At The Door

Monday, ‎April ‎17, ‎2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: 1 Corinthians 1:18-For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Memory of the Month: John 10:27-28

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Today's reading: 2 SAMUEL 1-2 LUKE 14:1-24

At the Door...

People work out in gyms of some kind everyday all over the world. They pay to be members of these places so they can work on their physical well-being. They go for many reasons but one of the big reasons is that they perceive that everything they need to become physically fit is right there under one roof. When the day's routine is finished, they walk out the door into the world as it was when they walked in. They work to better move and live in that world waiting at the door.

When Jesus died, the veil in the temple was torn down the middle to show that Christ has made the way clear to the presence of God for everyone who seeks Him. Mankind no longer has to present sacrifices to a priest and have those in control of the temple go into God's presence for them to receive forgiveness, for Jesus is our High Priest(Hebrews 4:14-16). In Christ, God has planted His Holy Spirit in us(Acts 1:8). This means that our hearts and souls are the temple of the Holy Spirit(1 Corinthians 6:19).

Somehow, we have gotten the idea that going into God's presence in prayer and meditation is like going to the gym. We enter prayer and study the Bible and whatever else we may do-read a devotional in the morning-whatever is our habit-and then walk out with the world waiting at the door.

Incorrect. We may 'walk away from God' in that we take our minds off of Him and His righteousness but God never takes his mind off of us. We walk out into the world but God's temple is with us always. His 'Holy of Holies' travels everywhere we go. We do not go into God's presence and step onto His 'treadmill' and do our time there and step off and go into the world without Him. He goes with us.

The problem with the majority of the world is that they have never come to know Jesus so they have never joined His family. A great number who have joined His family do not have a habit of 'working out in His presence', if you will-an intimate time of experiencing God in prayer and seeking His righteousness and His kingdom.

Many of us who do meet God regularly get up and walk out the door into the world and take our mind's focus off Him and focus on the day at hand.

Those who have learned that a special time of focus on God is just the beginning of the day in Him are blessed. They have made a choice to see that God's plan for us to live a humble life focused on Him while we deal with the world is the way to experiencing the abundant life continually.

If we walk away from God consciousness, what is waiting at the door? If we take control and walk into the world and make decisions based on our own wisdom, what always happens. We sin. All of us sin.

Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive me my sins as I forgive...". God knew how hard it would be. One of the reasons Jesus came was to prove to us that God knows, in the flesh, how hard life on this earth is. He walked it. He knows temptation(Matthew 4:1-11).

A life of confessing our sins(1 John 1:9) is part of God's maintenance plan for us. Our heart does not just pump one time a day. If it stops, we die. It pumps continually. If, in our hearts we confess only in the morning, the death of sin takes over and we are mindless until we confess. (If this sounds harsh, you try to explain it in light of James 1:14-16)

James 1:14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. 15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16Do not be deceived,

Confessing is not a renewal of our salvation-it is God's plan for maintenance of our spiritual life in Him.

Sin and death are at the door.

Genesis 4:7-If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don't do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it."

Everything we need is under 'God's roof' under His hand in humility. When we do sin, He tells us to confess and be clean. Jesus tells us what to do. The Holy Spirit reminds us all the time. Our ears must not be reluctant to listen.

Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

Daily-every waking minute...

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

I confess I let sin come in and steal my focus. Teach me how Jesus walked in this world and did not sin. I want to be as close to that as I can be on this earth.

Gracious and merciful God,

In the name of Jesus,

Amen