What a difference a few days makes – the weather this time last week was in the single digits, now we are in the 40’s overnight.  The sun is shining; few clouds in the sky; the snow is gone both from the rain and the warmth of the winds blowing over the ground.  And we are back to our normal fall – for now.

Well, I have a new definition of getting older – When your grandson borrows your pickup.  Teresa had some things to haul off to the dump, so she sent Ian to get the pickup.  AND Rosie has her permit.

Still having a bit of a struggle on concentration; mind is still fuzzy, but doing better. 

Psalm 139:23-24  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

We are always under a microscope when we declare Christ as our Lord.  People watch, some to find fault others to learn, but we are being watched.

Most of us found Christ by watching others, the way they lived their life, their choice of words, their actions under duress.  So we should understand how that works – God works through our relationships with others.

God uses His people to help the Holy Spirit draw people to Him.  By asking Him to search our heart, by asking Him to know our thoughts and to show us the way to everlasting peace we become closer to Him.  We realize that we cannot be perfect in and of ourselves.  Perfection comes from knowing Him and from having a heart felt desire to be like Him.

Christ makes us perfect; yet, we falter and fail so often.  We don’t mean to, we want to do what we know God wants us to do, but yet we still falter.

God understands.

Psalm 130:3-5 If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

⁴ But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

To understand God, to walk with God, to listen to God, we must read His Word, delving into His thoughts so we can have a closer relationship with Him.

Far too many people think that prayer alone is the way we have God search our hearts; that we will feel His presence and serve Him better.

Prayer, of course, IS extremely important, but when done as a substitute for studying His Word it can become convoluted.  Satan can enter in unbeknown to us and start guiding our thoughts away from God’s way onto his way.

As we study the Word of God He becomes more real, His Word really does light up our heart.  His Holy Spirit works with our spirit and shows us the errors of our ways.  We can better discern how the world imperceptibly starts to clutter our mind with thoughts that lure us away from God.

God wants us to be perfect; He wants us to walk as Jesus walked in this world.  We know that Jesus was a scholar of the Word.  We know that He used Scriptures to refute the false teachings in His time and as we read of His life we have a better understanding of how He maintained that perfection.

He knew God’s Word, He prayed to the Father for guidance and He put into action His faith in God. 

To share God’s love to others we don’t have to wait until we have reached a plateau of perfection.  The day Christ saved us is the day we started our mission of spreading God’s Word for Him.

The longer we are under the cover of the blood of Christ, though, the more we should know and understand about God.  The only way we can achieve that is to listen to those that are wise in the ways of God, read His Word on a regular (daily) basis, pray that we will be effective servants and to have patience which will allow Him to work within us.

While we are under that microscope it is amazing how many are willing to give us some leeway when they realize we are not perfect.  They realize we are human and at times we falter but as they watch us they see the overall working of Christ within us – and are drawn to Him.  He is perfect even if we are not.

God has given us the means to perfection, we know the way to perfection, we just have to strive to make that the priority in our life.  Not for our sakes, but for the Glory of God.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again