Monday, January 5, 2009

Monday, January 5, 2009 Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

These scriptures are ways that I wish to live my life. I want to always put God first, be kind and humble and forgive immediately what others have done against me. If I remember to love there will not be the problems in my life as there have been in my past. “Peace” is something that will be there if all the other things I have mentioned have fallen into place. Without those things in my life there will be no peace. I feel peace now that my husband and I have moved on in our lives. I feel peace about those that forced the issue to have me leave my job. These were people who “enabled limitations” to how I should do God’s work. There was no encouragement to use our gifts to further God’s work.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Ryrie Study Bible - All Scripture is given by inspiration. I.E., the Bible came from God through the men who wrote it. God superintended these human authors so that, using their individual personalities, they composed and recorded without error God’s Word to man. Christ attested to the fact that inspiration extends to those very words… Scripture is useful for doctrine (teaching), reproof (rebuking those in sin), correction of those in error, and instruction (training) in righteousness.

This scripture is so important to me and others who need reassurance about God’s will for life. All scripture is God-breathed and is our guide. Reading the Word is following a plan for our lives with confidence as we set goals. As I read the Bible I need to take it in and continually have it point me in the direction that God wants me to go in.

1 John 2:27 KJV But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. Ryrie Study Bible - Ye need not that any man teach you. The Spirit whom they had received would teach them how to distinguish truth from error. The Spirit may use a human teacher to accomplish this.

I will need to remember to use the Holy Spirit within me to quicken me to see when someone is not being truthful with me and that I should be aware of them. This has happened to me personally when I have trusted a family member to be honest with me and found out that they had not. The Holy Spirit in me made me alert to some things going on that I had to be aware of. I thanked God for opening my eyes to this dishonesty so that I could pray about it and not be fooled.

Jeremiah 23 - Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture! declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people. Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done, declared the Lord. I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing, declares the Lord.

This Bible scripture showed to me how much we are loved by God. He will stand up for us and gather us up if we have been driven away and place us where we can be nurtured, healed and loved by Him through others. Isn't it wonderful to be able to sit back and be gathered up in Jesus' arms and be soothed and calmed?