Day 32: Live Life Devotional

 

Day32

We are Here to Bring God Pleasure

We need to think of what is pleasing to God:


Obedience is the key to success by God’s standards. In order to be obedient to God’s words, we ought to read God’s word to find out what he says we should do. We should develop a relationship with him by talking to him, asking him questions, and allowing the Holy Spirit to interpret the kingdom language to us.




What then is pleasing to God?

Obedience

Faith

Showing your faith by being obedient

Being obedient by showing your faith

Let us meditate on this verse my friends:

Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Complete obedience allows us to get closer to God. The steps that we take through being obedient allows us to grow. This does take time. It is a process.

Since we were made to bring God pleasure, this is also part of our purpose. Remember God has provided you with everything that you need to carry out your purpose. Hence, the tools that you have are meant to bring God pleasure. Your tools are your gifts, talents, and abilities. Using these things to be obedient to God’s directions is a form of worship.

Rick Warren says that worship is multifaceted. And he is so very right. Please change your mind of your ideas about what worship is. You must know that worship is what you do, not just what you say.

Abraham found what he was looking for because of what he did by faith, not by what he claimed to do with his words. Abraham took action with what God gave him. He used his gifts, talents, and abilities to advance the Kingdom. He learned patience and he learned the voice of God. He grew in his obedience of what God told him to do. Abraham’s obedience was a form of worship. He followed the ways of the Lord. Why? Because of his faith; that God would do everything that he said. God found pleasure in Abraham’s worship.

“Worship is not what you do with your lips; it’s what you do with your life. All the singing, praying, and praising is worthless if it doesn’t lead to personal change and commitment. You can’t be a spectator in worship. Passive worship is an oxymoron. Real worship is offering yourself to live for God’s pleasure.”

-Rick Warren

On day 15 I had asked you to make a list of the things you do to spend time with Jesus. The things on your list are forms of worship because they bring God pleasure. You do these things by faith because you believe that God will do what he said he will do.



Keep doing these things because God wants to reveal more secrets to you. He wants to tell you who you are! He wants to show you the vision he has for you! He wants to do these things for his children! He finds pleasure in our obedience and he wants to reward us for our obedience!

“God-pleasing worship is based on scripture. Real worship is rooted in the Word; it’s based on truth, not our imagination. God pleasing worship is also from the heart. Made in God’s image, you are a spirit that resides in a body, and God designed your spirit to communicate with him. Worship is our spirit responding to God’s spirit.”

-Rick Warren

 

I have a second verse for you to think about and eventually memorize:

And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy 28:2

Day 31: Live Life Devotional

Day 31

Do you know what you want?

Many of us are working towards some type of success.  We each have our own goals and ideas of what that is.  Surely this world pushes specific ideas about wealth, power, popularity, and authority but this is not what we believe if we are consistent in reading the word of God.

God has a different definition of success.  The word of God says that we should not chase the things of this world: riches, fame, success, notoriety, awards etc.  

We must continue to study the word of God to really know why we are here. By today we should have a better understanding of the following Purposes that were outlined in Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life.”  He claims that:

We are here to bring God Pleasure.

We were made to be part of God’s Family.

We were created to be like Christ.

You were created to provide a service.

We were made for a Mission.

What do these statements mean to you?

Before I go through each of these, I encourage you to journal your thoughts about what each of these ideas is referring to in the bible.  Use this devotional as a reference. What verses did we meditate on that help support these ideas?

Day 30: Live Life Devotional

Day30

Have confidence in God’s strength

When we have confidence in God’s strength, we can make it through anything. He is made strong in our weakness, which means that we have to learn how to let go.


This is a lesson that I am learning right now. I’m a teacher and I realize that many teachers have control issues as well as authority complexes. I want to be in charge. I have to learn how to “let go, and let God!”


This is a different kind of let go compared to modern day interpretations. Letting go and letting God, doesn’t mean that we become reclusive and non-caring of the progress of our brothers and sisters. We must strive to the mark of the higher calling that God has for us. We must be doers of the word and not only hearers of the word.  We must learn application. Our belief must be so strong that we start to see dreams manifest in our lives.  We must be so consistent that we start to see our faith work. We must keep trusting that God will do everything that he said he will do. We must know that we can do anything we set our minds to.

I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

This is the verse that you need to meditate on night and day for many years to come! You can do this. You can live this life on purpose!! Have confidence in the word of God.

