2026-02-20
Good morning, Dear Ones,
Understanding our relationship with God means we need to abide by His will and His ethics. Too many people have the idea that they ask God what to do and tell Him what they want to do. A friend of mine who is a pastor showed me it doesn’t work that way. What we need to do is ask God, “What do You want me to do,” and listen for His answer. I’ve often mentioned that we need to visit the “shelter under God’s wings,” meaning we need to make time out of our busy schedules to spend time with Him as often as possible! That idea came from PS 91: 1-2, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God in Whom I trust.” Sometimes our conversations with God are fraught with angst, but most of the time it’s our comfortable place. Angst comes when we want to justify sin. Peace comes when we are faithfully obedient and reverent.
What is reverence? It is being patient in waiting for God to answer, acting with humility before Him (and with other people), and living a life of piety. It means putting God first. This is not behavior that comes naturally to human beings. Instead, this behavior must be learned. GA 5: 17, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” The flesh given control hinders the aspirations of the Spirit. The Spirit given control over the body gives us the power to overcome the temptations of the flesh. Humility is the quality of having a modest view of one’s value or importance. In our relationship with God, we can’t have real reverence without humility before Him. This is a truth we must accept: God is in charge of all, and we are not. Therefore, we need to submit to Him and not the other way around.
Having patience as we wait on God teaches us to respect His timing. If we are impatient, we get anxious and don’t respect His penchant for selecting the most effective time to benefit the greatest number of people. Being patient with His answers teaches us to trust Him. LAM 3: 25-26, “The Lord is good to those who hope in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” PS 37: 7, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.”
Piety is a life of devout prayer, worship of God, acts of compassion and service to others, and respectful observances of religious duties. Our Lord Jesus lived a life of piety and set an eternal example for all of us. This has no element of self-righteousness, selfish ambition, greed, or other sinful behavior. Living a life in Christ must be practiced; to become the habit our Lord wants for us. It is a life led by the Holy Spirit. IS 11: 2, “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety.”
PRAYER: O Lord, we often come to You to express our desires and to ask for Your help. In addition, we must also ask, “What is Your desire and hope for us?” Then, we must listen for the Holy Spirit, Who gives us Your answer. Sometimes Your answers are surprising to us, directing us to do things we are not sure we can do. Our obedience to Your direction often solves problems and lowers our stress. You are the Center of our lives, the One Who knows best and teaches us valuable lessons. JAS 1: 5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.” PR 2: 6, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” We offer You our utmost thanksgiving and praise, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The gifts of the Holy Spirit, outlined in GA 5: 22-23 dovetail with patience, piety, and humility as presented above. In fact, these are some of them. Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, humility (gentleness), and self-control are all components of a life of piety. God wants us to give ourselves an honest assessment of where we stand in relation to the example the Lord Jesus set for us. Join me this week in praying PS 139: 23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” He will do this, if we will only offer this prayer. Praise and thanksgiving be to Him!
Grace Be with You Always,
Lynn JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2026. All Rights Reserved.
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