Led by the Spirit

How do you live? What are you chasing? What do you work for? What are you seeking? How do you determine what you pursue? Is it all about what you want? Or are you guided by something bigger than you? Are you being led by the Spirit? Do you know how to follow the Spirit?

Each of us follow guiding principles of one sort or another. We may be able to identify them, recite them, or write them down. Yet, they are there anyway. The real question is, where did they come from? They may be good and yet not the best.

If we are chasing after the desires of the flesh, we are not following the Spirit. In other words, we are not following God. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the things of this world. We absolutely can. It simply means chasing after what this world has to offer is not following God’s commands. But if we follow his commands, the things of this world come with it. The opposite is not true.

When we choose the follow the Spirit, we no longer need to worry about the law. Though the Apostle Paul was referencing the Old Testament law of God, it applies to our laws today. Think not? If we are following the Spirit, he would not lead us into trouble with the law. For the Spirit will only lead us to follow God’s law, principles, and guidance.

I pray we all give up the desires of the flesh. I pray we choose to follow the Spirit. I pray each one of us trust the Spirit will lead us according to God’s plan, following his law, principles, and guidance. Give up the world. Follow the Spirit. Trust the Spirit. He lead you on God’s path.

Galatians 5:16-18 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.

Set Free

What comes to mind when you hear the word freedom? Do you think of being able to do whatever you want? Do you think of financial freedom? Do you think of being free to make your own choices? Do you think of freedom as being the opposite of slavery?

Freedom can mean different things to different people. It can mean getting away from a bad relationship. It can mean paying off your home or car loan. It can mean moving out of your parents’ house. It can also mean escaping from being oppressed or enslaved.

Our American culture often points freedom to our ability to seek a job where we want, earn a livable wage, and pursue the American dream of owning a house, having a spouse and children. We know that freedom came at a cost. Unfortunately, our culture has carried freedom to a level it was never meant to go—doing and saying whatever you want. With freedom comes responsibility.

Freedom, as the Apostle Paul speaks of it, is being free to obey God’s commands, no longer governed by our culture. Freedom to love everyone. In fact, Paul states, as part of his discourse on freedom, that the whole law is summed up in Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself. His point is our freedom is the very reason why we should love everyone.

Our freedom in Christ came at a cost, just as our freedom as Americans came at a cost. This freedom comes with responsibility as well. Paul is implying that responsibility when he tells us to serve one another, rather than using our freedom for self-indulgence. In other words, don’t be selfish, be selfless. We are free to do that because Christ broke the shackles Satan had on us.

I pray we all know we have been set free. I pray we understand that with freedom comes responsibility. I pray each one of us use our freedom to love and serve one another. You are set free. Be responsible with your freedom. Love one another. Serve one another. Obey Jesus’ commands.

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another.

God’s Mighty Deeds

Where do you turn when trouble hits? Do you try to recall better days? Do you remember the carefree days of your childhood? Do you remember the glory days of high school sports? Do you remember winning a medal at a state competition? Do you remember what God has done?

Troubling times can make us weary to the bone. We may find it very difficult to get through them. We may prefer to curl up in a ball and hope they simply disappear. Our approach to those troubling times will dictate how well we survive them.

Recalling what God has done for us in the past can be a huge help for us in troubling times. They remind us that God cares. They remind us that he will never leave us alone. They remind us that God is in control, even if we doubt that he is. For God has done a plethora of good things for each of us. It’s a matter of whether we give him credit or try to take it for ourselves.

Additionally, praising God for what he has done for us will lift our spirits. When we concentrate on his wonderful works and give him the credit, it boosts our confidence that he will come through again. When we acknowledge that God is holy and his ways are far above our ways, we remember that we are trust him in all circumstances. Doing so will carry us through the troubling times and bring out a better person on the other side of them.

I pray we all recall the wonderful deeds of God. I pray we trust that he is always with us. I pray each one of us praise God during troubling times so that our spirits will be lifted. Remember God’s works. Trust that he is in control. Believe that he is always with you. Praise God for all he has done for you.

Psalm 77:11-14

I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; 

I will remember your wonders of old. 

I will meditate on all your work 

and muse on your mighty deeds. 

Your way, O God, is holy. 

What god is so great as our God? 

You are the God who works wonders; 

you have displayed your might among the peoples.

Faith of a Child

What is it you desire most? Do you secretly desire fame and fortune? What do you long for deep down inside, something you won’t tell anyone else about? Is it a new job? Is it a new car? Do you want to move to another city, state, or country? Are you longing for God?

When we are young, there are things we desire. It may be a specific vehicle, job, status, or ability. If we do not achieve those by middle age, this desire can lead to a mid-life crisis, if that desire has not relented. Failing to achieve it can cause us to feel like failures.

