Monday, April 24, 2017

"The Right Track"

"The Right Track"               
     
   Born again believers in the Lord Jesus remain in need for both confirmation and correction throughout our lifetime.

   "This is the way.  Walk ye in it" (Isaiah 30:21).
   "For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom He delighteth" (Proverbs 3:12).

   Our need for  knowing whether we are on the right track must lead to an ongoing prayerful discourse with our Heavenly Father.  We consistently approach Him with the request for His examination of our hearts, ways, and words.  David's well known request in the 139th Psalm provides the clearest Biblical expression of this humble acknowledgment  of our need: 

    "Search me, o God, and know my heart.  Try me and know my thoughts.  See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).  

    David recognized his lack of self-awareness.  Only the Lord sees the quality of both our intentions and our actions to determine whether they fulfill the standard of His love in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We must join the Psalmist in consistently requesting God's searching.  Our Lord will lead us to His Word, the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ, and the directed thinking whereby we better determine spiritual authenticity.  The Apostle Paul referenced this subject in terms of "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (II Corinthians 10:5).  We do well to daily seek our Heavenly Father's searching of our thoughts, attitudes, words, and deeds.  He is perfectly faithful in confirming and correcting, and we must be increasingly faithful in requesting the examination.  We want to know when we are right, and while correction can be difficult, it also delivers us from dangers we may or may not realize await us.

   Other than God Himself, the most difficult person to truly know is ourselves.  "For that which I do, I allow (understand) not" admitted Paul (Romans 7:15).  We all must confess the same.  Acknowledging the challenge we face regarding the awareness of ourselves must lead us to the One who perfectly knows us.  "Thou God seest me" (Genesis Genesis 16:13).  Only thereby will we discover whether we travel upon the right track, or whether we need redirection.

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
(Proverbs 14:12)
"Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day."
(Psalm 25:5)

Weekly Memory Verse 
"Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day."
(Psalm 25:5)
   
  

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