So, when I left off last time, I was telling you I decided I would study the Bible in my own way. Well, when I asked God for help in understanding what my own way might be, He came up with a really good idea. Hmmm, imagine that God has good ideas! What He came up with melds my love of writing, my fascination with research, and my biggest creative outlet. So, here is my first example of God’s great idea. As before, I hope you like it, I hope it is useful to you, but most of all, I hope it brings you closer to God.

Linda

Neither the world above nor the world below- there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord-Romans 8:39

Whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.-1Corinthians 10:31

He is the one you praise; He is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:21

You Still Know the One Who Knows

When I am feeling afraid, and I think I’m alone
Because the answers are coming so slow.
When the noise in my head makes me afraid
Of what? I don’t even know.
When my life is on hold, and my thoughts so confused
That I’m paralyzed by all that I’ve supposed,
There is a Spirit inside me, Whom if I trust Him, will tell me
Relax! You still know the One who knows.

When I’m telling myself, they can’t understand
The feelings deep in my soul,
When months have passed by since a plan has borne fruit
But I still think I’m in control.
When I’ve embraced the dark side, given into self-pity
To which we are all predisposed,
There is a Spirit inside me whom, if I trust Him, will tell me
Relax! You still know the One Who knows.

If I can humble my ego and admit I am nothing
Without the Lord our God,
If I am able to laugh at those in the world
Who regard me as if I am odd,
If I can live God’s grace and I understand
The crown and the cross juxtaposed,
Then the Spirit inside me will always remind me
Rejoice! You know the One who knows
© Linda Troxell 02/07/2016

It is so comforting to know that no matter what we do or what we say, what may happen in the world, what we think, or what others tell us, we are saved and will be with God in eternity. That leaves us free to concentrate on this life. To decide how we want our time on earth to be spent. Do we want to spend it trying to control things only God can control? Or do we want to spend it showing God how much we love and trust Him? Do we want to make this life about us, focusing on what we want, what we think, and what we feel? Or do we want to make this life about glorifying God? Focusing on what He wants from us, what He thinks of us, and how our behavior makes Him feel? 1 Corinthians 10:31 tell us, “…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

On the other hand, when things around us are in chaos, and we feel broken, rejected, and out of control, it can be quite confusing knowing that no matter what we may do, no matter what may happen in our lives, we will be with God in eternity. Most of us have days, sometimes much longer, when we just don’t feel like putting in the effort to be a “good Christian.” We don’t feel like caring about others or about doing good works; we don’t care about much of anything. On those days, knowing that we are saved no matter what happens can actually make our life more difficult.

Because on those days, we have to rely on our own maturity and our commitment to God in order to do the right thing. If we can’t depend on guilt or shame, or the fear of going to hell to keep us in line, then we have only our own integrity to get us up and going. We have only our commitment to God and our maturity as Christians to help us to let go of our depression or our laziness so that we can do what we know God wants us to do. Thankfully, as we become stronger in our faith and our relationship with God deepens, we will have fewer and fewer days when we become mired in our own misery and wallow in our own feelings. However, on those days, knowing it is all on us to do the right thing can be quite intimidating.

But wait, is it ever all on us? Do we, as Christians, ever have to rely only on ourselves? When we are feeling alone and burdened, it is then that we most need to remember who our Lord is and who we are in Christ. It is then that we need to remember that we cannot be alone because we cannot be separated from God. It is during the times when it seems God is nowhere to be found and we feel we are doing it all by ourselves that we need to remember what the Bible tells us in Romans 8:39; “There is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  When God seems to have disappeared, and we are questioning our faith, this is when we need to praise Him, whether we feel it or not, whether we believe it or not. Because it is only through praising God that we can enter into His presence. It is only through worshipping God, whether we believe it right then or not that we begin to remember and then to feel and finally believe that God is with us, and never again will we have to do anything alone.

It is vitally important that we understand clearly, in the good times when we are feeling His presence, just who God is. So that in the bad times, we can remember that He wants to be part of our entire lives. He wants to be part of everything. Not only the celebrations but the mourning too; not only in our happiness but our sadness and depression as well. God wants to be with us not only when we are able to worship and thank Him but even more so when we are feeling deserted and alone and have lost track of our thankfulness. We need to be clear when we feel close to God, who He is and how much He loves us. Only then can we, in the bad times when we are not even sure he really exists, still call on Him and allow Him to comfort us. If we know who God is in the good times, then in the bad times, we will be able to remember, “He is the one you praise; He is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.”-Deuteronomy 10:21

It is so important to know that no matter what happens in our lives, we are saved, and it’s good to know that we can never be alone because our God is faithful and loves us unconditionally. Because knowing those things means we also know that no matter what we do, how we think or feel or treat others, whether we glorify God in our words and deeds or keep His light under a bush, we will spend eternity with God. That knowledge can take so much pressure off of our day-to-day lives. It eliminates the preoccupation with how many good works it might take to get to heaven. It alleviates our fear of whether or not we are “good enough to go to heaven. It relieves the insecurity about the future and our salvation. Leaving us free to worship God because we love Him and are thankful.

It leaves us free to do those good works because we are truly concerned about our fellows. It leaves us free to express the Spirit of God in us as the Spirit leads us to. It leaves us free to worship God and glorify Him. But, if we are not yet mature in our walk with the Lord and are not mindful, it can free us from the preoccupation with our salvation, leaving us free to pursue our own fame and glory. It can free us to get lost in worldly things and earthly pleasures. it can free us to leave God behind and indulge our basest desires. Either way, we are saved, so the choice is truly a matter of free will.

So, what will you do with your free will today?

Points for Prayer and Pondering

1 .  Are you convinced that you are saved by grace and that no matter what you do or don’t do, you will be with God in eternity? If not, what more do you believe you have to do, as a Christian, to secure your salvation?

2. If you do believe you are saved by grace alone, write a paragraph about how that affects your life. Has knowing that no matter what happens in this life, you will spend eternity with the Father made your life easier? Or, has it ever made it more difficult to do the “right thing” as a Christian?

3. What is one thing you can do right now to show God that no matter how you feel today, no matter what you think, you love Him and trust Him and that you intend to spend this life glorifying him?