Is There Anything That You Lack to Live a Victorious Life in Christ?
Good Morning Friends,
There is a danger in life for taking credit for ones blessings from God. Of course it is absurd to do but people still do it. Make no mistake. One can be used by God, which is great, but do not take credit for what God is doing. Be careful about how you handle success. And so this morning, along this line of thinking, I want you to consider who sharpens your ax and who tunes your instrument. I want you to consider all the capabilities of your I-Phone you have yet to even realize exist. I want you to take a moment to consider: Is There Anything That You Lack to Live a Victorious Life in Christ?
Scripture: Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!
Isaiah 10:15 (NRSV)
But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;
Acts 9:15 (NRSV)
Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God,
2 Corinthians 3:5 (NRSV)
When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30 (NRSV)
Message: A lot of these devotionals I have been writing touch on what we should or should not be doing. It is the way we were trained in church to respond to the faith. No wonder just about everyone feels that they lack something. We like Paul want to do right but somehow do it wrong. Forgive me but maybe all that is why we want to claim the thrill of victory as our own when it does come. We want to measure up and the standard just keeps getting harder to reach. So when something good happens we face one of the dangers in the Christian life…that is taking credit for what God does. This was the Assyrians’ problem and God points out the absurdity of becoming too confident. Just read today’s scripture from Isaiah again. The Assyrians were weak until God chose to bless them in order to use them as an instrument for His purposes.
It is kind of strange but sometimes it is easier to handle poverty or weakness than wealth or strength. Poverty causes us to recognize our need for God. Prosperity persuades us that we no longer require Him. Scripture holds several examples of those who assumed they were self-sufficient, only to realize too late that they were missing out on life. Think of the wealthy farmer who tore down barns to build larger ones. Think of Samson losing his strength and being reduced to a pitiful slave. Think of King Saul losing his mind. Friends, be careful how you handle the success God gives you. Keep in mind that you are an instrument in the hands of the Master. Realize that with God we can blend with others in tune and on time, making room for silence, and in harmony. If God is directing, we can communicate the music of happiness that dispels sorrow, removes despair, cheers the faint hearted and inspires the discouraged. To avoid a cacophony of curses and broken human hearts, maybe we might receive a revelation that through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, everything we need to be and all that God wants us to be has already been provided and dwells in us. It is finished. We are just not finished experiencing the results. Still sanctification sharpen us and tunes us to play. Friends, know that we can do all things through Christ the Conductor. The victory is in Jesus. Take what you need. It is all there. God has an application for everything…even an upgrade in the cloud.
Pray we encourage each other to be part of the music that God is directing and composing. Pray we acknowledge the conductor. Pray we acknowledge Him to all our conversations for the work being done in us.
Pray
we realize that
when we pass on grace we become an instrument in the hand of God. Pray we trust in God’s means of provision and purpose. Pray that the accumulated impact of this grace would transform our thinking and make us channels of change in a world that seeks victory and love. Pray that we become instruments of love and care for others as an act of faith in response to our gift of faith. Pray we become His mechanism for worship taken to the world. Pray that our leaders be vehicles of God’s purpose.
Pray we believe that God is calling us to be an instrument of His will.
Pray we be a tool of God’s peace. Pray we realize that God’s grace is sufficient. Pray we realize we are tools and can be used for good or for bad. Pray we realize that God has placed more applications in us than we realize. Pray we realize we have been set free. Pray we realize that all we have to do is learn to use what God has already given us.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 