I went from Job, to John and then to 1 Thessalonians 5 today in my study of His word. In Job 22:2, Eliphaz asks if a man can be profitable to God. Can he add anything to God? As I read these verses, I thanked God that His purposes do not rest with me. God accomplishes His purposes in spite of me. He is complete without me. He has, however, called me as His bondslave and desires me to be a vessel set aside for His purposes....to bear fruit for Him. My God gives me the opportunity to be a vessel through which He works. What a privilege! He doesn't need any of us, but in His gracious love, He has chosen to accomplish His purposes through us...and then rewards us accordingly!!! My job is to rest in Him and be obedient...the results are up to Him.
John 15 speaks of abiding. To abide means this:
A primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): - abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own.
This is our job as Christians....abiding in Him...Abiding brings a life of: fruitfulness (15:5), answered prayer (15:7), living in His love (15:10), and fullness of joy (15:11). My job is to abide in Him...to stay present with Him. In order to stay present with Him I cannot walk in my own ways, but must stay on His path. Scripture tells us that all the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to those who abide and obey. John 15 also tells us that without Him we can do nothing. Without Him, we wither and die and are without hope. In Him we are a tree planted by the rivers of water whose leaves never wither, and that whatever we do will prosper! Truly our hope now and forever is in Him.
We, as believers, are set aside for His purposes, and in order to accomplish these purposes we must abide, that is, "stay close to" Him....How do we stay close? We stay in His will...we obey His word. We sit at His feet and learn from Him. 1Thessalonians 5:16 and 17 gives us three short exhortations declaring the will of God to us. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (Me!)
Rejoice because God has forgiven your sins and you now have the sure and certain hope of eternal life with Him.
Pray without ceasing that His work would be done in you and through you. Pray that you would stay in His presence always and live in communion with Him. Pray that truly in Him you would live, move and have your being.
In everything give thanks because...IT IS NOT UP TO YOU! It is not your battle nor is it your burden. Your job is just to obey and abide...which really are one and the same! We can give thanks also because we know that our work is not in vain in the Lord...that whatever comes to us is from Him. That nothing can happen to us except that God allows it and if He allows it, He has a purpose for it. We can rejoice because surely goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives and that He works all together for good in our lives.
Now it is easy not to rejoice and not to be thankful...it takes a concerted effort and a work of the Spirit of God in your heart to walk in the commands of 1 Thessalonians 5:16 and 17. Pray with me that by His grace and mercy that this will be your desire and as you pray He surely will give you this desire and as He does...grab the opportunity He is giving you and make a practice of doing it. Watch the blessings that come!! This is the secret to abundant life in Him...acceptance with joy of all that He has knowing that it is from Him and it is good!
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