As infants we learn to walk upright, during this process we fall and stumble until we gain our sea legs. The same is true as we become mature Christians. Learning to walk worthy of the Lord is a process.
~ Lisa Blair
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a]10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Col 1:9-10 NIV
As I read Colossians 1:9-10 I sought commentaries to further learn its essence. I found Chuck Smith’s sermon notes to be most beneficial. These are my take aways.
The Outline Points are:
(I recommend reading the full set of notes.)
That you might be filled with the knowledge of His Will.
That you might walk worthy of the Lord.
That you might be fruitful in every good work.
That you might increase in your knowledge of God.
That you might be strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.
Reference – A Prayer for the New Year, Sermon Notes, Chuck Smith, Blueletterbible.org
Fear the Lord in reverence, not anxiety of retribution.
~ Lisa Blair
I attended Sunday Bible School and Vacation Bible School like so many reading this post. As a teen and young adult, I attended Sunday service and Bible Study. The Word seemed so demanding during that period of my life, which caused hesitancy. I could find no sense of Free Will. Our Lord seemed to allow no breath of discovery. I felt He was saying, fear me or else. I only knew one fear and that was carnal fear. The Online Dictionary defines it as, a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, leading to anxiety, and that is what I felt when the Word said, ‘fear the Lord’. I was instructed to fear the Lord. So, while I loved the Lord, I also hesitated for fear of retribution if I did not get it right.
LAB PHOTOS
I believe that all too often we share the Word but do not define the importance of the words (in the scriptures) to our youth or new believers. We leave to much to the imagination, our carnal perspective. Biblical terms often do not mean what we think they mean. They represent a heavenly perspective. They represent a different truth. They define a relationship like none other, yet left to the untrained mind, we suffer setbacks because the Word can seem harsh. The Word is love. Let’s share that love by explaining, or defining terms as God has defined them. When those around us understand the terms, they open their minds and are eager to learn more about our Salvation and relationship with the Lord, our Savior.
The daily message below is a good explanation of what it means to fear the Lord and follow him. It is a great message to share with youth and new believers.
2021 is coming to a close. I found this Dec 30, 2021 Lectio devotional to be very helpful in focusing and recapping the events in your life, lamenting, and moving forward into 2022.
While searching scriptures for this post, I came across an article entitled, 17 Bible Verses about New Beginning for the New Year, by Billy Hallowell, December 28, 2021. Insider. Pure flix..com, the author wrote, and I paraphrase, don’t let the events and happenings of 2021 hold you back in 2022. It’s easy to get bogged down and chaos and bad decisions, but it is never too late to embrace a new cell and push away the old self. Rather than dwelling on the past, solidify a new beginning by turning to scripture and prayer. Map out goals and pray that God guide you where he wants you in the new year.
Further, the author writes perhaps you feel weak and tired as 2021 comes to a close. Maybe you’ve struggled and are in need of strength and sustenance. Have no fear. Place your hope in God and pray for his supernatural strength to fill your heart and comfort you you can find renewed strength and a new beginning in him.
“So we say with confidence quiet the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can you mortals do to me?” Hebrews 3:16 NIV
Go to the 🏠 at the bottom left of the page, open it .
More Scriptures to enter the New Year equipped.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “the Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait on him.“ Lamentations 3:22–24 NIV
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.“ 1 Peter 5:7 NIV
“And whatever you do, whether in word or D, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him.“ Colossians 3:17 NIV
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it’s brings up; do you not receive it? I am making away in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.“ Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS. This is my final Post for 2021. May God bless you and yours throughout 2022. Looking forward to sharing God’s Word and how to apply it in daily life this coming year. It’s all about application.
Traveling through space, amazed by the magnificence of it all and then without warning you find yourself in a wormhole. The space is dark and unfamiliar. Suffering and anxiety prevail, unless, you call on the Lord.
~ Lisa Blair
Popular Mechanics
Have you ever found yourself in a position where all was going well, and then, a health, career, financial, or other personal issue comes out of nowhere? Well that recently happened to me. Life is funny that way. We spend time at the top of the mountain in complacency and then the sky shifts. So, I ask, in the midst of the unknown, do we rely on our own thoughts and plans to escape, or do we go to the Lord in prayer? In the darkness, did you stop to ponder that there are lessons that we can gleam from these experiences? The Bible is replete with people and societies that experienced the travails of life, and through the harshness of the tribulations, challenges and trials, they, over time recognized the lessons presented through the tough times. Reflecting on the concept of the wormhole, we can either implode or we can process what is happening and seek understanding about how to navigate and exit better than when we entered the darkness of the wormhole.
As Christians, our purpose on earth is two-fold. The first is to take the journey the Lord has laid before us which includes challenges, trials and tribulations and mature in our Christian walk, and the second is to be ambassadors of Christ and spread the Good News, and loving all of humanity friends and foes. What better way to spread the Good News than through life’s challenges, how we approached challenges, and the victory of coming out of the wormhole in one piece.
One piece? Did you think that once you accepted Christ as you Lord and Savior it would be ‘smooth sailing’ from that day forward? The reality is, the Lord did not say the path would be easy. On the contrary, he said it would be difficult. The thing we must remember is that we will come out on the other side. The wormhole will close behind us and your challenges will lead to your testimony. You are the author of your story. Ask yourself, how will others interpret my story, will they see only the struggles and failures, or a story of walking with the Lord and overcoming the challenges, trials, and tribulations? Will your story be a testimony for others to cherish when they enter tough times, reflecting on your story as the path out of darkness? Or, will your story leave them defeated wallowing in failure and defeat?
