Words Matter: Week 2/Day 4

Read: Romans 8:1; Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Hebrews 10:22

SOAP: Romans 8:1

S: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yeshua, who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

O&A: Condemnation in this verse can also be understood as "damnatory sentence". I am so thankful that our Father so loved us that He gave Yeshua to be our salvation! This passage doesn't say we don't deserve this sentence, but that because of Yeshua, our Father no longer looks upon us as receivers of that sentence. 

Something that stands out to me is right after "to those who are in Messiah Yeshua", it then says, "who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit". I keep hearing in my mind the verse regarding "Lord, Lord", and "Depart from Me, I never knew you". There are many who proclaim to know Him, but are walking according to the flesh, not the Spirit. 

I hope this doesn't come out in a wrong or offensive way, but I was once the fleshly believer (can't say none of that is still there). As long as I knew and believed who God was, and that Jesus was God's Son, and I believed that I was saved, I was good to go. Chased after my own fancies, my own sin, fulfilled my own desires. If I had died then, I fear that I would have been one that was told, "Depart from me, I never knew you." Because I never got to know HIM. I didn't truly understand His purpose; I didn't truly understand or love Him. It was a me, me, me/take, take, take relationship. It was "what can You do for me", not "how can I serve You?" situation. To me, that is all part of (but not entirely) what it means to walk after the flesh. There was no dying to myself, no living FOR Him. 

To be completely transparent, the devotion today mentioned, "Condemnation doesn't come from God, but from the devil. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” As a child of God, there is no condemnation for you. That's what Christianity is about. You're free from guilt, free from shame, free from fear, free from pain, free from failure." I doubt that I'm alone when I say that the adversary still whispers these words (not good enough, not "this", not "that", you didn't do it right, this person would've done it better, etc.), trying to cause doubt in the freedom that we accepted when we chose to live for Yeshua. Yes, we are still servants, but to Messiah! Not to ourselves, not to the adversary, not to the world... Correction most definitely comes from God (My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights), but condemnation is not the same. I think maybe I've gone on too long already... :) 

P: Beloved Father, thank You for the freedom to serve You, for the shed blood of Messiah Yeshua that set me free... I ask for boldness to serve You in the way You've called me to serve, and strength to withstand the wiles of the enemy, both haSatan, and my flesh. When the adversary comes whispering, I pray that my ears will be closed to his lies, my eyes with blinders on, looking neither right nor left to see what he offers, and that I would not see what the world offers, just You, right ahead of me, showing me the correct way to go. Thank You for setting me free! In Yeshua's name, Amein.

Words Matter: Week 1/Day 4

Read: Psalm 59:12; James 3:7-8

SOAP: James 3:7-8

S: For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind.
But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

O&A: Hoo boy. I cannot say that I'm comfortable here. Nor should I be. That word 'tame' is used in this passage as both tamed AND restrained/curbed. Anyone else ever get upset, start speaking, and the more they speak the angrier they get? It's like adding fuel to the fire sometimes. Please tell me I'm not alone in this! Our tongues can be like a poison dart, piercing to the very core of a person to hurt them. Our words can also be a healing balm. We must choose wisely.

P: Abba, my beloved Father, I don't want my tongue to be a restless evil, full of deadly poison. I don't want that to be the overflow of my heart. Help me face and address the frustrations, the unmet expectations, the hurts, the trials, all the things that could be building up in me that would cause me to lash out, and purge it from me; heal me from it. I relinquish it all to You. Please help me keep from taking it all back, or adding new fuel to the fire. Help me build up the treasures of the fruit of Your spirit, so that is what flows from my lips. In Yeshua's name, Amein.

As I continue meditation on this verse, I feel I need to add this... How do we typically tame an animal? (Specifically I'm thinking of a dog, which is the only kind of animal I've ever tamed). With words. So how interesting, that the same way I can use my tongue to form the words to TRAIN an animal.. the same tongue I use to train an animal, cannot be trained itself. Whoa.

Words Matter: Week 1/Day 3

Read: Matthew 12:33-37; Matthew 15:17-18;Luke 6:45

SOAP: Luke 6:45

S: The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

O&A: Moment of truth. What are we storing up as treasure in our hearts? “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." -Matthew 6:19-21 It continues on to speak about the eye being the lamp of the body. What we look at, listen to, participate in... it all stores up in our hearts as treasure, whether it is good or bad. We are to guard our gates, and understand that it means our eyes, our ears, and what we let into our minds, for those feed into what comes out of us (Prov 4:23).

P: Abba, beloved Father, Teach me to have better guard over what I let in, help me to establish proper boundaries for all that I do, in conversations, ministry, teaching, serving, and helping around my home. Messiah is my treasure, and I want my testimony to point to Him and not be muddled with all the cares of this world. Give me wisdom in how to react, respond, and communicate with those around me. Help me to purge the bad treasure, and to store up Your treasures in my heart. In Yeshua's name, Amein.