Fulfilled

 

Fulfilled

2 Thessalonians 1: ¹¹ That is why we always pray for you. We ask our God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live. May he fulfill by his power all your desire for goodness and complete your work of faith. ¹² In this way the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory from you, and you from him, by the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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Life had gotten hard during this stretch of time. My car was barely working, I had debt up to my ears and barely enough income to pay monthly bills. I watched a commercial of people winning large sums of money by simply having a magazine subscription. I tried it, no payoff. I played the lottery in months to follow. I bought one ticket. Each number miraculously was off by one digit.

 

• I was jealous of someone “winning” money.
• I was frustrated that I had no money and no way to get out of debt, or so I thought.
• I wondered why “everyone else” seemed to be doing better than me.

 

Paul, Silas and Timothy provide a prayer for everyone who believes in JESUS as the Savior. They knew it is not possible for a human to be worthy of GOD’s calling, so they prayed for GOD to make them worthy. They also prayed for desires for goodness to be fulfilled by GOD and for everyone to complete their work of faith.

 

My Observations

• Life is more than money and GOD wants me to be fulfilled by desiring what HE thinks is good.
• Only GOD can declare me “worthy” of the life HE called me to.
• Tasks given to me by GOD require my work of faith.

 

Life is not easy. I mean, it seems when one challenge is over, another pops up. Why can’t things just be peaceful? But they are sometimes turbulent. GOD sees when I look at life on the surface and get worried. HE provides an answer.

 

GOD calls me to serve HIS people. Wait… Don’t I have problems? Yes, BUT GOD sees beyond my problems and knows the true reward HE is storing up for me in heaven. HE places the HOLY SPIRIT inside me to prompt me to desire goodness and to complete my work of faith. I am glad GOD cares enough for me to call me to do HIS work.

 

Challenge

• What are the writers praying about?
• Have you ever felt your life is unfulfilled?
• Will you ask GOD to guide your desires to HIS goodness so HE will give you a work of faith to do, so your life will be abundant and fulfilled today?

 

Prayer

Dear LORD, please bless this reader with a calling that is worthy to YOU. Bless him or her to be fulfilled by desiring YOUR goodness. Clear the path to help us complete our work of faith. amen

Purpose Found Me

 

Purpose Found Me

Romans 10: ¹⁸ But I ask: Is it true that they did not hear the message? Of course they did—for as the scripture says:

 

“The sound of their voice went out to all the world;
    their words reached the ends of the earth.”
¹⁹ Again I ask: Did the people of Israel not understand? Moses himself is the first one to answer:
“I will use a so-called nation
    to make my people jealous;
and by means of a nation of fools
    I will make my people angry.”
²⁰ And Isaiah is even bolder when he says,
“I was found by those who were not looking for me;
    I appeared to those who were not asking for me.”

 

²¹ But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to welcome a disobedient and rebellious people.”

 

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Walking down the hall between classes, a teacher asked me if I would like to be in her class next semester. She said “I will teach you about computers.” “What’s a computer?” I asked having just left a typing class. I took the class and entered the industry as my career.

 

• There have been times when I was given something I was not looking for.
• There have been times when I was invited into something I never knew anything about.
• There have been times when I found something special that I was not looking for.

 

Moses and Isaiah wrote what GOD told them. Both wrote about the heart of GOD as revealed to them. Paul encapsulates their words in an effort to explain that people have been sent to speak about JESUS, but the message was not heard. Surely a chosen people would listen to JESUS. Unfortunately, they listened to religion over GOD HIMSELF.

 

• GOD sought me out when I was not looking for HIM.
• GOD gave me purpose when I was not asking for it.
• GOD guided me when I was foolishly wandering.

 

Looking back I can see times where GOD was the one who intervened in the situation. HE brought people to me and I had a choice. Speak about my needs, wants and desires or speak life and JESUS. When I chose to speak about JESUS, GOD said “Well done.” HE then took care of my wants, needs and desires.

