Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of Steven Curtis Chapmn singing his song … His Strength Is Perfect … Poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, have all the power we need to overcome our selves and the world; … yes, even the power/ploys of Satan.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 7:24-25 [NLT] … 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
… Even in our wretched state, God is there as our rescuer and our deliverer.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 7:14-25 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul teaches on the vulnerability of our “flesh” to the ploys of Satan and the world; but shows that In Christ we have the power to defeat sin.
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Reference Passage [NLT] : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
… Prophesy of mourning for the One, the Messiah, Who died for our sins.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … Galatians 5:25 [NLT] … 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
… Keeping in step and surrendering to God’s Spirit empowers us with His grace.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … 2Peter 1:3-4 [NLT] … 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
… God’s Spirit has given us all the power we need to overcome our evil desires and the corruption of the world.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … 1John 4:3-4 [NLT] … 3 …. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
… We, in Christ, have more power than Satan or the world.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Oochiti Dixon, used a personal story of personal failure and weakness to illustrate that we need God’s power to overcome our selves and most certainly the power of the world led by Satan. The ODB author wrote: The loud crackling noise startled me. Recognizing the sound, I raced to the kitchen. I’d accidentally tapped the start button on the empty coffee maker. Unplugging the appliance, I grabbed the handle of the carafe. Then I touched the bottom of the container to ensure it wasn’t too hot to place on the tile counter. The smooth surface burned my fingertips, blistering my tender skin.
As my husband nursed my wound, I shook my head. I knew the glass would be hot. “I honestly do not know why I touched it,” I said.
We’re all like that, aren’t we; … doing things we know we shouldn’t do? That’s why Paul used himself as an example of his own human weaknesses or failures in the highlight passage above. But at the end of that vulnerable passage [see v. 24-25], he expresses his thanks that He serves a God who can - and will - provide the power for us to overcome ourselves … and even a Satan-led world.
I love the quote in the attached photo, by motivational speaker, Sonia Ricotti. But I can only ascribe to its meaning as truth if it applies to our surrendering to the power of God’s Spirit to overcome our weaknesses (as Steven Curtis Chapman sings in the linked song today).
Actually, applying the truths of the reference passages above from Gods’ word, we need to recognize, as the Apostle Paul set his attitude right, by proclaiming our victory in Christ in Romans 8 to overcome his (and our) weaknesses in Romans 7. I just pray today that we understand our power in Christ, believe in it, and then surrender to Gods’ Spirit to receive and use His empowering grace today … and on into tomorrow.
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … As the old song says, “I surrender all!” And in doing so, give me Your power to overcome my weaknesses. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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