"But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don't take yourself too seriously— take God seriously." (Micah 6:8, The Message)

Wow! This scripture is loaded with God, and it is so simple. God lays out three expectations. Number one, He expects us to live justly and do what is right and fair to people. Secondly, He expects us to love people well, as He does. Third, He expects us to walk humbly before Him.   

God loves to keep things simple. We often complicate things with our questions of simple truth. Jesus summed up all the law and the prophets with this: Love God and Love people. If you do this, you will have fulfilled all the law and the prophets. The Golden Rule is another one of those simple truths that we make hard. Treat other people the way you want them to treat you.  

He has told you what the Lord requires of you, do not complicate it. Take God at His word and do it. When you do that, you are walking humbly with your God. Scripture calls that obedience and obedience to God requires humility on our part.  

It's quite simple: "Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don't take yourself too seriously—take God seriously."

"And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." (Jonah 1:17, ESV)

Have you heard the phrase, "Take another lap around the mountain." It is a phrase spoken in reference to not learning a lesson and therefore having to go around the mountain again. Israel kind of went through that at Mount Sinai. They took another lap around the mountain, or through the desert, when they did not learn the lesson.  

God has a way of fixing 'fixes' so that we grow in Him. He does not do this out of anger or spite. He does it out of His love for us. Jonah experienced this in His life. He is a prophet of God who does not want to prophesy to a people he hates. Since God can't have prophets with that kind of heart, God appoints a great fish to swallow Jonah. Four times we find in the book of Jonah God 'appointing.' He appointed a fish, gourd, worm, and a scorching wind all for Jonah. God 'set things up' so that he could get to the heart of Jonah.

Jonah was offended at God's mercy towards Nineveh. God took things in the natural, and arranged for them to be in the right place at the right time, to be an object lesson to Jonah. We don't know if Jonah ever learned his lesson, but we, the reader, know that God is often merciful to people we may think do not deserve it.

"Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?" (2 Chronicles 1:10, ESV)

How would you answer God if He were to ask you, "What shall I give you?" Solomon was asked that question, and it appears he did not hesitate to answer. He asked for wisdom and knowledge that he might lead the nation of Israel, God's people. God promised Solomon wisdom and knowledge to lead Israel and granted him riches, possessions, and honor! That was a good answer!
    
Wisdom seems to be one of the least sought-after things of our time. Yet it is one of the most valuable things a person can acquire. James 1:5 says, “if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously.” James is telling us that God wants to do this. He wants us to have wisdom. Wisdom will empower us to walk in righteousness by adopting God's ways.
    
Life is constantly changing, and life is full of constantly changing variables. Because of this, we need wisdom to know how to respond to God and to others. We need wisdom in leading our children. We need wisdom in business dealings. Wisdom is the ability to think and react as God would in an ever-changing environment. Wisdom, as we see in Scripture, can save us from much heartache if adhered to. Solomon got it right; wisdom is way more valuable than riches. His answer to God's question is the answer of the ages, wisdom!

"Then King David went in and sat before the Lord..." (1 Ch 17:16 ESV)

So many times, I have done what David did. I went into my secret place and just sat before the Lord. Such a beautiful posture that David takes before the Lord. Such a beautiful place to find rest in. He knew the value of sitting with God. It is a regal picture of the king who knows where his help comes from. It is a powerful picture of David's humility. He knew his place, and he knew he did not deserve it. He was king because God chose him to be king.

In our busy world, many have forgotten the art of 'going in' and 'sitting' before the Lord. Or we rush in to give God our gimme list and run out, hoping He doesn't take long. David and Martha's sister, Mary, (Lk 10:42) knew the value of sitting at the feet of the One who knows all things and whose love and acceptance were life-giving.

What is it like for you to sit at the feet of the Lord? Has it been a while since you were just quiet before Him with no agenda? Maybe it is time for you to go in and sit before the Lord. In that place, David found comfort. In that place, David found answers. In that place, David discovered his relationship with God grew more intimate. What value can be placed on going in and sitting before the Lord

"Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!" (1 Chronicles 16:11, ESV)

What a beautiful exhortation in David's Song of Thanks. Knowing that David is such a worshipper and seeker of God, it is no surprise that that which is in his heart would also be in his song. David's lyrics in verse 11 name two things to seek, and he uses two different words translated as seek.

