His Footsteps Our Pathway...

Righteousness will go before Him And will make His footsteps into a way [in which to walk].—Ps 85:13 AMP

Righteousness will go before Him,

And shall make His footsteps our pathway.—Ps 85:13 NKJV

I LOVE that the way to live is right here in the Psalms.  Jesus is the way the truth and the light.  No one comes to the Father but through Him.  When we believe, Christ clothes us in His righteousness and sets us in the way of His steps.  He goes before us and makes the crooked places straight.  He makes perfect that which concerns us and performs all things for us.  He brings us to the Father...He is our guide unto death and into glory.  

Psalm 119:35 (KJV)

Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

Ephesians 5:1,2 (KJV)

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV)

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Philippians 2:5-8 (KJV)

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Hebrews 12:1,2 (KJV)

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 Peter 2:18-24 (KJV)

18 Servants, [be] subject to [your] masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this [is] thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory [is it], if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Eternal Comfort and Good Hope...

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, ESV)

I really like how Paul makes this benediction so personal in that he asks that the Lord Jesus Christ HIMSELF and God our Father comfort our hearts.  May  the One who gave Himself for us to give us ETERNAL consolation....may He be the true source of all our comfort, encouragement and strength.  When God comforts me, He also establishes me because the consolation I receive enables me to persevere in His ways and not waver in faith.  It is His faithful Presence with me that makes it possible for me to be established and to endure.  It’s all grace! 

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  (Isaiah 41:10, ESV)

May Fulfill Every Resolve for Good..

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, ESV)

There are so many good examples of prayer in Scripture and this one is no exception.  Oh, that I might behave in ways that are consistent with my identity as a follower of Jesus...that His will might be fulfilled in me and that my life might be marked by His goodness and His powerful works of faith.  Father, be glorified in me...make this the end and aim of all that I do and all that I desire. 

The phrase ‘may fulfill every resolve for good” really gave me encouragement this morning. 

I don’t know about you but my Bible journal is replete with my resolves for good...not because I am good, but because it is equally replete with my sin and failure.  My sin is ALWAYS  before me.   As it says in Psalm 38 my iniquities have gone over my head.  Like a burden they are too heavy for me.  It encouraged my heart this morning to know that God sees those resolves for good...remembers them...and by His Spirit that works in me, brings them to fulfillment.  

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.—Matt 11:28

My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.—Psalm 73:26

A Quiet Life...

that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you—1 Thessalonians 4:11

I have always been attracted to the picture this verse paints.   I want to be the one who leads a quiet life, who minds her own business and works with her hands.  1 Peter 3:4 is similar...it tells us to “let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”  I want that too!  Spending time minding other people’s business and/or attempting to make me look good on the outside takes a lot of my energy and causes disquietude not only in my heart but usually in the hearts of others, also.  It uses energy that could be better spent more aspiring to lead a quiet life.  Energy that could be spent working with my hands to aid the smooth running of my household.  Energy that could be spent helping provide for the needs of others. Energy that could be spent focusing on those things that are above that bring stability and peace...that enable me to be the one whose soul rests easy even in the midst of difficulty.  My life is quiet...free from external disturbances...because I am minding my own business.  My life is peaceful...free from internal disturbances...because my has been spent staying focused on Him.  

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.  And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,—2 Corinthians 3:2-5

The Way of Man is Not In Himself - Jeremiah 10:23

O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself;

It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.—Jeremiah 10:23

When I read verses like this, I rejoice and settle down to read more about how incapable I am of directing my own steps. God had a plan for Jeremiah before he was even born...He has one for me too. (Ps 139).  I love knowing and being assured of that it is not in me to get through this life on my own. It takes the pressure that I lived with for far too many years off of me and that is such a good thing. (casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you). I looked up weakness in my Thompson Chain...posting pictures of some of the verses that brought comfort and peace to my heart this am. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.—Prov 3:5-6

A man's heart plans his way,

But the LORD directs his steps.—Prov 16:9

Filled With the Fullness of God...

