Thursday Devotional - Delight in the Deliverer

Before becoming a parent, I didn’t think of myself as impatient, but I do now! I thought being married to Joe for almost a decade beforehand had helped me let go of some of my perfectionist traits, but apparently not all of them. I’ve prayed a lot this year for God’s help to be more patient.

It’s hard to imagine Paul also struggling with sin, but he did:
Romans 7:19-25a  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 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!

Paul delights in God’s law but can’t carry it out in his sinful nature apart from God’s deliverance. Delighting in and obeying God’s law is only possibly by His  help. He wants to deliver us! We must be willing to be delivered.

What sin are you and I trying to overcome in our own strength? How can you and I let God deliver and rescue us?

We may not overcome it overnight, but the more we give it to God, the more He will help us. Delight in the Deliverer!

Alice

Tues Devo: Team Player

Hello,

I am currently involved in conducting some interviews for a couple of open positions on my team. One of the things I want to see is a true team player. Someone who sees that big picture is more than them. Someone who knows the role they play, and is confident in that.

I guess I need to hire John the Baptist!

The first chapter of Mark tells some of the story of truly great team player.

Mark 1:4-8 “ John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”” (NASB)

A couple things stand out here:

1.  John knew his role (point others to someone else)
2. He was more concerned with the team than himself (*this is admittedly my interpretation based on his choices of clothing and diet)
3. He recognized the accomplishment of Jesus was going to be greater than what he could accomplish (baptism of water vs. Holy Spirit)

Are you and I team players? Do we live out knowing our role and being more concerned with the goals of Jesus than ourselves?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill