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July 21 - July 31, 2022
When sin entered the world, it broke the goodness of God’s design. And sin absolutely breaks God’s heart. But in no way did sin affect the goodness of God. He has a plan, a good plan to rid this world of every effect of sin. For the Eternal is on His way: yes, He is coming to judge the earth. He will set the world right by His standards, and by His faithfulness, He will examine the people. (PSALM 96:13 THE VOICE) Though we may get our hearts broken from the effects of sin in this in-between time, God’s goodness will eventually set the world right. In the meantime, we must hold fast to the
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“We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”1
have to keep my mind focused on what the Holy Spirit whispers, not what my flesh screams. And in my spirit I know God is good to me.
simply say, “God, I want Your truth to be the loudest voice in my life. Correct me. Comfort me. Come closer still. And I will trust. God, You are good at being God.”
God is good. God is good to me. God is good at being God. And today is yet
another page in our great love story.
Live from the abundant place that you are loved, and you won’t find yourself begging others for scraps of love.
We run at a breakneck pace to try and achieve what God simply wants us to slow down enough to receive.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (JOHN 15:7 NASB) Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (PSALM 37:4 ESV) Jesus doesn’t participate in the rat race. He’s into the slower rhythms of life, like abiding, delighting, and dwelling — all words that require us to trust Him with our place and our pace.
God’s love isn’t based on me. It’s simply placed on me. And it’s the place from which I should live … loved.
We must respect ourselves enough to break the pattern of placing unrealistic expectations on others. After all, people will not respect us more than we respect ourselves.
We have to tell our minds to live loved. But then we must also tell our flesh no.
The more we fill ourselves from His life-giving love, the less we will be dictated by the grabby-ness of the flesh. I want this. And I suspect you do too.
we grasp the full love of Christ, we won’t grab at other things to fill us. Or if we do, we’ll sense it.
grasp the love of Christ. I sense when I’m making choices that don’t reflect God’s love. I’m disgusted by those choices. I am willing to tell my flesh no. I’m just not sure how to tell my flesh no. When past rejections make me so prone to satisfying or at least numbing the flesh to avoid more pain, it’s hard to resist.
You are full, because Christ brought the fullness to you. Yes, I am fully loved, fully accepted, and fully empowered to say no to my flesh. Speak that truth in the power He’s given you. Believe that truth in the power He’s given you. Live that truth in the power He’s given you. That’s how you tell your flesh no. That’s how you live fully prepared in the fullness of God.
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything
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The more fully we invite God in, the less we will feel uninvited by others.
What we see will violate what we know unless what we know dictates what we see.
We leak out His fullness to make room for something else we want to chase.
There aren’t many sure things in this world. But God’s love and goodness are something we can absolutely count on to be there with us … to follow us.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
I can’t continue to fully embrace God while rejecting His ways.
We aren’t always able to see this clearly. Still, even when it seems otherwise, we must remember that sometimes when we feel rejected and passed over for someone else, when God seems busy elsewhere or even purposefully unmoving, the truth is He is at work, maybe doing something entirely beyond what we were thinking.
Jason
If we allow our thoughts to stink, that smell will leak out of every bit of us—our words, our actions, and especially our reactions.
Satan knows what consumes us controls us. Therefore the more consumed we are with rejection, the more he can control our emotions, our thinking, and our actions.
Today’s disappointment is making room for tomorrow’s appointment.
