“Our Daily Bread”   

http://odb.org/2013/01/12/the-gift-of-sleep/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht

John 15:6-7… If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  (NKJV)

There are several scripture verses in the New Testament, about asking God for various things… How someone interprets the opening scripture, depends on which side of God’s fence the person is on…  No one can walk along the top of God’s fence…  And it’s impossible to have a leg on both sides of God’s spiritual fence…Matthew 6:24…

Those who have not yet found the narrow gate into God’s kingdom, are still living in the world of sin and shame with Satan as their father…John 8:44… They would look at this opening scripture with their carnal minds, and would immediately think of asking God for wealth, or a new house, or new car, or some other material possession that the world seeks after…

Jesus tells us about the narrow gate, that people still living on Satan’s side of God’s fence should be looking to enter, in…Matthew 7:13-14… “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  (NKJV)

Sinners will find this narrow gate, which leads to eternal “life” with the Lord in heaven, when they respond to God’s calling through obedience to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…  I wrote about this very subject yesterday, titled… “Respond to the Call”…  Here is the link for those interested in learning more about God’s call, providing grace to those who have ears to hear (Matthew 13:23)…  https://godsmanforever.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/gods-group-thoughts-for-1112013-respond-to-the-call/

Once you find the narrow gate, and God graces you with salvation…the desires of your heart should then focus on God, and not the things of the world… The Apostle Paul tells us this, in…Colossians 3:2…   Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  (NKJV)

Jesus teaches us where our heart belongs, as God’s children…in this scripture…Matthew 6:19-21… “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (NKJV)

The Christian’s desires should be to please the Lord… This can only be accomplished by living in God’s perfect will for our lives…Romans 12:2… And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  (NKJV)

Does this mean that the Christian will live a perfect life ??  Not at all…  We will still sin… But if our desire is to please the Lord, we will be doing our best to walk worthy of the grace God has given to us…by walking in the Spirit…Ephesians 5:18-20…  This means, that we as Christians, will live in a continuous state of awareness to the leading of Holy Spirit…  And any sins that we will commit, should be immediately confessed and turned from…

1 John 1:9… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (NKJV)

A Christian, who is walking in the Spirit…will look at the opening scripture, and see it as a promise from the Lord, that He can and will provide abundantly more than we could ever hope for… The Apostle Paul puts this thought best, in the following scripture…Ephesians 3:20-21… Now to Him who is able to do exceedinglyabundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  (NKJV)

Heavenly Father, I pray that all of Your children will look to You for direction, with a heart that is filled with the love of Christ…  Help all of us Lord, to understand that Your way is always the perfect path for us to follow (Proverbs 3:5-6)… Help all of us Lord, to walk in Your will and Your ways… I pray for this fullness of the Spirit for all of us, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills