The ideal of understanding of where we all come from when we begin to believe. We all were once alienated from God. It is hard to understand to understand the idea of alienation from God if you were raised in a good family, and never had any real trouble of your own. Married and never had children in your perfect world of stress free living. Yet no one is exempt from trouble or seeing trouble, but to apply it to their life either before or after faith, is hard leap. To those that live in situation they desire to run or flee from. They are looking for a better way, God often seems like the right choice once knowledge of God comes to people who knew not God. Knowledge and understanding of God comes to them and hope springs a new in their life. The need of Christ must be understood for each believer to receive salvation. That need being forgiveness because we do not measure up to the ways of God. One only has to look at the vileness of filthy living, living in sexual sin, living in lust of the flesh, drunkness, the wealth of the hands to know that your own provision might satisfy desire, but it does not make one whole. The desire of one's self and the ability to achieve that satisfication might only leave a person hungry for more. The greatest addictions of our time might even provide for even greater addictions, but it never satisfies the soul. The innerward man without God's Spirit direction is like a ship tossed to and fro across a raging sea, only to never come to real rest or hope of survival. The believer tossed in a sea of doctrines, ideology is no better then the man being tossed about without God. The endless study and concentration of doing all God ask can cause people to be equal unstable in faith, and be under control and not lead by the Spirit.

We have a duty to study, to search out to find out the truth of God's word and to ask for understanding. To understand God's ways are better then our desires of the flesh. God's ways are better then an ego trip, or pumped up feeling I can make it through this life without help or to think one needs not God. When you reach the point you are in need of God and no longer desire to be alienated from God is often when you find yourself in the gutter in life, or the gutter of our own soul. The gutter that is looking for God that will forgive. Forgiveness is a powerful tool, but it one not used in the world today, without love, mercy and hope of God. We fight against our human nature to revenge someone that harms us. The battle revenge begins again in the person that caused the orignal problem. Revenge never ends only feels good for a moment.

The ways of God takes away the revenge of our hearts. The ways of God leads us down a path of understanding of what God considers Holy and righteous. The things unsinful and to the believing world of faith in God. Faith is a journey. It starts perhaps with not only spiritual healing of deliverance from sin, but also in miracles of deliverance of healing, and removal of harmful things from our life. Once discover their dangers it is easier to remove it by not only human ability, but the power of God in the life of a believer. Easier never to return to lust of the eye or the sin of the flesh. I right this with a bag of chips and think do I really need one more imitation dorito. The point is our longing for those things that may seem okay and is not according to God, not man, God, soon looses it flavor when we seek God.

One can go on a spiritual renewal and come back saying I never sin again, only to go back in the same situation one left behind for a week or two, to now have to face the reality, can they resist temptation alone, or can one be disciplined enough to resist temptations around them by the power of the Holy Spirit. As young Christians we learn the cost of disobedience early on, but it does not mean we fail, when we sin following our own desires. It means we set God on the shelf long enough to do what we wanted only to discover God was right all along. Spiritual renewal and retreat is much like being born again all over again for old believer, it is the reality that world has tainted the garment with a little more mud then desire too, but at the same time God wants to cleanse us from those things that unpurifies our faith in him. It is a continual process. As a new believer the process is the same. Yet as new believer you are coming to God untainted and cleansed with knowledge of God's redemption. As you start to walk in the newest of God in your life begins to shape your heart, soul and mind.

God is going to change your way of thinking, and well as the things you do. Yet changing and renewing of your mind is often a process, the change of your soul would be forgiveness which is instanteously. The walk with Christ in one's life is continual walk. Yet it is individual choice one makes as one desire to no longer be alienated from God. One desires to follow in God's footsteps. I say God other's say Christ. Yet Christ is part of the godhead bodily and the godhead bodily resides in Christ as Father and Holy Spirit. God never changed in wanting us to draw near to him, but we got to make a choice to do just that. Renewal can not happen if we desire to still return to our temptation without change. Being born again by God's Spirit has no value in our life if we desire not God to change our hearts to glorify him and his mercy in our life through salvation in Christ Jesus.

No longer allow the devil to steal no more. No longer allow the devil to have his way in your life, by saying yes Lord, help me and instruct me to do it your way. Giving me understanding of why your way is best. Help me to follow the road you have designed for me. That is where our hearts need to be as a believer. Tell that devil to go and follow after Christ leading.

Dear Heavenly Father, give us understanding as you lead us in the direction we ought to go renewing daily our hearts, and minds so our actions are pleasing to you. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study for Devotion:

Colossians 3:10-17 KJV
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.