Morning by Morning, November 17 - Am I “Raised with Christ” Where “Christ is (My) Life?” Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind, Your desires in my heart, and Your words in my mouth, as I entrust my life and my day into Your hands. I’m listening now for the leading of Your Spirit. ... “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). Have I been “raised with Christ?” Am I one whose “life is hidden with Christ in God?” Is Christ truly the One “who is (my) life?” ... Your Word speaks of those “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead.... (and) made alive together with Him” (Colossians 2:12-13). That’s what I desire. That’s the stirring in my spirit, the hunger and thirst in my heart that I would be Yours, that my life would be Yours. How do I know? ... Your Word says it’s “through faith in the powerful working of God” (Colossians 2:12). And how do I know if I have that “faith,” if I’m living that “faith” or just blindly saying I do or just going through the motions of my life as if I do? ... What comes to me is this, going back to the very first passage of Scripture Your brought to my heart today: “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). What comes to me is that’s a way to test my heart, to test my faith. What am I seeking first? What’s the focus and the priority of what I’m setting my mind on? Is it You? Is it Your Kingdom, the Kingdom of God and the things that are above? Or is it myself and the ways of man and the kingdoms of this world? You said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). And that’s how I know, as I test my heart. Am I truly seeking You and Your Kingdom and Your righteousness? Is that what’s important to me? Is that the goal of my desires and my efforts? Is that the priority of my time and my focus? What comes to me right now is that the emphasis here is “Seek.” That’s my part -- to “seek.” That’s how I “set (my) mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” And then Your part is Your fulfillment of the Promise of Your Word for all who seek You and set their minds on You to pursue You as the priority of their lives: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:11-14). You reward those who seek You. You bless and embrace those who seek You by faith with all their heart, as best as they can and all by Your grace. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). So, yes. I do believe that by the power of Your grace at work within me, I am seeking You, seeking to set my mind on You and on the things that are above as the priority in my life. I believe You’re helping me keep my priorities straight and my heart right, seeking first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness, as best as I can and all by Your grace. Therefore, I believe by faith, according to testing of Your Word You’ve set before me today: I have been raised with Christ. My life is hidden with Christ. Christ is my life. Lord, let it be so. Lord, I believe it is so. And if I’m deceived or confused and it’s not so, then convict me of the truth, lead me to repentance, and make it so. Because this is my heart’s desire as I seek You with all my heart, as best as I can and all by Your grace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My friend, may you know and embrace by faith that you are raised with Christ and Christ is your life, knowing God is pleased with you as you seek Him with all your heart, in Jesus' name. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Please share this word to encourage a friend! Anyone can sign up for free at: https://messiah-ministries.org | 
