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"...If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31,32
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“The most difficult of decisions are often not the ones in which we cannot determine the correct course, rather the ones in which we are certain of the path but fear the journey.”
Those beautiful words of insight come from writer Richard Paul Evans, a modern novelist whose expressions I have come to cherish dearly. Have you ever noticed that in order to experience great pleasure we must first undergo great difficulty? It's true. Nothing in life that's really worth living for comes to us effortless, with ease, or pain free. In all things meaningful there lies moments of opposition and testing sooner or later.
Just recently the time came around for me to make that dreaded routine phone call to the dentist office for what I expected to be a simple cleaning and check up. But oh how I was convinced otherwise after the Dr.'s thorough examination.
Not only did he inform me that I needed to be flossing more, but he also found another dreaded cavity. In addition to that, my wisdom teeth were beginning to come through and needed to be extracted soon before any more complications occurred. Talk about a bad day! I just wanted my teeth cleaned and here I am being told that I have to come back for more pain. Ouch!
It would have been impossible for myself alone to recognize all that was wrong with my teeth, but for someone whose expertise is in dentistry, it actually comes very easy to detect. That's the reason why there are experts in every field of health and anything else you could ever imagine. If you need brain surgery, go see a brain surgeon. If your poodle has a mild temperature then take it to the veterinarian.
And in the same sense, if you want to get real answers to real life problems then make an appointment with the very God that brought you into existence. Not a palm reader, psychic, or Dr. Phil.
If we expect to remain in good shape spiritually then we must be willing to submit to the routine check ups of life. And when it comes down to what you and I need most in our attempts to fulfill God's desires, God is the ultimate expert.
Let me encourage you today, if you haven't done so already, to become custom with the truth of God's words. I speak from experience when I say that we all have spare time on our hands that we can set aside for God. To get in a room alone, turn off the radio, telephone, and anything else bothersome, and pour out to God in a meaningful way that brings the utmost satisfaction to Him.
How will we know what God wants from us unless we take the time to hear what he says? We must make the routine appointments with God regularly to just pray what's on our hearts, search the scriptures, and then wait patiently for his divine direction for our lives. I am aware that at times it may hurt and bring heartache to come face to face with the reality of the truth, but believe in the scriptures when they say, “The truth will set you free.” As we seek to serve God, Jesus’ perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.
"Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God." Psalm 43:3,4
Have a Great Day!
Michael Gibson
One Step Further Ministries
OSFministries @aol.com
Philippians 3:10 - [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death... (Amplified Bible)
Freedom In Christ
"...If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31,32
----------------------------------------------------------------------
“The most difficult of decisions are often not the ones in which we cannot determine the correct course, rather the ones in which we are certain of the path but fear the journey.”
Those beautiful words of insight come from writer Richard Paul Evans, a modern novelist whose expressions I have come to cherish dearly. Have you ever noticed that in order to experience great pleasure we must first undergo great difficulty? It's true. Nothing in life that's really worth living for comes to us effortless, with ease, or pain free. In all things meaningful there lies moments of opposition and testing sooner or later.
Just recently the time came around for me to make that dreaded routine phone call to the dentist office for what I expected to be a simple cleaning and check up. But oh how I was convinced otherwise after the Dr.'s thorough examination.
Not only did he inform me that I needed to be flossing more, but he also found another dreaded cavity. In addition to that, my wisdom teeth were beginning to come through and needed to be extracted soon before any more complications occurred. Talk about a bad day! I just wanted my teeth cleaned and here I am being told that I have to come back for more pain. Ouch!
It would have been impossible for myself alone to recognize all that was wrong with my teeth, but for someone whose expertise is in dentistry, it actually comes very easy to detect. That's the reason why there are experts in every field of health and anything else you could ever imagine. If you need brain surgery, go see a brain surgeon. If your poodle has a mild temperature then take it to the veterinarian.
And in the same sense, if you want to get real answers to real life problems then make an appointment with the very God that brought you into existence. Not a palm reader, psychic, or Dr. Phil.
If we expect to remain in good shape spiritually then we must be willing to submit to the routine check ups of life. And when it comes down to what you and I need most in our attempts to fulfill God's desires, God is the ultimate expert.
Let me encourage you today, if you haven't done so already, to become custom with the truth of God's words. I speak from experience when I say that we all have spare time on our hands that we can set aside for God. To get in a room alone, turn off the radio, telephone, and anything else bothersome, and pour out to God in a meaningful way that brings the utmost satisfaction to Him.
How will we know what God wants from us unless we take the time to hear what he says? We must make the routine appointments with God regularly to just pray what's on our hearts, search the scriptures, and then wait patiently for his divine direction for our lives. I am aware that at times it may hurt and bring heartache to come face to face with the reality of the truth, but believe in the scriptures when they say, “The truth will set you free.” As we seek to serve God, Jesus’ perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.
"Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God." Psalm 43:3,4
Have a Great Day!
Michael Gibson
One Step Further Ministries
OSFministries @aol.com
Philippians 3:10 - [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death... (Amplified Bible)
