope must be in the Lord and not in the object of our desire. We can go through anything if we have hope. However, life never turns out the way you think it will but if your hope is in the Lord then He will not disappoint you and your disappointments will be His appointments. You will see His purposes and His love if your eyes are on Him and your hope is in Him.

Job 13:15 “Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.

Hope gives us strength and the courage to go on.

Psalm 31:24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord.

Life will get better when you feel that there is not much hope. Don’t give up but turn to the Lord and ask Him to help you.

Psalm 27:13,14 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

His eye is on those who hope for His lovingkindness.

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

Hope will not disappoint if your hope is in the Lord. Do not get discouraged for each trial that you go through only strengthens you in your faith in the Lord and brings about perseverance and proven character. Your faith is tested and you will see how much He loves you if you will hope in Him and His lovingkindness.

Romans 5:3-5 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Strengthen you faith and hope in Him through the incredible stories of His faithfulness that are preserved for us through the Old Testament.

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

The Lord is the God of hope and He will strengthen you as you seek Him.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A Life with a Savior

There is no sweeter knowledge than to know without a doubt that you have a Savior who cares for you and will save you from downfalls, danger, destruction, distresses and depression. He came to save you and to be your Savior forever.

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

Some of the first words that were spoken of Jesus Christ is that He would be a Savior and that He would save His people from their sins. Your failings or downfalls are your sins. They are how you have failed yourself, others and God. We have all sinned and failed in one way or another. We all need a Savior.

I Timothy 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

However, before He can become our Savior He must become our Lord so that we can become one of His people. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Our original sin of wanting to be our own God must first be repented and forgiven and then He will save us from our many sins that destroy us. We need to come to the place in our life that we surrender control to Him. The original sin deceived us and we thought that we could control our life. We can not and will only make a mess. We need a Lord.

Romans 10:9-13 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Whoever will call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved and receive not only a Lord but a Savior. When you receive Him as your Lord and Savior then He also becomes your Shepherd.

Matthew 9:36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

Distressed is another word for being stressed out and dispirited means that they were depressed. When you have the Good Shepherd then He will have compassion on you and save you from what distresses you and will life you out of your depression.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

The thief, which is the devil, comes only to steal, kill and destroy you. He will bring destruction to your life, your marriage, your family and your children but the Lord Jesus Christ, if He is your Savior then you will be an overcomer of these destructions through Jesus Christ.

I John 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

Nothing and no one can touch you that does not first come through your Savior if you have been born again. The Lord will keep you and the evil one does not touch you, if Jesus Christ is your Savior.

I John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Have you believed yet in the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you surrendered your life to Him so that He might be in control? If you have already done this then are you living as if you don’t have a Shepherd and allowing life to stress you out and depress you? Trust Him today. He is the Lord of lords, the God of gods and Savior of the world. He is the Good Shepherd and He wants to love you and lead you in His way which is good. He will never leave you or forsake you.

A Life that Has Comfort

We all need comfort and yet we often feel without comfort.

Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.

In the world we will not have comfort but the Lord said He would not leave us comfortless.

John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but ye know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

The Lord knows that we need comfort and another name for the Holy Spirit is that He is a Comforter. Are you lonely? Do you need comfort? Come to the Lord and let Him wrap His arms around you and comfort you.

Matthew 11:28,29 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

The Lord is gentle with His children and He will come to them and comfort them. He is a Good Shepherd.

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.

He comforts us in our affliction and suffering so that we may be able to comfort others when they share in the same suffering.

II Corinthians 1:3-7 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

The Lord is near to you and will come to you as you call on Him. He saves those who are crushed in spirit and He does not leave you alone.

psalm 34:18,19 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

The Lord will never leave you or forsake you. He loves you. Come to Him and give Him your broken heart and your pain. He will comfort you and heal you. He will bind up your heart and He will carry you through your time of suffering.

Hebrews 13:5b,6a …for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.

A Life that Has Light

God is light and He is the source of all light. He is the only One who can shine in our hearts. He literally turns the light on. We are living in darkness until He comes and shines in our hearts.

II Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

He is light and has come into the world to give us light. His life is the light and when He lives within us then we become the light of the world. We have no light within us other than the light and life of Christ. Just as the moon has no light but shines in the darkness because it reflects the light of the sun. We reflect the light of Jesus Christ.

John 1:4,5 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Jesus Christ is the true light. He is the One who enlightens every man. Only those who recognize and receive Him receive the light. The rest of the world is still living in the darkness.

John 1:9-13 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

When we follow Him then we will have the Light of life. We no longer have to walk in darkness. We are no longer dependent on the “experts” who say man evolved or that man controls the climate.

John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Jesus Christ was in the beginning and He made the world and all that is in it. He sets the boundaries of the sea and not man. The world was made through Him.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

He made the world by His Word and the world was made out of things that are not visible.

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

The Lord has told us to let our light shine before men in such a way that they may see our good works and glorify the Lord. The Lord is glorified because the good works are what He has planned beforehand that we should walk in them. He has a plan for everyone and works for each person to do. When you follow Him then you will walk in the good works that He has designed just for you.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Are you walking in His good works? You will know when you are doing His will because you will be filled with great joy. Our life on earth is a taste of either heaven or hell. If we know the Lord then we will taste of His goodness and one day we will see Him face to face and our joy will be made full. If we are not a Christian then our life will be filled with frustration, defeat, guilt, aimlessness, emptiness and darkness. He came to give us life and His life is the light of men.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Don’t let the devil steal your happiness, kill your joy and destroy your life. Come to the Lord and receive the life that He came to give you. Receive Jesus Christ into your life and you will have not only light but life.

John 1:12,13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

You receive Jesus Christ into your life by asking Him to come in and make you the person that He designed you to be. He is knocking on the door of your heart.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

A Life with Assurance of Salvation

Often people ask, “How can I know that I am a Christian?”. The Bible says that you can know for sure. You don’t to hope or guess but you can know for sure.

I John 5:11-13 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

How do you know if you have the Son of God. You may think that you have because you have asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart but how can you really be sure that He has come in. What are the evidences in a person’s life that Jesus Christ has really come into their life and they are born again? Jesus said that a person must be born again to enter into His kingdom and become His child.

John 3:3-7 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 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, “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 will know if you have been born again if you have a hunger for the Word of God.

I Peter 2:2,3 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

You will want to obey the Lord and do what His Word tells you to do. His Word is His commandment to you.

I John 2:3-6 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

He will give you a new heart and put His Spirit within you.

Ezekiel 36:26,27 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. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

He has forgiven you of all of your sins and you will be clean on the inside. He forgives and cleanses you. You will want a pure heart so that you might continue to see the Lord so it will grieve you when you sin. You will not “enjoy” sin as maybe you once did.

John 13:8b,9 Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”

You will also hate the life that you lived before you were a Christian. You will see sin more from God’s perspective.

Ezekiel 36:29-31 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.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.

You will feel loved because you will know that He gave His only begotten Son for you and if you were the only person on earth then Jesus Christ would still have died for you. He has loved you with an everlasting love and He will never leave you or forsake you. You are truly free because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has set you free. You will feel free on the inside. For this reason, only a Christian can be locked up on the outside but be free on the inside. Whereas, the rest on the world that does not know Jesus Christ may be free on the outside but still feel locked up on the inside.

John 8:36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Do you know for sure that you are a Christian? If you are not sure then let today be the day that you surrender your life to Him. Ask Him to come into your heart and make you the person the He wants you to be. Ask Him to be your Lord and your Savior. Come to Him and be saved. When you turn to Him then you will turn your back on your sin and He will give you a new life and a new heart. He is the only One who can give someone a new heart and a chance to start over again. He will lead you and be your Shepherd if you let Him.

A Life Understanding God’s Word

God’s Word is God’s revelation to us of who He is. He has given it to us as a gift so that we might know Him and obey Him.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

The Lord reveals Himself to us through His Word. We are to observe and obey it exactly as He has spoken.

God’s Word is profitable in every area of our lives.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” II Timothy 3:16

We all have blind sports and need God’s Word to correct us in every area. Spending time in God’s Word is the most profitable thing we can do.