Elisha had a desire. His opportunity was presented to him when Elijah asked him what he wanted. Elisha knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to ask for his hidden desire. So, Elisha asked Elijah for something that Elijah could not give him on his own. It would require God to give it to Elisha. Yet, Elijah had a very special relationship with God.

We may believe that God doesn’t do things like this today. We may believe there is no one who has that type of relationship with God today. Yet, we must never underestimate God working in this world in whatever way he decides. We must not completely discount the possibility that someone has a very special relationship with God.

Often our faith, or lack thereof, holds us back. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:1-5 that we must be like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. This translates to us believing God is capable of anything and trusting he will always provide, just as a child trust in their parents. When we have that kind of faith, anything is possible.

I pray we all believe that anything is possible with God. I pray we trust that God will always provide. I pray each one of us will have faith in God as a child has faith in their parents. Believe God can do anything. Trust God to provide. Have the faith of a child. Humble yourself before God.

2 Kings 2:9-10 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He responded, “You have asked a hard thing, yet if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.”

Mentor and God

Do you have a close friend you would do anything for? Would you go anywhere with them? Have you had a mentor you believe in? Would you follow them wherever they may lead you? Do you like stories about people who have a bond so close they cannot be separated?

Having close friends we would do anything for and who would do anything for us is wonderful. Knowing you can count on someone is comforting. Knowing they can count you us is a confidence builder. Both parties are all the better because of the other.

Having a wonderful mentor who teaches us how to be successful in life is priceless. For as we grow older, we realize success in life is not all about money. A great mentor will teach us that and show us how to succeed in life without material possessions. A mentor such as this is worth more than any amount of money we can ever accumulate.

Elijah and Elisha had a mentor – mentee relationship. Elijah was the great mentor who taught Elisha what it meant to follow God, to listen for him, and to commit his whole self to him. Elisha soaked in what Elijah taught him and committed himself, not only to God, but to Elijah as well. Elisha would not allow Elijah to run off and leave him. So, Elisha followed Elijah wherever he went. We can follow Elisha’s example by following God and a great mentor.

I pray we all have a great mentor we can follow. I pray we learn from that mentor how to succeed in life. I pray each one of us chooses to follow God just as Elijah and Elisha did. Follow your mentor. Be a great mentor. Learn to succeed in life. Choose to follow God.

2 Kings 2:1-2 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

Walk in the Light

Have you ever stopped to notice light? Have you noticed what happens when you turn on a light in a dark room? Have you noticed the difference in light at night when there is a full moon rather than just a sliver? Have you thought about how that can apply in your life?

Light eliminates darkness. When a turn is turned on in a dark room, all darkness is gone, no matter how dark it had been. A full moon can brighten the night so well, you can walk around outside just as well as if it were day.

Light bounces off objects and continues to spread. You don’t think so? Go into a dark room with a flashlight. Turn the flashlight on and point it at the ceiling. You will see the entire room light up. It is reflecting off the ceiling to dispel the darkness. That same kind of reflection should happen within us.

When we accept Jesus into our hearts, His light should reflect from us to those around us. If we are truly walking in His ways, His light will shine wherever we go in whatever we do and say. As John states in the next few verses following the passage below, if we say we are in fellowship with God but there is no light, we are lying to ourselves and others.

We may think John is being harsh, yet he is stating the truth. We cannot claim to be following Jesus and act like the rest of the world. No, we must act as Jesus acted, say what He said, and treat people as He treated people, whether they are friend or foe. Otherwise, we are nothing more than hypocrites.

I pray we all know that God is light. I pray we choose to follow Jesus. I pray each one of us welcomes the light of Christ in us and shares that light with everyone we encounter. God is light. Follow Jesus. Welcome the light of Jesus. Share the light of Jesus. Proclaim the gospel.

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.

Bow to Jesus

What is your reaction when you meet someone of high importance? How have you reacted when you have met a CEO, president, actor, sports figure, or newscaster? Have you been in awe? Have you told others about your meeting? How will you react when you meet Jesus?

Meeting people of high importance can cause us to be in awe of them. We only see them from a distance or on television. Being close to them, perhaps even shaking their hand and having a conversation, is exciting. We like to tell others about our encounter with them.

Meeting famous or important people also can give us a sense of importance ourselves. We may think we connected with them, and they will remember us. Unfortunately, most of them will not remember us. They meet so many people as they tour the country or world that they cannot remember everyone they meet.

There is One who will remember us. In fact, He does remember us every day. He intercedes for us every day. Will we fall down at His feet? The man who had been tormented by demons did. When Jesus expelled His demons, the man worried that Jesus would torment him as well. Jesus had no such idea in mind. Instead, Jesus sent him home and told him to declare what God had done for him.

We should do the same. Each of us has our own issues. As Jesus removes them from us, we should declare what God has done for us. It is our declaration that we tell others about Jesus. This is how we spread the gospel. This is how we convince others to come to Him and be made whole. It is doing the work of God on earth.

