Wisdom, Discernment, and Choice

A quote which I recently heard made an impression on my mind and heart; “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep for that which he cannot loose”.  God chose to give to us, to give to me, His son to suffer and die.  I am, we are, His beloved children.   God IS love (1 John 4:8).  We are His beloved (Colossians 3:12).  He became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).  We are His pearls of great price (Matthew 13:46).  He gave His life as ransom for each of us.  In my life He is the most precious pearl.  How do I know this?  I read these words in the scriptures.  I have chosen to receive the gift of faith which He has freely given to you and to me.

I have always tried to seek God’s wisdom and direction in my life.  I do not say that I haven’t strayed but He has always repositioned my compass back to Him.  I do not want to be the fool who makes the wrong eternal choice.  It is OK if others think I am foolish.  The one thing that is important to me is that God knows where I am spiritually. He knows that I love Him with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He is the final say.  My belief in Him and in eternity is the one thing which I cannot loose.

As I look back on my life and my spiritual journey I can see how His Word, His wisdom, and His gift of discernment in my life have led me through the circumstances of my physical existence.  Each of us is a spiritual being on a physical journey.  I would feel so very lonely if I didn’t have the assurance that God was walking this journey with me. 

When we seek, we find.  Wisdom is the beginning of knowledge.  If you haven’t read the scriptures, pick up the Psalms or the book of Proverbs.   God’s Word is alive.  He will speak to your heart.  Faith is not logical.  Faith is a gift (Ephesians 2:8).  Ask and you will receive (Matthew 7:7,8).  God is the one who convicts our hearts.  He stands at the door and knocks.   To receive or not to receive is a personal choice.   When God births a new spirit and understanding within us we have the choice to stay at that place or to keep growing in our new found faith.  Our spiritual birth is not the end point of a search for truth.  It is the beginning of an adventure.  We come to believe in Father God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  He is the one triune God with whom we now have a personal relationship.  He knows us and loves us.  We want to know Him and love Him more.  In order to do this we must spend time with Him.  I cherish my quiet time with Him.  He walks with me each minute of each day. 

I want Him to keep filling me with His Spirit.  I want Him to reflect His light and love through me.  I want Him to be able to use me for His Glory.  I want others to see Him in me.  I want others to want to have a personal relationship with Him too!  It is worth letting go of the temporary for the Everlasting (John 3:16).  I pray for continued wisdom, discernment, and spiritual growth in my life.  I will live in anticipation of where He will be leading me.  He is at work in my life and in my family’s lives.  He hears my prayers.  He knows my needs and He knows the needs of those I pray for.  Dear Lord, continue to teach me, fill me, and use me.  Thank you for working in my life and hearing my prayers.

One Body, One Church, One Lord

There is one Creator.  I worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  Our God is One.  He is the Beginning and the End; the Alpha and the Omega.  He IS, WAS, and IS to come.  He is ever-present in my life.  Our God, the I AM, comes to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He is the Trinity; the three in One.  He is Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipresent (everywhere), and Omnipotent (all-powerful).  He has convicted my heart.  He teaches me His Word.  I have received His gift of Faith.  It is His Grace alone that has brought me into greater understanding of who I am in Him.  I know that He is directing me and that He has a purpose for my life.

I see Him in the Scriptures, in Creation, and in the Love of others. I feel His presence in prayer, worship, and praise.  He is present in Church, on the bike path in the evening, and in a quiet spot in my own home or yard.

Today I was reading 1 Corinthians 12.  I am one member of the Body of Christ which is His Church on earth.  Verse 18 tells us that “God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased”.  He has different roles and jobs for us according to the talents which He has given us.  Some of the necessary parts of the Church listed in verse 28 are: apostles, prophets, teachers, administrators, and caring helpers of others.  Various members have the gift of miracles, the gift of healing, and the gift of speaking in unknown languages.  We should desire the most helpful gifts.  Our talents are a gift from God.  Using our talents for God’s Glory is our gift back to Him.  As we read on into 1 Corinthians 13 we are told that of all the gifts which we receive, and in turn give; the greatest one of all is Love. 

Just as God made our bodies with many parts, His Church, the Body of Christ has many parts.  We have eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc. but we still are only one body.  All believers together are Christ’s body. Each of us is a separate and necessary part of it.  In the Body of Christ are, Jew, Gentile, slave, free, rich, poor, weak, and strong.  We are to love and care for each other.  Each one of us is a separate and necessary part.  Verse 26 says that “If one suffers, all parts suffer, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad”.

Jesus, the Messiah, is from the Jewish lineage of David as was prophesied in the Old Testament.  The first Christ Followers, Christians, were Jews.  Today, many Jews have come to know Christ, the Messiah.  The first Christians became the Roman Catholic Church with Peter as the first head of the church.  In the 16^th Century Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation divided the Christian Church.  The Protestants, led by Martin Luther believed that we were saved by Grace only; justified by faith, not by works.  Lutherans became the first of the many Protestant Denominations.  We are many parts but only One Body and One Head which is Jesus Christ, our Lord.  The Bible is the Word of God.  When we choose a church we must know that the central teaching of the church is Christ crucified, Christ given to us by the Father to redeem our sins, and the Holy Spirit given to us by Christ to help us to do the Father’s will.  The Holy Bible is God breathed and inspired.  It is taught and believed.  I have been fortunate to have attended a number of Churches in different locations in my spiritual journey.  I have grown and continue to grow in relationship with Jesus, my Savior and my friend.   I have been taught by spirit-filled pastors in various denominations.  “The Church” is not a building.  It is not a specific Catholic or Protestant building or denomination.  The Church is made up of people, each, a member of the body of Christ.  He is our head.  As a believing Christian I have a role to play in Christ’s Church on earth.  I would hope that my words, as I reflect on my faith, will be a help to someone.  In my Blog, I find purpose in the small role which I might play in Christ’s Church.  May God be glorified in my life and in my words!