God’s Word is the truth and is what the Lord has given to us to help us and to save us from ourselves and the lies of the evil one.

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

The only way that we can identify a lie is if we know the truth. If we don’t know the truth and we act on our understanding then we are doing the desire of the devil.

Jesus Christ is God’s Word. The only way we can know God is through Jesus Christ and His Word.

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

We all worship a god, whether it is a god that we have made up in our mind or what we think god is like. However, there is only one true God and that is Jesus Christ.

God’s Word is equal with His name.

“For You have magnified Your word together with Your name.” Psalm 138:2b

We are to honor God’s Word as we are to honor His name. His Word is holy.

God’s Words are His thoughts and His ways. The only way that we can know His thoughts and His ways is if we know His Word.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8.

We are to replace our thoughts with His thoughts and our ways with His ways.

When we subvert His way in our lives then we get angry. Only a fool gets angry with God.

“The foolishness of man subverts His way and his heart rages against the Lord.” Proverbs 19:3

When we are angry we need to examine our own life.

God’s Word is power.

“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.” Romans 1:16

If we want more power in our lives then we need to saturate our minds and hearts with the Word of God.

God’s Word is His language.

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth.” Psalm 145:18

Just as when we are in a foreign country and we hear our language we are glad, so the Lord draws near to the one who calls upon Him through His Word.

God’s Word is the food for our spirit and soul.

“But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”Matthew 4:4

If we are to thrive spiritually and also in our mind, will and emotions then we need to feed on the Word of God. If we are depressed or discouraged or anxious then we need to hear from the Lord through His Word.

God’s Word cleanses us.

” You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” John 15:3

When we sin we especially need to get into God’s Word so that our soul and spirit will be cleansed from the garbage of sin.

God’s Word is the truth and sets us free.

” and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32.

If we are struggling with bad thoughts or bad habits then we need to saturate ourselves with God’s Word until we experience the freedom that the work of Jesus Christ on the cross did for us. Also, God’s Word is the only thing that can set you free from your fears.

We are not to tweak it or change it neither are we to judge it. God’s Word is to change us and judge us.

“For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

It is not our role in life to make judgements on what is right and wrong or fair and unfair. God’s Word is the standard for right and wrong. Nor can we judge anyone else’s heart or even our own hearts but God’s Word can.

God’s Word sets us apart.

“Sanctify them in the truth, Thy Word is truth” John 17:17

It is God’s Word that makes us holy and makes us usable to Him.

God’s Word restores us.

“The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul” Psalm 19:7a

Our souls need to daily be restored and especially if we have been hurt, then we need restoring.

God’s Word is what produces in us a fear of God.

“Establish Thy Word to Thy servant as that which produces reverence for Thee” Psalm 119:38

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We all need wisdom.

God’s Word is what counsels us and also gives us the correct counsel to give to others.

“Your testimonies also are my delight; my counselors. Psalm 119:24

“There is no wisdom and no understanding and no counsel against the Lord.” the Lord says elsewhere in His Word. The only true counsel is God’s Word which is seen in His ways and in His Word.

When we love God’s Word, the Lord gives us great peace and keeps us from stumbling.

“Those who love Thy Law have great peace and nothing causes them to stumble”. Psalm 119:165

The Word of God warns us about trouble so that we may avoid it.

“Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:11

If you find yourself in trouble then you need to go to God’s Word to see where you did not keep His ways so that you will not repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

God’s Word will bring us much joy and delight.

“Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16

If you struggle with getting in God’s Word then your biggest need is to get into His Word. The more you are in it and it is in you then the greater will be your desire for His Word.

God’s Word is what allows us to live in His love if you obey His Word.

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:10

If you ever struggle with God’s love then look for His commandments and do them.

The Word of God is pure and purifies our hearts so that we might see the Lord and receive insight and enlightenment.

Psalm 19:8b “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

Our greatest need is to see the Lord. Our hearts are deceitful and will give us a twisted view of God, thereby causing us to sin by not trusting Him.

The Word of God keeps us from sin.

“Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11

Sin destroys us. If we will put God’s Word in our hearts then we will sin less.

