Scripture points us in a direction that is easier said then done. We often view
what is instructed in a passage as a new “list” that we must try very hard to complete, in order to pass the test of perfection. This is not the purpose of Scripture. Rather, it is to be a guiding hand from a loving Father.
We just celebrated Father’s day. Imagine what it would be like to have a Father with all the answers. A father who was the smartest, most sensitive, most loving and most intuitive….of anyone on earth. Now magnify that by a trillion times and you might come close to the Father heart of God towards us. His desire is to be in relationship with us, in such an intimate way, that He leads us through the nooks an cranny’s of our daily lives, our broken relationships, and our pressing needs. This Father is more than a task master telling us what we should DO, or how we should BE. This Father is one who leads us along the path of life pointing us in a direction of health for our souls and strength for our physical lives. With that in mind, read today’s truth…
Today’s Truth: Romans 12:12
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
“Be” according to Webster’s dictionary means: to exist in a particular place, to have a certain quality or characteristic.
The following are Greek definitions of the key words in this verse.
- Joyful: To rejoice, be glad or delighted
- Hope: expectation
- Patient: stand firm, persevere
- Affliction: trouble, distress, oppression
- Faithful: to be ready, to adhere to, to join, to give attention to
- Prayer: Prayer
The above are the words describing what we are to BE, which would mean the place we are to exist in. Now, considering that, let’s look closer.
I am to exist or live today int he place of “gladness as I put my expectation in Jesus Christ. He will be all I need. He is working on my behalf even this moment. I can be glad in Him because He is my answer, my redeemer, my solution, and my eternal security. It is wise to draw myself back daily to having expectation or hope in God.
I am to exist in the place today of patience, which is standing firm and sticking through any trouble, distress or opression that might be in my life today.
I am to exist or live in a position of readiness to give my problem, troubles, distresses or oppresion to Christ in prayer.
I am to exist and live in these things not because they make me a better woman but because this is God’s path for my life. This is God’s best.
This is Intentional Existence. This is thriving in, not simply surviving the day.
What are your current challenges, problems, troubles, oppressions, etc…?
Can you stop for a moment and recall that God promises to be faithful to you, even in ( fill in the blank)
Considering that can you exist in the place that Scripture tells us to live in?
Remember: All of this type of living starts with the foundation of surrendering our entire lives over as living sacrifices, and moving past the pattern that we knew, and moving closer to the truth. This little list of “BE’s” is helping us move closer to the Truth.
Today’s Prayer
Father, I ask you to teach me to be intentional with how I live…how I exist each day.
