Reading notes - week 78 - Walking by faith


For we walk by faith and not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7.
Hallelujah for this verse!  If I look at myself and my circumstances, I am discouraged and defeated.  It just doesn't seem like I am making much "progress"....But when I walk by grace through faith – the same way I trusted Him for salvation – my walk is established and abundant.
Practically, how do we walk by faith?  Well, first let’s look at what it means to walk by sight.  Walking by sight means that I am governed by my emotions (or hormones!) or my circumstances.  To walk by faith is the antithesis of that – my behavior is not dictated by what I feel like nor what is happening around me.  Instead, I obey what His Word tells me to do…I am controlled – empowered – by His Spirit within me.  The life of faith is one of obedience.  To Him.
Trust – be confident – that He is at work within you, perfecting you, at work around you to accomplish His plan.  He wants us to be whole even more than we want it for ourselves!  (Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:25-30)
What is He speaking to you about today?  When you quiet your heart before Him, what is He telling you to do?  To share a good word with a neighbor?  To forgive someone who has wronged you? To give generously? To cease from a certain activity, even if it’s not a sinful one? To reconcile with a family member or a friend?
It seems counterintuitive but when we walk by sight, we are unsteady, weak, uncertain and easily thrown off course.  But when we walk by faith, we are sure, confident, strong, and effective.
Close today by reading Colossians 2:6,7 and ask the Lord to help you walk by faith and not by sight.  Then believe Him when He says He will do just that!
 

Reading notes Week 77 - Love is not...prickly!


Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things  I Corinthians 13:4-7  Some versions say “love is not irritable or resentful”.  While that is true and accurate, I like this one that says “love is not provoked”. As my husband says, "love is not prickly!" What a great concept! A wise friend of mine shared with me that he and his wife pray to “not be offended”.  That gave me so much to ponder – I had not ever thought to pray that before, but what a wonderful thing to do!  LOVE is not easily offended, does not get provoked, does not become irritable or resentful.  Let’s unpack it further… The Greek word that we translate as “provoked” or “irritable” or “offended” is paroxuno. It is defined as “sharpness of spirit, to be irritated or incensed”.  From this we see that love cannot be sharpened to react towards others with an irritation of spirit.  In other words, love would never say “She makes me so mad!” or “He annoys me!”.  A characteristic of love is to be good-natured and peaceful, even when being mistreated.  No spewing of temper, no outburst of exasperation, no hyper-sensitivity, no taking offense, no resentment,  no temper tantrum…regardless of the action of others. When we are controlled by the Spirit, we will not be quick to take offense, to be “prickly”.  Instead, the disruptions and disappointments and disturbances of life are met with a confidence that God is always at work, causing all things to work together for His glory and for the good of those who love Him.  This assurance enables us to meet all circumstances (and all peoples) with a sweetness of temper, a gentleness of attitude, and a genuinely optimistic outlook. Love.  It is not easily provoked.  It does not anger easily nor react with irritability nor take offense.  Let’s ask the Lord to produce that maturity of love within us as well.