May 10: The rubber meets the road...
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. Psalm 19:1-4
There is abundant evidence that the creative workings of the LORD are carried out with glorious precision—from the most breathtaking sights, all the way down to the finest unseen detail. Through this magnificent display along with the truths of His word, we are supplied with knowledge about His character. But He leaves it up to each individual to choose whether or not to trust Him with the details of his or her life. Even so, He continually offers the gentle leading of His Holy Spirit.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Revelation 2:7
If I am honoring my love relationship with Jesus during seasons of painful testing, I will understand that He has put me in a position to develop a stronger character; one that is moving steadily toward His likeness. By His grace, He allows me to see defects in my character that I had not seen before, for how can I overcome that of which I am not aware?
This is where “the rubber meets the road.” The characters of each of us are not yet set—they are still moldable. I must ask myself: whose examples am I allowing to mold and shape my character? Am I going to cling to Jesus in confession and repentance unto spiritual growth? Or will I miss the opportunity at hand and default toward an ever-dulling mind and forfeiture of discernment? I must exercise any strength that I possess, be it little or much, to seek after the Son of God who continues to say by His Spirit, “Follow Me.” I must refuse to allow myself to lose sight of the fact that the Carpenter from Galilee desires to build both my character and my faith. These two things cannot be separated.
Beloved, every revelation from God brings a deeper understanding of His character or a new awareness of a defect in mine, or perhaps both. He will place His finger directly upon that which most urgently needs my attention. The spiritual sound of alarms, bells, and whistles, which constitute a state of emergency, are too often drowned out by the noisy distractions of modern culture. I must ask for a divine restoration of spiritual hearing, and without delay step directly into the light He is offering. This is how the process of sanctification transforms me from an “alien” or foreigner to a citizen of the kingdom of God.
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip. As soon as they hear of me they obey me; The foreigners submit to me. Psalm 18:35,36,44