Grow in grace

2 Peter 3: 18 encourages us to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (KJV).  As I have considered this, one thing that comes to mind is the reminder that everything in the Christian life is dependent on the grace of God.  That is not to say that we do not have our part in responding to His grace.  But even in that we must recognize our need of Him.

His sheep follow

In Psalm 23 David calls the Lord his Shepherd.  What about us?  Is the Lord our Shepherd?  Not just in word, but in actuality?

Jesus gave a description of His sheep in John 10:27 where He says that His sheep hear His voice and He knows them, and they follow Him.

Does that sound like us?  Do we take the time to listen to His voice in order that we might obey Him?  Do we spend time in His word and in prayer every day; and are we learning to walk by the Spirit?

We truly need to know.

To whom do we listen?

“What a difference there is between the words of Christ, and those of all mere men! Most men speak many words, yet say but little; Christ speaks few words, yet says very much.” — Charles Spurgeon

To whom do we listen?

Is there fruit?

We are going blueberry picking today, and it makes me wonder, what would I think if all the bushes were barren?

I am looking at this from the perspective of bearing fruit for the Lord  — does Jesus find what He looks for in my life regarding spiritual fruit?

In Luke 13 Jesus tells a parable about a fig tree without fruit.  The owner wanted to cut it down, but he was convinced to allow one more year in which fertilizer would be used to try and bring about the desired results.

What about us?  Do we need a little spiritual “fertilizer” from the Lord?

Perhaps some time before Him in prayer and in the word, asking for a fresh filling of His Spirit, is in order.

My God and Father, while I stray

The first verse from the hymn My God and Father!  While I Stray by Charlotte Elliott is worth thoughtful consideration and prayer:

My God and Father! while I stray
Far from my home in life’s rough way,
Oh! teach me from my heart to say,
“Thy will be done!”

The gift of sight

Today I go to the eye doctor to have my eyes checked to see if I will need glasses (one of the things about growing older).  What a wonderful gift from the Lord is our sight, something most of us take for granted.

It makes me wonder how often I take for granted the gift of His grace in salvation — the fact that God opened the inner eyes of this sinful man and enabled me to see the glory of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

May God be pleased to continually open our eyes to see Him and His work in us and through us, drawing us ever closer to Himself!

Are we awake?

^“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” (Rom. 13:11-12 KJV)

As I consider the state of the church in America (myself included as a part of that), I see where the Lord needs to wake us up that we might understand our true condition.

Can we truly say that we are “of God” in the midst of this world?  Is it true in our lives (actually true, not just theoretically) that this world is not our home and our life is not our own, but that we belong to Christ and live for Him?  Where is our hunger, our desire, our passion and longing for God and His ways?

Oh how we need a moving of His Spirit in our hearts to awaken us to see things as they really are from the perspective of God and His word.  And to move us to confession and repentance.

Desire the Lord above all

One thing that the grace of God teaches us is to deny worldly lusts (Titus 2:11-12).  The focus of our life is to be as one who is “of God” in this world.  That does not mean that we don’t provide for our families, we most certainly do.  But it means that we do so as those following the will of God.  In James chapter four we read of those who say that they will go to a city and make gain (James 4:13-17).  James takes issue with their arrogance and notes:   “ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (vs. 15 KJV).  The end result in both cases might turn out the same, but it’s the attitude that’s different. We are not to be those who love the world or the things in the world (1John 2:15-17), but those who love the Lord and desire to do His will in the world.  Jesus said that He chose us out of the world and that He chose us to bear fruit (John 15:16, 19).  He also pointed out that it was things of the world that contribute to making us unfruitful (Mark 4:19).  Let us put away desiring what the world offers us, and desire the Lord above all.

The fruit of our lips?

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”  (Heb. 13:15 ESV)

Scripture is clear that we need to watch what we say.  This is an area that we need to take seriously.   The other day the Lord showed me where I was being careless with my mouth.  As I spent time praying and thinking about this, I was reminded that one evidence of being filled with the Spirit, is that our tongues are under control.  May God help us to have a watch on our lips so that what we say is pleasing to Him.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”  (Eph. 4:29 ESV)

What is the fruit of our lips?

To His Glory

Here is a link to a portion of Body of Divinity by Thomas Watson which I thought was a good exhortation on living for the glory of God:  http://www.ccel.org/ccel/watson/divinity.v.i.html