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God's Plan
by Bobby Bruno Many Christians forget that Jesus said to ask and you shall receive, and that you have not because you ask not (Matthew 7:7). Many Christians walk through life asking God questions like Why, When, or How instead of waiting upon God to act in the proper timing on their behalf. Part of the Holy Spirit's work in sanctifying us is to teach us to be patient as God works out everything He needs and wants to do in our lives. Most of us in our walk may know that God has a plan for us, but we don't yet realize that we need to give God all control of our lives, or else we get in His way, and may not receive the blessings He wants to bestow upon us and others. The Holy Spirit leads us into God's plan, but like kicking and screaming babies, we tend to not want to go easy by giving up control to the Spirit. When we realize that the Holy Spirit's work in our lives is to make us more like Jesus, and all that being like Him entails, we see that God has only our good in mind, and then we can easily give all we have and are up to the Spirit for His use. When we hear the Spirit's call in our hearts to do whatever He asks, we should answer quickly, because if we don't respond, then the Spirit will find someone more willing to heed His call. May we never ignore the call of the Holy Spirit, because we may be missing out on the greatest blessing that God desires to shower others around us with showing them Jesus through us. Comment: "Very true devotional. It will be a shame if we don't listen to the calling of Holy Spirit to act and heed the Word (the Gospel). God discipline and cares for those who are after his heart. Those who listen to the Holy Spirit begin to realize that the good life is not in materials but in the blood of Jesus. I don't remember the passage but Paul said things were not shown but put in parables or prophecy but now because of Jesus and Holy Spirit, everything is clear. If we fail to see that through the Holy Spirit, then what is stopping you from becoming blindly lost?!" Author's Response: I believe that the verse you are looking for is Hebrews 1:1-2 (God's Word) --- "In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. God made his Son responsible for everything. His Son is the one through whom God made the universe." I know that if the Holy Spirit let go of me I would be just a house built on the sand. If I let go of the Holy Spirit, I would be destroying myself to the grave. How's that for being uplifting? Comment: "I tried doing everything on my own and when things didn't go my way I got discouraged. I didn't let the Holy Spirit work within me. Now I know that my Christian life is not something that I make happen; it is the Holy Spirit that is in me." Author's Response: Because of the circumstances in which I gave Christ my life, I had no choice but to give it all to Him. I had tried for years to make myself into a man, but failed miserably, because I had no proper education on what it was to be a man. The abuse took that away from me. If I wanted to heal from my experiences, and if I wanted to have any resemblance of a real, honest life, then I had to let the Holy Spirit restore me, reform me, and then reshape me into what He says a man is. Even though I have been a believer for 15 years, I still am not the man I want to be, not by a long shot, but I know that the Holy Spirit will continually make me more His as each day passes. I don't walk around feeling condemned or guilty for anything I've ever done or not done as a man, because I have done the best I could with what I had been given. The Holy Spirit holds me and guides me through each second of every day. Even on those days (like today, bi-polar don't you know), when I just want to give up, the Holy Spirit's arms are firmly around me giving me the strength to make it through just one more day. And that's all He asks us to do -- trust Him one day at a time. May He bless you in your times of need. Bobby Bruno was saved 15 years ago in a way that left him no doubt that Jesus wanted him to reach others with His great and abounding love. He started writing at the age of 12 and hasn't stopped since. He achieved Associates Degree in Biblical Studies from Ohio Christian University in early 2014. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |