Are you Walking like Him? In His Word 9-28-21

 

Lets Look back!  This devotion has been adapted but has not been cut much shorter. The question came to me about how we know how to live in Christ. Another question was posed that inquired about how we know we are baring good fruits. The following is what I had answered before, with a few adaptations. 

In His Word!


 

And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near the LORD our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day." 1 Kings 8:59-61

 

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, "How do you advise me to answer these people?"  And they spoke to him, saying, "If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever."  But he rejected the advice, which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. And he said to them, "What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?" Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us' -- thus you shall say to them: 'My little finger shall be thicker than my father's waist! And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!'"   1 Kings 12:6-11

 

 And Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak."

Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king!" So, the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.'" 1 Kings 22:14-17

 

 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:5-8

 

 

 

          The Word of God tells us that His promises are for those who are loyal and truthful to Him. From this we know that if we are following His will in our lives and are right with God; then His promises will be true for us!

         

What do we do when we do not see those things coming to pass that we truly believed God had promised for us?

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-        First -We drop to our knees and ask God if there is anything in us that is causing us to slow or stop the process. In other words, we get right with God! Even a Christian can stumble and stray! We need to be sure that we are being obedient to His will in our lives!

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-        Sometimes God has a different plan than we figured it was. After all we are human and fallible.

-        Praying each day, really praying, and talking to Him as well as listening to Him will direct us in our path

 

-        We will be known by our fruits! If we are right with God, then our fruits will come out ripe. John 15- Jesus tells us that when we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit. Of course, this brings us back to the first thing I said we need to do and that is abide with Him. Spend time talking with Jesus daily and thank God for the things He has done and given to you.  Let your light shine before men, and they will see the Holy Spirit within you. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness… These things should be seen in our lives.

 

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23

 

 

-        So, what is Good Fruit, and how do I know it when I see it? Everything we do has a possibility of bearing either good fruit or bad.  When you tie your shoe if you do it wrong it can come undone and cause you to stumble… that would be ‘bad fruit’ for your labor of tying your shoe.

-        Yes, I know this is a small example. Good fruit will bring goodness, happiness and well,  all of the fruits of the spirit are good examples. Our actions have consequences, these consequences produce fruit in our lives and through our lives that is visible to others. When the scripture says we are known by our fruit it is telling us that people will see how we behave and know if we are of God or not. The best way to know that we are producing good fruits is to get in the Word and prayer daily.

-        It’s like the saying garbage in garbage out. If you put the

-        Word of God in regularly then that will come out of your mouth!

  

Okay, now I know my own fruits, but how do I know someone else’s?  You can know someone elses fruits the same way that you know your own. See if the Truth is in them! Bring everything into close scrutiny with the Word of God If something your friend said did not agree with the Word of God, your Bible, then it is not something you should listen to as wise counsel! ( 1 Kings12:6-11) These scriptures are telling of a king seeking wise counsel. If you read the whole chapter, you will get the whole picture. He had the choice of whom to follow, but he chose wisely and followed what the Lord wanted in the end and even though it was hard on his constituents, he did what he needed to.

 

-        His will will not always be what looks like fun! Often the road less traveled is actually the correct path to follow! It is not easy leading, or following for that matter, down a path that does not look like it will be easy. That is probably because it won’t be! We are not told that being a believer and following God is easy.  I do not think I have ever read that being a Christian meant my life would suddenly be perfect and all would be well. It just means that I have a Leader to follow. 1 John 320.

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-        I have a Connection to the Truth and a Guide to map my path! (1Kings 22:14-18)What we say, or do may not always be popular, but as long as it is what the Word of God, and Holy Spirit are guiding us to do that is what we need to follow. Be sure that is what you are doing, God will know the truth, and the Truth in you will guide you!

 

-        We need to be obedient to His Word, and His will in our lives. When we follow the Word, spend time in His Word, in His presence, then we will know the truth. Then we will be able to be obedient to His will, and to His Word! That is the easy part! Looking to Him for direction, looking to Him for guidance, and looking to Him for the peace that will come even in the midst of the worse trial you have ever had to endure! (Romans 8:31)

 

-        What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

 

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Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for being there whenever I call. Thank you for being my Guide in this world we live in, helping me to get through the muck and the mire and see Your Goodness. Help me today to do Your will in my life, in all that I do let me do it for You. In Jesus name, amen.

 

Suggested Readings for this week;

Monday: Rom 8:31-39

Tuesday:Matthew 7-all

Wednesday: I Kings 8:59-64

Thursday: Psalm 109:all

Friday: Romans 9-all

 Weekend readings: 1 Kings 12-all

 

***If for any reason you choose ever not to receive this devotion again please remember that all it takes is replying with a "Please remove me from this list." I do ask that if there is a problem with anything I write for you to feel free to write me back and let me know what the problem was, that we might go over it together and seek the truth in love.

In His love,

Teresa M. Wilson

 

 

 

 

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

(from New International Version)