Re-Center around God
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
To thrive in one’s faith walk and life, consider these agricultural descriptions: To be rooted and suited and fruited.
- Rooted in Christ and His Word (see Psalm 1)
- Suited as soil for productive growth (see Matthew 13)
- Fruited as a result of a connection to Jesus (see John 15)
Sometimes (maybe all the time) the pathway to thriving is humility before God, trusting that He will lift you up in His time, in His way, with His mighty hand. The best way to handle any worry is to give it to Him in prayer and keep giving it to Him.
Review Your Week
Am I rooted in God? His love, joy, peace?
Am I suitable soil?
Am I bearing fruit? His love, joy, peace?
Repent if Necessary
Do I need to repent? Do my roots need to run deeper? Are the best energies of my “soil” being used in connection with God’s Word or spent in other areas? Is my connection to Jesus evident through the fruits of the Spirit being present or absent in your life?
Return (as necessary)
Pray for deep roots in the Spirit, good soil for the Father to work with, and healthy fruit stemming from your abiding in Jesus.
Micro-Meditation
Psalm 51:1-2
- Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions. - Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
Teaching or Command of God:
Ephesians 5:25b-26
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word…
Hebrews 9:14
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Pondering Point
Have mercy on me, O God (verse 1) and wash away all my iniquity (verse 2) can draw allusion to our baptism. There, through Jesus, God promises total release from sin and death. Let your conscience be free to serve God without fear.