God is so awesome!  He meets us and accepts us right where we are at, but always desires to grow and mature us and to take us to a better place.  He wants to do a work in and through us so that we can obtain the full potential for which we were created.

There’s a lot that we can learn from our past mistakes, but there is a far better way of doing it.  Learning from the mistakes and successes of others!

God didn’t create everything, hand it over to us, and then leave us on our own to figure things out.  He left us a record spanning the course of thousands of years to teach us about why we’re here, how to best live our lives, who God is, and how people before us got it wrong and got it right.

It’s a pretty impressive and thorough user’s manual for life!

Romans 15:4-6

4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

The scriptures provide encouragement and hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God provides endurance and encouragement.

If you picture a runner taking on a marathon, God is like one driving alongside of them giving them directions to stay the course, guidance in how to run the race, encouragement when the road gets tough, water when we’re getting dry, healing when we get injured, and everything else that we could possibly need to run the race well.

God gives us everything we need, but it is our choice whether or not to run the race.  God is speaking, but are we listening?

Hebrews 1:1-4

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The author then goes through an exhaustive list of quotes from the Old Testament proving that Jesus was not an angel.  It’s a great apologetic resource when studying the scriptures about this issue with those who might hold this view such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  Apologetics is not apologizing for our beliefs, but rather, the ability to explain and defend what we believe.

Hebrews 2:1-4

1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Again, signs, wonders, and miracles testify to God’s great salvation available to us all.

It’s so easy in life to drift away from God and His ways.  It’s so easy in life to ignore God’s great salvation.  It’s so easy in life to neglect the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has distributed to us.  It’s so easy to miss out on God’s will.

To live out God’s will takes effort.  We have to seek Him, listen to His voice, and obediently follow His lead.  However, it is the only way to live a full and abundant life.  It is the only way to live a blessed life where we never lack  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

To live out our own will comes easy and natural