Thursday Reading: Philippians 2 12-16
Key Verse: Philippians 2 13
13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Devotion:
Each one of us can probably remember the things that led up to our introduction to Christ. We can remember things that changed the way we thought about God and we can remember the day we gave our lives back to God. But how many of us have continued in earnest to follow those same ways, those same things and grow constantly? All too often we grow cold in our walk with Christ, we falter like a plant struggling against a sharp frost – we find we don't have the protection we used to think we had... or at least that is what we think it is like.
Key Verse: Philippians 2 13
13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Devotion:
Each one of us can probably remember the things that led up to our introduction to Christ. We can remember things that changed the way we thought about God and we can remember the day we gave our lives back to God. But how many of us have continued in earnest to follow those same ways, those same things and grow constantly? All too often we grow cold in our walk with Christ, we falter like a plant struggling against a sharp frost – we find we don't have the protection we used to think we had... or at least that is what we think it is like.
We need to be constantly vigilant in our lives, watching out for those that would like to trip us up. We need to make sure that we are always prepared with God's Word so that we can face whatever others throw at us. We can make sure we are strong by allowing His Word to guide us. We can follow His Word. Yet many times we choose not to follow it. Those are the times when we are most vulnerable – like a plant that was left out of the greenhouse in the sharp frost; but unlike that plant, we have chosen to be outside!
We do live in a perverse and wicked world that will continue to do all manner of things against God. We do have the choice as to whether we allow ourselves to be consumed by those things around us, or whether we lean on God to get us through. When we do rely on God, He will be the one giving us the strength to uphold His Word so that others will see us as an example of His works. We need to make sure that when we are faced with all manner of evil around us, that we are safe in His Grip so that we will not slip and fall into those temptations that will take over all others around us. It is through His strength that we will survive and lead as examples!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you look at someone and think how good a Christian they are?
How often do you look at someone and think how good a Christian they are?
How often do you rely on God's Word to take you there?