The Will of God

January 9

Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what the will of God is,
that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

The apostle Paul is explaining how, as believers in Christ, we should live our lives according to God’s good and perfect will. The world’s contemporary thinking and system of values always has and always will be dominated by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is a self-absorbing system of pleasure which focuses on the here and now. And the only way we will ever escape its grip and renew our minds is through the power of the Holy Spirit, who softens our hearts and changes our thinking process through consistent study and meditation on the truth found only in God’s Word (Psalm 119:11, 12).
Most of us, through no fault of our own, are taught the world’s view of living. And if the world view is all we learn and see, then it is the world view that we base our knowledge on and live accordingly. And in most cases it doesn’t take long to discover that the only way to survive in this harsh and unfair life is by hardening our hearts and surrounding our selves with those things that can numb our pain and give us pleasure. Even though God has created within us the moral differences between right and wrong, it is impossible for anyone to overcome their sinful nature without God’s help. We want to do the right thing, but self gratification trumps the will of God and leads us down a path of self-destruction and eternal judgment.
The truth, my friends, is that your life of sin and rebellion has been fully justified by Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior (Acts 13:39). You now have a new and better way to live your life, one that is not only pleasing to God and to those with whom you surround yourself with, but your life will gain a glorious new purpose that will fill your heart with the peace and joy of the Lord; the kind of peace and joy that gives us the strength and security to face another day with hope.

A Whisper of Hope

My plan for you…dear child, is a plan that gives you a future and a hope unlike anything the world has to offer. The world will leave you empty and disappointed, hungering for more of the same. Don’t be fooled by the lies, for this life is short, but eternity has no end. Rise above the temporal and focus on the lasting, for it is here you will find the peace and joy in knowing Me, your Savior, your provider, and your protector. In Me you will live. In the world you will surely die.

2 Corinthians 4:4
Satan, the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don’t understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. (NLT)

Psalm 119:11-12
Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes. (NASB)

Acts 13:39
And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. (NKJV)