Tag Archives: Bible Study

Selfishness–More accurately, self-centeredness: It is doing what I want, trying to do it my way. I may have the best of intentions, but it rarely turns out right. It is often subtle and easy to overlook, but it is a big challenge in my life.

I seek after God and His will, but I often try to find my own way. He made it abundantly clear, though, that His way is the only way. Why? Because He knows what’s best. Because He loves us. Because He loves humanity. Because He hates sin. Because He is God, and I am not.

The bottom line is, I need to always center everything in life around God and His will. On my own, I will only fail, as I have many times before. Through Christ, I can do anything.

This, of course, means remaining in His will. Remaining in His word. Remaining in worship and communion with Him. It means sitting and listening to the still small voice. It means sitting at His feet.

Lord, I am a selfish, self-centered, and sel-willed person. Help me to push my “self” out of the way, and focus on You. Help me to sit at Your feet, listening intently to Your words. Let everything in my life be centered on You and not on me. Thank you.

“Be fully concecrated to God.” Above all else, this really spoke to me. Fact is, I’n not fully consecrated to God. I don’t fully live my life devoted to Him. There are areas in my life, priorities, that are not in line with God. Evertyhing I do, whether in word or deed, needs to be for the glory of God.

What does it mean to be fully consecrated to God? It is being devoted to God with my whole being. It is daily time in pryaer, talking to God and listening for Him to speak. It is spending time reading the Bible daily. It is worshipping Him through obedience at work. It is glorifying Him in every aspect of my life, and letting Him in to the dark corners to clean up and forgive.

I’m reminded of a song, I can’t recall the title or artist at the moment. The line says “I need a little more of You, in the middle of me.” That should be a daily prayer in my life. Less of me and more of God.

One day at a time, step-by-step with the Lord.

Lord, help me to consecrate my life to You. I want and need to be fully devoted to You. Help me to spend time with You daily. Remind me of what I must do and what I must not do. I can’t do it on my own. Enter my life and my heart. Purify me and help me to be fully devoted to You. Thank You.

Today’s study didn’t stand out as much to me. Some of it seemed almost obvious to me, in a sense. I know that God is always at work around me. He desires that all should know about Him and come to repentance. He wants to save us from the bondage of sin and death.

God pursuing a love relationship with me that is real and personal also makes a lot of sense. He did send His Son to die a painful death on the cross only to rise again three days later. This act of love paid the penalty for our sins and assured us of salvation. That, of course, is not all. I never really thought of it in this way, but God did purse me, and continues to do so because He loves me.

The third point, though, I had never really thought of. God invites me to become involved in His work. I always thought of it like this: God allows me to help Him accomplish His work, and works through me to do so. I always knew it isn’t me doing the work. But the invite is more personal. God is saying to me, “Come and be involved with Me as I accomplish My works. I will mold you and change you and make you into an image of My Son. I do this because I love you.”

Thank you, Lord, for loving me. Thank you for actively pursuing that love relationship with me. I want to pursue my own love relationship with You. I want to accept Your love and Your invitation to be involved in Your works. Mold me and shape me into the image of Your Son. Thank you.

Being a servant of God is what I am called to be. As a servant, I must always be in the center of God’s will for my life, and always remain in His hands. How do I know what it is God wants? How can I remain in the center of His will?

Pray daily. Pray without ceasing. Always in communion with God. Talking to Him. Listening for His still, small voice. It does little to just pray without listening. It is like talking to a friend on the phone, then hanging up before he can speak.

Read the Bible. Daily in God’s Word. BIBLE = Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. If I want to know how to do something, I read the instructions. If I want to know what someone wants, I read their letter. The Bible is God’s instruction manual for life, and His love letter to me.

Fellowship. Spending time at church, Bible studies, and others with other believers. Believers who will help me in my walk, and assist in keeping me in God’s hands.

Serving. Doing God’s will. It cannot be done if any of the previous legs are missing or broken. Serving allows God to work through me to accomplish His will. His first will is that I should glorify Him, and remain daily in His hands.

God’s will is not burdonsome. It is God extending me His love, and allowing me to share that love with others. God’s will is on the eternal for all mankind. My will is on the temporary gratification of my flesh. Most (if not all) of what I will, will pass away.

I have a picture in my mind of a dog chasing its own tail. It runs in circles as fast as it can, trying to catch the tail that is always just out of reach. It is like that for me, trying to chase after my own will. And should the dog catch its tail, it will only hurt itself. Likewise, if I somehow manage to do my will, it will only bring me hurt and pain.

But, if my will is in line with God’s will, it will not bring pain, but blessing. I speak, of course, spiritually, not physically. I may experience joy or contentment following my will, or physical or mental pain when following God’s will. But either is only for the moment, especially in light of eternity.