The first 'seek' means to look for or to search after, but the word used also means to ‘seek with care’. This seeking is to be done carefully so as not to miss it. If you lose something of great importance, you look for it carefully so you do not overlook it. In our verse, the second 'seek' means to seek as in pursue, ask, visit, and choose. It would be as a young man who is seeking a date. He may pursue the girl he desires, but he will have to ask her out at some point. This seeking is a choice of the heart.

To find the strength of God, we have to look for it carefully as one would look for a treasure hidden in a field. David is saying, "Look for the God who prevails!" The other thing that David encourages us to sing about is seeking His presence. Pursue God's presence! Ask for God's presence! He loves it when we seek Him.

David writes a great song for those who love to worship God and for those who desire to become better worshippers. Seek Him continually, and you will find Him!

"Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there." (2 Kings 4:10, ESV)

I have said for a long time, "The Word works for those who work the Word!" But it only works for those who take the time and effort to make room for the word of God in their lives. This wealthy woman and her husband often fed the prophet Elisha as he passed by their home. One day she gets a brilliant idea! She says to her husband, let's build an extra room on our roof for the prophet of God. He can have a bed, a chair, a table, and a lamp. 

Given the day's culture, this would be a lovely place to stay while traveling. It would be one that you would make plans to go to if traveling. The prophet carries the Word of the Lord and the authority of the Lord. By building this room, this woman was making room not just for the prophet of God. She was making room for the Word of God to abide in her home.

Does the Word of the Lord have a resting place in your heart? Have you created a storeroom in your heart for the Word of God? Does the Word of the Lord desire to come to your life, home, and marriage? If not, it is time to make room for the Word to abide in you!

"There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah." (1 Kings 17:16, NLT)

The Word of the Lord to the widow, through the prophet Elijah, was there will always be flour and oil left in your container. It is one thing to hear the Word of the Lord; it is another to believe it. This woman was gathering sticks for a fire to cook her, and her son’s, last meal. She had a little bit of flour and a little bit of oil; they would eat a small meal and die, according to the widow's perspective.

Elijah had God's perspective. And God had another plan! He was going to save Elijah and the widow and her son. It would require faith on the widow's part. Faith is always necessary to reach the promises of God. There is no other way to access what God has promised than faith. Some would take offense to God's approach to saving this woman and her son. Why must she give the man of God her and her son's last meal? Because her response to Elijah's word is where God calls her to trust in Him. God could have just prophesied to her and let it go, but she would have had no investment in her miracle. Her response to feeding the prophet first was faith in action!

Her faith in God's promise secured her and her son's future. There will always be enough if you trust Him!

"... "Jeremiah, what do you see?" I said, "I see an almond branch." Then the Lord said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it." (Jeremiah 1:11–12, ESV)

God seems always to be asking questions. "Jeremiah, what do you see?” “Adam, where are you?” “Moses, what is that in your hand?” To the disciples, “Who do you say I am?" We should not fear when God asks questions of us. Most of the time, He asks questions because He is leading us somewhere or wants us to understand something. Because we know He is good, we know His questions will result in good things.
    
The questions that God asks always serve a purpose. For a God who knows everything, there would be no reason to ask a question if you did not have a purpose. For example, when God asks Adam, "Where are you?" He wants Adam to understand why he is hiding, draw him out of hiding, and reveal His mercy and grace to him.

A good teacher asks questions to help the student in the learning process. They are not to embarrass or put a student down but to lead the student to a place of understanding.

When God asks Jeremiah, "What do you see?" It is out of the context of relationship. Like a good Father, he is teaching His pupil 'seeing' to confirm what was seen. God is forcing Jeremiah to think and encouraging him with words of confirmation. 

"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving." (Ephesians 5:4, ESV)

Jesus confronted the Pharisees with, "Out of the abundance of your heart, the mouth speaks." He made an obvious point that was easy to understand. So easy, in fact, that He offended them with His comment. It was a religious spirit that caused them to be offended. Maybe that same unclean spirit refuses to leave so many Christians today because of the abundance in their hearts. I just can't picture Jesus saying, "O sh*t, Judas is betraying me. Or “D**n that was good.” I can't even hear Jesus, while eating with His disciples, talk about the 'frigging' heat. What is it that makes Christians want to swear?

