While sleeping, I dreamed that there was a fire in the kitchen, and it was spreading rapidly. Valuable articles were being destroyed but there seemed to be no way to extinguish it. When I awoke, I realized that holy fire, the fire of the Holy Spirit, destroys only the things that are harmful to me. Such things as pride, wrong feelings toward others, laziness, carelessness, neglect etc. My pain and dreadful sense of physical weakness has not abated and although I wanted to BE up, I didn’t want to GET up. My Bible is calling to me from the night table.
The Holy Spirit’s message to me brought (1 Corinthians 2:16) the mind of Christ, was to get up and do the necessary things, including the essential things of always being clean and orderly. No Christian has the right to be unkempt, careless, sloppy, disorderly, neglectful or anything that would discredit the precious Master we represent. Every trial and trouble contains the potential for spiritual triumph and we see God’s holy beneficial purpose in everything and trust totally in His control over every detail of our lives. Because of (Galatians 2:20) not I but Christ, I get up and do what is right before the Lord, in total dependence on Him. I depend on Jesus in and for every detail of my daily life because I am fully confidently assured that He is in total control of every detail of my life.
As we watch and wait (1 John 3:3) for the return of our Lord, we must never be interested in or involved with (1 John 2:15) the styles, dress or attitudes, philosophies, religions, etc. of the wicked world-system with its greed and hate-filled stand against Christians, God’s holy Word and everything that is godly. But we must always remember that our personal choices do not give us the right to judge others for their choices. Discernment is given to us not so that we will judge but so that we will pray. If we are living so that the motive and emphasis of our lifestyle message must be the revelation of the Love and Grace of God, our precious Sovereign God. We know that Satan is the evil prince of the world system. Everything the Lord does is holy and righteous and everyday He does His holy and righteous and beneficial purpose for us.
As the children of the King of all kings, we are here on earth to trust, obey and represent our Glorious beloved King and to love, pray for, encourage the members of His worldwide royal family. We must be prepared and willing (Titus 2:14) to help, care for our brothers and sisters in their times of need. The Macedonians gave (2 Corinthians 8:2) out of their deep poverty. Every time I read that verse; it is a reminder of my Mother. Jesus was so very rich (2 Corinthians 8:9) but He made Himself so very poor so that we would be made rich in Him. He is the only source of genuine and eternal riches.
On the backroads of my mind an old song is declaring the reality of this glorious Truth –
It took a miracle to set the stars in place
It took a miracle to hang the world in space
But when God saved my soul,
Cleansed and made me whole,
It took a miracle of His love and grace.