Walking One Week at a Time

What a week it has been! Too many projects and not enough time, but God continues to provide as only He can. He is so wonderfully good to us.

• The house He provided
• at the price we were requiring
• in the exact neighborhood we desired
• only minutes from work for both of us
• The ministry opportunities available to us
• at church
• at school
• The recreational activities around us
• Visiting historical sites
• School field trips (Mount Vernon, in a couple of weeks)
• Williams Grove Speedway (literally 10 minutes from the house)

And the list could go on and on. He has shown Himself to be more than loving. Not only does God provide for our needs, but so many seemingly insignificant thing are provided for us that make life so enjoyable. Going to the races last night was not a need, but it sure was an enjoyable blessing. Justin and I were going to go and then we invited Pete and he was able to join us. It may not seem like much to most people, but it was such a blessing.

There are so many projects in the works at school, many of which are related to promotions. I am working on a new newspaper ad; we are planning/preparing for an Open House; posters, flyers, and brochures are being redesigned. At the same time the normal class schedule rolls on.

Through the week I have been reading/listening to the account a David prior to His ascending the throne. To see how God directed and provided for Him -- and that same God is my God. David is such an interesting study. He was no where near perfect and yet when confronted with his sin, he sought forgiveness. May that be my desire -- to seek God's forgiveness when I fail Him.

If I need to to plan for the next month at this exact moment, it would be absolutely overwhelming; however, when I can take a day or a week at a time, I am able to accomplish what He has before for me to do. God continues to provide the the strength and ability to fulfill His will.

Walking with a Different Focus

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence. Col 1:18


This verse helps us to maintain a proper focus. Our world is incredibly selfish and self-centered and it takes work for us to not fall into that mindset. Col. 1:18 tells us that Christ is first, both in time and in position.

• Time: Christ is not a created being; He is before all things. He is the son of God, indeed, He is God. He is ever-existent. He has no beginning and no end. He is before all things and He has the preeminence.
• Position: Jesus Christ has the greatest position. He is first in order of importance, first in priority. He stands supreme over all mankind, over all creation. He is far above even the angels. He is God.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Col 2:6, 7

If we have been redeemed, God expects us to act like it. Unsaved man will act like unsaved man; Christians should act like Christians. Unfortunately, we often act more like unsaved man that we act like Jesus Christ.

• We do not simply accept the teaching of Christ, we accept Christ Himself. The work of redemption is not acquiescence to a creed, it is a complete, radical, change of being. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (II Cor. 5:17). 
• A change of heart ought result in a change of life. When I truly accept Jesus Christ, I want to please and obey Him. I surrender and submit my will to His. In order to do His will, I need to know His will. That will only happen as I spend time studying His word.
• We are to be firmly rooted in the scripture as a tree planted by the rivers of water (Ps. 1) Being in Christ gives us life and that life gives us the strength, the roots to stand in this world amid the troubles and difficulties we encounter.
• Being in Christ gives us a firm foundation on which to stand in this world. We can not build a house that will endure the storms unless we set a firm foundation. It is God's word (both living and written) that gives us the ability to stand in this world and serve our God. We are not only rooted, we are built up in Him. We have a house built on the Rock.
• Redemption also makes us stablished in the faith. We are confirmed; there is no doubt, no wavering. We can have absolute certainty that He is the one true God and that He is worth of our trust.
• Paul often comments that his readers were taught, now they need to practice. Indeed, that is where we live. It is not that we do not know what to do; we need to practice what we do know.
• We should be abounding with thanksgiving. Are we honestly thankful for all that God has done for us through the work of redemption? I am afraid that often we take His gift for granted. If we are not thankful, do we really value His redemptive work on the cross as we should? Is it simply one more thing that we "believe," but that has not really affected us to the point of change?

If we are going to walk in Christ, we need to value Him above all others and be firmly established in our faith so that the cares of this world do not sway us. Even in scripture, we see examples of those who had Paul, or even Christ Himself, as a teacher and still they turned from Him and followed the path of the world. If we are going to walk Christ-like, we need to commit to Him and submit to Him.Today, again, I want to walk in Him and I trust that you do as well. Make Him the highest priority in life and do ALL to serve and please Him.