Day 9,10, & 11, October

Bless Yourself

I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. Proverbs 8:17

Our motives are misplaced if we think we read the Bible and pray to please God or to keep from making Him mad at us. God once told me, "You think, when you read the Bible, that you are making Me happy. I am going to be happy whether you read it or not. No, Joyce (the author), if you read the Bible, you're happy. If you pray, you're happy. If you give, you recieve."

Every single thing that God tells us to do, he tells us to do so to bless ourselves. He doesn't ask us to devote ourselves to study and prayer for Him; it is for us. the good life is our choice.













It's a Promise

Let Your mercy and loving-kindness come also to me, O Lord, even Your salvation according to Your promise. Psalm 119:41

Some Chrisitians want to make a law our of studying the Bible or spending a certain amount of time with God. But we should be motivated to read God's Word and spend time with Him because of our love relationship with Him, not because of a commandment to do so.

Jesus said, "If you (really) love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands" (John 14:15). What He really meant was, "If you love Me and walk in fellowship with Me, you will keep My commandments." If you concentrate on loving God, then keeping His commandments will become a natural part of what you do. It is a promise He makes to you.














God Does the Work

Work out... your own salvation...(not in your own strength) for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you (energizing and creating in you the power and desire), both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Philippians 2:12-13

The Word of God brings liberty, not legalism; promises, not laws; and guidelines to a good life, not condemnation. Many work at following a Christian lifestyle, but they are not happy because they are focused on rules instead of on their relationship with God.

If you are trudging along, believing you have to give, have to read the Bible, have to pray, have to walk in the fruit of the Spirit, I encourage you to stop thinking you have to do anything. You will discover that God will give you the grace to want to do the things that lead to a victorious life in Him.

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**