Notes of Faith November 24, 2024
Turn Toward Me
Make Me your focal point as you move through this day. Just as a spinning ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point to maintain her balance, so you must keep returning your focus to Me. Circumstances are in flux, and the world seems to be whirling around you. The only way to keep your balance is to fix your eyes on Me, the One who never changes. If you gaze too long at your circumstances, you will become dizzy and confused. Look to Me, refreshing yourself in My Presence, and your steps will be steady and sure.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. — Hebrews 12:2
But You remain the same, and Your years will never end. — Psalm 102:27
This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. — 1 John 3:1-20
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If you encounter a problem with no immediate solution, your response to that situation will take you either up or down. You can lash out at the difficulty, resenting it and feeling sorry for yourself. This will take you down into a pit of self-pity. Alternatively, the problem can be a ladder, enabling you to climb up and see your life from My perspective. Viewed from above, the obstacle that frustrated you is only a light and momentary trouble. Once your perspective has been heightened, you can look away from the problem altogether. Turn toward Me, and see the Light of My Presence shining upon you.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. — 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord. — Psalm 89:15
Excerpted from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, copyright Sarah Young.
There are many people of faith in the Word of God but few are said to specifically “walk with God”. This is my desire and my desire for you, that we would walk with God through each and every circumstance of life, that we might be obedient to His will and therefore pleasing to Him. May we strive to live in His presence for He is always there. We think we walk away when evil desires draw us to sin, but we take a holy God into that evil. The holy perfection of Jesus kept him from sin. He looked ahead in the garden of Gethsemane and saw His need to become sin in order to save mankind…He saw the separation from the Father that took place during His prayers asking if there was any other way… This was His greatest pain…to become sin…the One who knew no sin, that we through faith in Him might have the righteous of God placed to our account. Give thanks today for the love of God that sent the Son to die in your place, that you might be forgiven and redeemed from God’s wrath on your disobedience. Give thanks for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Spirit of God in every believer that we might live a transformed life, holy and pleasing to Him.
Pastor Dale