Everything is Going to be All Right

Scripture says, "Judge not," but you do pass judgment upon circumstances and people, categorizing them neatly as being either good or evil. If there is a period at the end of each sentence of facts as you state them, there is no room for God to work in memories and perceptions to bring about the changes He has promised. All of God's promises will be fulfilled; all are in the process of coming into being. If something is going to be true, it behooves you to see it as being true now; otherwise you will not perceive the truth when it does arrive. You will have rehearsed the dark side of your experience so thoroughly that you will be unable to see light; you will change truth to fit your world view. Even when there is no longer a threat, you will continue to feel threatened. When all cause for grief has passed, you will continue to grieve.

There is no true liberty apart from the Lord, and you can participate in the freedom that is in Him right at this moment. You are not waiting for your salvation to arrive—He is here, now. Will you not look into His face?

Scripture: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Service

You pray for help with self-discipline, but the Lord will do much more than that. He will help you to remember your love for Him. Your tendency is to focus on all the ways you have failed, but the truth is that every day you bless Him with your love. In fact, if the Lord were to reward you for every righteous act you perform, you would soon acquire an elevated opinion of your own worth that would make you insufferable.

You know that none of your righteous acts purchase cleanliness; be sure to let this fact produce humility. Your purity before Him comes entirely from the blood of Jesus. Nothing you ever do will be enough, because the only medium that can elicit the needed change in your heart and mind is the Holy Blood of Christ. You cannot obtain the recipe for this precious life force; you must receive it as a gift. Let your acts of service flow out of the humility of the knowledge that you are a forgiven sinner.

Scripture: "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the Gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else" (2 Corinthians 9:13).