July 12th

JULY 12th

Sometimes people (even “Christians”) look at God as if He is trying to keep things from them or cramp their style. In actuality it is the desire of Jesus to give us a full abundant life.

It is the selfishness of our human nature that wants to hold a white-knuckle grip on our “rights” to do things our way and be all about us. It is the enemy who actually wants to kill, steal, and destroy us and feeds us those selfish lies to manipulate us in to actually participating in his scheme.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus wants us to have full, abundant life so when we focus on ourselves instead of Him, we rob ourselves of that full life. The enemy lies to us and tells us that life is about stuff that really doesn’t fulfill us, stuff that will never be enough. It is all around us in culture and not even in obvious ways that we can easily combat. Social media, our TV, computer, phone, tablet, etc. pushes us more and more into “me” mode. “Take care of you, you deserve this, you need this or that, age less, look better, buy this, go on this vacation,” etc. If none of that gets us, then he may try the fear of missing out tactic. Either way the focus becomes more and more centered around us or our “happiness.” All the while, we are sabotaging our happiness or fulfillment because it only comes through Jesus. He is THE way, not just to salvation but to abundant life.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Our Father in Heaven wants to give you good gifts, good things. He loves you more than you can imagine and He wants to give you everything that is good for you beyond your imagination. It is not and has never been about Him wanting to keep things from you, it has always been about Him wanting to give you blessing upon blessing.

Unfortunately our thinking gets so self-centered that we totally miss out on those blessings because our thinking is backwards when we are self-centered. And we ARE self-centered. All day long we are self-centered. Even when we think we are thinking about others there is often a hidden motive that we may not even be conscious of really. But look at this verse.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Give and it will be given to you. Totally not the message that the world speaks and not the way we live most of the time. Just another example of how the way of Jesus is counterintuitive. Give and you will receive. So let’s start to retrain our brains today by focusing on Jesus and how He wants to bless us instead on some rules or what we might miss out on in this world. Let’s give Him the opportunity to be our Good, good Father.

Matthew 7:7-11 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Today try asking your Father in Heaven for what He wants to give you instead of what you think you want or need. Ask Him for the blessings that He is yearning to give you.

Heavenly Father, thank you for wanting to give me the best, forgive me for not being aware of who you really are and how you feel about me. Help me to remember your great love for me. Forgive me for seeing things with my own eyes instead of considering your perspective. Thank you for your plan and that you are not at all like this world. Thank you for your mercy and grace when I fall so short. Help me to surrender so I can stay aligned with you and please transform me by the renewing of my mind.