 

GOD has wants, needs and desires too. HE wants me to be part of HIS family, HE needs me to believe in JESUS so I can be adopted in HIS family, HE desires that all humans show love to one another so they will believe. HE gives me purpose that I was not looking for. I gladly accept HIS purpose.

 

• What do you think your purpose is in life?
• Have you assigned purpose to a job or a title?
• Will you thank GOD for providing you with purpose so HE will increase what HE has for you to do today?

Something Inside

Luke 8: ⁴ And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: ⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶ Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.⁸ But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

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As we ate lunch the former officer over the department confided in me. He let me know in so many words that he watched over me. He didn’t directly say it, rather he thanked me for things I had no idea he knew.

• There were times when I was taken care of and did not know it.
• There were times when I was being watched over and had no idea why.
• There were times when I was protected and didn’t even realize I was in danger.

JESUS tells a parable of “The Sower.” What I noticed was the sower went out to sow some HIS seed. What made the sower go out?

• JESUS wants the best for me.
• JESUS seeks me daily and wants me to hear HIM.
• JESUS is motivated by love to seek me and feels a great loss when I do not listen.

What makes a person care for another person? JESUS! HE opens my wounded heart and fills it with HIS love, care and compassion. I would be exhausted if it were not for JESUS. HE is my “something inside.”

• Do you want motivation?
• Are you running on empty?
• Can you understand GOD’s compassion for you and allow HIM to change your life today?

Desire to Win

Luke 3: ¹² Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

¹³ And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

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“How did you beat him?” I asked. “It’s my secret” was the reply. I watched him play the game again and noticed he was taking money out of the bank as his opponent wasn’t looking. He was cheating! This seemed like a great idea. “Maybe now I can win” I thought to myself.

• There were times when I would do whatever it would take to win.
• There were times when I would stretch the truth in order to win.
• There were times when I would cut corners, stack the deck and lean things in my favor in order to win.

John said to the tax collectors “Collect no more than what is appointed for you” knowing most of them would skim a lot off the top for themselves. The industry was corrupt and it was widely accepted amongst people so their practices, while sneaky, were accepted. BUT GOD wants me to act differently.

• GOD says to me “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is HIS delight.”
• GOD says to me “The LORD wants weights and measures to be honest and every sale to be fair.”
• GOD says to me “Use honest scales, honest weights, and honest measures. I am the LORD your GOD, and I brought you out of Egypt.”

Honesty should be placed higher than winning every time. The desire to please GOD is in fact “winning” every time I play. Whether it is a game or a business deal, GOD wants me to ask HIM “How do you want me to handle this transaction?” HE can decide the outcome and when HE does, I win every time because I accept GOD’s will.

• Are you hung up on winning?
• Do you lie to yourself in order to justify your actions?
• Can you stop trying to win and start listening to GOD who always has a great plan for you?  

True Fasting

Isaiah 58: ⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
    and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
    and expect your voice to be heard on high.
⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?
⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

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“Do you want to join us in a fast?” someone asked me. “I’ll see” was my way of saying “No!” I mean what’s the purpose? I don’t eat or drink and what does that do? I went on my merry way. Weren’t these people just being religious fanatics?

• I used to think fasting was useless.
• I one time thought fasting was ridiculous.
• I used to think fasting was only for the religious freaks who were hypocrites by “my” standard.

When I read about the powerless disciples who came back beat up after fighting a demonic battle, I was curious. JESUS said, “This kind of demon can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.” These seemingly powerless weapons were the most powerful to GOD. I mean prayer does not involve any on my part to solve or resolve the problem, nor does fasting.

When I tried fasting once, it seemed like an eternity. I never realized how much I ate during one day. I got used to it but my fasting eventually ended up pointing to “me” fasting. GOD wanted more.

• GOD wants me to fast with a purpose. 
• HE wants me to miss a meal so someone else can have one. 
• GOD wants me to help the poor and guide my family to GOD. 

HIS fast calls me to point to HIM.

• Are you afraid to fast?
• Is your fast selfish?
• Are you unchanged in your ways after a fast?
• Will you give up your will versus giving up a meal?