Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images and lyrics from Ryan Stevenson singing … Eye of the Storm … powerfully singing of how we find God’s guiding and protection in the storms of life.
=============
Highlight Verse[s]: James 1:[NKJV] … 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
… We all encounter the storms of temptation which lead to sin/death.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: James 1:12-18 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… James encourages us to find our shelter in the storms of life in the loving protection of our Lord.
=============
Reference Passage : … Psalm 62:5-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David sings of where His strength is found to deal with the storms of life.
Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians 10:13 [NKJV]… 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
… God, thru Paul, shows us the Lord’s faithfulness to help us deal with the storms of life.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NKJV]… 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
… God’s grace is always sufficient to give us the strength to deal with the trials of life.
Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:1-5 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… We are called as Christians to help others deal with the temptation to sin.
Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 2:22 [NKJV]… 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
… God’s primary battle strategy for dealing with storms of lust where so many find themselves these days.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, uses a personal story about storm chasers to illustrate how we must avoid and deal with the storms of life The ODB author wrote: When I lived in Oklahoma I had a friend who “chased” tornados. John tracked the storms carefully through radio contact with other chasers and local radar [see photo], trying to keep a safe distance while observing their destructive paths so he could report sudden changes to people in harm’s way.
One day a funnel cloud changed course so abruptly John found himself in grave danger. Fortunately, he found shelter and was spared.
John’s experience that afternoon makes me think of another destructive path: sin in our lives.
In my life, I have been called to be a Gal. 6:1-5 and 2Tim. 2:22 “storm chaser,” … helping Christian men who encounter storms of habitual sexual sin, to walk out of those storms and find the protective shelter of their relationship with Christ.
Our Ministry (see www.battleplanministries.org), shows men the truth of God’s faithfulness (see 1Cor. 10:13) and the sufficiency of His grace (see 2Cor. 12:9) to walk away from the storm clouds of sexual sin into the light and freedom offered by God’s Spirit.
These days, our “pornified” world has become shrouded in the the thunderstorms of hyper- sexuality, making it very difficult for men (well, really anyone) to avoid these storm clouds. But as King David sung [in Ps. 62:5-8], and Ryan Stevenson sings in the linked song, we can find shelter from these storms and take on God’s strength to walk out from under these dangerous thunderstorms of sin.
I pray that those reading this have found that strength and the “Son-shine,” where we can find His light to walk away from the dark and dangerous thunder clouds of lustful pleasure which surround so many of us today.
=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for sanctifying and empowering grace to flee the storm clouds of lust in our world.
=============
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … You are my shelter in the storm. … 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment