From the Edges – God’s Prospective- For Us – Part 1 –

From the Edges – Morning Devotions
God’s Prospective – For Us – PART 1
Pastor Calvin Cook – July 30, 2024
Scripture focus – Romans 12: 1 & 2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

As I begin this morning’s devotions, I am not speaking from a place of speaking for God or trying to say what God is doing, I am speaking from a place of conviction! In my early morning time as I went through my regular list of asking God to do immeasurably more than I can ever ask or imagine, I still felt sucked into the vacuum of life. I begin each morning with the list of things to do in the day but do I only say when the list becomes overwhelming or unachievable, “ok God take it from here.”

As these thoughts swirled in my mind this morning, the thought came I’m sure by the one who has been sent to comfort me – “What is God’s perspective of me and what is God wanting to do through me today?”

Honest confession really should be setting us apart to allow God’s perspective of us to change us into the beautifully created images of God. At least that is what the early verse of Genesis speaks to in the creation of humankind. Are we living in that image?

This morning, I was completely convicted that we don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. We allow the things of the world, our list, our desires to speak, control, define, and determine our destiny. This controls how we will spend our time, money, and focus and further de-value our relationships with others and even with God. We become so need based on the things of the world that we lose the essence and promise of God surrounding us in the omnipresent way that God is. God hasn’t lost his prospective or moved out of reach we have. But yet scripture reminds us that you can never go so far that you have escaped God, wherever you are God is right there as well.

For example, if you live your life thinking life is one big party, then your primary value and goal will always be having fun. If your value is fast paced and action then you will probably be consumed in hurry all of the time. If it is only about running and finishing the race then you life will always be focused on personal achievement. If life is always a battle or a game, then winning will be the only thing you find importance in. If we view life as the song says “my life is in you Lord, my hope is in you Lord, in you its in you” then our priorities will become what God says and desires for us.

The importance becomes in answering the question? What is your view of your life? What are you trying to achieve? How are you trying to make a way through this wilderness called life? As you answer these questions are you surrounded by the Spirit who was sent to guide and direct you in all things all the time. Or has God’s prospective of you been dimmed by all the worldly stuff we have involved ourselves in.

Romans 12:2 reminds us that we are “not to conform to the standards of this world” but to allow God to transform us inwardly by a compete change of mind. The scripture then reminds us that then “we will be able to know the will of God.” By the way that is found in Christ Jesus the Lord.

PART 2 tomorrow