Thoughts for reflection . . . (Anticipation)

How much am I anticipating the Lord's return? How much is His return influencing my daily walk with God?

Jesus said on a number of occasions to watch, to be ready (Matt 24.44), to pray (Mark 13.33) all in the context of readiness for His return. Am I in that state of readiness now? Am I being faithful with what God has put into my hand to do as part of His will for my life? Am I delaying making changes that God has shown are needful in my life, delaying because I lack the urgency of the Lord's pending return (Rev 22.7,12,20).
Our hope as believers should find it's focus in the soon return of our Saviour, and that hope will result in our purifying ourselves in readiness for His appearance (1John3.2-3). It will result in us abiding in Him, so we will have confidence when He appears and not be ashamed (1John2.28).
Is that hope alive and active in me? Is the fruit of that hope visible?
The Apostle Paul declares in 2Cor5.9-10 'Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him. . . . for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ . . '. In the original language of the text the Greek word for labour in this verse means 'to be actuated by love of honour'. Is my daily walk being motivated and driven by a love for the Lord and hearing Him say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant' (Matt 25.21,23). Is His pleasure my primary desire in my thought-life, my words and my actions and how my life is lived out towards my family and those with whom I come into contact?
May I be vigilant, preparing myself and by abiding close to the Lord be amongst those of whom the Lord speaks when He says 'Blessed . . are those servants whom the master finds awake and alert and watching when he comes' (Luke 12.37 Amp).

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Thoughts for reflection . . . (The tongue)

The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright . . . (Proverbs 15.2).
If we know the Lord and His Word it will affect our tongue and how we speak.
Those that are wise are those that fear God (Prov 9.10), and those in whom the wisdom of God is flowing. They will be known by their being pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy (Jam3.17).
How do I speak? When I learn that I have been lied to, what are my words of response? when I am betrayed, how do I speak of those who betrayed me? when I am confronted with foolishness, waste and selfishness what is the response of my tongue? Our mouth is the revealer and indicator of the condition of our hearts (Matt 12.34-35). We are instructed to speak evil of no one (Titus 3.2). As we look to the Lord we see His perfect example; Who when He was reviled did not respond in like manner, when He suffered He did not threaten those around Him but entrusted Himself to God (1Pet2.23).
In all my circumstances, in all my dealings with those around me; family, friends, work associates and others in the world, may my words build up and not destroy, heal and not wound, encourage and not criticise, understand and not judge, and ultimately be a reflection of the gentle workings of the Holy Spirit in my life moulding me into the likeness of my Saviour and Lord.

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Thoughts for reflection . . . (Perspective)

What is your perspective on the challenges that you face in life? David as a youth faced Goliath but saw the greatness of His God and not the size of the giant before him and Goliath was slain (1 Sam 17). King Jehoshaphat faced a host that came against him but focussed on the Lord God and trusted Him and a great victory ensued (2Chron 20). We need a true and accurate concept of God and see things from the perspective of His greatness as we trust Him. This is excellently described by Stephen Charnock a puritan writer: 'Whatsoever God is, He is infinitely so; He is infinite Wisdom, infinite Goodness, infinite Knowledge, infinite Power, infinite Spirit; infinitely distant from the weakness of creatures, infinitely mounted above the excellencies of creatures: as easy to be known that He is, as impossible to be comprehended what He is. Conceive of Him as excellent, without any imperfection; a Spirit without parts; great without quantity; perfect without quality; everywhere without place; powerful without members; understanding without ignorance; wise without reasoning; light without darkness; infinitely more excelling the beauty of all creatures, than the light in the sun, pure and unviolated, exceeds the splendour of the sun dispersed and divided through a cloudy and misty air: and when you have risen to the highest, conceive Him yet infinitely above all you can conceive .... '. This is the God we serve, our Heavenly Father, Saviour, Healer, Redeemer. Lift up your eyes and behold His greatness as you face what is before you and lean on Him.

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Thoughts for reflection . . . (God's Word)

Am I making full use of God's Word in my life?
God's Word is multi-faceted in how it can effect our lives. But the power of God's Word working in us is proportionate to the place we give it in our daily lives and the application by faith of all that God has written in it. In 2 Timothy 3.16 we see that the Word is able to make us wise unto salvation, it instructs us, reproves and corrects us and ultimately can make us fully equipped to live the life that God has ordained for us to walk (Eph 2.10). God's Word is life changing but am I allowing it to be to me? Do I give myself wholly to it? Or is it a treasure chest that I do not regularly open through fear, lack of appreciating it importance or because of the distraction of all the other activities of life? (Luke 8.14)

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Thoughts for reflection .... (Pleasing God)

In the Bible in Hebrews 11.6 we learn that it is impossible to please God without faith. Also in Galatians 5.6 we see that what counts is 'faith working through love'. I therefore need to be asking myself: Are all my actions, my words, my thoughts that relate to my relationships, work and other activities (i.e. my whole life) coming from a motivation of God's love in me through faith in Christ? This is the gauge of whether my life at any particular moment is pleasing to God.