"Appreciate The Gift"

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 

A gift is something that is given willingly to a person without payment in return. There is nothing that the recipient of the gift does to earn it. God gives us gifts every day, and many of them we take for granted-- like air to breath. The greatest gift He has given is the gift of eternal life. This gift was provided for us by Jesus at the cross. 

 

There are many things that a person can do with a gift. They can refuse it, they can receive it, they can neglect it after they have received it, or they can enjoy the gift and use it. It is the same with the gift of salvation/eternal life that God has provided. 

 

Many have and still are refusing the gift of salvation. They don't want it or anything to do with it. Therefore, they will not receive it. When they stand before the Lord one day, they will want it then, but it will be too late. When that time comes, they can't blame God, it will not be His fault. It is not up to the giver whether a gift is accepted or not, it is up to the receiver. It will be their fault that they did not receive it-- not God's.

 

On the other hand, many have received this free gift that God has so graciously provided. But what are they doing with it? If you have received it, what are you doing with it? Are you enjoying it and using it? Are you neglecting it? If you appreciate a gift you will use it and not neglect it. I bought my husband a turkey hunting vest for Christmas. It is evident that he appreciates that gift because every time he went turkey hunting he wore it. Had he not liked or appreciated it he would have left it hanging in the closet.

 

If we "appreciate" the gift of God's salvation there will be evidence. The main evidence is our lives will show it. They will show it through our communion and fellowship with the Lord. They will show it through praise, worship and adoration of the Lord. They will show it by our lifestyle. They will show it through the love of God radiating from our lives. They will show it through our witnessing and testifying of God's love and goodness to others. If we don't appreciate it there will be evidence also-- neglect. 

 

Have a great day. If you appreciate the gift of salvation that you have received, you won't neglect it and your life will show it.

 

For further reading:

John 3:16; 4:10

Ephesians 2:8

James 1:17

"The Word Perspective"

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2 

Because we are so fleshly minded, we tend to look at everything from a fleshly/physical perspective. We respond, react, and live our lives by worldly principles. But if we are truly people of the Word, it should be the governing factor of our lives-- how we think, how we respond, how we react, and how we live. We should see and judge the circumstances of life, not from a worldly perspective but from a heavenly one. Some might say that is being too spiritually minded. I wonder if there is such a thing. Jesus was not earthly minded at all. We are told to have the same mind as Him. 

 

Our thoughts govern our actions. What we think is what we do. And what we think is what we become. This is why the Bible tells us repeatedly to watch what we think. We are to guard our thoughts. Think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and that have a good report. We are to set our thoughts on things above and renew our minds. By doing so we know what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. His word is His will. If we are going to live by His will, then we need to start living by His Word. And living by His Word means looking at life through its perspective. 

 

Have a great day. We are to be people of the Word, therefore, we should look at the things of our lives from its perspective. 

 

For further reading:

Philippians 4:8; 2:5

1 Corinthians 2:16

Psalm 37:23

"The Place Of Rest"

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19 

We all need times to get away where we can be refreshed and regroup. We need times of solitude and quiet where we can rest our bodies and clear our minds. But taking a trip or vacation is not always the answer. Have you heard anyone say, "I need a vacation to rest up from my vacation."? Leaving the familiar and routine and getting a change of scenery is fine if you can do it, but it isn't our answer. It does help and there is nothing wrong with doing it. But there is only one place where we find true rest and refreshing. It is in the presence of the Lord. "To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear." (Isaiah 28:12)

 

Jesus showed us by example where this place was. If anyone needed a rest, and a break, it was Jesus. He was constantly surrounded by people wanting something from Him. He couldn't eat or sleep without someone right there all the time. Yet, He was always "refreshed", it never got "the best of Him". That place was in the presence of the Father. Often, He would get away, go up to a mountain, the other side of the sea, or stay up all night to commune with His Father. This is where we find the rest that we need. Like the old hymn says-- "There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God." 

 

"For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul." (Jeremiah 31:25) We may not be able to go somewhere away from the place of demands upon us, but we can go straight into the presence of the Lord and find rest and refreshing for our weariness. The rest that He gives is complete-- not a little rest. It refreshes our whole spirit, soul and body. He satiates us and replenishes us when we ask. He causes us to no longer be weary but instead we receive the strength to "mount up with wings like eagles. So that we can run and not be weary, walk and not faint." 

