“Our Daily Bread”
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie
http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht
Isaiah 56:8-9… “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (NKJV)
I don’t know about you… But I hate to stop and ask someone for directions, when I find myself lost trying to get somewhere in my car… I’m sure it a pride thing… We are all born with a natural tendency to do for ourselves… Heck; our parents taught us to be self dependant, when we were young… And while it is a good thing up to a point, I am here to tell you that as a Christian, God wants us to depend on Him for everything…
God gives His redeemed children the Holy Spirit, at the moment He graces them with the free gift of salvation… Jesus told His disciples, that His Father was going to be sending them the Holy Spirit as their lifelong Helper; to help them remember all that Jesus had taught them (John 14:26)… Jesus told His disciples this to comfort them; because He knew how lost they would be, after He was gone… And Jesus made an a point to tell His disciples, to just sit and wait in Jerusalem…until this promise of the Holy Spirit had arrived, on what we now call the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)…
Acts 1:4… And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; (NKJV)
Pride and self-centeredness has to be put aside, in order to become a Christian to begin with… The Bible tells us that without Christ, with the unredeemed sinners pride intact, they will die in their sins; and be headed for an eternity in hell… Jesus tells us this, in…John 8:24… “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (NKJV)
But when humility through God’s will sets in, and the unrepentant sinner turns from their lifetime of sins…and with a repentant heart, seeks Jesus to become their personal Lord and Savior…God, in His perfect timing, will grace the sinner with salvation…
Believing in Jesus Christ occurs, after the unredeemed sinner hears, understands, and obeys the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…
From the moment a person becomes a Christian, it is important to remember that pride (and all former sins), must be left behind; as the new child of God becomes a new creation…2 Corinthians 5:17… Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)
The sooner a Christian understands that God is sovereign; and that God’s children are never to question His ways…the sooner they will start the lifelong process of being conformed to the image of Christ…Romans 8:29… You just can’t outguess God… And God’s Word promises, that even though it might not seem like it at the time…everything God does for His children, will be for their own good…
Romans 8:28… And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (NKJV)
Take it from someone who took 7 years to learn this simple truth… I write today, to hopefully spare someone the years it took me…to realize that with God in total control, we as Christians really can be blessed with all that the Lord provides His obedient children, that are walking in the Spirit…Ephesians 5:18-20…
I’ll close with these wise words from Solomon, who God graced with wisdom, to exceed all men (1 Kings 4:29-34)… If we could just heed these words of wisdom, and remain humble to the leading of the Holy Spirit…
Proverbs 3:5-6… Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (NKJV)
Heavenly Father, please open the eyes of those in need of seeing the truth from Your Word, today… Help Your children to understand, that You never make a mistake in directing their lives…and that by themselves, they will be headed down a dead end path… I pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit to dominate the heart, mind, and soul of all of Your children…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…
written by bruce r mills
God's group 