Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves.
Psalm 119:27 Help me understand what Your precepts are about so I can contemplate Your wondrous works!
2 Timothy 2:16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
May you understand how deeply you depend on your own strength and how thoroughly you rely on your own efforts to make your way in life and to establish your worth in the world, for on the day of Passover, you are to deny yourself and humble your soul, doing no work, since it is only the Lord Who can cleanse you, making atonement for your sin. Leviticus 16
May you recognize the awesome price your redemption cost, and treasure the incomparable love of God which valued you enough to agree to the ransom, always regarding your Savior as holy and never with indifference. Leviticus 17
May you not follow the ways of the world, from which you were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, your Savior, nor yet the traditions of men's religion, holding to an outward form of godliness but remaining far from its power, from which you have been cleansed by the washing of the Spirit. Walk, instead, in the ever-closer intimacy of a relationship of personal love with the living God, Whose mercies are renewed every morning. Leviticus 18, 2 Timothy 3, Lamentations 3
Despise not the day of small beginnings, My child, nor reject the path of repetitive duty. Though your heart longs for the grand gesture and your mind pictures the wondrous public presentation, it is in the small, repetitive routines that My magnificence is best demonstrated.
Though you marvel when I answer someone's prayer for an “impossible” request, without the eyes of the Spirit you will not understand that a life of daily devotion lay behind the honor I showed to My disciple by sovereignly answering their prayer, and the layers of trust, based on long experience that allowed My follower to publicly call upon My name before My answer was revealed.
You must abide in My word daily, not simply visit on seasonal holidays, in order to be in relationship with Me. You must walk with Me in the Spirit daily in prayer, in conversation and not a monologue, sharing the dreams and desires of your heart and listening with the ears of My Spirit to know My heart and to learn My will.
You must daily exercise your devotion in practical ways, looking for those I bring within reach for you to be My hand extended, serving by meeting the needs of others in humility. In this way, you will be founded on the solid bedrock of My unchanging love and will remain steadfast when I start shaking the heavens and the earth.
When the items and institutions that others have placed their dependence on start to fall away, you will already know that I will never desert you nor will I ever forsake you. When men's hearts fail them in despair at the sight of the enemy all about, you will already be strong, for My joy will fill your spirit and your soul will rejoice in My presence.
The longest journey begins with a single step, and it ends with that final step; somehow, in the process, you find that you have changed. You are no longer that person you were when you started. You have matured, grown, become stronger, gained skills, increased in wisdom, but you cannot point to which of the journey's steps brought it to pass.
So be diligent in your daily devotion, My love, and be steadfast in each day's assignment to seek Me and meet Me, for that is where My majestic, awesome, miraculous power is expressed: here a little, there a little, line upon line, until others can see Me through you.
May you bring your petition in all humility to the Lord without ceasing, and make your request known to the Father in all abasement without relenting, forsaking all arrogance as you acknowledge His power and confess His authority, for He will always answer a persistent, needy heart and a resolute, desperate spirit. Mark 7
May you have compassion on those who are hungry and thirsting for more of the Lord, that the Father may move through you to satisfy their needs, and they would give Him the glory for what He has done. Mark 8
May you have compassion for, and mercy on, the weak for the Lord will deliver you in times of trouble, protecting and preserving your life, blessing you in the land and not surrendering you to the desire of your foes, sustaining you on your sickbed and restoring you from your bed of illness. Psalm 41
May you seek the Lord for mercy that He would heal you from your sin, guard you from your foes, and raise you up to stand firm against His enemies and, in His integrity, uphold you and set you in His presence forever. Psalm 41
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