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,—Colossians 1:19

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.—Colossians 2:8-10

Praying this morning that none of us are deceived by the philosophies, lies and futility of life that is not according to Christ.  We who are broken are made whole in Christ.  We are complete in Him...accepted in the Beloved.  All His spiritual resources are ours.  Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount tells us, “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.”  With what are we filled?  We are filled with the One who “brought us out of the land of Egypt”.   The One who tells us to open our mouths wide and He will fill them.  We are filled with the One that wants us to know the blessings of His gospel, the love of His Son and the knowledge of His will. We are filled with all wisdom and spiritual understanding until we come to the unity of the faith, to a perfect man...to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.  

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.—John 1:16

But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."—John 6:68-69

Jeremiah...

O my soul, my soul!

I am pained in my very heart!

My heart makes a noise in me;

I cannot hold my peace,

Because you have heard, O my soul,

The sound of the trumpet,

The alarm of war.

20 Destruction upon destruction is cried,

For the whole land is plundered.

Suddenly my tents are plundered,

And my curtains in a moment.

21 How long will I see the standard,

And hear the sound of the trumpet?

22 "For My people are foolish,

They have not known Me.

They are silly children,

And they have no understanding.

They are wise to do evil,

But to do good they have no knowledge."—Jeremiah 4:19-22

I LOVE Jeremiah.  The more you read the book, the more you love him.  He truly and sincerely loved God’s people.  His heart was for them as well as broken for them.  He preached and preached for 42 years and nobody listened.  In fact, Chapter 7 tells us the sad result of his preaching...the people went backward and not forward.  

But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.' "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.—Jeremiah 7:23-24

 I want to endure as this man endured.  I want to be faithful as Jeremiah was faithful.  I cannot imagine the discouragement he must have often felt preaching a message that no one wanted to hear...a message that made him the focus of jokes, ridicule, humiliation and torture...a message to which no one responded.  I think John MacArthur sums up Jeremiah perfectly:

“He is an intensely human personality, this Jeremiah. He is very human. And yet his humanity does not explain the power of his preaching and the relentless endurance of his faithfulness. He is a man who is mysteriously endowed with power from on high to survive the rejection that marked his entire life. He is so humanly weak that he can’t stop crying, and yet he is so unassailably strong that he will not yield and compromise. He is a powerful personality. He is a lovable personality.”

What an example to us!  Praying I can be faithful to do what my God has called me to do and remember that the results of my obedience are not up to me...they are thankfully in God’s hands.  Praying also, that I draw near to God in brokenness and heartfelt, fervent prayer for the people He has sovereignly placed in my path.  

God’s Sovereign Hand...

But God is the Judge:

He puts down one,

And exalts another.—Psalm 75:8

God’s sovereign hand IS ALWAYS a comfort to my heart.  The Lord reigns!  Let the earth and all its people rejoice.  The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.  Blessed are the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.  There is a God, and His Divine providence brings comfort to those who put their trust in Him.  If God is for us who can be against us? Nothing happens to me or to you by chance...All that we go through phases through His hand and He overrules all for our good and His glory.  I forget this...I focus on those things that are seen and “forget” that my unseen Lord is at work, as Spurgeon says, “behind and within the cloud.”  God only is; all power belongs to him; all else is shadow, coming and going, unsubstantial, misty, dream like.”  Ending with Psalm 33 which depicts God’s sovereignty and praises Him for His goodness and His power. 

Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!

For praise from the upright is beautiful.

2 Praise the LORD with the harp;

Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.

3 Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

4 For the word of the LORD is right,

And all His work is done in truth.

5 He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,

And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;fn

He lays up the deep in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

9 For He spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.

11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

13 The LORD looks from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men.

14 From the place of His dwelling He looks

On all the inhabitants of the earth;

15 He fashions their hearts individually;

He considers all their works.

16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army;

A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for safety;

Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD;

He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.

This is the Fast that I have Chosen...

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?  Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.  Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.  And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.  (Isaiah 58:6-11, ESV)

In 58:3 the people complained that God had not noticed or responded when the sought Him daily and fasted.  God responds by telling them that their worship was shallow without a right heart.  James tells us that religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. He also tells us that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  God will be responsive when their hearts are truly repentant and they are converted. When they stop acting wickedly toward others, and instead, respond toward them with love.  This is when God will pour out His blessings This is when He will guide them continually.  This is when they will be like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."  

