The Ministry of the Inner Life 6-21-2010

June 21st, 2010 by JDVaughn Leave a reply »

The Ministry of the Inner Life

June 21 2010
 
You are . . . a royal priesthood . . . —1 Peter 2:9
 

By what right have we become “a royal priesthood”? It is by the right of the atonement by the Cross of Christ that this has been accomplished. Are we prepared to purposely disregard ourselves and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual inner-searching we do in an effort to see if we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, sickly type of Christianity, not the vigorous and simple life of a child of God. Until we get into this right and proper relationship with God, it is simply a case of our “hanging on by the skin of our teeth,” although we say, “What a wonderful victory I have!” Yet there is nothing at all in that which indicates the miracle of redemption. Launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don’t worry anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence, “Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men.” Pray with the realization that you are perfect only in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument: “Oh, Lord, I have done my best; please hear me now.”

How long is it going to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves. We cannot reach and understand the depths of our own meagerness. There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of the inner life.

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Journal Entry for Today- JDV

June 21, 2010

I want to be connected to the Spirit of God and connected to the life that He has laid out for me. However, sometimes I feel as if I as simply wandering around trying to find the direction or the next step or…..what I am doing wrong. It cannot be that difficult to find the direction God is leading me. Then why do I wonder and hesitate? Why do I wait and wonder instead of stepping out?

And God says…” Because you do not trust yourself to hear Me or you do not trust Me to lead you and love you every step of the way. As the devotional said the other day, begin to act as soon as you hear my voice and you will begin to hear Me with more conviction and knowing. When you know it is Me you will act. You only wonder about hearing Me because you have yet to develop the hearing necessary that can only come from immediate obedience, as soon as you hear me.

As Oswald Chambers said, act with reckless abandon as soon as you hear My voice and you will begin to hear me very clearly all the time. When you hesitate it is because you do not trust. You are not operating in faith and I can only respond to your faith. Step out in faith.

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