God’s Will

God’s Will
By Steve Crowley

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (ESV)

There may be times in our lives where we begin to question if we are in God’s will. There could be circumstances we find ourselves in, in which we feel like we just don’t belong. Things, events and or people don’t seem to flow as they should so we begin to ask the questions, “Am I doing what God called me to do?” or “Are my motivations for some
other reason?”

I don’t believe anyone person can answer those questions for us but I do believe God can. God’s Word clearly tells us He has a plan for us.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

But not everything we think we are called to do is God’s will. So how will we know? Chuck Swindoll once said that you are in God’s will when circumstances tend to flow. Have you ever been in a situation where things just seem to go right, people seem to compliment one another and their actions came together in a smooth cohesive manner, where things just seemed to flow?

When things flow and there is peace, then you know it was orchestrated by God. Conversely, have you ever been involved in a situation where no matter what you did things just seemed not to work, people didn’t compliment one another and a friction arose?

I believe the truth found in God’s Word, in Romans 8:28, show that all things do work for the good when We are in God’s will for His purpose. Otherwise, we are kicking against the goad so to speak. No matter how we try our efforts go unrewarded. This strongly suggest we aren’t in God’s will.

So what should we do? First and foremost, we should seek God in prayer, asking Him to speak to us to give us insight, discernment and wisdom so we can determine our motivation for why we are doing what we are doing. Are we engaged in an activity for our gain, our glory or to bring God glory? Are our efforts honoring God or are they seeking individual or personal gain?

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23 (NLT)

When we work or become involved in an endeavor and we do so for personal gain rather than responding to God’s calling, our efforts will be empty, like pushing on a string.

Heavenly and gracious Father, forgive us when we seek to do something outside Your will. Father, we pray that when we stubble or fall that we turn to You seeking You in prayer asking for wisdom and insight so we can walk in Your light.

Father, we humbly come before You asking you to Search us, O God, and know our hearts; test us and know our anxious thoughts. Point out anything in us that offends you, and lead us along the path of everlasting life. Psalms 139:23-24 (NLT)

Father, it is in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior that we pray.

Amen

“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭9‬ ‭(NLT‬)

Overcoming

Overcoming
By Steve Crowley

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”” John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭(NLT‬)

There are times in our lives when we feel like the bottom has fallen out. Trials can seem like disasters. Hope turns to despair. But as I read the Bible verse above from the Book of John, Jesus states something that shines light into darkness, “But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” What exactly does this mean and how can we be comforted by relying upon Jesus to help us overcome?

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭2‬ ‭(NLT‬)

I believe the meaning of being able to overcome the trials in our lives is best defined by faith. In trials I know I have a tendency to focus the hurt, pain or hardship of the trial I’m going through. But when I’m given a sliver of light, be it a Bible verse or the love and prayer of family and friends my focus shifts away from my trial. My faith produces hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭(ESV‬)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭(ESV‬)

“who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,”

Jesus set His focus on God and what awaited Him in heaven. When the trials of life come, as difficult as they may be, peel away from the pain for just a moment and come before Almighty God in prayer laying your burden before His throne of grace. Jesus has promised us He will be with us and stand beside us. We may not know what our future holds but we know who holds our future.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”” Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭(ESV)

Merciful Father, full of grace, hallowed be Your name. Father, thank You for giving us Your Holy Word, the Bible, so we can hear Your voice, Your love and Your peace. May we be encouraged by the promises of Your Word and May our faith be strengthened as we meditate and soak up Your presence.

Father, our prayer before You is one of seeking You and You alone. May Your presence be ever before us and we be strengthened by the assurance of Your grace to see us through the trials we face. We thank You and love You today and forevermore. For it is in the name of the overcomer, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior we pray.

Amen

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭(ESV)

Distractions

Distractions
By Steve Crowley

“Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ (‭ESV‬)

Growing up I had lots of friends. In fact my neighborhood had so many kids we had enough to form two football teams to compete against one another. Then in high school I participated in sports so again I had many friends. I was so consumed by the activities we all had i didn’t have a lot of time for God. Oh I went to church but again it was more of a time with friends than with God. it wasn’t until I was in the mist of my career that I found myself focused on career pursuits rather than relationships. I soon gained an understanding for the saying, “ it’s lonely at the top.”

