Investing in Your Future with Christ

Investing in Your Future with Christ – Today’s Devotional – December 7, 2023

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” —3 John 1:2

Although the world associates material wealth with prosperity, God defines prosperity as having an intimate relationship with His Son, Jesus, and receiving the daily transforming power of the Holy Spirit for one’s character to be changed into the likeness of Christ. To live a prosperous life has nothing to do with the accumulation of wealth!

Prosperity is the abundance of life given to us by God and requires human effort and Divine Intervention. It is the Holy Spirit who imparts the Divine power and wisdom necessary for our souls to prosper. Transformation is not passive, we must surrender and faithfully obey to actively participate in our spiritual growth and transformation.

The preparation required to receive our reward of a heavenly life with Christ occurs every day in our earthly lives. The Voice of God is heard through the Scriptures. We pray for daily spiritual guidance and strength from the Holy Spirit to prevent our drive to follow our inclinations [which are always in opposition to God].

The believer who attempts to live on human effort alone cannot maintain their earthly spiritual walk with God. Nor can they achieve optimal mental, emotional, and physical health according to God’s Righteous Standards.

Steps for Investing in Your Future with Christ

Spiritual Health: Nurturing our souls requires human cooperation with the Holy Spirit who transforms our mind, character, and personality into the likeness of Christ.

Our morning prayer includes the request for the power, presence, and wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide us throughout our activities for the given day. We are responsible for keeping the channel of communication open between heaven and earth by maintaining a life of continuous prayer, praise, and worship.

Without knowledge of Biblical principles and godly wisdom, our spiritual perception is nonexistent. Studying and obeying the Scriptures provides us with the sustenance to live as victorious overcomers. Thankfully, we have the Bible as our Spiritual Roadmap which instructs us in every aspect of life. In the Scriptures, God has given us the righteous standards that He expects us to obey.

Our responsibility in God’s Divine plan is to surrender to His will and remain faithful and obedient as we strive for holiness.

Everything we need to know about God and living holy is spoken as the plain Truth in the Bible. There is no guesswork in serving God. Through the Scriptures and our conscience, the Holy Spirit speaks to us providing the daily instructions to keep us on the Path of Righteousness.

Yes, we will always face temptations, still maintaining an optimal level of spiritual health is not a challenge because we have the Divine Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit who is just a prayer away.

Knowing our Status in Christ and Living According to the Word of God

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own…” —1 Corinthians 6:19

Mental and Emotional Health—We entrust our minds to those who are not in alignment with God. The prevailing theories that exist in the Mental/Behavioral Health arena are in direct opposition to the Scriptures. The forgiveness of those who abused, mistreated, betrayed, and abandoned you is a spiritual area of major conflict in the Christian community.

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” —Ephesians 4:32

Psychologists and therapists tell us it takes time to process forgiveness. Since we are not promised tomorrow, the best option is to forgive our enemies by praying for them every day that they will accept Christ as their personal Savior. Praying for others changes our perception—we begin to view life through the eyes of Christ.

Stop listening to other people who are not responsible for your destiny. Always obey God! We know that God says we must forgive to be forgiven by Christ, our Heavenly Intercessor, so we trust and obey Him and move forward.

“Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” —Jeremiah 17:14, NIV

Like the prophet Jeremiah, pray and ask Dr. Jesus to heal your mind, body, and soul. No, we cannot change our past atrocities but Jesus is willing to make us well. And when He heals there are no residual mental or emotional scars.

Once we rid ourselves of grudges and forgive those who have dealt with us treacherously, we will receive our healing through the mighty power of Christ Jesus! Reinforce your faith by studying the Bible. The Scriptures redirect our focus from ourselves to Christ. By memorizing Bible stories and God’s promises, we receive hope to live abundant prosperous lives.

Through the Divine power of the Holy Spirit, we receive restoration and the supernatural strength to function beyond our normal abilities. Instead of hurtful memories, Yehovah Rapha [our Healer] will perform a clean sweep and give us the strength to move forward into the New Beginnings of a brighter future.

Our Physical Health impacts our spiritual, mental, and emotional health. If our bodies are unhealthy from the intentional input of fast food high-calorie, sugary, non-nutritional junk foods then every aspect of our minds and bodies is suffering.

Although the focus of the medical community remains on patients who are overweight, some individuals have a normal body weight, yet, their blood work reveals hidden abnormal diagnoses.

The homeostasis that Jesus created our minds and bodies to possess does not exist without the intake of health-sustaining food and exercise. Although many prefer the gym, walking outside in nature is the best exercise.

When our bodies and minds are sluggish from disease-producing foods and the lack of physical inactivity, we will not have an interest in studying the Scriptures or doing our part to receive spiritual growth and transformation.

“When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony [overeating]. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.” —Proverbs 23:1-3

You are what you eat! Satan uses appetite to enslave many believers. They focus on the pleasure of satisfying their tastebuds which pull us into the pride of life. Appetite is a vice when uncontrolled and develops into the worst addiction!

The scavengers of the earth were created to clean the debris of dead animals. The pig, warthog, hyenas, vultures, crab, shrimp, and lobsters are just a few examples of animal cleaners who will eat everything they can swallow. Sadly many believers think nothing of eating scavenger animals that society has deemed as gourmet delicacies.

Invest in your health: God’s instructions in Leviticus on clean and unclean food are not outdated.

“Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.” —Proverbs 26:2

The Food and Drug Administration’s warnings on food-borne diseases and contamination are at the highest peak in the history of humanity. We live in a society where Instant Gratification rules. But the innate cravings for what we desire to be available immediately have penalties—internal damage to our mental, emotional, and physical health.

We trust the second-hand preparation of our foods and drinks to others. We eagerly order processed foods prepared behind closed doors or assume the preparer’s hygiene is as meticulous as our hygienic habits. There is a problem with empowering strangers to handle the most important aspect of our God-given responsibility—caring for our minds, bodies, and souls using godly wisdom.

Improper handwashing is the number one cause of disease transmission. Unless a child is trained to practice personal hygiene principles, they live with compromised standards as an adult. Food-grade gloves do not prevent pathogens [disease-causing organisms] from invading food and drinks.

Change your schedule, cease buying processed foods, incorporate fresh fruits, vegetables, and clean fish and meat into your diet, and [learn to] prepare and cook your meals.

Pray for wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide your food choices and give you an in-depth understanding of God’s health principles. An unclean diet consists of more than food intake. Let go of all profane people, programs, and habits that introduce the degradation of sin into your temple.

Invest in your Destiny: The Divine Spirit of God will not enter an unclean and unholy person who intentionally abuses themselves through pride of appetite, laziness, and sinful pleasures.

The Excellence of Wisdom

“All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who understands And right to those who find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. —Proverbs 8:8-11

Invest in your heavenly future: Live as one who is forgiven. Acknowledge that your mind and body are the temple in which the Holy Spirit resides and ensure that your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health are truly prospering. In our earthly lives, God has allowed us to learn and practice the righteous principles that prepare us for the transition from earth to heaven when Jesus comes again.

Prayer: God, we pray for spiritual wisdom as we invest in our future to gain and maintain optimal health. Thank You for the privilege of being created in Your image. We pray for a closer relationship with Christ. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by Go. Ministries