Difficult days

God is faithful; by Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Cor 1:9 (HCSB)

Do you ever have difficult days?  It seems lately for me there are more than I care to think about.  But I find Paul's words particularly encouraging.  It is a very simple remembrance.  He reminds us of 2 fabulous truths.  God is faithful!
God has called us into fellowship with Jesus!

That is an encouraging reminder to me and I hope it is encouraging to you today!

Light

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Matt 5:14-16 (HCSB)

You are the light.  Light shines.  It gives light to those who are in darkness.  Jesus reminds us that light was not meant to be hidden.  In fact when we try to hide the light it dims the light but it is still there.  Our lives are a testimony of what God can do with sinful humans.  When we hide our light we are taking away our opportunity to glorify God in our lives.  Don't hide the light but shine for all to see.

Love and Obedience

The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me.

John 14:21 (HCSB)

Jesus has a very clear and to the point message.  The clearest indication of our love for Him is that we obey what He has commanded.  When Christ gives us His command He expects that we will keep them.  If we are not doing what He has said then it demonstrates the level of our love.

Some claim to love Him and yet if we are not obeying we really can not make that claim.  The question for us today is, are we demonstrating our love of Him through obedience to Him?

Fear God

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to  fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul?

Deut 10:12 (HCSB)

When we fear God it means that we stand in awe and reverence of Him.  Biblically there is a sense of fear as in being afraid, when we realize whose presence we are in.  But the word also refers to awe and reverence.  So what does the fear of God look like?  Moses describes it in Deut. 10.12.

It means we walk in all of his ways.  In other words we obey Him as He has directed in His Word.  If we are not obeying then we are not walking in His ways.  Be careful that we don't deceive ourselves.  God is not impressed with 70 or 80 or even 90% obedience.  He wants all.

To fear Him also means that we love Him.  The word actually denotes a covenant relationship.  God has chosen to love us and to express His love to us in so many ways.  What awe we should have when we realize almighty God loves us.  We should love Him back.

We also worship Him because we fear Him.  A correct view of ourselves and Him will cause us to worship Him.  When Isaiah (Isa. 6) saw and understood who God was, he could not help but to worship Him.  We will do the same.

Obey, love and worship should be every Christ followers response to an awesome God.