 

 

Day 29: Live Life Devotional

Day 29

Understanding Faith

We are still gaining some background knowledge about how to receive the vision that God has for our lives. We are here on this earth to reach and fulfill this vision. It is hard to work towards something that you can’t see right in front of you. This is why God said you have to have faith.

My dad, being the great teacher that he was, would always ask us open ended questions: “Did Abraham find what he was looking for.” As kids, we didn’t know what he was talking about, but today it so clear to me.

Abraham was given a great vision of being the father of a great nation. He could have sat back and relaxed in this revelation or he could have taken the steps towards fulfilling his destiny. Abraham chose the later (read Romans 4: 1-13)

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Romans 4:13

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise . . .

Hebrews 11: 8-9

 . . .These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

It is impossible to please God without faith. So, we must find out what faith is, and how to use it. Abraham had faith, and so he found what he was looking for. He did so by taking action steps. His faith actions was evidence of his righteousness. He trusted and believed God for everything that he said.

God said that Faith without works is dead. Abraham had living faith. He worked to develop his relationship with God so that he could gain direction from God. He did so by going through many trials and tests. Abraham went through his process, he received his vision, he continued to grow through progress, and he finally found that there was more to living life than just living this life.

He did this all by FAITH!!

Faith is the belief in something that you cannot see, but you know that it is real. If you know that something is real then you will keep working towards it. This concept will lead us right to our Vision. Although you can’t see the vision that God gives you in the here and now, wait for it, it’s coming.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen

Hebrews 11:1

Let us meditate today on this translation:

 Strong belief will bring everlasting promises into plain sight.

We should have faith that one day we will be part of God’s family, in a different country that is not of this world.

Day 28: Live Life Devotional

Day 28

How do we find our purpose: continue to be thankful

Are you finding time to give God thanks? Did you start your gratitude journal yet? Remember application is key if we want to soak in all of the goodness of God’s word. Hence, it is wise to write down 3-5 things you are thankful for everyday while you do this devotional. This is your action step that is pleasing to God . .


Let us meditate on this verse today:

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Philippians 4:6

What does this mean exactly?



It means that if we had faith, we wouldn’t worry about things. If we had faith, we would know that we could ask God for anything. If we had faith, we would be thanking him in advance for all his extra blessings. It is because of the faith we know that he will always provide. Hence, it is very important to learn how to increase our faith.

Check out the link to this blog post about increasing your faith:

https://artteacher4purpose.com/2016/10/29/7-ways-to-increase-four-faith/

Day 27: Live Life Devotional

Day 27

Keep Trusting, Keep Hearing, Keep learning

 

The bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing.  We must keep hearing the word of God so that we can increase our faith.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith allows us to believe what we are hearing is true.  We must keep trusting, keep hearing, and keep learning from the word of God.

Do you really believe that God will provide your every need just like he provides all the needs for the flowers, the birds, and all of nature?  We must know that God knows our needs before we ask and he is ready to supply.

Sometimes we know this at surface value and we just need a little more repetition to condition it in our heart.  Let us read over some of these verses today that show God’s provision and support:

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.


Philippians 4:19

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.


Hebrews 13:5

 

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:


2 Corinthians 9:8



Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?


Matthew 6:26



The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalms 23:1



Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5

 


And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

2 Corinthians 9:8-11

 


According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

2 Peter 1:3 

I suggest you pick at least one of these verses to memorize for your go to scripture that reminds you of God’s provision.

Day 26: Live Life Devotional

Day 26

Understanding Provision

When you get closer to receiving your Vision from God you must take full confidence in God’s provision.


Understanding Provision: This one is simple. You must know and understand that God will provide you with everything you need during your process of growth. When you believe by faith, life gets a whole lot less stressful. God will provide!

When we start stepping into the presence of God’s vision for us, we are about to come into contact with a lot of resistance! Remember you will always have those people who don’t really understand what is going on with you. They might say somethings that rub you the wrong way. This is ok! It is all apart of your process and preparing your patience. We have to be patient with people who don’t fully understand that everything is going to work out in the end.


Remember, God says: “I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV


We must trust and believe that God will provide our every need. Let us meditate on the following passage today. Read it in the afternoon and before you go to bed. What do you think it means? What is God trying to teach your spirit?

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 6:30-34