Devotion
Getting Back Up Again
Chipo Biti
The fall of Man was a terrible time. Not only had man disobeyed God, but they had lost the freedom, peace and comfort in having a relationship with God. Once they made the mistake and discovered they were naked, Adam and Eve ran to hide when God came to look for them. They hid because they were ashamed - they were ashamed of what they had done. Despite the fact that God was looking for them, Adam and Eve felt that they couldn't face Him. Not after what they had done.
That is what sin does to us. It makes us feel as if we cannot commune with God. When we make mistakes, the devil tries to take advantage of them and make us feel like we are less than who we actually are. The devil is bent on causing a divide between us and God. He will go at any length to do so. When we slip up and disobey God, the devil jumps in, ready to condemn us and make us feel like we are unworthy. If we are not knowledgeable of God's love and His everlasting mercy, we will end up falling for the enemy's trickery. The moment the enemy manages to make us feel less, he will keep on beating us down until we believe it.
God doesn't want us to see ourselves in that light. There is nothing we will gain from beating ourselves up. God doesn't delight in seeing it. That is not what He desires for our lives. When we make mistakes, we need to realize that God has forgiven us. This does not mean we deliberately repeat the offense. No. It simply means that we should focus our eyes back on Christ, and keep on moving forward. Guilt is not from God and neither is condemnation.
Prayer
We have been called to a life of freedom from the bondage of sin. Express your remorse for your actions, if you desire too, and repent. There is no need to punish yourself. That is not love. That is not God.
Even in the depth of your mess, God loves you and He will be there to pick you out of it, correct you, and show you the right way.
Night Prayer
And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
Inspiration
Samson's power came from God, not from his beautiful locks of hair! He knew the origin of his strength and called out to the Lord to help him abolish his enemies. We have the power to overcome obstacles and hardships in our earthly life. We must remember that our strength comes from the Lord and contribute our tenacity to Him. We are grateful for His gracious character as He gifts us with skills to battle our enemies.
Prayer
Dear Father, We are grateful for the strength You have instilled in us. We could not stand against sin alone and we praise You for gifting us the power to conquer our sin. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
Allowing The Scriptures
To bring Joy To My Life
Frances Taylor
The beginning of Luke's Gospel has always been one of my favorite readings. It makes me feel confident that I can believe what I have been taught. It also gives me peace because I know that God's promise has been fulfilled. We have been set free from fear. Of course, we will know fear of the unknown in this unpredictable world, but not fear of death because we can be sure that death is not the end, only the beginning of a new life. Otherwise, how could we continue to experience happiness and joy in the face of suffering? This freedom of fear, this belief in the good news – this Gospel message – is what made the early Christians so willing to face suffering in the name of Jesus. It is what motivated them to spread the good news to anyone who would listen. Is our world any less in need of the Gospel than theirs? I doubt it. Considering how we work so hard to be happy! How hard we work to avoid pain or suffering! So ...
