A regular self examination of every area of our lives can be very beneficial to our walk with God! God through His Word exhorts us to make time to ponder or consider the paths of our feet and see where our choices are leading us! Are there things in our life we need to eliminate, or are there spiritual disciplines we need to work on and make them a part of our daily routine.
The following verses have a very special meaning this time of the year as believers everywhere gather to memorialize the death of our Blessed Savior! Read them, meditate on them and apply them to your life so you can make sure you are living a Victorious life in Christ. A life that is well pleasing to our Father in Heaven!
Haggai 1:5: “Now, therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts; consider (or give careful thought) to your ways.
Haggai 1:7: “Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; consider (or give careful thought) to your ways!
II Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
Lamentations 3:40: “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”
I Corinthians 11:27-29: “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”
Brethren, as we begin a spiritual new year take a few moments to examine your spiritual life. Do you have a real heart after God? Do you have a resolute mindset and consuming desire to fulfill all the will of God in your life? Do you schedule time for the Word and Prayer daily! Many people claim to be Christians, but there are very few Godly people. There is a huge difference between the two. King David was a Godly man. He was not perfect and had a problem with sin, but he confessed his sin with great sorrow and repented of his behavior and God gave him the strength to overcome it. His heart was fixed to do the will of God in all things. (Psalm 57:7) David knew that his secret meetings with God in quiet solitude were the key to his growth and maturity in Faith, Holy Living and Godly Character.
Jesus taught us this very important principle in Luke 10:42 when he said, “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” He was specifically speaking about personal fellowship and communion with Him in the context of being something that has eternal value that cannot be taken away. Prayer is our primary means of contacting God and opening up our lives to His purposes for us. The more time you spend with the Father alone in quiet solitude the better chance you will have to hear His voice guiding and directing you amidst all the busyness, clamor, and noise this world brings into our paths.
We must put our own eyes in daily contact with the Scriptures! It is during these times of
Our Savior gave a stern warning in Luke 21:34-35 that every Christian should take very seriously as they examine their relationship with God. Many Christians over the centuries have become entangled in the cares of this life and have settled for a mediocre relationship with their Heavenly Father. The cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things have entered in choking the Word. Their lives become unfruitful because they have forgotten to spend time with their Creator in an intimate, abiding relationship. If you do not want to become a person who aspires to spiritual greatness but instead becomes caught in a web of mediocrity, you must make some resolutions in your own soul! You must determine daily to pray and read your Bible!
The apostle Paul was very concerned about his walk with God and in I Corinthians 9:27 he mentioned the danger of being a castaway or unapproved by God if he didn’t diligently pursue a dynamic abiding relationship with the Father and Son as mentioned in John 15:1-17. He knew this relationship was the key to success in the Christian life! Our Great and Awesome Creator God is looking for men and women with hearts that follow hard to know Him in a personal daily relationship. King David was such a man who was described in the Scriptures in this manner, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my will.” (Acts 13:22) That should be every Christian’s goal, to have our Heavenly Father say about us, “Well done my good and faithful servant, you are a man or woman after my own heart.” “You desire that one thing that shall not be taken away from you. Your focus is to seek after my presence above all else, with everything you’ve got.”
Where does your friendship and relationship stand with our Heavenly Father? What words would He use to describe your walk with Him? Close intimate friend, or casual acquaintance? The answer to these questions will always be revealed in your daily use of the time God has given you! Are you devoted to Prayer, Praise, Study, and Meditation upon His Holy Word? You must be committed to these spiritual disciplines to truly be called a friend of God. You must have a daily time with Him alone; just you, devoted to Him. That is how you get to know your Heavenly Father. Nothing can take the place of your own personal daily communication with God through His Word and prayer.
Our Savior said it best in Luke 18:1, “Men ought always to Pray, and not to faint.” Let’s all cry out with a loud voice. Teach us to Pray and give us the discipline to do it faithfully.
Make a commitment today to spend extra time being still and quiet, alone in the presence of our Heavenly Father in order to gain His perspective on those things that matter most in life. Many Christians get sidetracked in their Christian walk. Living the Christian life involves many things, but first and foremost it is about walking with God as His friend. Getting to know our Heavenly Father should be our number one priority. Only as we cultivate our relationship with God through His Word and Prayer can we develop the Faith, Hope, Peace, Love, and Godly Character that we all will need to face the future.