We had a birthday party for my wife yesterday and brought in her favorite foods and had two birthday cakes. Now, I’m pretty careful about what I eat…or at least I try to be! And I tried not to eat a lot during the day but when we sat down for dinner, I ate more than I had in a long time. It was fun and it tasted really good. But then it was dessert time…and I had good portions from both wonderful homemade cakes. The whole time I kept thinking I really shouldn’t be eating all this…but I did anyway. I think my calorie count for the night was just about the same as the national debt. When I finally finished, I asked myself “Why did you eat all that?” It was great tasting stuff, but now you feel overstuffed and the scale is going to scold you in the morning. I shouldn’t have done it, but I did it anyway. Later I thought about how I knew I shouldn’t be stuffing myself, and yet that’s just what I did. I remembered back to what the Apostle Paul wrote about his own life. He said that he knows the right thing to do and yet he finds himself not doing that. And the things that he ought not to do…well, at times, that was what he ended up doing. We are like that. We know what is good and right and even noble, and so often we just turn and go the other way. Why? Well, that is our sin nature that is still working in us even though we have a relationship with God. What that proves to us again and again is that none of us can be good enough for God’s holiness. But he offers grace to any and all who want it through this Jesus of the Bible. God wants and we ought to want to do the things that honor him, but so often we fail. And that is proof once more that we need God’s free gift of salvation, because we just cannot do this by ourselves. And that is none of us can. So, hold on to the good news that Christ has died for our sins…they are paid for. You just need to cash that check by receiving him into your life, being forgiven and letting your life be shaped by him now. Me…well, I’m going to take sun Tums and try to curb my appetite tomorrow! Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Romans 7:19-25 NLT I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (20) But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. (21) I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. (22) I love God’s law with all my heart. (23) But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. (24) Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? (25) Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ
Romans 7:19-25 NLT I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (20) But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. (21) I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. (22) I love God’s law with all my heart. (23) But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. (24) Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? (25) Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