Standing at the threshold of a new year. What will it be like?
“We don’t know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future!”
Do you know who holds your future? As a Christian, it is easy to quickly respond, “God does”. But, do we truly let God be in charge? That involves some honest soul searching. (Psalms 139: 23-24; II Corinthians 13:5a)
In this segment, I want to focus on some aspects I have been working on in my own life:
Revive and Renew
Revive: A few years ago, several painful and life changing events collided together within a short span of time. This led me to write my entry, “Not So ‘Friendly Fire’” (August 23, 2017) God faithfully led me through that time with the comfort of His Word, and Christian friends. In the following months, I “camped” on verses in Psalms 119, where the psalmist repeatedly cries out, “Revive me…”. He seeks to be revived “in Thy ways” (v. 37b), “through Thy righteousness” (v. 40b), “according to Thy lovingkindness” (v. 88a).
These verses and others were like the “living water” that my parched and thirsty soul so needed, reviving me and enabling me to thrive (Psalms 1:1-3). Sometimes life’s challenges can drain us slowly to a point where we don’t even realize we are so ‘parched’ spiritually or emotionally. See my entry “Like A Stream” (September 28, 2020) which addresses these thoughts more fully.
Many of the other verses in Psalms 119 affirm the faithfulness of the Lord, as we seek Him, “Thy faithfulness continues throughout all generations…” (V. 90) “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” (v. 105)
God’s Promise: “ For thus says the High and Lofty One, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15 NKJV
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Renew
“… 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.” (Romans 12:2 NKJV)
I go back to the question I posed at the beginning of this segment: who is really in control of your life? Of my life?
It is a well established principle for growing in our Christian life, that we need to take what we hear/learn, and move it from our head to our heart. It is not so much what we say we believe, it is how we act on those beliefs. Our minds can so easily become conformed to thoughts, traditions, trends of our culture, and upbringing, etc. When they are in line with the true Gospel and teaching of Jesus, then we can have full assurance of our salvation and eternal life. (I John 5:13).
Often Jesus had to correct and reprove others who thought they understand how to ‘be right with God’, but did not. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1 through Matthew 7:29), is all about understanding the Kingdom of God, and His perspective and ways. Jesus taught all these things, but towards the end of that passage gives a very dire and sobering warning: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; Depart from me…” (Matthew 7:21-23a)
How important to understand the true message of the Gospel, and way of salvation! Pastor Jack Hibbs gives a message on one these verses, but also clarifies so well the what the Gospel “is” and what it “is not”.
(See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AGPeCrDXBU “Plank Eye” message. Other resources are available at www.jackhibbs.com.)
To all who have believed and receive Jesus and His death (as forgiveness and payment for our sins), His resurrection from the dead, and His ascension to the right hand of the Father, He gives ‘the right to become children of God…” (John 1:12). Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised the Holy Spirit, who will “guide us into all truth…” (John 16:13)
We need to “Renew” our minds, by letting the Holy Spirit take the truth of God’s Word into our hearts and give us the grace to not just be “hearers of the Word” but “do-ers” of the Word, and to submit ourselves to the will of the Father.
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Dear Lord, By Your Holy Spirit, and by Your grace, Revive us and Renew us to be in line with YOUR will! Thank you for Your faithfulness and love! In Jesus’ name. Amen.