Let God Lead You

Featured ~ servantone1 ~ Leave a comment

JESUS SPEAKING

‘From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16: 21 – 23)

FAITHFUL THOUGHT

Jesus informed His disciples of His impending death and eventual resurrection. Peter however, who was unwilling to accept this prophecy, took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. Jesus identified Peter’s attempted intervention as being influenced by Satan. As believers we must continually seek to accomplish the will of God in every circumstance, even when God’s plans do not fit with our own understanding.

In the Old Testament, the Son’s of Jacob plotted in secret against their brother Joseph. They took him by force and sold him into slavery in Egypt. They also faked his death so that his dad wouldn’t go looking for him. For many years he underwent hardships as a slave, but eventually, by God’s divine hand, he was raised up into the second highest position in Egypt, just beneath Pharoah. When a famine struck the land, his dad’s tribe was in danger of starvation. So the family journeyed into Egypt to find food. Upon arriving, they encountered Joseph, who saved the entire family from death by feeding and protecting them. The brothers apologized for their evil actions, and Joseph forgave them. And yet, Joseph could see that despite his brothers wicked intentions, his ordeal was actually the result of God’s will. He was put in that place to save them. He said, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many lives.” (Genesis 50: 20)

God’s will for our lives can often differ from our own expectations. In these circumstances, we must embrace whatever path God has chosen for us. We must also let Him guide and direct our lives. Only God knows what is best for us. As we walk with the Lord, may we strive to submit to His will.

“Lord heavenly Father, we recognize that Your plans are far better than our own. As we journey through this life, may we trust You completely, and may we adhere to Your will in every circumstance. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Saying Grace Before Meals

Featured ~ servantone1 ~ Leave a comment

JESUS SPEAKING

Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala. (Matthew 15: 32 – 39)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

The crowds that had followed Jesus into the wilderness were famished. In a gesture of affection, Jesus miraculously turned a small meal into enough food to feed 4,000 men (as well as their women and children.) Within this account, we also read that Jesus gave thanks to God before distributing the food. This practice, seen in other portions of the gospels, has commonly become known as ‘saying grace.’ By thanking God for His provision before eating, we are following the example of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus sought to teach His disciples how to pray, He recited what has become known as, “The Lord’s Prayer.” Included within this prayer is the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We are urged to remain focused on today, and to remember that God alone provides for all of our needs. In fact, concerning God’s provision, Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

If we, as believers, know that all good things come from the Lord, then outward displays of gratitude will manifest in our lives. Thanking God in prayer before meals is an excellent Christian discipline; as is praising God for all of the other blessings He has bestowed upon us.

“Lord heavenly Father, we recognize that You are the provider of all good things. May we honor You with thanksgiving and praise You for Your many blessings. May our hearts also learn to trust you in all things. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Being Invited & Chosen

Featured ~ servantone1 ~ Leave a comment

JESUS SPEAKING

“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.’ “But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and nashing of teeth.’ “For many are invited but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22: 2 – 14)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

In this parable Jesus identifies the Jews as the people to whom He had originally been sent. Many of these individuals however, had rejected the gospel message. In turn, God chose to bless the gentiles (non-Jewish people) by offering them salvation also. Still, we read that the king discovered some in attendance at the wedding feast that were not dressed properly; meaning they weren’t clothed in the garments of salvation that only a faith in Christ can provide. These people were rejected and thrown into outer darkness. Such is the fate of all those who reject Jesus Christ.

My son really enjoys going to the trampoline park and bouncing around. When we arrive there, we are each given colored bracelets, which we must display at all times. They can’t be covered or hidden under a sleeve. The staff need to be able to see the bracelets to discern if we are truly legitimate members. Those who are observed not wearing a bracelet are ejected from the facility because they did not pay for proper admission.

In a similar way, those who have been invited into the kingdom of God must be wearing the righteousness of Christ; something that reveals their true identity as believers. Apart from the Messiah, there are no other pathways to God, and no other means of gaining entry into His eternal kingdom. May we all possess a genuine faith in Jesus Christ.

“Lord Heavenly Father, give us more of Your Holy Spirit, that we might remain covered in the blood of Your Son. May we walk in humility as we experience the genuine salvation You have so graciously offered to us. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of You!