A good soaking...

This week's memory verse:
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11

God's will...how do we know what it is? How do we know what God wants us to do each day of our lives? How do we obey and DO God's will in our lives if we don't know what it is?

If you want to wash something and get the stains out...you have to soak it....many times soaking it in bleach. If a pan has hard crusty stuff on in, you have to leave it to soak in hot soapy water to loosen the crusty stuff and wash it clean. A pan has no say on how hot the water is...a shirt has no say on how long it stays in the bleach-water...we do those things TO those objects to get them clean. God gives us a choice...he let's US decide to put ourselves in the soapy water.

To give ourselves a good soaking...we have to immerse ourselves in God's word. Galatians 2:20 says we are to be crucified with Christ. That just means we are to look to Christ on how to live...we are to put away our selfish desire to impress people...not worry about the opinions of others. When Christ lives in you...when you ALLOW that to happen, then your life is not your own...you belong to Christ. He will help you find the answers to God's will...he will help you decide how hot the water should be and how long to stay in it...and with Christ in your life...the hard, crusty stuff will loosen up and fall away!

In John 4:1-42 Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that he has LIVING water to offer her that will leave her satisfied...never to thirst again. Then later, he tells his disciples that doing God's will and finishing his work is what nourishes him...more than food. If we want to be satisfied and nourished...we again look to the life of Jesus...he got those things not from this earth, but from his Heavenly Father. Jesus tells us we can have that too.

If you have been "soaking" in God's word, and learning what God wants from you...think about the things you know are God's will for you right now...are you doing those things? 

If you really don't know...you need to soak some more...your stains are still there...the crusty stuff is still too hard to come off. But don't give up!!! Ask God to reveal his will for you and give you clear directions. He promises that he will give you what you need!

He longs for his creations to be clean and shiny and bright...but he knows that we all need a good soaking sometimes!