Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. Ecclesiastes 7:10.
But when Jesus turned and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter. “Get behind Me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Mark 8:33.
This is the will of God – your sanctification. 1 Thessalonians 4:3.
The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words. Proverbs 15:28.
And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 175: A child born – Humanity. Isaiah 9:6: For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. And, Luke 1:31: And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
And this today from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers: “All that Jesus made possible becomes mine through the free and loving gift of God on the basis of what Christ accomplished on the cross. And my attitude as a saved and sanctified soul is that of profound, humble holiness (there is no such thing as proud holiness). It is a holiness based on agonizing repentance, a sense of inexpressible shame and degradation, and also on the amazing realization – that the love of God demonstrated itself to me while I cared nothing about Him (see Romans 5:8). He completed everything for my salvation and sanctification. No wonder Paul said that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our LORD” (Romans 8:39). Sanctification makes me one with Jesus Christ, and in Him, one with God, and it is accomplished only through the magnificent atonement of Christ. Never confuse the effect with the cause. The effect in me is obedience, service, and prayer, and is the outcome of inexpressible thanks and adoration for the miraculous sanctification that has been brought about in me because of the atonement through the Cross of Christ.”
When we think about Paul’s life before his encounter with the risen Jesus – we see all of us today. Zealousness for God that manifested in hatred for human beings. Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the LORD, went to the high priest and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Acts 9:1-2. And Jesus told him that he was in fact – persecuting Him, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me?” Acts 9:4. (“Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” Matthew 26:40). And Peter in his deep love for Jesus couldn’t bear to hear that He was going deliberately to Jerusalem and to His death there. He didn’t have in mind the things of God. Jesus always had in mind the things of God! What about you and me? The things of men follow that same worn path over and over and over again until that moment when our hearts turn to Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, as we begin to realize fully that “the love of God demonstrated itself to me – while I cared nothing about Him” – truly – the things of God! I pray for that blessed moment for every person bound in the darkness of this world, unaware yet of the profound life-giving love of God. Because once our hearts are opened to Him, He can tell us – Let My love flow through you freely as living water carrying you forward to wholeness with Me. Trust the healing I bring you to know. Care deeply. Choose life and hope. And be patient trusting Me for all things needed.
***ABUNDANTLY MORE – I bow before You, Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of Your glory, You may grant that I be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. I pray that, being rooted and grounded in love, I may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that I may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to You who are able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work with in us – to You be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. Adapted.***
