Day 1 - Week 74 - Where are we??

Sometimes as you are traveling along, you just get to going and become oblivious to exactly where you are.  You've been making good progress and get caught up in the accomplishment rather than taking in your surroundings, and if someone stopped and asked you where you were, you'd have no idea.

Where are we?  We've covered a lot of territory, but where are we in our journey?  Have you committed many of our previous 73 verses to memory?  Do you know that we've gone through the Four Corners, down the Romans Road, across the Word of God, into Prayer, found Assurance, presented Praise & Thanksgiving, stood strong on Promises, marched to Obedience, experienced the Fullness of the Holy Spirit, enjoyed a picnic of God's Kind of Happiness, and are now climbing the mountain of Faith.  Yes, right now, if we look around, we're in the middle of the mountain of Faith.  And it is a good place to be!

Now if you're wondering where we might be along the journey of the Appalachian Trail, well we're just about 3/4 of the way through our trip...and we're in the beautiful state of Vermont.  In 1995, Robert & I traveled through Vermont in early October.  We had always heard of the beauty of the fall colors, we had seen pictures, but we were not prepared for the breathtaking display of God's artistic wonder of leaves of such vibrancy and brilliancy.  One afternoon it rained as we drove through the countryside, and the moisture on the leaves just added a richness to their color.  It really was one of those times that we said, "We never imagined it would be this beautiful!"  I'm including a picture, but I'm telling you, pictures do not do it justice.  If you ever have a chance to go to New England in the fall, don't miss it!  We would love to go again. 
Let's imagine sitting at this point, realizing that we still have 1/4 of our journey ahead of us, but taking some time to think back on the miles that we have most recently traveled, and then, after we've reflected on where we've been, just really soaking up the beauty of where we are!

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray constantly."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."


Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Yes, our most recent verses are worth sitting back and soaking up...they are verses on this mountain of faith that we are on, and they are verses of beauty.  And now we add to these four verses, the next three which are a series of verses starting with Colossians 3:15 and going through Colossians 3:17. 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. - Colossians 3:15

Our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior brings with it some wonderful benefits.  Faith brings peace, and faith brings with it a fellowship of other believers...I have seen that fellowship in action today as Christian friends offered support and love to one who needed just that.  I thank my God for the peace that He brings to us...through our faith, and through our family of faith.
 

Day 4 - Week 73 - Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

It's amazing sometimes how when you are focusing an aspect of faith, you get messages from multiple sources on the same subject.  Not long ago, we had some sessions in our Bible study group on Hebrews.  At the same time, our Sunday morning adult Bible class started studying Hebrews.  More than one of the e-mail daily devotionals that I received during that time focused on...Hebrews.  It became obvious to me that God wanted me looking into His Word as conveyed in the book of Hebrews.

This week we're focusing on the giving up of self in exchange for the taking on of Christ's attributes in our lives.  This morning I received a wonderful devotional from David Jeremiah, one of my favorite Bible teachers of our time.  Listen to what he says...

Historians have marveled how an uneducated, rugged boy like Dwight Moody could sway great crowds and lead thousands to Christ. Responding to these questions, Dr. R. A. Torrey wrote a tract after Moody's death in 1899, entitled, Why God Used D. L. Moody. He said, in part, "The first thing that accounts for God's using D. L. Moody so mightily was that he was a fully-surrendered man. Every ounce of that 280-pound body of his belonged to God; everything he was and everything he had belonged wholly to God. Now, I am not saying that Mr. Moody was perfect; he was not... nevertheless I know that he was a man who belonged wholly to God."

Torrey went on to say that Moody was greatly moved by this statement by Henry Varley: "It remains to be seen what God will do with a man who gives himself up wholly to Him." Moody replied, "Well, I will be that man."

We can all be that man or woman. God wants to use us, but we must give ourselves wholly to Him.

"If you and I are to be used in our sphere as D. L. Moody was used in his, we must put all that we have and all that we are in the hands of God, for Him to use as He will." ~ R. A. Torrey

Mr. Jeremiah titled today's devotional, "Wholly and Holy" and used 2 Chronicles 16:9 as his text.  That verse in the NIV reads, "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

I may never be wholly holy, but I would sure like to be wholly committed...no "fence riding", nothing lukewarm...100% God-seeking. That's a goal that I believe is God's desire for us.  Wholly committed to allowing His Spirit to have complete dominion within this fleshly body of ours, crucifying our earthly desires and selfish motivations to allow His life to reign.  I want God's eyes, when they are ranging through this earth, to see the heart within me as one that is turned toward Him, a soft heart, waiting for His hand to shape.  A heart like Dwight Moody's that was ready to do whatever God led Him to.

This week's verse also brings to my mind the words of John the Baptist.  What wisdom he revealed as he saw Jesus' ministry coming forward, replacing his.  He knew his purpose had nearly been accomplished, as he announced to his followers, "He must increase, but I must decrease." 

When we take on the life of faith in Christ as our Savior, the same statement applies to us.  He must increase, we must decrease.  His life, in us...by faith.