God is Near! Let that fact engergize you!

The nearness of God is on my heart this morning. His presence permeates every aspect of our lives when we allow him into absolutely everything that touches us. When we do this, we can expect that our focus will shift from temporal problems and from our ego issues to things that really matter. We can then begin to live a life of significance to God's eternal kingdom, rather than a life lived for self. I have found that as I go along in my day with Jesus, aware of his presence and asking for his help, I am frequently reminded, through collisions with Satan (who despises spiritual progress), my own flesh, and the world in general, that I have such a long way to go. Good intentions simply will not get me there. However, I can be excited by the fact that Jesus has promised to complete the good work he began in me. I can also know that, according to the scriptures, he has work for me to do and he will carry me through it, supplying my every need as I fulfill that work. ("For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10, NLT) I know that holiness and sanctification (the Bible says I am already a saint, washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross) ARE possible. Perfection, no. Continual upward progress in my goal to be more like Jesus, YES. By the power of the Holy Spirit. "Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." Galatians 6:8-9, NLT