So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
I have given you My blessing to be fruitful from the start, I have reconciled you to Me in Christ, I have washed away all your sins in the blood of Jesus, I have given you My Spirit to be in you and on you forever, I have given you My Word to plant in your heart and speak with your mouth to plant Heaven upon the earth, I have poured My love in your heart by the gift of the Holy Spirit, I have called you to be My own, I have prepared a life of good deeds for you in advance that you might walk it out with Me as your helper (for I have made Christ to be wisdom to you, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption), and I have given you the Kingdom. Now, may I ask you, what are you going to do with it? Or maybe I should ask you two things, what have you done with it and what are you going to do with it?
But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:11-14.
I call everyone and no one who comes to Me do I ever reject, so then why are the many called but few are chosen? Because I choose everyone who responds to My call. If you do not respond, if you do not show up, I cannot choose you because of you have rejected My invitation. This has to do with your free will, which I do not violate though I will try to educate you so that you will choose the wisest thing for your life for now and eternity. I want you to choose the good life.
Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Psalm 34:12.
What is the good life? The life of shalom, where everything in your life is working together for good. Romans 8:28. When can I make everything do that? When you love Me and are called according to the purpose. How do I know you love Me? When you keep My Word no matter what the temptation or test may be that you have in this world, in your window of time before you leave time for eternity. I call that walking with Me, for how can two walk together meaningfully unless they agree?
And what is the purpose? It is threefold: to be love just like Me for you are in My image and according to My likeness, to be one with Me (together in oneness by your agreement with My Word in the way you think, talk, and act) in fellowship and partnership, and to be fruitful with the fruit of the Spirit in your particular assignment, which is unique to you in the life of good deeds I prepared for you in advance.
Then the question becomes, how do you know your assignment? How do you know and walk out the good plan for your life?
How many of you know by now that if I ask you a question it is because I want to give you the answer? I am the God who has the answers. Your life should be a place of answers: Anathoth. Jeremiah 32:7-9.
You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11.
Seeking your path is not a burden, it is a joy, for you do it in My presence where I have seated you at My right hand in Christ.
And remember what Jesus did when He reached My throne when I raised Him from the dead (and you who believe with Him) after walking out His window in time as one like you? He received My promise of the Holy Spirit and poured Him out on you. Acts 2:33. And I want to share with you the revelation Peter gave to the crowd gathered outside the upper room on Pentecost Sunday when the promise of the pouring out of My Spirit according to My Words to the prophet Joel and the prophet Ezekiel was fulfilled because the knowing of the plan going forward from the filling of the Holy Spirit is all tied to Psalm 16 in which I promise that I will make known to you the path of life when you are abiding in the joy and delights of being in My presence seated at My right hand. So first Peter explained the outpouring of My Spirit by quoting the prophet Joel but so they would know how to walk forward with the gift of the Holy Spirit he turned to My Words in Psalm 16. You should read all of Psalm 16 to get the full picture of My guidance but here I will share what I gave Peter to say that day.
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him,
“I foresaw (prooraó (προοράω): To foresee, to see beforehand, to see in advance) the LORD always in my presence; for He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; moreover my flesh also will live in hope; because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy with Your presence.”
Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into [ah]heaven, but he himself says: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Messiah—this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:22-36.
Do you see? In Psalm 16, David foretells, he foresees in advance the Messiah not undergoing corruption but being raised by Me from the dead and you with Him at My right hand with joy in My presence. And what do I show you there, the paths of life.
My Holy Spirit in you has that job—to lead you, to teach you, and to guide you to all truth. And He is poured into you by your great good Shepherd to equip you for every good work and word.
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21.
Sound familiar? It should, David foresaw again:
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3.
But where do all those paths take everyone on them? Read on:
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6.
They are all headed home. Your eternal homecoming when your tour of duty on earth is done is where that path is leading you.
The path of life leads upward for the wise that he may keep away from hell below. Proverbs 15:24.
It is the path of ascent to My house forever.
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret place of the steep pathway, let Me see your face, let Me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your appearance is lovely.” Song of Songs 2:14.
And on that path, or shall I say the way you get on that path is by rejoicing in Me always. Again I say rejoice! My joy is your strength and your victory—and how does that happen, I am your strength and song and I have become your salvation.
A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks the way, and fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful singing and shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 35:8-10.
Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Proverbs 4:26.
I love you. Be careful how you walk, not as foolish people but as wise. Redeem the time. What are you doing with time I have allotted to you?
The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. Psalm 16:5-6.
Get familiar with the leading of My Spirit.
All you people of the land take courage,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the LORD of hosts. ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!’ Haggai 2:4-5.