Planted By The Waters

Jer. 17:7, 8

Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord...For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters, That spreads out its roots by the river; And will not fear the heat when it comes...

A tree is able to withstand the heat of the day because the tree is planted near a reservoir of water. The roots go down deep into the ground and tap into this water source. In the heat of the day, it will maintain its green lively leaves, and give forth fruit of its kind. Such is a person who taps into the living water of Christ. He is the source of life, the water that gives us the strength to face the hardships of life and difficult times when the heat of the day is more than we can bear. We can know without doubt and remain secure in our faith knowing that God will bring us through. Hold on, stay faithful, trust God, and believe that He is still in control. 

Put Off and Put On

Eph 4:22

Regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires.... and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature]..

The way we lived before coming to Christ will look different for everyone. Before Christ, we looked at life through a different lens. In our sinful state, we were focused on our own desires and contentment. For some, it may have been the pursuit of a career and financial security. Others focus on personal and social relationships, and there were those who looked for contentment by partaking of the pleasures of sin. But we have come face to face with Christ, and our way of life has changed. The looking glass of life has been renewed and we now see life through the eyes of Christ. Life takes on a new perspective, we may still desire to have career goals, social relationships, and even some of the pleasures of life that God has blessed us with.  But we now seek to please our Creator in everything we do. Christ is the center of our life and through the help of the Holy Spirit, we put on behaviors that will please Him.

Follow Your Heart

Proverbs 23;7

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates].

Outward appearance and action can be deceiving. Jesus speaks of the Pharisees who appear to be spotless on the outside keeping all the rules and religious practices, but they were filthy and dirty inside. Even acts of charity and good deeds do not speak to the real condition of the heart. From the heart, springs the true nature of humanity. In its natural state, the heart is sinful and self-serving. That is why following your heart is not always the best answer for making life changing choices. It is a heart that seeks first the kingdom of God, and sees the need for a cleansing of the heart, then it can be trusted. A heart that follows God will manifest behaviors that truly demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. Always follow your heart if your heart is right with God

Striving into the Kingdom

 Luke 13:24

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

The scripture is clear that salvation cannot be obtained through works, no amount of good deeds, or self effort is enough to secure our place in the kingdom. But, it is also clear that there is a role we play in having full salvation. Jesus said, “Strive to enter'' What is it that we strive for? The doorway to heaven is through Christ. We must strive to put our faith in Jesus. He is the only way to the Father. We strive to trust God to keep us in the path of righteousness. We are tempted daily, but we strive for the grace of God to bring us through temptation. Striving is to make a great effort to achieve a goal or obtain something. Striving is essential to maintain a life that pleases God. By faith we strive to accept Christ, and it is by striving that we enter into the straight gate into the kingdom of God.

Live in the Spirit

 Gal 5:24-25

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

If Christ owns our life, then our sinful affections and desires have been nailed to the cross of Christ. We now live in the Spirit and the fruits (attitude, actions, affections) of our lives now reflect the life of Christ. We no longer live and follow the ways of the flesh if we continue to walk according to the fruits of the Spirit.

He Loves Us

 Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

The judgments of God are real and He will someday judge each one of us of the deeds that we’re done with the time He has given us in this world. We will be judged on the choices that we have made. Did we choose to give our hearts to Jesus? There is a judgment day coming, but today we live in a time of grace. The good news is that Jesus loves us. He looks upon us with mercy, grace, and love. God the Father is not willing that any should be judged to eternal damnation. He loved us so that He sent His Son in the form of a man to die and take on the wages of sin, and sent the Holy Spirit to us to lead and guide us into all truth and holy living. His love will bring a rest to the soul, His love will quiet the trouble waters in our lives. His love will sing forth our name and give us peace.

Don't Be Anxious

 Philip 4:6 & 13

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God...I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Impossible! Being anxious is part of human nature, right? The definition of being anxious: worried, concerned, uneasy, apprehensive, fearful, perturbed, troubled, bothered, disturbed, distressed, disquieted, fretful. All of these words describe a person who has forgotten that God is in control, and having such feelings and thoughts will lead to despair. Our human reaction is often displayed in this way. Like temptation, we have a choice to make. Scripture admonishes us to take all our worries and concerns to God in prayer, put our trust in Him, lean not to our own understanding, trust and surrender our lives and situation to Him. We can do this! How? “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”