God’s Word is what gives us a desire to do His will, if we put it in our hearts.

“I delight to do Thy will, Thy Law is within my heart.” Psalm

The Word of God is what gives us a word for the weary.

“The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.” Isaiah 50:4.

The Lord wants to give us a good word to give to others. The Bible says that the lips of the righteous feed many. It is God’s Word that sustains us.

The Word of God gives us success.

“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.” Joshua 1:8

If you ever feel like a failure then learn to meditate on God’s Word and do it daily.

God’s Word keeps us from experiencing much sorrow if we will obey it.

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

God’s wrath is poured out on ungodliness and unrighteousness. When we don’t obey God’s commandments then we will experience the pain and sorrow that comes from God’s wrath.on the particular activities that are abominable to Him. The Lord came to give us life and life abundantly. However, if we don’t obey Him and the Words He has given us then we won’t see the life.

God’s Word is what gives us the faith to believe Him.

“So faith from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”Romans 10:17

If you ever feel like your faith is small then get into God’s Word and you will see your faith becoming greater. Great faith comes from believing God’s Word. “Just speak the Word” the centurion said to Jesus.

In God’s Word we find eternal life. Eternal life is knowing Jesus Christ. When we come into a relationship with Jesus Christ we begin the eternal life that He gives us.

“Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” John 6:68

A Life that Does not Stumble

No one wants to stumble through life. It brings pain and frustration. Is it possible to go through life without stumbling? Yes, or at least minimal stumbling and the opportunity to learn to walk without stumbling. How do we do it?

Proverbs 4:10-12 Hear, my son, and accept my sayings and the years of your life will be many. I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. When you walk your steps will not be impeded; and if you run, you will not stumble.

Life is a real joy when you can walk and run through life without stumbling and falling. The way to walk and run without stumbling is to walk in wisdom on upright paths. The Lord is the One who gives us wisdom and He leads us on upright paths. He promises to teach us the way we should go and will give wisdom to anyone who asks Him.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you the way in which you should go, I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

Ask Him for His wisdom. He wants to give it to you.

James 1: But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach.

When we humble ourselves before Him and ask for His help then He delights in helping us.

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

He will teach you through His Word. Open your Bible and start reading and praying. Ask Him to teach you His ways and to give you His wisdom. You will find that His Word will become the delight of your heart and that you will love it.

Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found and I ate them and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of My heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord of hosts.

When you love something then you want to do it. When you love God’s Word then you want to live by them and find great joy and peace in doing exactly what He says. The outcome is that you will learn to walk in His ways and according to His wisdom. He will also lead you on His upright paths. When you walk His way then you will not stumble for He Himself will be your light and your Shepherd.

Psalm 119:165 Those who love Your Low have great peace and nothing causes them to stumble.

Come to Him all who are weary and He will give you rest. If you are weary of trying to make it on your own then come to Him for you will find that His ways are easy and His burden is light. He will be your Shepherd and lead you in the good and pleasant way so that you will not stumble.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My load is light.

A Life of Who We Are and What We Do

Often we as humans get things backwards. We think that who we are comes from what we do. The Lord seems to place a greater emphasis on who we are first and then on what we do. Jesus spent thirty years becoming who He was before He spent about three years doing what He did.

“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52.

Jesus had to learn obedience.

“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:8.

Jesus lived thirty years on earth unrecognized and unknown seeking to be pleasing to the Father.

When Jesus came to earth as a human, He emptied Himself and laid aside all of His God powers.

“who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8

He lived in submission to the Father and it was the Father’s work that was done through Him. It was the Father’s power that did the miracles and it was the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus trusted the Father completely and lived by faith in what the Father had promised Him.

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” Romans 10:9

Jesus did nothing on His own initiative. He did not do His own will but only the will of the Father.

“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 5:30.

Jesus had to learn the Father’s will and Jesus was taught by the Father.

“So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.” John 8:42.

Jesus was a disciple just as He as taught us to be a disciple. Jesus had to learn the Word of God in the Old Testament Scriptures. We must first learn to listen to the Lord’s Words before we speak the Lord’s Words.