I pray we all bow to Jesus. I pray we know that He remembers us every day. I pray each one of us will tell others what God has done for us, spreading the gospel, and bringing others to Jesus. Bow to Jesus. Know that He remembers you. Tell others what He has done for you. Spread the gospel.

Luke 8:28-29a When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, shouting, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me,” for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.

All the Same

Do you feel like others look down you? Do you look down on others? Have you realized you are equal to everyone else and everyone else is equal to you? Do you know that we all are the same in the eyes of God? Have you allowed that to sink into your heart and mind?

This world is full of people who think they are better than others. Many of them are in our workplaces, schools, and other organizations. Unfortunately, some of them are in our churches. But God does not see any one of us as being better than another.

We all agree we are sinners and need God’s grace. We all agree that Jesus died for each one of us. Yet, we often look at others as being less than we are. How unfortunate. Not only for them but for ourselves as well. We lose out on getting to know many people, who God created, by thinking we are better than others.

The Apostle Paul tells us that because we are all baptized into Christ, we are all clothed the same, that being in Christ. We are all same in God’s eyes. It doesn’t matter our race, gender, nor our occupation. God uses those qualities and skills to further his work on earth. After all, he is the one who gave them to us. Yet, we are not to use them to think we are better than those with different qualities. See one another as equals and seek to learn something from one another.

I pray we all know that we are the same in God’s eyes. I pray we know that God uses our differences to further his work. I pray each one of us stop thinking we are better than others. We are all the same in God’s eyes. God uses our differences. Stop looking down on others.

Galatians 3:27-28 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Law vs Faith

How well do you fall every law in the nation, state, and local area in which you live? Are there some laws you ignore? Do you attempt to obey them all? Have you found it near impossible to obey every law? Have you considered the consequences for breaking a law?

Obeying every law in the land is difficult to do. Some of them seem downright silly in our minds. For instance, in Alabama it is illegal to drive blindfolded. None of us would consider doing (other than a teenage practical joke), but we may consider texting while driving.

Here is another example of a law we might ignore: in Maryland it is illegal to wear sleeveless shirts in a public park. Really? What if you take your shirt off? Silly, right? But most laws are put in place for safety and for good order, while others are instituted to support government operations. Though we may think some are silly, someone thought they were necessary and received enough votes in congress to make them laws.

The same is not true of God’s laws. The laws he gave the Israelites were solely his. Yet, they were for their safety and good order. They were laws that included everyday living as well as directions for worship. God gave his law to Moses to be passed to the Israelites. Those first ten commandments are still valid today, thousands of years later.

But when Jesus came, He fulfilled the law of God perfectly. His sacrifice eliminated the need for sacrifices. His sacrifice made faith in Him what saves us rather than perfectly obeying the law. Sure, we should do our best to obey God’s commands, but when we fall short, we are forgiven by the blood of Jesus. It is God’s love for us and love for him that makes our lives complete.

I pray we all seek to obey God’s commands. I pray we put our faith in Jesus Christ. I pray each one of us love God with our whole heart and know that God will forgive us when we fall short. Obey God’s commands. Put your faith in Jesus. Love God with your whole heart. God will forgive you.

Galatians 3:23-24 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous by faith.

As the Deer

What do you long for? Is it financial success? Is it prestige and fame? Is it a spouse? Is it a close friend to lean on? Whatever it is you desire, it will consume your time and effort to achieve it. For it is the heart’s desire that drives us. It will drive us to commit ourselves to it.

There is a hymn written by Martin Nystrom named As the Deer. It contains beautiful lyrics. It restates the first two verses of Psalm 42 this way: As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you. We can envision this panting and seeking of water by the deer.

The second sentence of the hymn states: You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you. If we can say our heart’s desire is for God, we will pursue him. We will do whatever we can within our power to get to know him better. We will study his Word, ask him to reveal the meaning of it, and apply it to our lives.

There is a difference between wanting something and desiring something. I may want a candy bar, but I may not eat one because I know it is not healthy for me. However, if I allow my want to become a desire, I will that candy bar regardless of how good or bad it is for me. The desire supersedes every other thought.

The same is true for desiring to know God. If we truly desire to know him, that desire will supersede our wanting to do something else. It will drive us into action. Not only will we gain more knowledge of God but our worship of him will be deeper. For as we better know God, we better understand just how much we need him. When we realize just how lost we are without him, we praise him more and are more thankful. So, we should make God our desire.

I pray we all long to know God better. I pray we allow our desire to overtake us and drive us to action. I pray each one of long to worship God more deeply and make him the object of our desire. Seek to know God better. Act on your desire to know God. Worship God deeper.

Psalm 42:1-2

As a deer longs for flowing streams, 

so my soul longs for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, 

for the living God.