Jul 16 2008
Walking with God
Two more weeks of Bible study have gone past since my last blog post. Where has the summer gone? Last week we talked about repentance and forgiveness. We need to walk in repentance....even moment by moment. The Biblical concept of repentance is not a one time event as is so many times seen today in evangelistic crusades. John the Baptist talked about bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. The Prophets, the Jesus and Paul, yes even the Torah all talk about turning back to God. Jesus told those in His hearing to repent for the Kingdom of God was at hand. In the 2nd Temple period in which Jesus lived the Kingdom of God was the place in which God was King. When we allow God to reign and rule in our lives then the Kingdom of God is here in us. We need to repent and give up our way and seek to do things according to God's agenda.
I was talking with a young lady this afternoon, a very driven young lady, who has suddenly stopped reading her Bible because she thinks she has done something that cannot be forgiven. I told her that there is only One perfect Lamb of God and that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. We have to trust in His authority to forgive us. We need Him to wash our feet, so to speak. This takes humility and repentance.
Today's Bible study was on walking with God in Joy. We looked at the passages in Galatians 5, Psalm 16, Psalm 30 and James 2:1. Since joy is a fruit of the Spirit, God's Spirit. It is supernaturally obtained when we rest in Him. We rest in Him by being obedient to what He asks us to do. Elisabeth Elliot once said that joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of God in the midst of the suffering. So many times we allow the suffering or the trial that we are going through to be blown up like a balloon before our eyes so that we cannot see anything be the trial before us. God, in comparison, looks small. We need to pop that balloon so that we can see God for who He truly is. He is able to accomplish what concerns us. He is greater that anything thing that we are facing here on earth and He is good. We don't necessarily have any guarantees as to how our circumstances are going to turn out, but we can count on the ROCK of our salvation and on His character because He never changes. In His presence is fullness of joy.
For His Name's Sake.
As a mother I have tried to educate my children in everything I think about life. I have also found that many times I was learning right along with them. When I didn't know the answer to something the most important thing for me to do was to point them to the One who did have all the answers. We have had to work through many tough issues together, but we have rejoiced in God's blessings to us. Now my children are nearly grown and my life has entered a new season. I have discovered that I have changed also. My blog is a place to express my thoughts and feelings about my God, my family, and about life through word and through photography. May my life bring honor to the Almighty.
