by David Brenneman
"What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8
Life can be complicated, but your relationship with God doesn't have to be. Instead of relating to the Lord based on a demanding set of rules, the prophet Micah gave us some simple guidelines to help us keep our faith uncluttered. What does God require of you!
First, do justice. Do what you know is right. Don't compromise the truth or rationalize away what the Word of God instructs. Obey whatever God has shown you to do and quit worrying about the rest.
Second, love kindness. Put others first and view them with
compassion-even if they've hurt you or you disagree with them. Instead of insisting on your rights, trust the Lord to defend you. God will take care of both your reputation and rewards.
Third, walk bumbly with your God. Esteem the Lord for who He is-the living, eternal, all-knowing Sovereign of all that exists. He knows what He is talking about, So do whatever He says, acknowledge
Him in all your ways, and keep Christ at the center of your life.
Put these principles into action and be at peace with the knowledge that you're being pleasing to God.
Jesus, thank You for showing me how to please You and empowering me to do so. Amen
-Trusting God with Today. Dr. Charles Stanley.
Good vibes, happy thoughts, good feelings, positivity, talking good about yourself to bolster your self-image...none of these will do a thing to truly help you through your life.
While Scripture says "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8 there is this that immediately follows: "The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:9.
Paul, in the book of Romans, spoke of practiced sin. Here we read of him referring to practiced righteousness.
My Dear Reader you are going to be tempted to diverge from God's plan for you, and it happens, or you will walk as He's wanting you to.
The Bible maked life actually far more abundantly clear about life than the thousands of self-help books, lectures, college and university courses portray life.
When life isn't clear then stop. Stop and pray to our Father in Heaven in Jesus Name and ask your questions that you have.
Secondly is never assume you are on the right track. Check yourself often to be sure that you're walking with Jesus as His Word directs.
Thirdly, be listening to the promptings of the Spirit of God. Everyone who is saved in Christ Jesus does hear from the Spirit of God within them.
Read this slowly and take it in, take it to heart, because the message is for all who are in Christ. It gives the command and the reasoning behind it: "Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain." Philippians 2:1-16.
The Scriptures we're not written to be good suggestions for a happy life.
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
We will often mess things up in trying to still seek our own kingdom here on Earth. Then life becomes a chain of disappointments. A chain of discouragements. Nothing done really seems to work or matter.
Go back to your first love which is only found in Christ.
Let go of the things you have tried and return to what always works all the time.
Then you'll find an unexplainable joy and peace that you were trying to create for yourself.
Don't take it from me, or Dr. Stanley, or Dr. Jeremiah, or Pastor Begg or Pastor MacArthur, or anyone else...take it from Jesus: "Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:24-26.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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