Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/ 

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

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

“Homily Grits Devotional”   http://www.homilygrits.com/ 

James 1:2-4… My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  (NKJV)

The idea that we as Christians should be able to have joy through the inevitable trials of life…goes against every possible bit of logic that our mortal minds can conceive…  With our own mortal, feeble capabilities, we could never, ever be able to find joy, when the trials of life bombard us with pain and suffering that all of us will have to endure…

I wrote yesterday, about the choice that Christians have, to either walk in the Spirit, with a heart that is filled with the love of Christ…or to live with un-confessed sins, that won’t allow God to shower the Christian with His richest blessings…  I spoke about how Christians will not be “perfect”, as Christ was perfect…until they stand face to face with Christ, in glory…1 John 3:2…  The last 2 days writing was about “Walking in the Spirit”, that I used 2 audio sermons by Dr. Charles Stanley to draw my writing from…  Anyone wanting to read these past 2 days, or any other past writing for almost a year, can go to   www.Godsmanforever.wordpress.com    

The Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit, at the time God graces them with salvation…John 14:26…  The apostle Paul writes about the 9 fruit of the Spirit, given to the new Christian when they become one of God’s redeemed children…

Galatians 5:22-23… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  (NKJV) 

It is only when the Christian is walking in the Spirit, that they will have the supernatural power that the fullness of Christ, with the filling of the Holy Spirit will provide…Ephesians 5:18-20…  I wrote about the big 3 (the first 3 spiritual fruit listed above) yesterday…  Here is a copy of this pertinent writing… 

Love, joy, and peace are the first 3 of these 9 “Christ like” attributes…  I often speak of these big three, which are being powered by the fullness of Christ…as the supernatural love of Christ which passes our mortal knowledge… Ephesians 3:19-20…as the fullness of joy when the Christian is walking in the Spirit… John 15:11…and as a supernatural peace, that goes beyond our mortal understanding…Philippians 4:6-7… 

The ability to endure trials with joy…the ability to wait on the Lord, when we pray for His intersession in our lives…the ability to hold our tongue with patience, when someone yells at us…and then respond with love…all of these are only possible, when the Christian totally submits their lives over to the Lord…  When we place our lives in the hands of the Lord, we as Christians will find rest and peace, where there would otherwise be no such thing…  Jesus tells us this, in… 

Matthew 11:28-30… “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  (NKJV) 

The Christian can “find rest for your souls”, and be as “perfect and complete, lacking nothing”, as humanly possible…  But this is only achievable, when the Christian takes themselves and their thoughts out of the picture…and relies on the Lord to direct their steps…

I will close with the wise Solomon’s advice that he penned in the Book of Proverbs, that all Christians should know and follow…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 help all of Your children to realize, that they must get out of their own way, and allow the Holy Spirit to envelope every aspect of their lives…  Help Us Lord to submit to Your will and Your ways…as we confess and turn from our sins (1 John 1:9)…and put all of our faith and trust in You…  I pray for this fullness of Christ for all of us, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen… 

written by brucer mills