Knowing God's will

Many times we find ourselves stuck in our Christian walk where the voice of God seems distant and unclear. We want to know and do the will of God, but it seems hard to get His direction and confirmation.I find that in my life when there is confusion, it is not because God is not speaking, but it is because I have moved myself to a place where it is hard to hear. When I began to see the opposition and difficulties so big that everything else is diminished, I began to be overwhelmed by the problems and unaware of God's resources. I Thes. 5:18, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Ps. 100:4, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, praise His name." God's word is God's will. His counsel is choose to place ourselves in a posture before Him where He can do what He has promised to do. The antidote to confusion about circumstances is to choose to thank Him for His faithfulness. The password into His presence, the way we dial into His will is by expressing gratitude and praise. It's not that God needs our affirmation, it's we need to choose to position ourselves where nothing hinders or resists the grace that God desires to pour out into our lives. Complaint and offense render me spiritually deaf. Thanksgiving and gratitude open the understanding of my heart to hear His voice and be tender to respond to His gentle nudges. There is an old song that says, "Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done." When we are appreciative of God's many goodnesses, we are stirred once again with confidence toward Him. If God be for us, who can stand against us. Greater is He that is in us, than He that is in the world. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We can go through the valley of the shadow of death, because He is with us. He always leads us in triumph. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. No weapon formed against me can prosper. He is supplying all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. He keeps me in perfect peace because my mind is filled with His faithfulness and I choose to trust Him. God's will for me is to choose to be in a posture before Him where nothing resists, quenches, or grieves the working of His Holy Spirit in my life. I move into that position of receiving His promises by saying thank you to Him that in the midst of whatever I am experiencing, He is always working redemtively. I am not grateful for the pain, but I am thankful for the gain.

Honor brings longevity

One of God's commands is to honor our parents and when we obey, we obtain the blessing of long life. To honor someone is to respect them, their experience, their investment in you, their counsel for your welfare. It doesn't necessarily mean we do everything they say. But it does mean we give serious consideration to their wisdom. What a blessing we miss when we ignore the example and help of those who treat us as their own. We can raise ourselves and our relationships with others to a new level of kindness and integrity when we give honor. When we honor someone we are investing in them. We are partnering with them. And we reap a reward of blessing, a reward of longevity when we do.

The power of affirmation

To hear someone say, "I love you," is to be embraced. To hear someone say, "I believe in you," is to be affirmed. Implict in affirmation is a gift of support. That's not to say everything you do is great, but it is to say that I am there for you all the time. Affirmation reminds us that not only are we not alone, but that we have partnership for living.