Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6
Studying and posting thoughts in the post “Reflecting On The Way”, discovered is that if we embrace grace and follow the Way, we grow in character so that every moment becomes a building block to accomplishment as we step ahead.
For a follower of Jesus, things fall into place because of His grace like the song Your Grace Is Enough by Matt Maher. Because of the Savior, there is a change in behavior; following where He leads and doing good deeds; accepting the truth and teaching our youth; learning His ways and giving Him praise.
A guy was on his way home from work. His wife called him and told him to be careful because she saw on the news that some lunatic was driving the wrong way on the interstate. He says to his wife, it’s worse than that … there are hundreds of them.
Reading today in Mark 7:1-13, noted is how the Pharisees were similar to the man above. They were irritated about others going the wrong way when they themselves were headed in the wrong direction. They were complaining about the disciples eating without the human tradition of ceremonial washing. Not only washing their hands but cups, pitchers, and kettles.
Examining the Pharisees in today’s passage, we gain insight into the fact that they had developed their own human rules over the years. Jesus tells them they were setting aside the commands of God in order to observe their own traditions (v. 9)! He tells them they were nullifying the word of God with their own laws.
Jesus accuses the Pharisees of pretending to be holy by following their made up rules rather than depending on God’s way to holiness. Some traditions may be good but we should not have them because that’s the way things have customarily been done. We should have them because that’s what God tells us to do. Then we will discover that what God tells us to do through the Holy Spirit is how things fall into place for greatest success.
To use scripture effectively, let us depend on the clear way of Jesus. Not depending on the world were our thoughts become blurred. Like a small ripple in the water, reflecting on God’s truths and sharing with others grows to make a large impact not only in current times but for eternity.
When we pray and develop a game plan each day with God, there is confidence because we know that we will do the right things that lead to the greatest accomplishment.
This day with You Lord, we reflecting on Your Way. We embrace Your grace which sets us free and gives us power to be transformed from the inside out towards holiness. We are challenged each day but persevere and grow in character as we follow Your Way so that every moment becomes a building block to accomplishment as we step ahead. Amen.
Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. – Isaiah 55:6
I remember riding my bike as a kid when all of a sudden I stopped going anywhere and looked down to see that the chain had slipped off. It’s the same with our day, if we don’t begin our day with God, the power that pushes us forward is gone and we keep trying to peddle but get nowhere.
Within the post “Let Him In The Boat” is the thought that the first step is the hardest but each step after that provides more momentum. Gain momentum today from the song One Step Away by Casting Crowns. It’s that first step of faith that’s the hardest but each step after that guarantees greater strength because Jesus gets in the boat with us to calm the storms and give us momentum towards our destination.
The initial lift off of a space ship takes the most energy when launching it into space and it’s the same when we begin any task because the first few steps take up the most energy. This day with God will be amazing because we are taking the first step of our day by reading Mark 6:45-56 and seizing the opportunity to share with others the guiding principles received.
After feeding the 5,000, Jesus told the disciples to get into a boat and go ahead of Him to Bethsaida. Jesus dismissed the crowd and then went up a mountainside to pray. During the night, a storm came up on the Sea of Galilee. The disciples were straining at the oars because the wind was against them so Jesus walked on water out to them. The disciples were afraid so they called out to Jesus.
Now we are given an example of how Jesus shows His complete mastery over nature as the wind dies down once He climbs into the boat with them. The disciples had just witnessed Jesus feeding 5,000 with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Now they witness Jesus walking on water and calming the storm. Verse 51 says they were amazed.
There may be experience you’ve gone through that have completely astounded you. If so, share in the comments. These experiences build our faith for our present and future needs. It’s that first step of faith that’s the hardest but each step after that guarantees greater strength because Jesus shows up in the storms, gets in the boat with us, and makes the storms subside. Then the future becomes calm and we have momentum to push us on towards our destination.
Lord as we set sail on today’s voyage, there may be storms ahead but we will let You in our boat to calm the storms. We will then set sail with gusto because there will be the courage to explore, to dream, and to discover as we strive to reach our destination. Amen.
Wake up to the amazing life available now and for eternity. Gain the strength to handle the concerns, doubts, and worries of today as pointed out at this Link or by clicking on the video below.
This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 