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11, ESV)

The Lord is Near to the Brokenhearted...

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.  (Isaiah 57:15, ESV)

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.  (Psalms 34:18) For though the LORD is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar.  (Psalms 138:6) A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice.  (Isaiah 42:3). For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  (Luke 1:49)

Isaiah 54:4-8

"Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.  For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.  For the LORD has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God.  For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.  In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer. —Isaiah 54:4-8

It is important to know what the Scriptures say for many, many reasons, but today it is important because it helps me take the long view as my God gently and kindly guides me through this vale of tears.

His word speaks truth over my life and helps me to remember that someday soon my trials will end.  My life and my world will not always be sorrow and suffering.  Glory awaits!    God is speaking to Israel here as she is often pictured as the wife of Jehovah.  Similarly, in the New Testament the church is referred to as the a bride of Christ.  Like Israel, God is our Maker and our Redeemer.  The “little wrath” (vs 8) that God inflicted on His people Israel for their rebellion will be eclipsed by His “everlasting love” with which He will have compassion on them.  Our relationship with Christ makes us “forget” (vs 4) our past and our reproach. We have put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians tells us that this new man is also renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.  Here we see only the edges of His everlasting lovingkindness toward us who believe.  We catch glimpses of His majesty as we seek Him.  It is enough...Our God always meets us at our point of need.  He is sufficient.  His Spirit dwells in us and bears our burdens.

Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.—Isaiah 46:4

We can look forward to the time when we will consider the sufferings of this present time as not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.

"O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.  I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones.—Isaiah 54:11-12

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.—Isaiah 54:10

The Pleasure of the Lord...

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin,

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.—Isaiah53:10-11a

Though Jesus did not deserve to die, it was the will of the Lord for Him to be “crushed”. 

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."—Matt 26:39

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."—Matt 26:42

He made His (Jesus) soul a guilt offering for sin.  Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!—John 1:29

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His day’s...Jesus rose from the dead and lives and reigns forever.  

Verse 10b and the first part of verse 11 is my favorite because it is what I want in my own life...

“the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.”

The one time sacrifice of the Lord’s Servant provided complete satisfaction in settling the sin issue.  Jesus saw the labor of His soul and was satisfied.  His work was not in vain.   

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.

I want my life to embody all that my God wants for it. I want the pleasure of the Lord to prosper in my hand and in my life. I want to see the labor of my own soul and be satisfied.  I can follow Jesus’ example and surrender, by His Spirit who lives in me, to His will and place my confidence, like He did, in God.  

And then one day, I'll cross the river

I'll fight life's final war with pain

And then, as death gives way to victory

I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He reigns

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living, just because He lives

—Because He Lives by Kristin Chenoweth

And Be Kind to One Another...

Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

What a beautiful exhortation!  What a perfect verse to take with us today and allow the Spirit to work it into our hearts and lives as we surrender to His leading.

Isaiah 48:50

As I read through Isaiah 48-50 this morning, I felt like I was walking on Holy ground.  God is speaking through Isaiah to the people of Israel, but also to me and to each of us.   It is always amazing to me how the word of God can do what no other book that I have read can do.  On the surface the message is clearly for someone else but as we read it , we can often hear our God speak to our own hearts to instruct, encourage and comfort. Today, His word through Isaiah did all three.

For example in Isaiah Chapter 49, Jesus speaks and declares His mission. In 49:3 He tells Israel that she is His servant in whom He will be glorified.

And in verse 4 hear the heart of Jesus...

Then I said, 'I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;
Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD,
And my work with my God.' "

Don’t you feel like that at times...like you have labored in vain and have spent your strength for nothing?  You are not alone, Jesus suffered the same things and His footsteps are our pathway.  How did He handle discouragement as a Man?  The same way we need to...by placing our confidence in God.  “Surely, my just reward is with The Lord and my work with my God.” ❤️

God has a purpose for each and every moment of the life we live in this fallen world.  He has chosen us in Him since before the foundation of the world.  He heard Jesus’ prayer and He will hear ours because we are accepted in the Beloved.

