Seek First The Kingdom of God no. 26

“For you used to be darkness; but now, united with the Lord, you are light. Live like children of light, for the fruit of the light is in every kind of goodness, rightness and truth — try to determine what will please the Lord. Have nothing to do with the deeds produced by darkness, but instead expose them, for it is shameful even to speak of the things these people do in secret. But everything exposed to the light is revealed clearly for what it is, since anything revealed is a light. This is why it says, ‘Get up, sleeper! Arise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you’” (Ephesians (Eph) 5:8-14)! I can’t be both in darkness and in light. I can’t be both dead and alive. I need to live like out the goodness, the rightness, and truthfulness of the light. “I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who trusts in me might not remain in the dark. If anyone hears what I am saying and does not observe it, I don’t judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (Yochanan (Jhn) 12:46-47). I need His light to live out His Kingdom today. The light needs to guide my path as I walk today because the light is going to expose everything at judgment. I need to get up and awaken to His light.

I have never had a problem arising in the morning and going about my day. I arise and pray and drink my water and do my exercises and read my devotions and sit down and write. I need to awaken to reflect His light and let it shine on the world. I can’t be both awake and asleep, alive and dead, light and darkness, “We pray that you will be continually strengthened with all the power that comes from his glorious might; so that you will be able to persevere and be patient in any situation, joyfully giving thanks to the Father for having made you fit to share in the inheritance of his people in the light. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians (Col) 1:11-13). I need to live like His light every day. And the best way to learn what is light is by learning more about Him. “For the mitzvah is a lamp, Torah is light, and reproofs that discipline are the way to life” (Mishlei (Pro) 6:23).

Seek first His Kingdom which rests on the foundation of love.

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #SeekFirstTheKingdom #NotMyWayYHWH

Seek First The Kingdom of God no. 16

“Whom do I have in heaven but you?

And with you, I lack nothing on earth.

My mind and body may fail; but God

is the rock for my mind and my portion forever” (Tehillim (Psa) 73:25-26).

Love never fails because God never fails. People fail all the time. I am a rolling history of failure. I fail God. I fail my family. I fail my friends. I fail my neighbors. I fail my enemies. BUT God doesn’t. And the more I center myself on the Spirit that dwells within me, the better I am at living out His love. And there is nothing more important in my walk with Him than love and forgiveness.

Why am I so prone to failure? Well, I think that Paul adds a great note when talking about love when he says, “For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial; but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass” (1 Corinthians (1 Co) 13:9-10). I just don’t have a total understanding of just how important love can be. I overlook its power. I do that because love is a process. Love takes time. Love endures. Love empowers. Love isn’t microwaveable. Love simmers. And I need to remind myself that although I do not see the immediate manifestations of my love, love is still working. And that can really and truly frustrate folks because it is so easy to see the instant rewards of hatred.

I can strike out with mean words and violent hands and find an instant reward for my evil deeds. I can instantly find gratification through sin and destruction. BUT love takes time. “Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful, not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not gloat over other people’s sins but takes its delight in the truth. Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures” (1 Corinthians (1 Co) 13:4-7).

I talk a lot about love and forgiveness because Jesus does too. I got accused of having a ‘squishy’ Jesus that can’t save anybody. I don’t know how loving and forgiving is ‘squishy’ because squishy is soft, yielding, lenient, or imprecise. And being nailed to a tree for love and forgiveness is not soft, yielding, lenient, or imprecise. Giving your life so that others might live isn’t soft, yielding, lenient, or imprecise. Living out God’s love on earth isn’t for the soft, yielding, lenient, or imprecise. It takes a lot to love and forgive. Jesus understood how much it was going to take when he was praying blood and tears. Jesus understood how much love would cost. And it wasn’t soft, yielding, lenient, or imprecise. “For now we see obscurely in a mirror, but then it will be face to face. Now I know partly; then I will know fully, just as God has fully known me. But for now, three things last — trust, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians (1 Co) 13:12-13). Don’t let anyone tell you that love is the easy way out. Love is never easy. There is no better example of that fact than looking at how often we choose not to love and forgive because hatred and retribution are much easier.

Seek first His Kingdom which rests on the foundation of love.

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #SeekFirstTheKingdom #NotMyWayYHWH