Toni Smothers
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 66:1-6 (All Scripture quoted is NIV)
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Scripture Quote: You do not delight in sacrifice or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. (Psalms 51:16-17)
The battles we fight and the quarrels we participate in come from our inner struggles with our flesh. When we take our attention away from living for the Lord, we covet things others have, but we can't get what we want, so we quarrel and fight. However, we do not have what we want because we don't submit our desires to God and accept His decision whether or not what we ask for fits into the plan He has for our lives. If in our disappointment with God's decision, we turn to the world, we are actually joining with the enemies of God.
Finding our way back to the Father requires a humble and contrite heart and a sovereign act of His mercy. Our loving Father is always there to heal our broken spirits and renew our distracted heart. It is true that there is nothing similar to what we find in the love and peace of God - His love is greater than anything this world could possibly offer because He gives us genuine happiness, which will always allude the flesh. Believers belong to God Almighty and He alone can fulfill the desires of our hearts.
Today’s meditation: Rest and peace are found only in our Father God.
Memory Verse: But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." (James 4:6)