Thus says the LORD:

"In an acceptable time I have heard You,
And in the day of salvation I have helped You;
I will preserve You and give You
As a covenant to the people,
To restore the earth,
To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;—Isaiah 49:8

We can trust Him...we can sing for the Lord has comforted His people and will have mercy on His afflicted. He will not forget us, we are inscribed on the palms of His hands and our “walls” are continually before Him.

Filled with all the Fulness of God...

Eph 3:14-19; Eph 4:13

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,—Eph 4:13

Do this work in Your people, Father!  Give us hearts that seek Your will and follow hard after You.  Bring each of us to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Your Son. This verse brought yesterday’s reading to mind.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.—Eph 3:14-19

"Filled with all the fullness of God."  THAT is what I want for me...THAT is what I want for all those that my God has given me to love.  To be so strong spiritually as to be filled with His divine love.  Totally and utterly governed and ruled not by the things of the world but by the things of God.  Focused not on the earthly but on what is eternal in the heavens.  So totally dominated by Him that there is nothing left of SELF!  Filled with Christ...filled with the Spirit and filled with God!  I want to see Your greatness in my life and in the lives of those that I love, Father...Your majesty and glory...Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.--Ephesians 3:20-21 

I Will Go Before You...

'I will go before you
And make the crooked places straight;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places,
That you may know that I, the LORD,
Who call you by your name,
Am the God of Israel.—Isaiah 45:2-3

This was said to Cyrus, but it is also there for you and for me...

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.—Romans 15:4

Let us press on then in faith and by faith knowing who our God is...He WILL go before us..He WILL make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  The crooked places WILL be made straight and He WILL remove obstacles before us. We will go forward in the strength of our God.  As Spurgeon says “no battering ram needed!”  He will do the impossible...the gates of bronze will be broken in pieces and the iron bars which fastened them cut.  When Cyrus and His armies conquered Babylon they took all its precious treasures.  As we walk through our trials allowing God to go before us, we rejoice because we know that God’s purpose in allowing trouble is to test the reality of our faith.   When we come through the wilderness leaning on our Beloved, we are given something more precious than what Cyrus received...tried and proven...precious faith.

This He will do so that we may know that He is a God and beside Him there is no other.

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.Ephesians 3:16-21

The Everlasting God...

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.—Isaiah 40:28-31

I read these verses last night and they so helped my heart.  God is so faithful to always meet us at our point of need. Sometimes I forget Who dwells inside me.  Have you not known, Isaiah begins....Have you not heard??? The everlasting God, the LORD,  The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

God has got me and my problems covered...He doesn't get tired and His understanding is unsearchable.  He knows what I am going through and He knows the state of my heart.  Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Isaiah goes on to remind us (me) that He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases their strength.  I am without strength and weak....BUT that is a good thing because His strength is made perfect in weakness.  He will uphold me. He will hedge me behind and before.  Colossians 1:11 says, "He will strengthen me with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy."

At my weakest I can cry out to Him with gladness knowing He has enough for both of us.  And as I cry out, my eyes fill with His goodness and mercy and love toward me.  I am poor and needy and yet the Lord thinks on me!

My strength will be renewed as I wait on the Lord.  I like to see the phrase  "wait on the Lord" as Jon Courson explains it.  I am the Lord's waiter.  I am serving Him here on earth and doing those things that He has prepared beforehand for me to do.  My job is to please Him and honor Him here as I journey through this vale of tears.   I am to spend time with Him in worship, in thanksgiving, in prayer and in the study and meditation of His word.  I am to look for ways to love those He has placed in my path with the love that He Himself has shed abroad in my heart.  I am here for Him...my life is about Him...not me.

Whatever He sends me is good and is for my good and His glory.  And as I go through this life there will be times like tonight when my strength is spent and my heart is weak.  Here is what I know: He will be gracious to me...He will incline His ear to me and hear my cry...He will strengthen my heart...He will be good to me...He will renew my strength...He will not leave me nor forsake me and in Him I have everything I need.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion.--Psalm 84:5-7

Bear One Another’s Burdens...

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.—Galatians 6:2

I knew what bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ  meant, but I never thought about why Paul would be saying it in the context of the book of Galatians.  The Judaizers (legalists) were distorting the true Gospel of Christ by adding to it the requirements of the law as prerequisites for salvation. They were destroying grace and burdening the people with that which Christ died to set them free.  Paul is saying, in effect, if you want to fulfill the law, then love the people God has placed in your life by helping them then bear their burdens...this fulfills the law because this is love and love (Christ) embodies and fulfills the whole law.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."—John 13:34-35

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.—Philippians 2:3-4

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.  See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.—1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.—Galatians 6:9-10

Fruits of the Spirit...

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16, ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

We have, living inside us as believers, the power to live to please God. God’s precious Holy Spirit dwells in us and as we submit to the Spirit’s control (obey His word) our spirit grows stronger and we begin to look more and more like Jesus.  I looked up the word walk here and it is translated as a continuous action or a habitual lifestyle.  Walking also implies progress...hence as we submit to the Spirit’s power our flesh shrinks and our spirit is strengthened. The fruit of the Spirit in our lives becomes evident.  John MacArthur defines the fruit of the Spirit this way.  They are

“Godly attitudes that characterize the lives of only those who belong to God by faith in Christ and possess the Spirit of God.”

It is the Spirit that produces the fruit as we abide and cling to the Vine. I love how John MacArthur defines them...

Love - One of several Greek words for love, agape is the love of choice, referring not to an emotional affection, physical attraction, or a familial bond, but to respect, devotion, and affection that leads to willing, self-sacrificial service.  (John 15:13, Romans 5:8, 1 John 3:16-17)

Joy - A happiness based on unchanging divine promises and eternal spiritual realities. It is the sense of well-being experienced by one who knows all is well between himself and the Lord.  (1 Peter 1:8). Joy is not the result of favorable circumstances, and even occurs when those circumstances are the most painful and severe (John 16:20-22). Joy is a gift from God, and as such, believers are not to manufacture it but to delight in the blessing they already possess. (Romans 14:17,Phil 4:4)

Peace - The inner calm that results from confidence in one’s saving relationship with Christ. The verb form denotes binding together and is reflected in the expression “having it all together.” Like joy, peace is not related to one’s circumstances (John 14:27, Romans 8:28, Phil 4:6-7; 9).

patience. The ability to endure injuries inflicted by others and the willingness to accept irritating or painful situations (Eph 4:2, Col 3:12, 1 Tim 1:15-16).

kindness. Tender concern for others, reflected in a desire to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats all believers (Matt 11:28-29; 19:13-14, 2 Tim 2:24)

goodness. Moral and spiritual excellence manifested in active kindness (Romans 5:7). Believers are commanded to exemplify goodness (Gal 6:10; 2 Thess 1:11)

faithfulness. Loyalty and trustworthiness (Lam 3:22; Phil 2:7-9; 1 Thess 5:24; Rev 2:10)

gentleness. Better translated “meekness.” It is a humble and gentle attitude that is patiently submissive in every offense, while having no desire for revenge or retribution. In the NT, it is used to describe three attitudes: submission to the will of God (Col 3:12), teachability (James 1:12), and consideration of others (Ephes 4:2).

self-control -  This refers to restraining passions and appetites (1 Cor 9:25; 2 Peter 1:5-6)

When a Christian walks by the Spirit and manifests his fruit, he needs no external law to produce the attitudes and behavior that please God (Romans 8:4).

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:14, ESV)

Freedom in Christ...

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.—Galatians 5:13-15

The word “opportunity” used in verse 13 according to John MacArthur, was often used to refer to a central base of military operations.  The freedom Christians have is not to be used as a base from which they can sin freely and without consequence.  As born again believers, we ARE called to freedom...our freedom, however, is in Christ.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. —Romans 8:2

Our freedom in Christ is to be used for the benefit of others and perhaps by God’s grace, win them to Christ.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. (1 Corinthians 9:19, ESV)

The key to this passage from my perspective is the word love used in conjunction with serving in verse 14.  The OT and the NT agree...love fulfills the law.  Love is the ruling principle of both.

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."—Matthew 22:36-40

When legalism reigns, love is lacking.  The outward requirements of the law become more important than the inward. Legalism misses the heart.  It overlooks and dismisses the people Christ died to save.  The best imagery for me of what happens among believers in the spiritual realm when love is lacking is aptly stated in verse 15...we bite, devour and are consumed by one another. Pretty graphic picture and a stark warning.