Here is what I can tell you. There is still a part of them that wants to be conformed to the pattern of this world, so they refuse the Kingdom pattern of Christ. They refuse to renew their minds with the Word. It may also be that they have no conviction because they have not read our passage. Maybe they feel they must swear to be more relevant to the world. After all, that is a wide road, and we know where that leads.

Why not just clean up the heart, renew the mind, and put off the graves clothes you came out of? Why not be more like Jesus? Imagine that, Christians that both act and sound like Jesus! One other thing, thanksgiving is appropriate and desired, according to the Apostle Paul.

"put off your old self and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds" (Ephesians 4:23, ESV)

Many believers quickly jump on the spiritual warfare wagon and press the fight against the enemy! They bind, loose, take authority over, throw down, and decree, but none of it seems to work. With renewed vigor, they fast and pray still with no avail. Do you know anyone like that? Maybe it is you.

Maybe the victory God wants us to win is the one called renewing our minds. Rather than attacking a spirit of rejection, why not renew your mind with how accepted you are by the Father? Why not be convinced of God's amazing love towards you? Maybe the Father is not after the demon but after your broken heart, which a family member or former boss wounded. Perhaps it is not the demons that torment you but your own memories of betrayal that run so deep. You may never have authority over demonic powers until your heart is healed. Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to heal the brokenhearted.”  God wants you healed and filled with Jesus so that demons recognize Christ in you, the hope of glory, and cry out, "Have you come to torment us?

Absolute authority comes when you have taken off the 'grave clothes' of the past and put on Christ through renewing your mind. The demons who saw Jesus screamed because there was no wound or open doors inside Him. All He was filled with was Zoe life! Try renewing your mind and see how much more authority you will have.

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:13–14, ESV)

There are two roads to eternity. One road leads to Zoe life, and the other road leads to destruction. The two routes lead to two destinations in opposite directions. Without saying it, Jesus set before us the choice of heaven or hell, eternal revival or eternal torment. The option is ours. But, He does tell us to choose to enter by the narrow gate because it leads to life.

One gate, the wide one, puts you on a wide road that has many people traveling upon it. Many people travel on it because it is easy to find, easy to travel on, and nearly effortless to follow. Why? Because you do not have to do a thing to find and get on it. You are basically born on it and never have to get off unless you choose to.

On the other hand, the narrow gate leads to a narrow way, which leads to Zoe life. It is hard to find because it is the only one that leads to the other destination—life. It is hard because the crowd is on the broad road; surely the crowd can't be wrong. It is difficult because it requires faith to travel upon it. But the good news is those who find it find life. Therefore choose the less traveled road to eternity.

"In him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4, ESV)

In Jesus was life! John is not referring to Jesus' biological life. He is referring to something much more. John is talking about Zoe life. It is the kind of life that God has! This life triumphs over darkness, death, sin, and the grave! Zoe is the kind of life we receive from God when we are born again! This kind of life lights up the world of those who get born-again/saved!

Everywhere Jesus went, this Zoe life impacted people. Blind men saw! Deaf people heard! Dead people were raised! Lepers were healed! And it was all because of the Zoe in Jesus. Now hear this: Jesus came that we might have Zoe and have it abundantly! (Jn 10:10) He is not keeping the Zoe for Himself. He is giving it in abundance to those who believe.

This kind of life, Zoe, could be paraphrased as 'revival.' Zoe gives life, makes alive, restores life, and causes to live. "In Him was 'revival,' and the 'revival' was the light of men." "I have come that they might have 'revival' and have it abundantly! Noting that Zoe life is more than biological life should empower God's church to proactively share their faith, heal the sick, and work miracles. Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" (John 7:38, ESV) Or, out of his heart will flow rivers of revival!

"I lie in the dust; revive me by your word." (Psalm 119:25, NLT)

I remember one summer working in the Kansas sun. We were building a deck on a home. It was hot. Sweat was running into my eyes. The ground was hard that we were digging in, and the dust seemed to cling to our skin and throats.

