Ps 47:8 God reigns above the nations, sitting on His holy throne. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords and sits at the right hand of God's power (Luke 22:69). If Jesus isn't King of your "kingdom" and Lord of your life, you have taken the reigns of your life's direction—but you can never dethrone God.
Because another person's sin is different from yours doesn't make it greater or less than yours. Measuring the distance of missing God's perfection mark is useless: "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear" (Isa 59:2). Sin is sin. God alone is the righteous Judge, holding the scales of justice in His hand, Jesus on one side and individuals on the other. The scale will never tip in our favor because all have sinned, falling short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). Thank You, Father, that Jesus paid our sin debt, and You offer grace, forgiveness and salvation to all who say yes to Him.
Do you want to put a momentary smile on God’s face? Set your plans for today, tomorrow, or any day, without conferring with Him. I wonder if He says, “Really?” Carrying out agendas lacking God’s approval or thinking you can handle life without your Maker’s help also alerts your adversary, giving him a foothold for engagement in your affairs. We don’t know what today or tomorrow holds, but God does; His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. So, we should trust Him, approaching each day with “If the Lord wills, I will live, go here or there; do this or that.” Rejoicing and boasting about one’s self-sufficiency is wicked (James 4:15–16) and gives the enemy cause to smile.
The Philistines took the Ark of God, putting it by their god Dagon, in Dagon’s temple, proving their gods were mightier by conquering Israel’s God. But the next day, they found their idol on the ground, face down before the Ark, and they set it back in place. The next day, they found it fallen again face down as before, but without its head and arms; only the stump was intact (1 Sam 5:2). God severely punished the Philistines for degrading His name until they brought the Ark back to its rightful place in Israel.
Do you have projects, ideas, people, or feel yourself “falling
face down?” Attachments to and dependence on anyone or anything before your
Creator is idolatry. Whatever we prioritize as more important than God is an
idol we worship, and He will not be second to anything or anyone: “I am the Lord thy God; Thou shalt not have any
other gods before Me” (Ex 20:2a, 3). Whether we have God first in our lives, He
is the Almighty—He sits on His throne, but is He on your heart’s throne? Give Him
His rightful first place in your life lest things or you fall, facing His
discipline.
Gentle winds blow dead and dying leaves off trees; strong winds loosen pinecones, needles, rotted and broken branches, and they fall—leaving behind the debris. But the mess is needful for the good of the tree. Life’s winds will blow against you, some stronger than others, knocking loose what is dead and unuseful. As God sweeps through your walk with Him, don’t cleave to what must go—if you let anything dangle, it may fall and cause harm to you or others. Let Him have His way for your best: “Every branch that beareth not fruit He taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2)—the mess around you is a sign that new growth is on the horizon.
Seals serve a purpose. The sender sends a letter, trusting the seal safeguards the contents until the receiver opens it. The unbroken seal on the stone blocking the lion’s den proved Daniel didn’t escape his unjust death sentence. God rescued him, the king released him, and he prospered through two kings’ reigns, telling God’s visions. The rock’s undisturbed seal covering the entrance of Jesus’ tomb is proof of the resurrection. Jesus’ life and death made way for our being right with God; His ascension made way for the Holy Spirit’s coming. God’s seal on every believer at the moment of salvation guarantees that those who receive TRUTH are His—sealed by the Holy Spirit to the day of redemption, pledging eternal life with Him (Eph 1:12–14). God purposely created us. How are you faring with your God-given purpose until you claim your heavenly inheritance?
What is it that clutters your thinking, leaving you antsy about matters of your life, family, or daily work? God says to throw off those circumstantial concerns, anxieties, and fear that keep you weighed down, weights that make moving forward a challenge: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you” (1 Pet 5:7).
Whether your burdens are a carryover from 2021 or new struggles of 2022, cast them off, but not to the ground. Jesus invites us to let Him help carry our workload and concerns—He cares about you and everything that affects you. Submit to Him; trust Him. He promises rest for your soul under His yoke. (Matt 11:28–30). Why keep heavy loads not meant for you to tackle alone?
