When any ounce of my being is lifted up
My Lord reminds me that it is with the meek with whom He will sup
When any praise swells my heart inside
My Lord reminds me that grace is given to the humble not the one with pride
My knees must be flexible and always ready to bend
As a sheep who is willing to let it’s Shepherd tend
Comfort comes from knowing that He with His staff and rod
Will lovingly train and conform me and lead me up the same Path He
trod
My thoughts after reading 2Peter 1…When we truly know the Lord, not just by the mind, then that literally bids or commands our attention to worship Him and give Him all the glory that He deserves and to resolutely boldly pursue His life, and His standard of holiness. There is nothing 
like being a stagnant pond which is the opposite of being a river of living water. A pond generally has life in it, but if not fed from an outside source of water, life will cease and eventually will dry up. Not a good water source to drink from either, because it can make you sick. Rivers on the other hand are abundant in life, freshness, clean, ever flowing, ever pursuing the ocean or larger body of water, or more living water. Drinking water from a river is usually safe(granted no one is dumping pollution in it) there is no time for yucky stuff to grow in it, it doesn’t take a break from moving. Near the end of a river one would fine rapids, bumpy and rocky. The race to the finish line is picking up speed, easier because we can see our reward ahead, but yet harder from more serious tests we have to pass yet to get there. Like a river, we should be boldly pursuing to attain what the Lord has promised, his ever abundant life for us(the ocean, which never seems to run out of water and life)in His kingdom. I can’t afford to be stagnant. I don’t want to be that fig tree our Lord withered because it produced no fruit. I am a river not a pond, purged from the impurities of sin; not to look back, a river doesn’t look back it keeps going in a forward motion. Oblivious to the things around it that might hinder it. So when it sees the end in sight, it’s start sprinting and falls into the ocean in need of rest, the finish line. I can’t wait til this body can rest in Him for all eternity…
Most of us know that fasting(abstaining from food/drink) is supposed to be something that followers of Jesus Christ are to do regularly for various reasons.
Matt 6:16-18,Matt 9:14-17,2 Cor 6:4-5
2 Cor 11:25-27,Matt 17:20-21
Acts 14:23,1 Cor 7:5
But how many of us have come across Isaiah 58, and know what fasting really is? Brethren, read through the passage and see the importance of it. Is our abstaining from food(or other “good deeds” for that matter) really accomplishing anything if we neglect what the Lord really wants from us, obedience. In Isaiah 58, the people of God were looking for God, were excited about God, did things for God, wanted to know His will, and heartily prayed a lot.(58:2)But still wondered why their “deeds” were not rewarded and it seemed that God was not listening or paying attention to it at all.(v 3)Israel believed that their acceptance by God was by their own works.They didn’t see that abstaining from food had nothing to do with what God wanted from them. And that they were fasting with the wrong motives, and not sorrowful; it was all a show (v 4,5). They were despising their neighbors and exploiting them. They were only thinking of themselves. True fasting is denial of self and the loving of others(God AND man). Hear the Lord:
Isa 58:6-7 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
How can we say we love God, who we don’t see, and yet not love our neighbor who we do see? Just “loving God” is not acceptable. (1John 4:7-21) Loving our neighbor IS loving God; it’s a package deal. We feign love for God if we neglect others and their needs. We are then liars. By this we will be judged. (Matt 25:31-46) whether we are sheep or goats; the obedient on the right(sheep), the liars on the left(goats). Did you deny yourself of daily comfort, so that you could relieve your neighbor in his affliction, his hunger, his lack of clothing, his lack of shelter? “Well done good and faithful servant“(Matt 25:21)….”Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” Did you turn from your brother’s need, when you had it in your hand to give or do? “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”
Does it seem like your prayers are not being answered? And that your walk the Lord seems to be stagnant, though you are doing, doing, doing for the Lord? Examine yourself, and whether you are truly obeying Him or just going through the motions. When we truly obey and walk in love for God and our neighbor it is His delight to answer our needs and enlighten our eyes, and guide us in His will.(Isaiah 58:8-12)(1John 3:16-24)
(Isaish58:13-14) Resting in the Lord’s work should be our delight. We need to fast from our own works, our ways, our own idea of pleasure, and our own opinions. Esteem and relieve others first above ourselves. When we do that, we can then without pretense say “I Love God” (Matt 25:35-40)
Do we ask God to bless what we are doing or should we ask him what would bring his blessing and then do it? Two different scenarios. Do we go ahead and do a work and hope that he will approve of it with our pre-blessing prayer or do we look to see what is his righteous standard and his will and then do it? How many times have we prayed going into an activity, “Lord please bless _____” We are asking him to put his seal of approval on whatever it is we are about to do; instead of placing all of our expectations, our opinions, and our assumptions on that altar and WAITING on him first to show us what his will is(Rom 12:1,2), knowing that he will bless and then proceed. In Genesis 3:1-6, Eve only assumed that she shouldn’t even touch the fruit, instead of remembering God’s word to just not eat it. And since the fruit looked pleasant, then it must be okay after all. She was deceived into thinking that the end justified the means. Programs, services, fundraisers, so-called revivals, bake sales, softball tournaments etc., that go on in the christianity, in the church system; are they not the work of the flesh? Programs to keep us busy going, doing, and trying to attract unbelievers to visit our services through carnal methods, services to keep us in order and keep us complacent, fundraisers and bake sales to rely on the mammon of unbelievers(3John 5-7), revivals to hype up our emotions(flesh). Does the end really justify the means?
Brethren, we need to be led of the Spirit in all things. Asking ourselves what is our motive in what we are doing, does it glorify God, have I laid down my preconceived notions of what is right or wrong, am I copying the world’s methods instead of the Lord’s . But wholly(heart, mind, soul, strength) put ourselves on that altar of sacrifice and God will show us what he expects, approves of, and consequently blesses.
Rom 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
By the Rivers of Living Water 