Any more, when I begin to get “careful” about something that comes up during my day, God reminds me of the scripture in Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing, Mark.” What a blessing the Bible is to my life.
Learning To Live In God’s Home
I was brought up in a home where I was taught to worry…about money, our reputation, what others thought about us, etc.
It’s a real mystery. There was a time when I couldn’t trust God, when I didn’t truly know Him. I didn’t have any “trust God” in me. I thought I trusted God, but I didn’t really. I didn’t know He was taking care of me. I was really scared, pretty much full of hopelessness and unbelief. It was a really tough existence of living in a spiritual “no man’s land” calling ourselves Christians but full of confusion and fear.
Then, my wife and I began memorizing pertinent scriptures. If it was true, like so many people said it was, we wanted the Bible to become a reality in our lives and were told that this was one tangible way to get it into our hearts, minds and spirits to put an end to worry, unbelief, fear, and hopelessness.
One day I was aware of something new in my spirit. I thought it was a small amount of “trust.” It wasn’t there and then it was, and it began to grow. How does that happen? How does the Holy Spirit put “trust” in our hearts? Pretty amazing miracle…
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23
God’s drawing us close to Him, to the safe, comfortable, secure, joyful, loving dwelling place of the Most High. He’s taking us home to live in His house, forever…beginning today.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
James 1:4 KJV
And let endurance (patience) have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
James 1:4 AMP
When I was in elementary school, we had to learn to count to 100, the parts of speech, the alphabet and multiplication tables. We used flash cards over and over until we memorized this important knowledge that we’d use for the rest of our lives.
Ever notice how God likes to repeat spiritual lessons? He does so to draw us closer and closer to Him. God’s work in our lives is so thorough. He desires to grow us up in Him, in His ways, in His understanding, trust, peace, love and joy. He wants us to live with Him. So, to bring this about, He takes us through the same lessons over and over again. That’s what it takes for us to live this life free in Him.
Why does God ask us to let patience have her perfect work so that we can be perfect and entire lacking nothing? Well, first we have to understand what takes place as we let patience have her perfect work? The works of the flesh, in our lives, are replaced with the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians chapter 5 in the Bible). In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is developed in us and takes over our lives the longer we choose to walk and live with Jesus, the longer we let patience have her perfect work in us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:6
When we become aware of His trust being developed in us, Christianity really becomes fun. You begin to sense that God’s really backing you up. This is when we begin to know we can always rely on God to see us through…And He just keeps growing our knowing. This is when we begin to enter His rest; that secure, loving dwelling place, where we can live trusting Him always…and that’s wonderful, that’s home.
Let patience have her perfect work in your life.
Memorize the Word. No matter where He leads you, stay with Jesus. Keep learning about Him. Let Him teach you over and over again so you can be “thoroughly” full of “trusting Him.” He’s bringing us home to live with Him in His house…☺
God bless,
Mark