Devotional 221008

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. I thank God for His faithful provision and protection for His children. How blessed we are to be the children of the Almighty God who cares and watch over us each day! It does not depend on our feeling or effort to remain in His love. It all depends on His faithfulness that we will continue to remain in His love. After all the ups and downs in his life, Paul testified, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children” (Romans 8:16). It is God’s initiative to call us back to Him, therefore He will continue to affirm us from time to time that we are His beloved children no matter how circumstances may change. A lot of time, it is our religious baggage (save by good works) that drive us to secure our relationship with God. But Paul’s theology is that God will affirm in our spirit that we are His children.
We are in danger of getting the bargaining spirit when we come to God, we want the witness before we have done what God tells us to do (through His Spirit and His Word). "Why does not God reveal Himself to me if He wants me to do His will?" He cannot, it is not that He will not, but He cannot, because you are blocking the road as long as you won't absolutely obey Him. Immediately when you obey, God witnesses to Himself, He cannot witness to you, but He witnesses instantly to His own nature within you. If you had the witness before your obedience to Him, it would end in sentimental emotion. Immediately when you live out His Redemption, and stop the rebellious desire to debate His Word, God gives on the witness. As soon as you abandon reasoning and argument against His Word, God witnesses to what He has done, and we are amazed at our rebellious spirit that have kept our God waiting for so long. If you are in debate as to whether God can deliver you from sin, either you let Him do it, or simply tell Him He cannot save you at all. Do not quote the reasoning of this and that person, just respond to Jesus' calling in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” And find assurance in His promise, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)
The Spirit of God witnesses to the Redemption of Our Lord, He does not witness to anything else; He cannot witness to our reason. The simplicity that comes from our natural common-sense decisions is apt to be mistaken for the witness of the Spirit, but the Spirit witnesses only to His own nature within us, and to the work of Redemption, never to our reason. If we try to make Him witness to our reason or justification, it is no wonder we end up in darkness and confusion. Throw your rebellion all overboard, trust in Him, and He will give the witness to His Spirit within you that you are His beloved children.
We have a tendency to seek God’s affirmation of our decision in order to avoid failure or to guarantee success. But God’s agenda is for us to learn obedience and surrender your life totally under His Will. When you seek to follow God’s words, you can rest like Paul in this assurance, “All things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).
Love you for His pleasure,
Lawrence