As we walk with Christ through the challenging times, acknowledge that you are never alone. The Lord will never leave you or forsake and like the Footsteps poem, He will carry you when you can no longer walk on your own. Let these times become your testimony.
I am attaching scriptural resources to help you through the difficult times. Begin writing your testimony as you journey through challenges, trials, and tribulations, it will encourage you to stay the course and come out of the wormhole in one piece. You will come out with a closer relationship with our Lord. You will come out more mature and able to help others navigate life. You will come out stronger.
Resources:
What Does the Bible Say About Difficult Times. Openbible.info
Bible Verses About Having Strength During Hard Times. Biblemoneymatters.com
~ 10 Bible Verses To Help You Through A Difficult Time. Heartandsoulhomeschooling.com
~ 3 S ruptured to Pray When You Just Don’t Know What to Do. Jenniferrothschild.com
~ 33 Powerful Bible Verses About Healing and Overcoming Sickness. Testimon.io
~ 20 PsalmsTo Read When Life is Miserable. Crosswalk.com
~ 31 Spiritual Warfare Scriptures: Help for Facing Life’s Battles. Crosswalk.com
When we read the word baptized, what does it mean to you? How does it impact your life? Do you categorize it as an intellectual thought, or spiritual delivery?
~ Lisa Blair
To be baptized means you are immersed, dipped, or submerged, to become cleansed of impurity. The truth is you are renewed the moment you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. The act of baptismal is sharing your conviction with the world. The two are linked and create the new creature in Christ and changes how we represent ourselves. As Christians, we enter as sinners, and arise renewed with a change of mind and heart. (Holman Bible Dictionary, Studylight.org) Once baptized we take on a new perspective on life. We become guided by the Spirit who is in, by, and with us. We take on the characteristics of Christ, stripping our own self-motivated, self-determined nature to exude Christ in our breath, actions, and deeds.When we intentionally stay connected with the Holy Spirit, our actions take on the love of Christ. We are no longer isolated, we become one with the body of Christ. Our intentionality in demonstrating the characteristics of Christ is spelled out in Galatians 5.
[Image, Galatians 5:16, Bible.knowing-Jesus.com]
“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 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 5:13-14, 22-23 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/gal.5.13-23.NLT
This post is extracted from today’s (10/27/2021) LECTIO (app) devotional. I strongly encourage you to download the app. I take no credit, I did not write the devotional, but do plan to apply it to my walk today.
This is a great way to begin and end your day with, in, and by in the Word of God
Yield
As I return to the passage, I listen for a particular word or phrase that the Holy Spirit is highlighting to me today…
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. And so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
What word or phrase jumped out at me from these verses?
I noticed the phrase ‘baptised by one Spirit’. The Greek word translated as ‘by’ can also be translated as ‘in’ or ‘with’.
I become part of the Body of Christ by the Spirit, I live each day in the Spirit, and I face every challenge, as well as every celebration with the Spirit.
Closing Prayer
Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way. Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet. Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say. Amen.
Where there is peace and meditation, there is either anxiety nor doubt.
~ St. Frances of Assisi
Serenity is defined as being calm, peaceful, unruffled. Peace is defined as harmony, stillness, silence. They are inextricably woven. When I experience serenity, I am experiencing a peaceful, silence. A calm engulfs me, I experience the peace that is greater than our understanding. It is beautiful. The best way I can describe it is like floating in space, no worries, no thoughts trying to anchor me to earth (the problems of the day). It is creative to some degree. But most of all, it is experiencing God’s love. It is though faith that we can experience His love and His peace.
We experience God’s love through faith. We have been justified by faith. Faith offers a number of attributes to Christians if we choose to ascribe to His will and His way. Romans 5:1 tells us that because we have faith, we have peace. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The Bible refers to serenity as inner peace, the term serenity does not appear in the Bible, the Bible refers to inner peace. I use them interchangeably. When I experience serenity, I experience inner peace. My favorite scripture is John 14:27. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
The Holy Spirit who dwells in us informs us that we should not worry. When do we worry most, when does it seem to intensify to the point of keeping us awake all night? For most it is just before bedtime when we should let go of the anxiety, and deadlines of the day’s events or hardships and focus on rest, instead we focus on the upheaval of the day’s events. Psalm 4:8 is our instruction to let go, to find peace and serenity in the Lord. It reads, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
God emphasizes the need to identify His peace in our lives. Daniel 10:19 expresses this in his writings when he stated His command to Daniel and all of His children. “And He said, ‘O man greatly loved fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.’ And as He spoke to me (Daniel) I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me.’ We are all members of Daniel’s family, what God told Daniel is the same thing He is telling us. ’O man greatly loved fear not, peace be with you…’ Let serenity reign in your life, seek the peace that God provides to all of His children. Seek and you will find. Ask and it will be given to you.
Saint Padre Pio Pietrelcina of the Philippines (1887-1968) wrote – “Peace is the simplicity of the heart, serenity of mind, tranquility of soul, the bond of love.”
”For me, it is essential to have the inner peace and serenity of prayer in order to listen to the silence of God, which speaks to us, in our personal life and the history of our times, of the power of love.” ~ Adolfo Perez Esquivel
Lisa’s Daily Inspirations 