Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
The Power of Redemption
Pastor Scott
Thursday, March 18, 2004
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"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"
(Deuteronomy 30:19)
Heaven and earth was called to record against us that God, being no respecter of persons, has set before each one of us life and death. God has called every one of us to life. He has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). We have everything we need, Peter said, to become a partaker of the divine nature. Peter penned in his epistles what he learned that day by the Sea of Galilee as Jesus asked him the question, "Do you love Me more than these"? Everything we need to live a godly life has been given to us and we can become a partaker of the divine nature. The old Adamic man will fall by the wayside. Peter, who knew what it meant to deny God, said, "It's been provided for you and I to walk with the nature of God, but you have to submit to His lordship and humble yourself. Stop thinking so highly of yourself; in due time God will exalt you! God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble." Who is the humble man? What is humility? Obedience is humility in action. I choose God over trusting in myself--that's what humility is.
It's not a feigned humility, saying, "Oh, I'm nothing." I may have more talent than you in certain areas. Some of us are realists, but most of us have a tendency to trust in ourselves a little more than we ought to. We think that humility is saying that we're nothing. If you have talents that God has given you, recognize and be aware of them. Be aware of what you are able to do with God's strength. Be aware of what God has gifted you to do. Humility is not denying what you are; humility is yielding what you are to God. God made you what you are; and we're not all made equal. Some of us are made superior in different areas. Some of us are stronger than others. But God has made us, called us, and placed us in the Body as it pleases Him. Humility is the ability to recognize what we are, thank God for it, realize that it's a gift and a grace that's been provided, to be totally yielded to God for His glory.
We are being called to walk in the spirit and to humble ourselves. Moses said, "[I've] set before you [this day] life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live" (Deut. 30:19). This isn't an unconditional guarantee to your kids, but we are to be an example of the believer that they begin to watch. Our children will most likely become what we are. Some will rebel and go another direction, but most will take on our characteristics. Naturally they'll take it on because of the power of genetics, which God has created. As powerful as genetics are, in the spirit realm, there's a force stronger than genetics; it's called redemption. It's called the gifting of God. Everything that pertains to life and godliness have been given to us that we might become partakers of the divine nature. We've been given everything to look just like Dad, to live just like Jesus. "[I've] set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:...choose life..." How? It's by choosing to obey. That's all there is to it. Obedience isn't hard; it's a choice.