April 26, 2013 … Overcoming Fear and Flesh

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 116

Passage of the Day: Luke 8: 37 [NLT] ……  
37And all the people in that region begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them.
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Luke, Chapter 8 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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 Reference Passage #1: John 6: 65-66 : [Sometimes we have trouble following Jesus because of fear and the flesh. ] …[NLT] …  
65 Then He said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to Me unless the Father gives them to Me.”  66 At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him. 

My Journal for Today: Have you ever had trouble following where Jesus seems to be leading because of your fears or your instinctive desire to follow the flesh. Well, you’re not without company in the Bible, … even for those who were eye-witnesses to some of the miracles wrought by Jesus as He walked the earth.

Today Os Hillman uses the example of the people witnessing Jesus call out the demons from the man named Legion. They simply couldn’t handle the truth of what they saw; and many, who had followed Jesus in curiosity, fled at what they witnessed, not understanding what they had seen. Then, … I also use the example of the followers who walked away from Jesus [see the example in John, Chapter 6] when He said things that went against their religious understanding.

Let’s face it; sometimes we just can’t handle Jesus, can we, … especially when He’s continually calling us (yes, Luke 9: 23 again) to deny our selves and follow Him? Following Jesus can be WAY HARD at times! Sometimes what He calls us to do, in challenging our flesh or convicting us in our sinful desires, is just too much to handle, isn’t it? And what do we do? Oh, so often, we bolt and turn away; or … in our fleshly habits, we try to deal with our flesh by, almost reflexively, using fleshly strategies rather than faith-driven, Jesus-following strategies. And if there is one bit of wisdom that I learned years ago from a wise mentor, it’s “YOU CAN’T FIGHT THE FLESH WITH THE FLESH!!”

Is there something in your life which produces fear that you won’t be able to overcome that selfish pursuit by pursuing or following Jesus? When these temptations or troubles appear, is it difficult to seek out and find Jesus or to follow what you know to be HIS way?

Well, my friend, only knowing and believing that Jesus will ALWAYS be there and will lead us to victory can we follow Him in faith. So, I pray – as I do below – that we, mediating in this place, will internalize the truths of Deut. 31: 6 … Isaiah 26: 3 … Isaiah 41: 10 … 1st Cor. 10: 13 … Phil. 4: 13 … and 2nd Tim. 1: 7 [if you don’t know them by heart, look them up] so that in our faith, we’ll turn to God’s Spirit for His amazing, enabling, and sanctifying grace; and we will become the overcomers God intends for us to be.

My Prayer for Today … Lord, that is my prayer for me and any all who read here with me today. … Amen