We are dust

A devotional I read this morning, was so good that I want to share it along with some other thoughts along the same lines.

Thoughts

It is so easy to turn our thoughts inward and see all of our shortcomings and failures. It may seem like humility, but often is Satan’s way of pulling us down and turning our focus away from Jesus. Introspection can be very destructive. My sister, Gayle, shared something with me a few weeks ago that was taught during a Sonship Conference. It went something like this:  We often feel we don’t spend enough time with God in prayer or reading His word or doing His will and this lack of devotion gnaws at us, making us feel that we are a disappointment to God. We believe that we never measure up to what He expects of us. The speaker said that "disappointment springs from unfulfilled expectations" and reminded everyone that God knows our frame and that we are but dust. He knows we can do nothing apart from him. He must do all in us. His expectations are not the same as ours. Psalm 103:13 & 14 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.   Psalm 78:39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. 

We are dust, He has compassion. I think the expectations we have for ourselves are mainly due to what the “Christian world” says we should be doing in order to be accepted by or pleasing to God, plus we often compare ourselves to what others are doing and thus feel inadequate. No works of our own will cause Him to accept us. It is only Jesus’ death and resurrection that makes us acceptable to God. Once we receive Jesus, we are God’s child. Nothing can separate us from Him and we can do nothing good in our own flesh. What’s important is to keep our focus on Him throughout every day and yes, it is very important to spend time in His Word every day in order to know His voice and will. However, to constantly focus on what we aren’t doing or feeling like we don’t ever do enough to please God, is turning our focus onto ourselves and taking our eyes off of the very One whom we so desire to please and follow.  John 15:4 & 5 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Morning & Evening Devotional

By Charles H. Spurgeon

June 28

“Looking unto Jesus.” – Hebrews 12:2

“It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all in all.” Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument—it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking unto Jesus.” Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! Let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.”

“…we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within.” "We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what JESUS is, NOT what we are, that gives rest to the soul." Oh, how true! All we need comes from “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”