Therefore Know

Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.  Proverbs 4:25-27 TPT

We encounter evil almost on a regular basis as residents of this place God gave us to inhabit. We are tempted to choose what gives us instant gratification, to cut corners, to misuse people and to give in to greed. We are just as tempted to complain, repeat news headlines …. But when we look at Jesus’ life (reading the Bible daily) we realize that He overcame temptation, faced evil in the eye and stood. 

Therefore, we have no excuses to give in to evil and allow it to drag us under, since we too have the gift of choice.  

So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine.  John 15:4 TPT

God takes us through seasons of pruning so that we are transformed gradually into His likeness and bear fruit for His kingdom. It’s evidence of God’s immense love for us. He loves us too much to leave us the way we were. The interesting thing I’m learning is that our Fruitfulness is rarely experienced by us since we are usually in the throes of pruning related difficulties or setbacks - but it is felt and observed by those around us. 

They see traits like kindness, self-control, and patient endurance develop and sense something different in us.  The presence of Jesus! Only Jesus - Fulfiller of Life 

(This week i looked up the meaning of fulfillment - it is finding happiness, satisfaction or a sense of completion)

For followers of Christ, it’s a little different. Our lives can be busy as we get caught up in ten different things or we could be in a slow lane where each day doesn’t seem to go by fast enough. 

Either way, if we as followers of Christ realize that with a Jesus we have found our God-given purpose - we will therefore know our lives with Him will be infinitely fulfilled.