A Living Connection With the Living God

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9.
We must have a living dependence upon a living God. And when there is a living connection with a living God, Christ abides in the heart by living faith, and the human agent works after Christ’s life. He is going to change our life and character, speaking the words that Christ speaks, revealing the character that Christ reveals. And if trials come to us, we will not manifest a rebellious spirit. The opportunities will present themselves to every one of us, because we see oppression and unkindness, and because we see burdens that would be thrown upon us, and let self come in and exhibit itself.
We let self arise. We want to put the trials in their right place, and where is it? Christ says to everyone that is weary and heavy laden, “Come unto me.” And what? “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” And notwithstanding the crush of conflict that we shall have to pass through if we accept the truth of heavenly origin, there is meekness and lowliness in every move. Hide in Jesus Christ. Our life and character is hid with Christ in God, so we cannot afford to let any impulse of passion control our words or control our actions, but we must keep the Saviour’s example ever before us, and we must do just as Jesus would have done under similar circumstances. We are not to be revengeful.
Now the work that is before us we want clearly to understand. It is a work of mercy, a work of love, a work just in Christ’s lines. Just as Christ worked. He says that the nobleman went a long journey, and to every man he gave his work. The human agent is to cooperate with the divine. To everyone his work, and this is Christ’s work. It is not the man’s work. He is not to feel that all he has to do is to attend to his own individual self. No, there is a broader field. He is to occupy “till I come,” and what is it to occupy? To be laborers together with God. Therefore, it is of the greatest consequence that we understand in clear lines what it is to be laborers together with God.
We must be imbued with the Spirit of Christ. We cannot labor with God merely from our intellect or our education. We cannot buy the grace of God with money; we cannot buy it with eloquence; we cannot buy it with the power of our intellect. It is God’s to begin with…. We are to occupy to the best knowledge that we have, and sense our responsibility, and let our light shine through us to those that are around us, and in doing that we are doing the work of God.—Manuscript 11, February 17, 1894, “Isaiah 58.”
The Upward Look p. 62
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Prayer Requests
—-My friends’ 2 year old granddaughter Kingsley has a tumor in her stomach. and is taking chemo for it.please pray for them thank you . M
—-Please continue to pray for David and his family. God knows. Buck.
—-I have been admitted in the hospital for Multiple Blood Clots in both of my lungs. May I ask you all to prayI have been admitted in the hospital for Multiple Blood Clots in both of my lungs. May I ask you all to pray. Denise.
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Note: I was unable to access my website for over a month. I am able to access it as of today, so you will start receiving the devotional again. If this ever happens again, please contact me at rosehartwell@gmail.com. Thanks.
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Dear Friends,
Our Great Creator made such a large variety of creatures for us to enjoy. One of the places we enjoy going is the local zoo. As we walk along seeing all the great variety that God has made. I can’t help thinking of a time when the animals will not have to be in cages. We will be able to interact with them without fear. The Bible speaks of that wonderful time. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.” “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind…. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.”Isa11:6-8;65:17-25
We can see in our mind’s eye that glorious day! Jesus, Himself, will lead us to living fountains of waters. We will drink deeply of its clear unpolluted refreshment. As we sit under the shade of the tree of life, a lion walks over and lays down at our side. We reach over and pet him and he purrs in contentment. A huge elephant lumbers by and we go over to him. He allows us to get on his back and we take a ride along the river. From our vantage point, we look in every direction and what meets our eyes sends a thrill of joy to our heart. All creation is at peace. The beautiful flowers are sending forth their sweet perfume. The leaves of the trees will never die and fall to the ground. The various creatures are happily playing together without even a trace of fear. The redeemed are shouting praises to the One Who gave His life that they could be there. Yet, in the heart of our Great Redeemer will be a longing for those who failed to accept His wonderful grace. As we are enjoying the pleasures that He has prepared for us, He only will remember those who could have been with Him for all eternity if they hadn’t chose to cling to sin.
May we soon enjoy all the wonders of His Kingdom where “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Cor 2:9 May we allow the Holy Spirit to fit us to dwell in that fair land, that we may bring happiness to our Dear Saviour’s Great Heart of Love. May we bring the good news of salvation to those around us that they, too, will fellowship with our Wonderful Lord throughout eternity is my prayer.
Rose