Jesus was well pleasing to the Father before He did anything. His worth was in who He was in the Father’s eyes and not in what He did.

“and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Matthew 3:17

Jesus told His disciples that their joy must be in their relationship with God and that their names are recorded in heaven and not in what they do or how fruitful their ministry was.

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” Luke 10:20

Jesus chose His disciples first to be with Him and then to preach. Jesus chooses us to be with Him first before we do anything for Him. This needs to be the pattern of our lives. There is an old saying that has much truth in it. “Before we talk to men about God, we must first talk to God about men.”

“And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,” Mark 3:14

Jesus praised Mary for choosing the good part, that is, for choosing to be with Him rather than serving Him.

“but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42

The first of the apostles who was martyred was James. James was one of the three that was with Jesus in His most intimate times. Peter, James and John were the three closest to Jesus. We know some of what Peter and John did after the resurrection and we are familiar with the books that John and Peter wrote, however, nothing is spoken of what James did. In our minds we might think that it would have been a better choice to choose one of the lesser known apostles rather than James who was a main leader. However, if the Lord chose James just to be with Him, is there anything greater?

Also, it does not seem that the Lord is concerned with the length of our ministry and work for Him as He is with our availability. In the story of the servants going out to work for the day, the landowner gave the same pay to the one who only had worked one hour as he did to those who worked the full day. However, the one who worked only one hour had been waiting and hoping all day that he would be given some work to do.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place;and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went.Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing.And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ Matthew 20:1-12

The work we do in the Lord’s name is important as He says that we are His workmanship prepared for good works that He has prepared beforehand. He wants us to walk in the good works that He has already created for us. He says if we are to serve Him then we are to follow Him and He will lead us into those works.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

When we do His work in His timing and in His way then He receives the glory and we share in the joy. These works must be done after He has done His work in us, for we are His workmanship. When we live according to His ways and seek Him first then we are protected from our biggest enemy of all and that is our pride. It is our pride that makes us want to be somebody because of what we do. The Lord calls this wickedness when we worship the work of our hands, whether it is something in the world or it can even be in ministry.

“I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.” Jeremiah 1:16

We must worship the Lord and the Lord alone. We must receive our worth from Him and from Him alone. We must be with Him first and then do what He has called us to do.

“For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Matthew 4″10b

A Life with Whom He is Pleased

Peace on earth and goodwill to men is often quoted especially around Christmas time. However, people do not finish the verse and so it leaves people wondering why there is not peace on earth. The verse says, “Peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Jesus Christ did come and bring peace to us but only those with whom He is pleased will experience that peace. Who is the Lord well pleased with among men? There is only One who lived a life pleasing to Him.

Matthew 3:16,17 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Again, the Father reaffirmed His total satisfaction with Jesus and the life that He lived on earth. The Father was well pleased with Jesus before He did any ministry. He was pleased with the life of faith and obedience that Jesus lived as the Son of man.

Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

Jesus laid aside His being God and lived in the flesh a perfect and sinless life.

Philippians 2:5-8 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus lived a perfect life and had a perfect record of no sin at all. We have lived a sinful life and we have all fallen short of God’s glory.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

He offers His life and perfect standard of living in exchange for our life and our sinful record. It is not fair. It was God’s will to show us mercy and grace rather than fairness.

Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.

If the Lord gave us what is fair then we would not be able to receive the life of Christ. The Lord was well pleased with this message.

I Corinthians 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

If we will believe the message that God loves us and receive the gift of His Son then we will receive also the affirmation that God is well pleased with us. Not because of any righteousness of our own but because we have trusted in Jesus Christ to take our sin and guilt upon Himself on the cross and to give us His righteousness. It was not fair for Him to take our penalty and give us God’s acceptance of us through Him, but He did it anyway because He loves you. He came to bring you peace.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

He gave us the greatest gift of all when He gave us His Son. Will you receive Him today?

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

Will you thank Him and share this amazing gift with someone else? Will you tell someone else what He has done for you?

II Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Peace on earth, goodwill to men with whom He is pleased and that is those of us who are in Christ Jesus and Jesus Christ is in us.