Day 213: Spiritual Surgery

John 3:1-21; 1 Chronicles 12; Zechariah 2

From the very lips of Jesus we hear how to receive eternal life with God. Our spirits must be born again--actions and motions are not what get us to heaven or what saves us. Jesus points out that the way to salvation is not about anything we can do, but has everything to do with what God does (invisibly) inside of us. Then why do so many people work so hard to get into heaven? It's a matter of surgery on our hearts and souls, not the amount of good deeds we can do. This is often tough for me to accept because I'm a perfectionist; I expect myself to do the things that I know are right, being the most perfect person I can be. But I don't need to be perfect! If I was, I wouldn't need Jesus, and I know that I desperately need and want him.

David develops a huge following and everyone is happy. I think this is for one basic reason: God was on David's side, he lived like it, fought like it, led like it. When we have the blessing of God, when we are following his will, when we are living for him, people will see this and be drawn to us, not because of who we are, but because of God's presence in our lives. God's spirit is contagious.

When The Lord blesses, he BLESSES. God wants to give his children many good things. How do we receive those? Through obedience. In Zechariah, it talks about Jerusalem being so full of people and animals that it won't have borders. This will happen for two possible reasons: the people become obedient, or God simply has pity on them.  Nonetheless, God WANTS to bless people.