Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY THURSDAY!

Today's scriptures are about yearning to escape the weakness of the flesh, and to thirst for Christ. Have you ever thirsted for anything in life? I'm not speaking of food or drink, but about yearning, or wanting something so badly, that you could taste it. We all have, I'm sure. We’re naturally inquisitive, but would you say that you thirst for the Lord? When Jesus initially enters our heart, at the point of Salvation, a change begins to happen. In some people it happens rapidly, but most will notice small subtle changes. In any event, you’ll get a certain yearning for the knowledge of the Lord. All of a sudden you start to shed old habits, and lose your craving for worldly things. As you begin to feed your appetite for the wisdom and knowledge of God, you'll begin to want more. Through this growth process, you'll have the enemy at one hand, attempting to contradict everything you learn, in hopes of turning you away from the path of righteousness. This is called the Spiritual warfare. That's the battle of good versus evil, which sounds like something from a fictional movie, but it’s real. The enemy will tempt you in every way you could imagine, and will especially attack your weaknesses, causing you to second guess even your Salvation. At the same time, your Spirit, which has been made Holy, by the blood of Christ, will thirst for Jesus. You’ll get to the point where you want to be "right", and do and say the "right" things. When the Holy Spirit takes control, all you’ll want to be is a "good and faithful servant", and God's sees that. It's written: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (Matt. 5:6) Spiritual warfare doesn't get easier, it only becomes harder as we grow, but I have good News for you, God simply continues to make us stronger. He'll turn our weaknesses into strengths, and those things that once kept us in bondage, will give us the power to help free others. We go through hardships, trials, and tribulation in life, to strengthen our faith in God, help us understand the consequences of our actions, as well as to provide testimony for other lost sheep. There will be times where we'll get to a point, where the pain is so bad, that we have no other option but to drop on our knees and cry out to God, but that's all a part of life. The best thing about rain is the rainbow, and the best thing about pain is the joy of our deliverance. I want nothing more than to be a perfect person, and to live a perfect life. I wish I had enough money, power, and resources to heal the world of all of the hunger and pain. Most importantly, I wish that I didn't make so many foolish mistakes, but the truth is, that will never happen, because I'm just an imperfect human being, who's "a work in progress". Conviction is a wonderful thing, but at the time we're going through it, it doesn't feel very good. However, to know that we serve a God who is so loving, kind, and forgiving, that it doesn't matter if we fall short, offers peace through freedom! Did you know that you're free? Jesus has freed you from the penalties of sin, and has given you strength your never knew you had. It's written: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:10) When you thirst, "seek ye first the Kingdom of God", and He'll give you the water of Life. It's written: And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) It's natural to get overwhelmed with life, it happens to all of us, but Jesus said "come to me", so allow the fact that He'll always be there, give you the courage you need to overcome, and triumph over all that ails you. Through Christ, you never have to thirst again. If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, than I want you to know that you've been chosen, and until you heed His call on your life, your thirst and hunger will get deeper and stronger, and He's the only one who could fulfill you. My favorite verse today is: Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455274&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943547

I love you!