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Last Thursday night during Bible study, one of my friends said something that has profoundly affected me.
There are many unknowns in her life right now and she has been trying to discern God’s will about these matters. One night, she decided to open her Bible and begin to look at what He has already revealed about His will for our lives.
To her great joy, she discovered that when she plugged her various situations into His revealed will, she was given answers and direction!
I love a good challenge, so I went home and dug into my Bible to see what treasures I could find. What I found filled me with joy so I wanted to share them here.
(Disclaimer: these commands are impossible to follow in our own strength. They are purely supernatural and can only be accomplished when we die to self and allow Jesus’ Spirit in us to take over. After all, that is how we live the Christian life (Galatians 2:20). You probably will not feel like doing any of these things…but then again, life isn’t about you. It is about Jesus and Him living His life through you as He advances His kingdom on the earth. Will they fly in the face of human logic? Absolutely. But His ways are higher than ours. Nothing about doing these things is easy. But Jesus never said life with Him would be easy. But it is a life full of joy and love, meaning and purpose).
What you are about to read is what His grace and mercy look like in a life fully surrendered to Him. And it is gloriously beautiful.
“To discover grace is to discover God’s utter devotion to you, His stubborn resolve to give you a cleansing, healing, purging love that lifts the wounded back to their feet.”—Max Lucado
Are you filled with fear?
Have I not commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. —Joshua 1:9
Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith, no firmly relying trust? —Mark 4:40
Do you not know which way to turn?
Lean on, trust in and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight and understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. —Proverbs 3:5-6
Do you lack peace?
Peace I leave with you; My own peace I now give to you… Do not let your hearts be troubled; neither let them be afraid. Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled. —John 14: 27
Daughter, your faith (your confidence and trust in Me) has made you well. Go (enter) into peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being).—Luke 8:48
Do you have an enemy?
Love your enemies, treat well, do good to, act nobly toward those who detest you and pursue you with hatred. Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you; implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you (who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you). —Luke 6:27-28
Love your enemies and be kind and do good (doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them) and lend, expecting & hoping for nothing in return…then your reward will be great, rich, strong, intense, and abundant, and you will be sons (and daughters) of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful, the selfish, and the wicked. So, be merciful, sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate, even as your Father is all these things. —Luke 6:35-36
Do you struggle with forgiveness?
Forgive and release (give up resentment, let it drop) and you will be acquitted and forgiven and released. —Luke 6:37
Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father who is in heaven may also forgive you your own failings and shortcomings and let them drop. —Mark 11: 25
Do you find it difficult to love others in a Christ-like manner? Are there people in your life who are driving you crazy?
Walk in love (esteeming and delighting in one another) as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. —Ephesians 5:2
Be helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted, compassionate, understanding, loving, forgiving one another readily and freely, as God in Christ forgave you. —Ephesians 4:32
Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating) but on the contrary blessing (praying for their welfare and happiness and protection and truly pitying and loving them). For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessings from God. —I Peter 3:9
Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults. —Galatians 6:2
Above all things, have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins (forgives and disregards the offenses of others).—I Peter 4:8
Do you struggle with greed, with keeping-up-with-the-Joneses?
Guard yourselves and keep free from all coveteousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more) for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. —Luke 12:15
Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth…but gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in Heaven. For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also. —Matthew 6:20
Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Hebrews 13:5
Do you struggle with your tongue?
Do not judge, criticize and condemn others so that you may not be judged, criticized and condemned yourselves.—Matthew 7:1
Put away from you false and dishonest speech, as well as willful and contrary talk.—Proverbs 4:24
Let no foul or polluting language nor evil word, nor unwholesome or worthless talk ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others…that it may be a blessing and give grace to those who hear it. —Ephesians 4;29
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father and with it, we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. —James 3:9-10
Are you filled with worry?
Stop being perpetually uneasy, anxious, and worried about your life…do not worry and be anxious…your Heavenly Father knows what you need. Seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness and then all these things will be given to you. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow. —Matthew 6: 25, 32, 34
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened and I will cause you to rest. I will ease, relieve, and refresh your souls. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me…for you will find rest, relief, and ease and refreshment and recreation, and blessed quiet for your souls. —Matthew 11:29
Are you searching for a lasting purpose?
You shall love the Lord your God with all your mind and all your heart and with your entire being and all your might. —Deuteronomy 6:5
Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature. —Matthew 16:15
Go and make disciples of all nations. —Matthew 28:19
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. But it is a place to start if you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Jesus tells us that His Word is a light for our path. (Psalm 119:105). He has not left you in the dark, regardless of how you may feel.
Seek His Word and do what it says.
Then you will be in the midst of His will.
Your path will become clear.
Your peace will be great.
Your heart will sing with joy.
There is a plan and He has graciously allowed you to partner with Him.
What a gift!
Power Of A Moment 