Whether David was kneeling in the dust praying or lying in the dust because of drought. Either way, he was very thirsty, weak, and discouraged. The cry of his heart in this dry place was, "Revive me according to your word." All believers experience periods of dryness in the spiritual walk with God. Dryness comes from a myriad of reasons. Dryness comes because of neglect of our relationship with God. Dryness comes because of weariness. It comes because of sin. It comes because of the enemy's war against us. And sometimes, it comes because God wants us to pursue Him more. A thirsty man looks for water. And once you have tasted the Living Water, nothing else will satisfy you until you find Him!

I love David's prayer! "Revive me according to your word." The Word of God has the power to revive! Jesus himself declared it: "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life." (John 6:63, NLT) If you find yourself in a dry, weary land, look for the oasis of God's word and drink deeply. Only Living Water satisfies!

"Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" (Psalm 85:6, ESV)

Revive us! These are the words prayed to God after God began to show favor to Israel once again. Revive us! Living life without God is hard. It is hard for those who have known His favor and goodness and drifted away from Him. When the journey back has begun, and we sense the presence of God pursuing us, the heart's cry is, "Revive us!"

The word revive comes from a Hebrew word which means 'to live or to have life.' In the verb form, it means to give life or restore life. God does and has done this from the beginning; He revives us. His presence in our lives causes us to live life at a fuller level with more vitality. We are revived! We felt spent, empty, dry, and dead. And God revived us! He restored life to us. Praise God for making us alive!

We must also note that the Psalmist said, "Revive us again." We all need revival. It is common for a man to drift away from God, lose heart, sin, get discouraged, etc. All those things cause us to need a time of refreshing/revival. We need more of the life of God in us. The scriptures clearly show that we regularly need reviving. 

How are you spiritually today? Maybe you need to pray, "Lord, revive me again, that I may rejoice in you."

"Now, to the one with enough power to prevent you from stumbling into sin and bring you faultless before his glorious presence to stand before him with ecstatic delight, to the only God our Savior, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be endless glory and majesty, great power and authority—from before he created time, now, and throughout all the ages of eternity. Amen!" (Jude 24–25, TPT)

These two verses are beautiful! Jude says so much in these four lines. You read them, and He makes you want to shout Hallelujah. You read them again, and He makes you want to fall to your knees and worship Christ the King. You read them a third time, and He makes you want to weep tears of joy for what He has done. God loves you so much!

Hear these words! He keeps you from stumbling, presents you blameless, and does this, all while causing you to stand in the presence of His glory in ecstatic delight! All these emotions and heart-felt love and worship be to God, our God, and Saviour Jesus Christ! To Him be endless glory and majesty! To Him be great power and authority for all eternity.

Jude says it all so well! Read through the verses a couple more times. Don't be in a hurry. Meditate on what you hear. Open your heart to give Him praise, for He alone is worthy!

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:11, ESV)

Could we just love each other? It sure seems like a simple answer to all the world's troubles. If we could genuinely love each other, the world would be a much better place than it is now. Our marriages and families would be better if we could genuinely love each other. In all my years of experience, it would take the love only God can give to make that happen. I rest assured that is what John was thinking: God is love. It has to start there. God's love has to somehow get to His people. Therefore, He made His love visible by sending His Son so we might live through Him.

The key is that we have to be touched by God's love in such a way that we know and will continue to know He has loved us. Only then will God's love become visible through us. When people realize that God loves them even though they don't deserve it, that love starts reaching their heart level. Only then can we begin to give it away or share it.

In this place of the realization of God's love, we realize that we ought to love one another. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love keeps no record of wrongs. All this becomes possible and mandatory in His Kingdom.

God is love. God has loved us. We ought to love each other.

"And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" (Matthew 7:23, ESV)
    
There are many things in life that we never want to hear. When the boss says, "We are letting you go." A spouse says, "I want a divorce." A doctor says, "It is terminal cancer." All of these things make for a terrible day. But there are worse things that we could hear. For example, you never want to hear God say these three things:

1.  "I am against you." Nahum 2:13. These are the words of God through the prophet Nahum to Nineveh. Why would God be against us? Revelation two gives us three reasons God had something against the church. God says I have this against you— You are loveless, compromising, and corrupt. Ananias was struck dead for lying. Are the words "I am against you." final? Yes, unless you repent.
   
