Greetings in the name of the One who can transform our lives, Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! I trust that you had a grand Christmas – New Year’s break and are excitedly immersed in 2016! I pray that all is well with you and yours, that God answered prayers, that you had divine appointments with family/friends, that you enjoyed a measure of health/strength, and God was very present. Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to reveal Himself to you in ways that you can understand and respond to.
I want to share the opening paragraph of my New Year’s Day devotional with you: “On the first day of a new year, I invite you to ask yourself the following important questions: how well am I growing in the Christian life? Do I feel fully alive? Am I thriving or just surviving? Take it from me, when it comes to your spiritual development, you are meant not to simply survive but thrive. We are designed and made by God for growth and maturity; both are essential for our spiritual wellbeing. If we remain spiritually static, just as if we neglect our physical wellbeing, we begin to atrophy. The result? We will unfulfilled, frustrated, and unhappy. – Selwyn Hughes, ‘Every Day With Jesus’.
I am blessed by the insights of God’s saints who have travelled this road…and I appreciate the challenge that was laid before me. I pray that you will take some quiet moments and read that paragraph – letting it touch your heart. I believe that we are entering into a season of great challenge and growth in our lives as Christians in a passive-aggressive world and we need to be people who are positive advertisements for the “life” that Jesus Christ infuses us with. Our world, our community, our friends, our family…deserve to see the presence of God causing us to thrive…we were made for so much more!
There is a verse of Scripture I would leave with you, along with a simple illustration. “Be still ( quit squirming and struggling and being so self-focused) and know ( accept, surrender to the fact, allow ) that I am God (large and in charge, in control, able to handle all things ) and I will be exalted ( lifted up, noticed, accepted, appreciated ) by the nations (those who are all around you ).” Psalm 46:10. The little boy is visiting family with his mother. It has been a good time and it is time to leave…boots and hats have to be put on and he wants to do it himself (you get the picture) – after some struggling the mother says: “Are you having a ‘melt-down’?” The little boy simply says: “I think I need a time-out!” In the midst of our struggling and squirming God says..”Be still! Are you having a ‘melt-down? Let me help, let me show you, let me be part of the answer.” May we be wise enough to say..”God, I think I need a ‘time-out’, I need to step aside and let you be you!”
A little something to think about — have a blessed day!