Thursday, 30 September 2021
“And I pray that He would unveil within you the unlimited riches of His glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with His divine might and explosive power.” – Ephesians 3:16 TPT
It’s easy for us to believe in and glorify certain qualities within ourselves. To boast in our own power to overcome temptation until that “power” is tested and we fail. For example, one can say that they don’t have a weakness of pornography but secretly judge the one who does. While they have a real struggle with substance abuse. But if they who are caught in the grips of temptation are truly born again children of God, it is safe to say that they are not pleased with their sin and that they feel the pain of not being able to overcome it.
I believe GOD allows us to go through various temptations to humble us. To teach us patience and forgiveness towards ourselves and others. For Paul to not become conceited by his greatness, a thorn was given to him in the flesh. A messenger of satan. The word of God does not tell us what that was exactly. So it could have been a temptress, a habit, or any other temptation. Either way, it brought him a great deal of distress and as such he had to continuously fight to not give in to the desires of the flesh but rather to submit to the Holy Spirit. When he cried out for this “thorn” to be removed, the LORD said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV. God’s power, not man’s.
When the prodigal son found himself in the wilderness defeated and wallowing in regret, the word of God says he came back to his senses. “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 NKJV. His father did not go through a list of his flaws and remind him of his mistakes. He simply loved him and welcomed him home.
Heaven celebrates when one sinner repents and comes home. ALL OF HEAVEN celebrates. That is how much we matter to GOD. And the devil knows this. That is why he uses sin to keep us in chains of self-hate and condemnation. To keep us from the LORD and from walking in the freedom of our salvation. “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1 NKJV. Jesus Christ calls us His beloveds. May we remember to never allow ourselves to embrace sin or remain captives of its lies. We must break free and remember who and whose we are. At the end of the day, we are all a work in progress. And “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” Philippians 1:6 NKJV.
May we remember to never allow ourselves to embrace sin or remain captives of its lies. We must break free and remember who and whose we are. At the end of the day, we are all a work in progress.
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