The Rising of the Sun

• Printable Version - Share on Facebook - Posted by Dion Todd December 12, 2017 - Filed in Devotional - 5,182 views
  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8 WEB
  
  One night we watched a movie where the people made a sacrifice every day so that the sun would come up the next morning. They did this daily as the years passed by. Then one day everything went wrong, and they failed to make the daily sacrifice. The people were terrified and thought the world was going to end.
  
  Instead, the next day came and the sun rose in the sky anyway. They learned that the sun came up on its own, whether or not they made the sacrifice. They had been practicing a ritual that they thought was making a difference, but it was only a tradition that had been passed down through the generations.
  
  So it can be with us. When I came to the Lord, I read the Bible about eight hours a day, fasted more than I ate, went through bible college, gave all that I had in the offering plate, but there was no intimacy in my relationship with God. He was distant and I was trying to earn His love, trying hard to measure up. I knew a lot about God, I just did not know Him. He loved me the whole time. His love was already there every day while I was busy trying to earn it. I ignored Him while focusing hard on my works.
  
  There is certainly nothing wrong with fervently seeking God, and I still do, but remember that He is also seeking you. You already have His approval. 'We love Him because He first loved us' (1 John 4:19). 'What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?' (Luke 15:4).
  
  Relax. Talk to God as you would your best friend, share things with Him, and be yourself. God already loves you today, and you will not increase this love by your works. Of course you should try and live right, and faith with out works is dead, but works without the relationship is a waste of your life, your time, and your resources. If you miss the mark today, God will still love you, just as the sun managed to come up without the daily sacrifice.
  
  Prayer: Heavenly Father please bring a balance into my life and help me to know You better. Fill my mind with Your thoughts and guide me today. I want to live my life with You at the center of it, and to have a relationship with You like Jesus did, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray
  
  Note: Good morning! For those may have missed the announcement, the Bible Study for Luke Chapter Thirteen is now available, but you can start any time! The study is presented on Saturdays during our RHM Live service, but you can view the text or video, and take the quiz at your convenience. For details and links to the study, please go here: RHM Bible Study
  
  
  

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