We can be so consumed by our pursuits of friends our hobbies and our careers we find ourselves consumed by everything but God.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬ ‭(ESV)

Sometimes in our hectic and busy lives we fail to rely on God until such time when we are in desperate need of Him. It’s in the face of a crisis that we realize we need God to help us in our times of need. I’ve come to realize God isn’t an ATM that I go to when we need something. God desires a relationship with us. In order to truly know someone and have a relationship with, it requires an investment of time being spent with the one whom you desire to have a relationship with.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭(ESV)

Jesus promised us He’s knocking at the door of our hearts and is waiting for us to invite Him in. If we do so He’s promised to be with us always even til the end of time. That’s a relationship we can count on! Eternal life in the presence of God is far more valuable than the distractions afforded to us here. Let us invest in our relationship with God and spend time growing closer to Him.

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” ‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬ ‭(ESV‬)

Gracious and loving Father, thank You for sending us Your Son to earth and giving us His Word of Your desire to be one with us now and forevermore.

Lord, may we seek You with all our heart, mind and soul to rest in Your presence and to bask in Your grace. Our pray before You is asking You to renew our spirit, restore our soul and seek You to spend time hearing Your Word. We love You and thank You. For it is in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray.

Amen

What Could Have Been

What Could Have Been
By Steve Crowley

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;” Isaiah‬ ‭48‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭(ESV)

Have you ever heard someone say or perhaps even thought about what could have been if I had only obeyed or paid heed to God’s Word? We ALL make mistakes. We are human. But when we are prompted to turn to the right and instead turn left we suffer the consequences. That are many, too numerous to count, times in my life when I knew the right thing to do and ended up doing the opposite with unwanted consequences. It happens every time we take out after our own desires rather than God’s will.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ (‭ESV‬)

Tod has given us His written Word so can not only know God but His will for our lives. If you’ve ever spent time reading the Book of Proverbs you’ve been given nuggets of gold from which to live by. In addition it is estimated there are over seven thousand promises in the Bible from God but with the promises there’s also a premise. If we do such and such God will fulfill His promise.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭(ESV)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭119‬:‭105‬ ‭(ESV)

Therefore, it behooves us to read our Bibles and listen to God’s directions and then to obey them by making His Word practical in our daily walk. Will be never waiver and fall, no but we will fall less and less.

“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭25‬ ‭(ESV)

Heavenly Father, God above, the maker and keeper of all things, blessed is Your Holy Name. We thank You for giving us the owner’s manual of life. For in Your Holy Word are the directions, precepts, commandments and promises to place our steps in the right direction.

Lord, our prayer before You is asking You to help us overcome our selfish desires and to inquire of Your Word so as to walk according to Your Holy Spirit. We ask You to pick us up when we stumble, brush us off and place us within Your will. We thank You for all Your mercy and grace. For it is in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior that we pray.

Amen

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30:18‬ ‭(ESV)

Yielding

Yielding

By Steve Crowley

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:13-14 (ESV) (emphasis mine)

The Holy Spirit’s primary role is to glorify Christ. Therefore if the Holy Spirit is in us and works in us (Philippians 2:13), then we should give glory to Christ in all that we do.

If we take credit for the work God does in us, as if we are responsible, then all we are doing is self-glorification and that results in self-expression of pride. Don’t get me wrong, we all enjoy affirmation, being told we matter, but when we become self-seeking rather than seeking God, then pride becomes an issue. I have an issue with pride. Yes I’ll admit it. My love language is affirmation. I validate myself by seeking the approval of others, I’m a people pleasers. Hi my name is Steve and I‘m a people pleasers. Throughout most of my life my striving to achieve was mostly motivated by the desire to receive recognition. I don’t think I am alone because everyone needs affirmation and we all do different things to get it. Mine was performance.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, Jesus promised we would have His Spirit, the Helper to dwell within us to teach us, to guide us and even to pray for us, but most of all to transform us to become more Christ-like as we grow in our knowledge, but more so, in our relationship with Christ. What once drove us to seek self-glorification now fills us to bring glory to God.

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” Philippians 3:12 (NLT)

Please note the words of the Apostle Paul, “I press on”, our transformation (or sanctification) is a life long process. Yes, we become a new creation at our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and yes, His Spirit dwells within us to begin a working in us to change us, but we have to learn to become obedient to the calling we have received. Don’t give up, instead learn to yield to the One inside you, His will is perfect, Holy and right.

“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

Gracious and merciful Father, Your love and Your work in us by Your Spirit comforts us. For You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Bless be Your name.

Father, we come before You seeking through prayer with thanksgivings that we yield to Your transformation in us so that we can become transformed more and more like Your Son. Lord God, strengthen our faith as we become more dependent upon Your guidance in our lives. We love You and we thank You, for You are the Way, the Truth and the Life. For it is the name of Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit that we pray.

Amen