Shalom,

I want to look at Psalm 103 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today, but first I want to share a portion of "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

Getting Into God’s Stride

Enoch walked with God. — Genesis 5:24

The test of a man’s religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times, when there is nothing tremendous or exciting on. The worth of a man is revealed in his attitude to ordinary things when he is not before the footlights. (Cf. John 1:36) It is a painful business to get through into the stride of God, it means getting your “second wind” spiritually. In learning to walk with God there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride; but when we have got into it, the only characteristic that manifests itself is the life of God. The individual man is lost sight of in his personal union with God, and the stride and the power of God alone are manifested.

'Getting into stride' with God means to put His agenda before our own! When we spend time with Him, He will reveal His will and plan and purpose for our own individual lives! Every born again believer's walk with God will be different! Remember, the definition for REAL success is being where God wants you to be, doing what God wants you to do! This will be different for each person, though we will many times overlap each other! Each one of us is an individual member of the entire Body of Christ! We have different and unique gifts, talents, interests, callings and anointings! Dare to be YOU, but be the best YOU by realizing who YOU are - IN HIM! AMEN! Psalm 103 contains many promises to the born again believer, but as with all the promises of God, we must operate in faith and obedience to have them active in our lives! Let's look at verses 1-7:

1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits— 3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; 5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]! 6 The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

The important Truth that I want you to see here is that even though the Lord has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Heavenly places, in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), WE have a part to play in walking in the God kind of faith that will bring those spiritual blessings into the natural realm where we now live! What will that take, on our part? A commitment to DO what we read in the devotional above! Notice in Psalm 103 that the children of Israel all KNEW the ACTS of God! They saw these acts with their own eyes and experienced them first hand! But Moses knew the WAYS of the Lord! Moses knew how God thinks and why He does what He does! How did Moses know this? By spending time with Him! By 'getting into stride' with Him! By making it His priority to do so because Moses KNEW that without God, he was nothing! This has not changed! Paul declared this in Philippians 3:10:

10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection AMP

There are NO shortcuts! There is NO other way! But we have Holy Spirit living IN us to lead, guide and direct us in the way that leads to this wonderful place of KNOWING Him! AMEN! Let's go for it while there is still time to make an impact for Heaven on those on earth! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "GO"!

Shalom in Him!