2. "I never knew you..." Matthew 7:23 It would be awful to hear those words, especially if you had done all the right things. Those in Matthew seven thought that. But they did not know Jesus. They just knew about Him.
3. "Depart from me..." Matthew 7:23. To depart means to take away space originally meant for you to receive. It is God's will that none would perish! So, don't lose your space. Please note: these words are final if you hear Jesus speak them.
   

Trust me when I say, "You never want to hear God say those three things above."

"... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15, ESV)

A decision is a powerful thing once made. When Joshua called the people, elders, judges, and officers together, he presented them with a decision that needed to be made. First, he prophesied their history to them as if God himself was speaking to them. He then reminded them of all the gods that God had defeated. Then he presented them with the choice: if you want to serve those gods, go ahead. "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Joshua had already made the decision. He and his house would serve God. That decision gave Joshua influence. His decision influenced his family. And his decision also powerfully influenced the leaders of Israel. 

A good decision, once made, powerfully affects a person's resolve to walk in that decision. A good decision thinks through the "Why?" of the choice made. Once the 'why' is seen, when adversity comes, or the devil comes to cause us to question a decision, we are not moved because we understand the 'why' of the decision. A decision made is a powerful thing.

How would your life or walk with God change if you considered why you are following Christ? How would it affect your resolve to follow him? How would it influence others close to you? While you think about that, know this: I and my house will serve the Lord.

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:4–5, ESV)

When God began to disciple the nation of Israel, after delivering them from the hands of the Egyptians, the first thing He taught them was the 'Shema.' Shema is the Hebrew word for 'hear.' "Hear O Israel!" It is also the focal point of Jewish people's morning and evening prayers.

The first thing God tells them is, "Listen! Pay attention! Understand what I am about to tell you. Do not ever forget it! Your life depends on you 'getting' this." God was not messing around anymore! Here is what I want you to hear:

1. The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
   
2. You shall love the Lord your God.
3. And you shall do it with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

    
The other nations had many gods. God wants His people to know that only one God exists, and "I AM Him! Love me!" I delivered you from Egypt. I brought you out with all their gold and silver. I kept you from all the plagues. Love me. Love me with everything you have. Love me with all your heart! Love me with all your thoughts and emotions. Love me with all your strength. 
    
To be a great disciple requires knowing there is only One God and loving Him with everything we have.

"Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." (Isaiah 35:4, ESV)

Have you ever been in a place where your heart is anxious? An anxious heart is one that is shaken to the core by a spirit of fear. That heart wants to run away from whatever it is facing. Israel wanted to run from what it was facing, but the Word of the Lord to them through the prophet Isaiah was this: "Be strong and take courage!"
    
Sometimes we need to hear those words to overcome a spirit of fear. Officers, before the battle, often tell their men to be strong and courageous. Those words often are enough to give men the courage to stand and face what is before them. Why? Why should we take courage?
    
We should take courage to know who it is who is backing us up! Isaiah declares, "Behold, your God!" The word behold means to look, see, and understand—God! You can face anything knowing that GOD is with you! Not only is He with you, but He has fire in His eyes. That God comes with vengeance means that He comes with holiness and justice! He comes as the dread champion of His people! He comes to make the enemy pay. He comes to re-compensate what the enemy has stolen. He comes to save, give help, and deliver His people! Whatever you are facing today, "Behold your God!"

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." (Proverbs 14:12, ESV)

Life is truly a journey! It has ups, and it has downs. It has places of great joy and places of sorrow as well. And the writers of Proverbs have seen and experienced much of life. The wise can see beyond what is just in front of them through the knowledge of God. They have learned to live in God's wisdom and fully realize what serving Him means, and what not serving Him entails.
    
We know that God's ways are not man's ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). And like a treasure hidden in a field—you have to look for it to find it. The issue is, when you are young or immature, you tend to take the path of least resistance, and you take the road that looks more pleasurable. What is unknown is many of these paths end in death and destruction.
    
