You Get to Choose

Psalm 43:3 Send forth Your light and truth. Let them guide me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell.

We cannot get along without prayer and meditation. When we wake each day, we can limit our focus to the next 24 hours. Before we begin, ask God to direct our thinking. Our thought lives will be placed on a much higher plane. Give thanks to God for providing our needs over the last 24 hours and ask for strength for this next 24 hours. Consider what this day may bring, and recall that the same God who was successful at seeing us through the previous day is still with us. Then conclude with a prayer that we will be shown throughout the day what our next step is to be. The basis of all our prayer is: "Thy will be done in me and through me today."

Job 32:8 But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty that gives him understanding

Breathe in the inspiration of goodness and truth. It is the spirit of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. It is readily available if we are willing to accept it wholeheartedly. God has given us two things - His spirit and our free will. Our power of choice is what the spiritual battle in the heavenlies has been fought over since man was created. When we choose the path of selfishness and pride and greed, we are refusing to accept God's Spirit. When we choose the path of love and service,we accept God's Spirit and He flows into us and makes all things new.

Proverbs 22.19 A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Food, along with clothing and shelter are all part of the promise God has given us. The physical food allows our bodies to survive and work in the natural world; the spiritual food gives our immortal spirit the strength it needs to overcome the enemy. Can we recognize the poor in spirit who cross our paths, and share the daily bread that our Father in heaven has given us? The only thing we get to keep is what we give away. Riches that will stand the test of fire and follow us into eternity are those of relationships that we build up and invest in through the Spirit of God.

2 Corinthians 3:18 and we are being transformed into His likeness.

Father, we pray we may choose the right way and try to follow it to the end. We seek to be in Your Spirit, for there is where we find the freedom of the new covenant, the freedom from sin and death, the freedom from want and need, for You are our shepherd. Guide us, Lord, for Your rod and staff correct and comfort us, for You see our ways and count our every step. Let us not so fear the crowd and so dread their contempt that we keep silent and avoid the people You are seeking, the lost sheep. Speak to us, Father, the directions, the steps You have for us. Let Your likeness, the likeness of Your Son, be seen in the acts we do, and heard in the words we speak. Through us spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ, and let Your name receive the praise and worship that is Your rightful due.

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