Devotion #38

Hi, Everyone.
I've said, before, that patience is a tough one, for me. I want what I want, and I want it yesterday! However, I'm learning to "let patience have her perfect work" in me. Today's devotion, from my personal journal dated May 16, 2007, speaks of being diligent, and diligence is the sister of patience. While weight loss isn't mentioned specificially, it will be affected by diligence.

     This morning, Chris woke me up at 5:00 (so I could get ready to go to early intercessory prayer group), and as I was taking my bath, I began to sing, "He is my everything, He is my all, He is my everything, both great and small. He gave His life for me, made everything new. He is my everything, now how about you?  Some folks may ask me, some folks may say, 'Who is this Jesus you talk about everyday?' He is my Savior, He sets me free, This is what I'll tell you, what He means to me:  Like honey in the rock, sweet honey in the rock, for He tastes like honey in the rock. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good, for He tastes like honey in the rock."
     That old song got me thinking about how Jesus IS my "all." In Him, I really do have everything I need. It reminded me of the verse that talks about how God has given us all things, through His power. I found that verse and read much more, in II Peter 1:3-10.
     It's so good, I'm going to quote more of those verses than I normally would. God had much to say to me today! I just love Him!
     "His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.
     "For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), and in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love. For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)..." [Amplified Version of the Bible]
     Just look at that progression of exercising and developing! Just like God's promises, there's a "my part" and a "His part." God says to "add [my] diligence" to His promises. The old lazy "me" wanted the result and manifestation of every promise, without the work. The new "me" says, "I'm ready to be diligent!" I'm ready to be diligent, because I want everything God has for me. I know He will help me do this.

Today, on a scale of 1-10 (low to high), how would you rate your diligence? If it's on the lower end, consider your progression of exercising and developing, to see if there's a quality that needs to be "pumped up" in your life. Remind youself that if Jesus is your all, you have everything you need. Listen to this sweet couple singing "He Is My Everything." 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ETF_j_yYEM

Blessings,
Mary

Your song is really a confession and it makes the enemy tremble. It reminds him of who God is to you. When I am having a rough time ( I had one yesterday). I like to remind the enemy of who my Jesus is. It goes something like this...

I plead the blood of Jesus over this situation. You know Jesus. The one who defeated you by what he did on Calvary. The one whose blood covers all my sins, diseases and weaknesses. The one who defeated you and took the keys of Hell, death and the grave away from you. The Jesus whom you will bow your knees to one day and whom you can never defeat. The one who will rule for eternity, while you are in torment. That is the Jesus who protects me and my family. You can never, ever win against that Jesus.

Our words have such power and we must use them against the right enemy and for the right Savior. I guess that is what struck me most aboutyour post today. Hugs-Amy

I love that, Amy! Oh, yes, it's just the thing to tick off the ol' devil, telling him what he is and where he's headed! Every demon ought to tremble, when every Christian puts his/her feet on the floor, every morning, but so many of us tremble at the enemy. When each believer gets a revelation of who he/she is in Christ, everything changes! Absolutely everything.
Thanks for replying and sending your "Let me tell it like it is!" confession.
Blessings,
Mary