I cannot tell you how glad I am that I woke up! Oh yall, my heart is so joyful this morning and tears are choked up in my throat. So often when a devotion or preacher or Sunday school book tells me to read just one or two verses, I end up reading the whole passage. God's Word does that to you sometimes, it quenches a thirst and you cannot get enough. This morning was one of those times. I was lead to read two verses in 1 Corinthians and ended up reading the whole section, all about the Wisdom and Power of God. Before I get into that, I'm going to give you some inside info, sometimes when I read a blog and I see a long passage of scripture...I skip over it. I'm so ashamed, but it is often true. Please DON'T do that today! I really feel like He wants me to share; I know He has a message for someone reading this and it might be you-don't risk missing Him!
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."
(1 Corinthians 1:18,25)
I want you to think of your greatest struggle right now in life. Getting out of bed in the morning, going to work everyday, taking care of your children, maybe finding time to read the Word, holding your tongue...What is your greatest addiction? It doesn't have to be alcoholism or a "major" addiction. It could be staying on the internet too long, reading up on all the celebrity news, eating comfort food, collecting something, making more money, working too much...
Your greatest fear? Losing a loved one, losing your job, not adding up, being alone, not being a good parent...
Your greatest weakness? When does your soul long for strength the most?
It says right here, in His Word that He is stronger than any of those things! He has the power to rid you of anything that is hindering you from being who you want to be-of who you should be. You don't have to live in fear or doubt or worry any longer! He can break off the shackles that satan has placed around your ankles and the noose you are carrying around your neck. Rejoice! You don't have to live like that any longer!
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-
the things that are not-
to nullify the things that are..."
(1 Corinthians 1:26-28)
~He's talking about us-YOUR LIFE to nullify, make no more, all the things that are lowly and despised! When He saves us, all of those things are gone forever! I was saved at a young age, but it wasn't until my college years when I went my own way and He came and rescued me from myself, that I could identify with these words. I was so foolish, I had no influence on this world, I certainly wasn't making it a better place. I was as weak as a person could get, as lowly as a person could be. I despised myself, had no self esteem.
But you know what-He came and swept me off my feet. He made me strong and made me wise and will use my life to make this world a better place, if I let Him. He gave me a new sense of salvation that was more real to me than when I was a small child. It wasn't by cleverness He saved me, it wasn't from being an important person or from anything I did-it was by grace.
"...so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written,
"Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."
(1 Corinthians 1: 18; 25-31)
It is all because of the wonderful cross that we can be set free. If the Holy Spirit resides in you and you are a born again believer, the same power Jesus used to raise the dead and heal the sick...resides in you! Think about that. It is not because of anything I have done to bring me to where I am, it is because of all the things I'm not; all the things that He rescued me from, that I can boast about His mercy, His forgiveness and His love which is more powerful than any love you will ever find here on this earth.
I truly pray you can shake off anything that is hindering you from being who He wants you to be. I pray that I can do that too, day after day, moment by moment. Today, think about what He has done for you, I'd love to hear stories! If you are a believer who has strayed away, come Home today...if you are a believer who is already Home, boast of His mighty power and faithfulness in your life...and if you are not yet a believer and wish to be, I'd love to talk with you!
I'll leave you with the song that popped in my head the moment I read this scripture passage. It is the song I have been listening too all morning as I write this.
Oh the wonderful cross...
No comments:
Post a Comment