Father, I seek You in truth, desiring to know, speak, and live Your truth. May I be found faithful, proving to be zealous for what is good. Sanctifying Christ as Lord in my heart, Father, remove from me every fear and dread of intimidation.
May Your truth so reside in me that I may be able to make a defense when called for, yet with gentleness and reverence. Grant me life in You, making me able to keep a good conscience, even in suffering. If I must suffer, let it be for righteousness sake, that I may be found suffering for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. And use that suffering for the glory of Your name, growing my character to perfection in Christ, shining Your Light so that others may see and be drawn by You to walk in the Light, as You are in the Light.
Father, by Your mercy and grace, grant to me the power and perseverance needed to put to death my flesh, while being made alive in the spirit. Transform me, Father, by the renewing of my mind, so I become living proof of what Your will is: that good, acceptable, and perfect will of my God. In Jesus’ Holy and beloved Name and for Your glory, let it be so. Amen.
“See then that you WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ….” – Ephesians 5:15-21 NKJV
Digging into first reference passage:
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” – Romans 12:1-3
Study: looking at the mercies of God. What can be gleaned about “the mercies of God”?
9 – Because of God’s mercy, we who are saved by grace through faith are born again into a living hope that obtains an eternal inheritance in Christ Jesus – we are heirs with Christ: 1 Peter 1:3-5
10 – Because of God’s mercy, we are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10
“Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” – 2 John 3
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” – Jude 20-21
“This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.” – Lamentations 3:21-25 NKJV
This ➡️ “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.“ – James 1:12-16 NASB1995
“IF YOU LOVE ME, you will keep My commandments.” – John 14:15
“He who has My commandments and keeps them IS THE ONE WHO LOVES ME; and HE WHO LOVES ME will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” – John 14:21
“Jesus answered and said to him, “IF ANYONE LOVES ME, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” – John 14:23
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; ABIDE IN MY LOVE. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” – John 15:9-11
“For THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” – 1 John 5:3
“And THIS IS LOVE, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.” – 2 John 6
“Owe nothing to anyone except to LOVE ONE ANOTHER; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” LOVE DOES NO WRONG TO A NEIGHBOR; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” – Romans 13:8-10
“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation WITH THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND KEEPS HIS COMMANDMENTS;” – Deuteronomy 7:9
“But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.” – Mark 6:49-52 NASB1995
The disciples just saw Jesus feeding thousands. Jesus sends them on ahead of him in the boat while he sent the masses away and went up on the mountain to pray. Coming to them walking on the water, we are told how astonished they were to see him. Then it says of them “they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves.” Why? Because their heart was hardened. They were seeing God incarnate doing mighty things that only God can do, but were refusing to realize the power they were walking beside.
Children of God, we often do the same when we see God meet our needs in ways that amaze our heart and make us know it is him acting on our behalf. Then the next challenge comes and our hardened heart panics without realization that God is still on the side of those who are His and still provides for our needs.
A heart that trusts God remembers the things he has already done for us, and with the hope revealed in our experience, faces the next challenge with a greater peace that understands that God is faithful. He, who has looked after us before, will look after us now.
A heart of trust knows there is nothing too great for God, there is no need beyond his reach. Trust in the Lord, even now, when fear attacks our thinking, and do the good that faith produces.
“Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”” – Exodus 33:18-20 NASB1995
God doesn’t promise us a life without trouble. Difficult days will come to all of us: good and evil. When trouble comes, we do well to keep our eyes open for signs of God‘s glory.
In this passage, Moses asks God to show him his glory. God answers with a response that tells us what we see when he reveals his glory. God‘s glory shows up when goodness passes before us. It shines forth as the name of the Lord is proclaimed. And it touches our hearts when graciousness and compassion reaches us.
It is seen in the lives of people who come around to help us in our days of trouble. It is seen in those who face the threat in order to protect us. We are touched by it through those who come to help us in our point of need. And we see it when we walk through the storm and recognize the backside of God‘s glory revealing to us how he has worked in our lives through the storm.
We don’t always recognize God when we’re walking through the hardship, stressed hurting, tired, and in pain. It’s at the end of the storm, when we look back and marvel at how God sent help in just the right moments, through just the right people, and met our need in loving abundance.
Take courage beloved in this current storm. The backside of glory is coming.
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” – Ephesians 5:15-21 NKJV
References for vs. 17:
“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” True wisdom comes from understanding God, His will and His ways. Wisdom walks us safely through the storms of life in a fallen world.
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” – Romans 12:1-3
“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” – Colossians 1:9-12
“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Oh yum! That’s good eating. Be sure to feast on God’s Word daily. Pay close attention to that which clutches for your heart’s full attention. Eat it.
Darlene's Ponderings 