Tag: Devotional

“Do you really love Me? Before you answer, you need to remember that I look past your words and observe your actions. Are you obedient to the commands that I have given you - like loving one another, living as Jesus would in the midst of your world, and trusting Me in every aspect of your life? I am going to form you into the image of Jesus. That is My promise to you. Part of your new nature is your ability to love Me and love others, as Jesus did. My interaction with Jesus, and Our interaction with your world, was based on love. When I can trust you to love as He does, We can move together. To be part of anything that We do, your actions must prove your words of love to Me. To do less is simply foolish religion. To say you love Me, and then not do what I ask of you, makes you a liar.”

 John 13:34-35 NIV

34) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

35) All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”

I Th. 3:12-13 AMP 

12) And may the Lord make you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you,

13) So that He may strengthen and confirm and establish your hearts faultlessly pure and unblamable in holiness in the sight of our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) with all His saints (the holy and glorified people of God)! Amen, (so be it)!

Jas 1:22 AMP

But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deep deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

I John 2:5-6 AMP

5) But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him:

6) Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.

 

There are so many Bible verses pertaining to today’s message that I just chose a few to whet your appetite. Our Father in heaven is very serious about the issue of love. Everything He does is done because of His love. Why then, do we feel that we can function with any other motivation, and believe that we are still in His will?

Help me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Do you know that you are making history? It’s true. Everything that you do and every thought you think are recorded as your epitaph. Nothing is hidden; all will be brought to light on that day when you stand before Me. It will be much different than you think in many ways, some of them far beyond your understanding. You need to understand something. Some of you are attempting to accomplish much in Jesus’ Name, so that one day crowns for your work can be laid at His feet. I understand that. It is noble on your part. What you do now will be part of who you are forever. What you are often missing, however, are two key elements that will comprise the formation of most of the crowns given to Him. They are a priority on My heart and should be part of everything that you present to Me that day as your testimony.

"I desire obedience and a proper heart motive. You could present volumes that you have accomplished, supposedly in Jesus’ Name, and it would mean little to Me if your deeds were not accomplished out of obedience and with a proper heart motive. Without them, you could accomplish many good works and never really know Me. What good would that do? Many people do that, and I spend My time bringing them into a relationship with Me. You, however, need to fully understand and embrace what I am saying. You will be accountable for your heart motive in all that you have done for Me. Even if everything you did was wrong; but you sought to please Me with all your heart as your only motive for everything you did, you will be flooded with grace and mercy. I will be pleased.

"In the same way, if you appear to accomplish very little for Me, but sought Me for My will and then were obedient to what I told you to do, I will rejoice. You need to stop thinking with your carnal mind and enjoy your fellowship with Me. If you do that, much will be accomplished for My kingdom. I love to show you My path. It is narrow, but your burden will be light.”

1 Sam. 15:22b NIV

“…To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

Matt. 7: 21-23 NIV

21) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22) “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

23) “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you…’”

 

Boy, it seems that this obedience and heart motive thing is really important to God. Obedience is required, but we can have obedience without the proper heart motive - and that is no good. However, we can be mistaken in our actions - meaning that after seeking the Lord’s will, we do not hear it correctly, but still have the proper heart motive – and everything is covered by His mercy.

I’m convinced that our Lord is much more concerned about our relationship with Him than any amount of things that we do for Him. That may seem relatively basic, but somehow we always seem to get it backwards.

Sitting here in the early morning hours, writing this message, the Lord is having me question what I am doing with my life and why I am really doing much of it. I see, overall, that I am on the right track; but some of my motives need to be adjusted. That is pretty freeing. I can be wrong, but never condemned. As I repent of those things that are out of line, waves of peace come over me. In some instances, striving is replaced by trust, questions are replaced by faith, and much more. What an incredible opportunity - this relationship with God because of Jesus!

Thank You, Jesus!

Jim Corbett

“Would you do what I ask you to do just because I desire it? Would you do it if it made no worldly sense? What if you gained nothing from it? You see, whether or not it makes worldly sense or whether or not you gain anything from what I ask of you should never be factored into the response you give. Will you do what I ask of you just because you love Me and choose to be obedient to My wishes? Sometimes I have far greater motives than you can see when I ask something of you. Your obedience is much more important than the outcome of anything you do. You need to begin to enjoy walking in obedience to My desires. Your obedience delights My heart. Let that be enough. Have fun just walking where I tell you to walk and doing things just because I ask you to do them. I'll take care of the results My way, in My time, for My glory. I love you.”

I Sam. 15:22 NIV

But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

Isa. 55:8-9 NIV 

8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

John 14:23-24 NIV

23) Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

24) He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”

Phil. 4:6-7 AMP

6) Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

7) And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

 

What incredible freedom it is to have a firm commitment to do the will of God and to trust Him! Once that commitment is solid, it relieves us from all worry. We know what to do because we have sought His will and then we just do it. It's that simple!