The writer of Proverbs alerts the young man to this fact: Not everything that seems right, looks good, and makes sense to human knowledge is right. In fact, if you look beyond mere human sight, you will find the path you are about to take leads to death. How many young children have run into a street chasing a ball, unaware of the danger they just stepped into because it seemed right? "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." These very same words are repeated in Proverbs 16:25

"... And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord." (Judges 6:6, ESV)

"Cried out to the Lord!" Have you ever been there? Israel has sure been there. Throughout the book of Judges, we read the words, "and Israel cried out to the Lord." The basic meaning of the Hebrew word for 'cried out' is this: 'to cry for help in time of distress." It is a cry from a troubled heart. Most generally, it is directed toward God.
    
In chapter three of Judges, we find that God left some of Israel's enemies dwelling in the promised land. God did this to test Israel to see if they would follow His ways or adopt the gods of other nations. Sadly Israel did not always follow the practices of God but opened the doors to the gods of other nations. These open doors allowed Israel's enemies to wage war and obtain wins against God's people. When they became full of despair, they would call upon the name of the Lord for His help, and He would answer.
    
Parents are familiar with this cry. Often we are forced as parents to let our children make decisions for themselves. We know they know what is right, but will they choose what is right? It is the wrong choices that cause us so much pain in life. But God is willing to let us make wrong choices so that we might discover and know His goodness. After all, He said, "Call upon me, and I will answer." 

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)

The plea of the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:2 is that we would not look like the world anymore, having obtained the grace of God by faith. His appeal is that the renewing of our minds, with the Word of God, would transform us. The word transform comes from a Greek word: to form a new. The English word 'metamorphosis' best describes it. It is like the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. The goal is that we look more like God, sound more like God, and act more like God.

The way this happens is by renewing our minds with God's Word. The renewing of the mind is so necessary! You can get a new heart in Christ but still have the same old unbeliefs. Steve Backland says it best, ”We get saved by believing in Jesus, but we get freed by believing like Jesus!" Old ways of thinking keep us from becoming all that God desires us to become. Wrong thinking keeps us enslaved to the lies we believe. It is the lies we believe that keep us in bondage. But, it is through knowing the truth that we are set free. The belief in a lie got Adam and Eve in trouble. Yet, overcoming a lie with truth gave Jesus the victory in the wilderness. So be transformed by the truth!

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Romans 12:1, ESV)

The Apostle Paul, with his father's heart, encourages the Romans to present their bodies to God because of His mercy. Paul explains this great mercy in Chapters 1-11. Now he calls for a response or action to what they have heard. Therefore, give yourself wholeheartedly to God in light of what you have experienced in Christ. 

Because of His great mercy, we are to approach God and place our lives before Him at His disposal. Because of His mercy, we can trust Him as we offer ourselves to Him. When we do this, we are bringing together the inner working of His Spirit and the external manifesting of His presence into one. This is not an option for the believer but a desired response of one who has experienced God's saving grace. This takes our lives beyond the Sunday service to living out our faith before others all week long.

Paul says this is our spiritual worship! Becoming what God called us to be in Christ is the greatest thing we could offer back to Him. We can never repay God for what He has done for us through His Son. But we can offer back to God our whole lives in response to His love and mercy. Yes! Because of His mercies, I will live for Him!

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6, ESV)

The Apostle Paul had such a vision for the churches he started. Do you have this kind of vision for your children, grandchildren, and friends? Do you have the confidence in God to say to others, "that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it!"

A good work is a work that is most excellent. When God saved us, He did it in a most excellent way! He took what was dead and made it alive! He took what had no value to most and made it of exquisite value to Him. God started this work, and Paul is declaring over the Philippian church that God will finish what He started. God leaves nothing undone!

The word completion carries this understanding: to fulfill, to end, to carry through, and to celebrate, as in a wedding or feast. God does nothing halfway when He saves us. He saves us and prepares us to be the beautiful bride of His Son, clothed in splendor and majesty. We are to be something that God celebrates!

God is doing this work, and it will be completed at the coming of His Son. Paul was not just looking for converts He was looking for those who would know Jesus, govern their lives by Jesus' teaching, and passionately pursue Jesus' mandate to make disciples. He is not done with you! He started the work in you. He will finish it!