A Simple Gift from God

 My father often said that the size of our trials changes after a good night’s sleep. Last night, nearly nine hours of rest changed my outlook on life. But not just that. Jesus reminded me with songs that He never leaves me alone, that He loves me just as I am, that His blood was shed for my sins, and a host of other edifying truths. While fatigue affects my memory, the Holy Spirit knows how to restore right thinking.

Blessed by the Lord… with the choicest gifts of heaven above… (Deuteronomy 33:13)

Thankfully, being overtired does not rob my mind of all God’s choice gifts. The Spirit always bears witness with my spirit that I am a child of God, but I sometimes fail to think the fullness of what this means — such as that I am a “fellow heir with Christ, provided that I suffer with him in order that I may also be glorified with him.”

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to me. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For I know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but me too and I have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groaning inwardly as I wait eagerly for adoption as His child, the redemption of my body. (Romans 8:16–23, personalized)

His Spirit reminds me of this truth all the time — and I chuckle that He often uses aging to be that constant reminder. However, He often uses verses like this one as well:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:3)

This is a firm reality. I sometimes struggle here in this life, but the promise of eternal life is secure even if I forget the promise in this verse: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

But I do not forget that I have a precious Savior who shed His blood to satisfy divine justice and secure my forgiveness, pardon, justification and eternal glory. I may forget some of His promises when the Liar whispers “Did God say that?” Yet even then, the Holy Spirit reminds me, sometimes with alliteration, that I have from God a full pardon, peace, protection, provision, preservation, providence, and perfection — all because of Christ.

Faith is also a gift, but the ease with which doubt can slip in reminds me that faith is not just for eternal things but for right-now living. Can I rise to the challenges of today? Faith says that in Christ I can do all things and honor Him. This includes a victory when trials come:

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6–7)

Trials can challenge my memory of what God says, especially trials that come when I’ve not had enough sleep. Genesis 2:21 and other verses say that God can cause deep sleep even though circumstances and a troubled heart can make sleep flee. Because there is no rest for the wicked, I seldom forget to confess sin before going to bed. The one thing I do forget is this: “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:2)

PRAY: Lord, in these busy days, my to-do list can keep me up past bedtime, only to regret the lack of sleep in the morning. This vanity is denial of what You want for me, and even sinful. Forgive me and don’t let me forget to do my part in accepting and enjoying any gift from You.
 

Consider the Source

Sometimes when I share with others, I remember things I knew but had forgotten. Yesterday that happened. I’ve had problems with my devotional book when the writer talks about the importance of human volition when it comes to faith. Every time it was mentioned, my mind went to my fleshy I-wants. I’d think of the words of Jesus when He said, “Not my will but thine be done.” If Jesus rejected His perfect will, why should I engage my sinful will?

However, in our ladies prayer group, two people asked how to tell the difference between God’s will and their own. I drew Watchman Nee’s explanation, something like this diagram. 

As sinners, our inner spirit is dead to God and ruled by outward circumstances including our soulish intellect, emotions, and will.

When Christ gives new life to the spirit, the rule is reversed as the soul yields to Him and our outer person follows the leading of his Spirit through our new way of thinking, feeling, and making choices. To walk in the flesh is the first diagram; to walk in the Spirit is the second.

This explains how our will needs to match the will of God and I can now choose that because my spirit is alive to God’s Spirit. The choice is: am I willing to put my faith in what God says, or do I trust my old nature that will always resist the Spirit of God?

Today’s reading is about putting my will into my believing. It is not passive but made alive by the Spirit of God and giving me the option to listen to the input of the flesh or the input of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23) and the NT also speaks of those “who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” (Hebrews 11:33–34)

I cannot put faith on any measurement scale and say I don’t have enough. Jesus makes it a choice, not a measurement:

Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20)

There are times when outward events, trials and temptations seem to hammer my faith into the ground, but God says:

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6–7)

A tough situation does not affect the promises of God. I can choose to trust Him in both sunshine and darkness. As today’s devotional says, the sun has not ceased shining when I travel through a tunnel and cannot see its light. The Sun of Righteousness still shines even if His light is hidden at times. I need to choose to remember that and can choose if I listen to His Spirit and trust His Word rather than moan about the darkness. This is only a trial, and not the end of my walk with Him.

PRAY: today, Jesus, the sun is shining — at least in my heart. (It is snowing outside but very bright and white.) Forgive my forgetfulness. You use my hands and sometimes my words to do Your will so of course You can use my will, intellect, even my emotions — as long as the motivation comes from You and not the world, the flesh, or the enemy. May Your will be done today.