food for thought

Accepting Christ

"This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

We want this! All of us. To be loved, accepted, pleasing. Ah, but we were born of man, not of the Holy Spirit. We were created in God's image, yes, but only God can baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire. Man can baptize us with water, and the fires of life rage on. As baby Christians we are overjoyed with being saved and it is thrilling to follow after Christ! Thinking we will be diligent and victorious, that we have found the solutions to our problems, and we have. Yet when the trials come we fall back again and again into our old habits! Why? It would seem to most of us that instead of life becoming easy when we accepted Christ, life for the most part intensifies in trials. For example the joy of having a baby has its flip side of walking the floor at 2.00 a.m. and later letting your 16 year old have the keys to the car. The fire of life must indeed be hot. God refines us this way, and He will not take us out of the fire until the precise moment we are ready! He will finish the good work He has begun in us, those who walk with Him. He will indeed see His reflection in us. Hard to think we will ever get there, I know. We are all on the same road to being sanctified and I doubt any of us had any idea to what extent the heat of the fire would have to become for us to be refined when we decided to accept Christ as our Savior. No doubt we would have run for cover. Yet in God's mercy He knew it wouldn't do us any good. You can run but you cannot hide. Just ask Adam and Eve. And like them God pursued us and yes we ran! Ran like rabbits off in every direction. Our hearts beat fast, our patience wears thin, we lash out with the injustice of it all, and to what end? If indeed we are God's children we eventually come to His conclusion that only through His Son (in whom He is well pleased) is there life. Guilt most often sets in at our shortcomings and what looked like a mountain is really a mole hill. Our hearts desire one thing, yet our flesh acts out, that double edged sword of a tongue gets us into very hot regrettable fires every time until...until regret and humility brings us back to the cross to lay down our lives. People are not capable of unconditional love until God can see His Son's reflection in us and we cannot reflect if we are not walking in God's presence. We must recall, we must pray, we must praise, and we must stop and give thanks throughout the mundane and the not so mundane chores of each and every day. We must practice the very presence of God, for it is our heart's desire. "This is my Son in Whom I am well pleased." Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life , no one comes to the Father except through Me." Has God humbled you lately? If so be thankful and rejoice for He humbles those He loves. I had myself a big helping of humility over the holidays, falling short, my tongue pulled out its sword and I grumbled and complained (ever do that?) but the mountain I faced was quite an embarrassing mole hill the next day. Embarrassing that it took so little for me to fall short. What seemed stressful, in God's mercy on me and grace, was a chance to die to self and love others, lay down my life. I believe we are to die to self and love others each and every day and there will come a day when God will indeed see His reflection for we are made in His image. The realization that I grumbled is indeed a gift that produces sweet humility and lets me rejoice that even though God's reflection isn't clear in me yet, I am His and I have all I need when I rest in Him. I thank my Father for heartfelt repentance, for falling short, and eyes to see that I have. " He walks with me and He talks with me, along life's narrow way..." and it is well with my soul that He does, for the path is steep and rocky and extremely slick at times. Practice the presence of God and He will make straight your path.

Father thank you for your undying love, the gift of humility, the gift of spiritual eyes and ears. Oh that we walk and talk with You in this journey of fire on earth, so as our Savior Your Son Jesus Christ, through the shedding of His blood you will be able to say of us for Your glory" I am well pleased." Let us be refined into Your image for all else is rubbish. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Love to all in Christ Jesus C:)