 

There is no better place on earth to receive the rest that we need and are looking for, than in the presence of the Lord. The best thing about it is that you don't have to make reservations-- there is always a place available for you. You don't have to travel far to get there-- just the distance to your knees. It doesn't cost one cent-- it has been paid for through the blood of Jesus. And you can always go there at any time.

 

Have a great day. Do you need a break? Do you need a rest? Do you need to be refreshed? There is a place where you can find perfect rest. It's in the Presence of God. 

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 40:31

 

"Don't Camp Out In Yesterday"

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before." Philippians 3:13 

Yesterday is gone, today is a new day. We have to leave yesterday's failures and victories behind and face what lies ahead of us this day. With each new day comes new challenges, new mountains to climb, new valleys to pass through, and new seas to cross. 

 

When Jesus walked the earth, He and His disciples were constantly going from one place to another. They were either crossing a sea, climbing a mountain, walking the shores or going from one town to another. They didn't stay in one "place" too long. On the mountain of transfiguration the disciples wanted to build a temple to the Lord and stay there. But Jesus took them back down into the valley instead. 

 

Life is not a place of standing still. It is a place of going forth and forward. We can't camp out on the mountain top. We can't camp out in the valley beside still waters. We can't camp out in yesterday's failures and give up and stop going to our next appointed destination. We can't camp out in yesterday's victories and not press on to new ones today. 

 

Are you "stuck" in yesterday? Are you wanting to camp out there? Camp out in self-pity, in the mistakes, in the condemnation, in the guilt. Are you wanting to camp out in the triumphs, in the victory, in the glorious experience? Get up and move on. It is time to "get into the boat". It is time to go to "Samaria". It is time to go to the "mountain of transfiguration". It is time to go to the "shore". It is time to go into the "highways and byways". It is time to leave yesterday and go forward into the new places of today.

 

Have a great day. You can't camp out in yesterday. Today is a new day with new battles to fight, new places to see, new challenges to meet and a destiny to fulfill.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 17:1-5

Luke 14:23

John 4:4

"Praise God On Both Sides"

"For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." Malachi 3:6 

Anyone can praise God when things are going well. But can you praise Him in the storm? Can you praise Him in the darkest night of your life? Can you praise Him in trouble? Can you praise Him in the valley? Can you praise Him in the fire? When the children of Israel left Egypt, they soon found themselves hemmed in between Pharaoh's army and the Red Sea. God delivered them by parting the sea, making a path through it and drowning Pharaoh's army. When they came across on the other side, they sang a song of triumph, deliverance and victory. What a wonderful, glorious time! It was a time of rejoicing, celebration and giving praise to God. They sang the right song-- praise and glory to God-- they just sang it on the wrong side. They should have sung it on both sides of the sea.

 

You may ask, "How can you sing praise when you are in the middle of a trial, tribulation or problem?". That is the wrong question to ask. The right question is, "Why can't I?". After all, God is no different on this side of the sea then He was on the other side. He is the same on both sides of the trial. He is the same in the storm as He is after He calms it. He is still God. He is the Deliverer while you are facing the enemy as much as He is when the conflict has passed. He is as much the Healer when the bad report comes that you have an illness as He is at the end of it and the reports come back negative. He doesn't change after the problem has passed and then become the Victor. He already is the Victor-- before the battle, during the battle and after the battle. 

 

Job praised God when he got the bad reports that he had lost everything including his children. Paul and Silas praised God while sitting in chains in the prison. They didn't wait to praise Him after He delivered them. They praised Him before. They could do this because they knew who He was. They knew that He was just as powerful, just as mighty, just as able to deliver, and was with them while the storm was raging as He was after He had calmed it. Don't wait to give Him praise until after the problem has passed. Give Him praise and worship when it first comes, during the middle of it and after it is over because He is the same before, during and after the trial.

 

Have a great day. Praise God on both sides of your trial-- when it first starts and when it ends. Because He doesn't become your deliverer only when it ends. He is the deliverer even before it begins. 

 

For further reading:

Acts 16:25

Exodus 15:1-3