The Word of God for wisdom:
Proverbs 16:1-3 (NLT)
1 We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.
2 People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.
3 Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.
The Word of God for inspiration:
Psalm 119:58-60 (NLT)
58 With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful as you promised.
59 I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws.
60 I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.
The Word of God for encouragement:
John 15:5 (HCSB)
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.
My observation:
The choice word for today is abiding. This word leads us to the key that unlocks the storehouse to the blessings of God. The key to being a productive believer is to be a person who has learned the discipline of abiding in Christ.
The key verse from John 15 makes it clear that the believer's job is to abide in Christ, and that the producing of fruit is in the hands of the Lord.
What does it mean to abide in Christ? To abide in Christ is to have Christ living in you. To abide means to act in accord with, to submit to, and to remain steadfast and faithful to Christ. How are you doing with your part, which is abiding?
Are you in union and in communion with Christ? Practicing the daily disciplines of reading and heeding God's word, and prayer will guide and strengthen you in doing your part. Surely, God is able and willing to do his part.
This is the promise of what Christ will produce in the life of those who abide in him. The list includes answered prayer, joy and love.
John 15:7 (HCSB)
7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
John 15:11-12 (HCSB)
11 "I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
12 This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you.
The above is just a short list; there is more so much more.
Galatians 5:22-23 (HCSB)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
2 Peter 1:5-8 (HCSB)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge,
6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness,
7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My prayer:
Father God, my dear Father, I want to do my part of abiding in Christ so that you can produce in me and through me the fruit of the Spirit in my life.
Father, I ask for the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to help me to align my life so that I might be pleasing to you and productive for your glory, and the benefit of others. Amen.
--
John 20:30-31 (ESV)
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment