Matthew 1:24-25 "Then Joseph being raised from the sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife; And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son and he called his name JESUS"

Every step we take down the path of God's will involves two choices: #1 - Things we do     #2 - Things we refrain from doing.

They are the "two sides of the coin of God's will".

Joseph did right in what he did (taking Mary as wife) and in what he did not do (refrained from normal husband / wife relationship until Christ was born).

Today as we walk through God's will let us not forget that each step requires both a decision to do and a decision not to do.

May we ask God to make us conscious of "doing and not doing" that which constitutes His will for our lives.

Revelation 4:8 "And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

 

Right worship always depends upon a right view of God.

 

Let us ask the Lord to deliver us from the kind of "worship" which is based upon our feelingsl.

 

While true worship will impact our feelings it can never be dependent upon them. 

 

Worship in God's word is always tied to what we know about God. 

 

Today may what we know about God be the basis of the praise we offer Him in the lives we live and the words we speak.

John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

Today we all face the simple choice of completely surrendering to His command and the example of His love.

Will we answer yes in the way we live with those we come into contact throughout today.

James 4:6 "But he giveth more grace, Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

The grace of God does what we can not do, supplies what we do not have, and sustains what we can not hold together.

Every believer is saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), changed by grace (Ephesians 2:10) and sustained by grace (II Corinthians 12:9-10).

While this grace can never be earned it must, each step of the way, be received.

How? By humbling ourselves before God.

Jams 4:7-10 explains that in order to do so we must submit to the control of God, draw near in fellowship with God and be willing to deal with the sin in our daily lives.

Today may each of us humble our hearts, minds and lives before our God.