“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/

Romans 9:20…  But indeed, O man, who are you to replyagainstGod? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”  (NKJV)

Our God is a sovereign God, who has a perfect plan for the lives of His redeemed children…  The sovereignty of God means that God has total control of all things from the beginning, to the end of time…  Nothing happens to us that God is not in complete control of…  All things in our lives are either caused by God, or allowed to happen by Him for His own purposes…Ephesians 1:11…   Here is a link that gives 80 Bible verses about God’s sovereignty…    http://www.openbible.info/topics/sovereignty

Once the Christian understands that God is sovereign…and that God never makes a mistake…there should never be a time in our lives when we question God about why things happen the way they do…  God makes it clear that His thoughts are not our thoughts…and that His ways are not our ways, in…Isaiah 55:8-9… Throughout the Bible, God gives us insight into what His will is for all Christians…  Once God fills His redeemed children with the Holy Spirit, at the moment He graces them with salvation…God expects His children to live in obedience to His will and His ways…

1 Peter 1:14-15…  as obedient children, notconforming yourselves to the formerlusts, asin your ignorance; ¹⁵ but as He who called you is holy, youalsobeholyinallyourconduct,  (NKJV)

But living for the Lord through the trials of life that all Christians will experience, and still be able to find joy in everything…will be a real test of our Christian faith…James 1:2-4…  Christians can only pass this extreme test of faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit…  The apostle Paul pens this scripture urging Christians to become living sacrifices for God, in…

Romans 12:1-2… Ibeseechyou therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a livingsacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And donot 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 perfectwill of God.  (NKJV)

Friends, if you consider yourself to be a Christian, you should be living for Christ…being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” day by day…hour by hour…or even moment by moment, as the Holy Spirit urges you to follow His lead…  This renewal of your mind will bring you back into sweet fellowship with Christ, as any and all known sins are confessed, repented of, 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 allunrighteousness.  (NKJV)

When you choose to sin, you are saying that God’s will for your life is not as important as your own selfish desires…  These sins of the world, which the apostle John urges all Christians to turn from (1 John 2:15-16)…will separate the Christian from walking in the Spirit, with the Lord…Galatians 5:16…

Any known sins being harbored with-in the Christian’s heart, that are left unconfessed before the Lord, will grieve the Holy Spirit…Ephesians 4:30…   These unconfessed sins will sooner or later subject the Christian to God’s promise to chastise and scourge ALL of His sinning, wayward children…to urge them back into submission to His will for their lives…Hebrews 12:5-6…

And just because God is longsuffering and patient with His children who are living in continuous sin, with things seeming to be going along well (even though known sins exists in their lives)…sooner or later these sins will have to be addressed by God…  The writer of Hebrews pens this, in…Hebrews 12:11…  Nownochastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceablefruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  (NKJV)

This “peaceablefruit of righteousness” that God promises to His wayward children, who finally submit their lives to His will by confessing, repenting of, and turning from their sins…will bring God’s supernatural peace which “surpassesallunderstanding” into the minds and hearts of God’s obedient children…

Philippians 4:6-7… Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpassesallunderstanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  (NKJV)

Friends this peace beyond our mortal comprehension…and the fullness of joy God will give to His children who are living for the Lord (John 15:11…Colossians 1:11…&…Jude 1:24)…along with the supernatural love of Christwhich passes our mortal knowledge (Ephesians 3:16-20)…have to be experienced to be believed…

I believe Spirit filled Christians (Ephesians 5:18-20) that reach this state of spiritual maturity…will in no way want to return to a life that is missing these richest blessings and rewards that are only given to God’s obedient children, who diligently seek Him…Hebrews 11:6…