Quote from Forum Archives on March 6, 2009, 9:52 am

Posted by: feedtheflock_admin <feedtheflock_admin@...>

COMMITING MY SPIRIT   The message is that we, in following Jesus, would commit our spirits - the innermost part, the core, the heart, the drive, aspirations. Can I trust God with my spirit? Can I turn over to Him my thoughts, emotions, and decisions? Too many people seem to believe that if they can control their behavior, that's all that is needed to be holy. To the contrary, when we commit our spirits to God, we are offering up the unseen elements. The Bible tells us that while man looks on the outward, God looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7). With God there are no secrets. It's not enough to be holy in our words and actions; we are called to be holy in our thoughts, our desires, our imaginations, our fantasies, our judgments and especially our conscience. That's why Jesus said, it's not enough to refrain from murder - hate in the heart is just as sinful.  It's not good enough to refrain from adultery - emotional affairs are just as sinful. That's why Jesus said it's not good enough to love those who love you; you must also love your enemy. And Paul was on the same track when he reported, "The Lord loves a cheerful giver" - the attitude of the heart is more important than the size of the gift. That's why Jesus became angry with the religious people of His day, publicly denouncing them as "whited sepulchers" - squeaky clean on the outside, but slimy rotten on the inside. He was echoing the prophet who cried, "They honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." And that's why Paul complained about those who "have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof." Whatever else we derive from this review of our understanding of "commitment," Jesus committed His spirit to God, and we will do the same.  From www.joyfulministry.org         He Can Do The Impossible by Max Lucado   The kingdom of heaven. Its citizens are drunk on wonder. Consider the case of Sarai. She is in her golden years, but God promises her a son. She gets excited. She visits the maternity shop and buys a few dresses. She plans her shower and remodels her tent ... but no son. She eats a few birthday cakes and blows out a lot of candles ... still no son. She goes through a decade of wall calendars ... still no son. So Sarai decides to take matters into her own hands. ("Maybe God needs me to take care of this one.") She convinces Abram that time is running out. ("Face it, Abe, you ain't getting any younger, either.") She commands her maid, Hagar, to go into Abram's tent and see if he needs anything. ("And I mean 'anything'!") Hagar goes in a maid. She comes out a mom. And the problems begin. Hagar is haughty. Sarai is jealous. Abram is dizzy from the dilemma. And God calls the baby boy a "wild donkey"--an appropriate name for one born out of stubbornness and destined to kick his way into history. It isn't the cozy family Sarai expected. And it isn't a topic Abram and Sarai bring up very often at dinner. Finally, fourteen years later, when Abram is pushing a century of years and Sarai ninety ... when Abram has stopped listening to Sarai's advice, and Sarai has stopped giving it ... when the wallpaper in the nursery is faded and the baby furniture is several seasons out of date ... when the topic of the promised child brings sighs and tears and long looks into a silent sky ... God pays them a visit and tells them they had better select a name for their new son. Abram and Sarai have the same response: laughter. They laugh partly because it is too good to happen and partly because it might. They laugh because they have given up hope, and hope born anew is always funny before it is real. They laugh at the lunacy of it all. They laugh because that is what you do when someone says he can do the impossible. They laugh a little at God, and a lot with God--for God is laughing, too. Then, with the smile still on his face, he gets busy doing what he does best--the unbelievable. He changes a few things--beginning with their names. Abram, the father of one, will now be Abraham, the father of a multitude. Sarai, the barren one, will now be Sarah, the mother. But their names aren't the only things God changes. He changes their minds. He changes their faith. He changes the number of their tax deductions.. He changes the way they define the word impossible.   Find out more on www.crosswalkmail.com       For more visit http://www.surrender.nl/scom  and www.freewebs.com/scoministry   For comments or issues concerning your Christian Life. Email to: feedtheflock_owner@welovegod.org     Help spread God&#8217s word, please forward the devotion to as many friends and relatives as possible and encourage them to subscribe free of charge. If this was forwarded to you, you can subscribe by sending a blank email to the following address: feedtheflock-subscribe@welovegod.org

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