OC January 20th

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“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.’” 
John 3:3 NLT

Some quotes:

“Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself.”

“It (being born again) provides a freshness all the time in thinking, talking, and living - a continual surprise of the life of God. Staleness is an indication that something in our lives is out of step with God.”

“If you are depending on something else as your source of freshness and strength, you will not realize when His power is gone.”

If you are not able to be still and know that all contentment and peace come from Him, then your relationship is stale. Being filled with the freshness of the Holy Spirit can make any and all tasks exciting and pleasurable. We seek self satisfaction so much in this world. We are trying to fill ourselves up but we can never get satisfied. In all my prayer and study I realize over and over again that the message is quite simple. He doesn’t need us. We need Him. If we give all of ourselves to Him - sacrificing attitudes, behaviors, habits, and/or relationships that separate us from God - then He will give us all we need. He will produce the fruit of the spirit in us. We do not have to stress and worry and go, go, go to make sure we are pleasing Him. Through us He will produce works that glorify Him. He will provide. If we are trying to dictate what that looks like, then we are becoming stale and “will not realize when His power is gone.” He wants a relationship. He loves us and wants to be our strength and our shield. Because there will be trials and tribulations. If we are in Him then we can rejoice in the suffering because we know He has suffered for us. And through that, we have salvation and a great reward in the here-after. 

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