August 16th

AUGUST 16th  

Have a hard time believing that God really does love you personally? Maybe you don’t have issues with believing that He loves the world/humans in general but you can’t personalize it very well? Think about it this way. God doesn’t NEED any of us. But He WANTS us. He doesn’t need anything, He is GOD! He didn’t need to die for us, He wanted to die for us. He doesn’t NEED you, but He WANTS you, -YOU! He died because He wants you and if He didn’t die for you to save you, then He couldn’t have you close to Him. But…He wants you to want Him, He doesn’t want to force you to love Him or choose Him. He gave you the free will to choose and He knows everything so He already knows whether you will choose Him or not. He WANTS you so He sent His Spirit, the Holy Spirit to take care of you.

The Holy Spirit is tasked with drawing you to Him. The Holy Spirit is tasked with teaching you, guiding you, comforting you, keeping you in check/nudging you when you start to head down the wrong path, etc. He is tasked with guarding you and carrying you through until you get to Heaven. He is tasked with transforming you into who God created you to be instead of your current self. The Holy Spirit knows your heart, what drives you and what distracts you, what draws you and what upsets you. He is intimately familiar with every part of you. He isn’t just with you, He is IN you; So, He is grieved when you sin and He is delighted when you pay attention to Him. He knows what you need and He knows what you want, but He also knows what is good for you and what isn’t. He knows how to direct you, teach you and lead you the right way. But, He is a gentleman. He is persistent, asking repeatedly, nudging repeatedly, but He does not force you to follow or do the right thing because you have free will.

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Psalm 139:1-10 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

The Holy Spirit knows you intimately, how about getting to know HIM?

Lord, thank you for wanting me. Help me to wrap my head and heart around that. Holy Spirit thank you for drawing me to you, forgive me for ignoring you and your nudges. Help me to pay attention to you and follow your lead. Teach me how to recognize your voice and remind me that I can trust you completely.