Praise Devotionals to remind myself...

http://youtu.be/H-bUYmepKws  - Sanctuary


My friend, DeeDee, reminded me of this beautiful song.  Her timing was perfect because I had just been reading in James and been feeling the need to empty myself of anything that was not of God. 
I wanted God to prepare my heart so that I could be a sanctuary for Him.

The book of James will probably not make you feel great.  At least, it doesn't make me feel very good about my walk with Christ.  But it does encourage me to keep trying... to trust God to bless me if I just will follow His directions.  Trusting God will manifest itself in obedience.  James calls us to be more than believers.  He calls us to be doers of the Word.

James, the author and brother of Jesus, tells us to stand firm when trials and temptations come our way.  He says listening to God's Word isn't enough.  We have to obey what we hear - that's how people will recognize that we belong to Christ. Obedience means trusting God enough to follow where He leads us - even when it's hard, to obey Him even when we think our way is better.  Obedience has nothing to do with "earning" our salvation.  Obedience reflects true faith.  If I'm not obeying God, where is my faith?

In chapter 3, James describes two kinds of wisdom. Wisdom that comes from God and "wisdom" that is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  How can you tell the difference? 

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.



17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

I'm afraid I may be leaning on earthly "wisdom" too often.  Envy and selfish ambition in my heart try to push out the wisdom that comes from God - peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere - that's what needs to fill my heart.  LOVE.

Galatians 5:6b NIV 
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.


Seems like it always comes back to love. 

People will know that we belong to Christ when love like He loves.  True faith expresses itself through love.  We treat others well because we love.  We obey God because we love Him, who first loved us.  We love others because our love for Him overflows to those around us.  So if we truly love, how can we quarrel and fight and seek our own way?  James says we have to submit to God.

Submit Yourselves to God

James 4

1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.


4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”


7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.


I make a choice each day to submit to His will in my life.  I put all my trust in His loving and compassionate Hands.  I firmly resist the lies that the enemy would have me believe.  I turn the battle over to the Lord, because He's already defeated my enemy.  I just have to remember that.
I also throw myself on His tender mercies which are new every morning.  Every day I acknowledge how much He's done for me and How much He continues to do on my behalf.

I have to choose to empty myself of earthly wisdom and understanding before God can prepare me to be a vessel He can use.  Each day, I  make a choice of which master I will serve. Almighty God or the Prince of this earthly temporary world.  I choose the One who loved me enough to send His Son to take my punishment.  I choose Holy God, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, my heavenly Father.

Oh, Lord, prepare me to me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I'll be a living sanctuary for You. Less of me, Lord, and more of You.

http://youtu.be/SZ-fghqc8Oo - Inside out - Hillsong