Confusion sets in and becomes overwhelming when ideas, fears, and concepts from the world and its ways take our attention away from what we know to be true. When we are inundated with and flow in the results-oriented attitude of the world, we can't see the hand of God at work even when it is very visible.  God's results rarely look the same as the results the world usually provides.

God's ways are very straight-forward. If we do what He asks us to do, He will take care of the rest. We don't have to worry. We don't have to fear if our prayers will be answered. We can peacefully rest in the promise that He is our God, and He will do what is best for us and for His plan to go forth. Everything will be taken care of His way - in His time.

Thank You for Your promises, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“As you become obedient to Me, there will be no end to the legacy that you will leave for others. Do not try to reason out My call to you. If you do, you will try to outguess Me and make fatal mistakes. My provision for you has never been for you to consume blessings upon yourself. Remember My Son? His work continues to this day because He gave everything away, keeping nothing for Himself, including His life. Give your gifts freely, and they will be amplified by My heavenly provisions to become eternal gifts with eternal value.”

 Ephesians 1:17-19 AMP 

17) [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,

18) By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),

19) And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength…

Ephesians 5:1-2 AMP

1) THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].

2) And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

 

For the longest time, I don’t believe that I ever thought that my life and the things that I did were building a legacy, an eternal one at that. I mean, I knew that everything I did throughout my life impacted other people’s lives in my small circle in some way. I knew that future generations were formed and life patterns were affected by my actions toward those with whom I came in contact, but an eternal legacy to many for hundreds of years from now, should the Lord tarry?  That word “legacy” somehow impacted me as never before.

By definition, a legacy usually means money or tangible wealth handed down to another generation through a will. It is a transfer of wealth from one generation to the loved ones of another. As a Christian, it didn’t occur to me that multiple future generations could become spiritually impoverished or wealthy because of what I allow or do not allow God to do with my life.

How many succeeding generations have been impacted by how Paul allowed God to direct his life? What about Finney, Moody, Wesley, or actually anybody who truly followed after God, whose name we have never heard of? Through the life that they lived, how many families have been able to pass on an eternal legacy to others - and they, in turn, to others? I wonder if they ever thought of the wealth that they gave to others because of their obedience to the will of God. Probably not. They were more than likely too busy caring and submitting to their Lord to ever really stop and think about it.

Conversely, how much untold harm has been caused by all the foolish people who chose not to follow God in Spirit and in truth? What kind of mire has been caused by the disobedience or the rebellion of people who only cared for themselves and their puny existence?

It seems that the Lord is saying that I should evaluate my life - my every interaction with others - and realize how important it is to God from that perspective. He is reminding me that there is an eternal generation whose relationship with God may be affected by whether or not I am obedient to God and allow Him to work through me. Perhaps He is saying the same to you.

Needing His power to truly understand how important my actions and choices are to others—and to the God Who loves them,

Jim Corbett

“Often I watch you as you go about your business and marvel. You delight Me. I am struck by the way that you get up when you fall. I cherish the times that I see you venture into the unknown, trusting Me to guide and protect you. It pleases My heart when you tell others of My love. I boast about you as you turn in My direction rather than the ways that you used to go. Most of all, I delight in Our times together. You are very precious to Me. I think that you are wonderfully made. When you share your life with Me, My heart bursts with a desire to give Myself to you fully, so that you would have everything you need to prosper. I love to listen to you. I love to fulfill your needs. I think that it is precious when you come and sit with Me. I wish that you would come more often and stay longer.

"Did you know that when you leave, some of Me goes with you? It’s true. I give some of Myself to you each time We are together. You take it with you so that you can function a little more like Jesus. Even though you have been wonderfully made, you are every day taking on a little more of who Jesus is. Thank you for praising Me. Bless you for representing Me. You are very valuable. I love you.”

2 Cor. 6:18 NIV

I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

I John 3:1-2 NIV

1) How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

2) Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

 

Most of us walk in fear of our loving Father in heaven. There is no question that He is the awesome, almighty God; but to not embrace Him as a loving Father, our Abba, would deny the work of the cross.

Originally, we were formed in His image, designed to have fellowship with our Lord. Sin separated us from that true fellowship; but the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus completely restored it.

Maybe it’s time for each of us to revisit what has been done for us by Jesus. Maybe we should go to our Father and ask Him to tell us what He really thinks of us. Maybe when we do, we might find the proper place that has been established for us; one of a very much-loved child. Too good to be true? No! So good because it is true.

Excited every time I get to jump on my Abba’s lap,

Jim Corbett