MEDITATIONS AND BIBLE STUDIES
 “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16 (KJV)
Living this life is filled with much frustration, anguish, disappointment, unhappiness and discontentment. Even when things appear to be going well, after a while, we get one of these feelings. We seek to rid ourselves of these ill-feelings through many avenues. Society has provided the ways in which it condones to rid oneself of the feelings. The problem is that these ways are only a temporary fix. After a while, from days to years, the disharmony with oneself reoccurs. Therefore, life becomes a line of ups and downs. More often, the downs are more in number than the ups. Consequently, we form coping mechanisms. When one does not have the proper coping mechanism for the down period he or she is experiencing, then one may remain down. Often the coping mechanism is sin. This is when it is most important to turn to You, Lord, and seek your guidance and love.
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 “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (KJV)
In wanting to serve You, Lord, I see that it is possible for one to become complacent, especially when circumstances appear to be going well. If complacency comes, I know that something will occur to change the circumstances so that I can have a more diligent walk with You. Now, I am seeking to have a more diligent walk while maintaining circumstances. I have discovered that the circumstances turn attention to them and away from You. When I am in dire circumstances, I am turning to You to get me out of them. Now, I should turn to You even more, for blessing me with circumstances that I choose not to remove. I must learn to cry onto You for my moment's existence. I must learn to seek You when I find peace in my circumstances. I must find emptiness or discontentment in the circumstances so that I can continuously and wholeheartedly seek You.  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and leant not unto thine own understanding. In all thy acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
Dear Lord, I have a full plate now, thanks to You. I have on the plate everything that I could possibly want. I am lacking nothing. Thank You very much for this. It is as Your Word says. Because the plate is full with my delicatessens, I have the “disfaithing” that something will erupt to remove the items from my plate. I must only have faith that You will keep the plate intact and will add more as I have my ways according to Your Word. I want to hold on to Your truths and trust in keeping me. Your Word says as I long as I abide in You and Your word abides in me, I can ask what I will. I am asking that my plate does not become disrupted, but only for the purpose of getting closer to You.  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” — Romans 12:1 (KJV)
I thank You, Lord, for the gift of salvation. I mostly think about Your involvement in my day-to-day activities instead of the everlasting life You have granted me. I want to be a living sacrifice to You. I seek to be holy. There are so many impediments to contaminate the sacrifice. I must turn from the contamination. This is Your will. I must fight to stay clean by not being shaped or directed by the contaminants. I have realized that much of the contamination comes from the mind. It is a repertoire of dangerous arrows that can enter the soul. I ask You, Lord, please let me be strong in thwarting the arrows that seek to destroy me.  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." — James 1:17 (KJV)
Lord, help me to do Your will. Thank You for the blessings I have. I completely realize that all the positive happenings in my life are because of You, and nothing from me. You have taken a wounded vessel, and put it in environments where it appears to do well. If the vessel appears in any way as strong or competent, it is only because of You, Lord. I relinquish all control of my life over to You. I ask that You take every iota of me and turn it into what you want. I ask that I see You in Your holiness and accept that I am only a mere mortal person with a finite existence. What is there for me to be proud of? I give myself to You so that You can do with me what You will. Therefore, I accept all occurrences in my life as something that You have ordained. Help me to accept Your will and not try to buck against it. |