Daily Devotional For Wednesday, February 12, 2025
We are all well into this week and as we make our way through it, one of our goals should be to enjoy it. We can get so caught up in what we need to do, should do, must do, feel compelled to do, that we miss what we really need to do during it – love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We can be so busy doing that we forget to be intentional to be with the Lord. When we get too busy for the Lord, even at work or school or at home or wherever, our sin has taken over and we lose ourselves in it.
The Bible says this in Romans 8:5-8:
“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. (6) For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, (7) because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, (8) and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (NASB).
Paul’s writing is intended to make us think about our spiritual comfort zone. He wants us to honestly evaluate if we are more comfortable thinking about godly, righteous things or worldly, sinful things. Do we find it comfortable or uncomfortable to think and talk about God? Do we endeavor to live a holy life, or are we content to tolerate a degree of ungodliness in our thoughts and behaviors? Would we rather spend time with godly people or ungodly people?
If your answers to any of those questions tend toward ungodliness, I urge you to confess those areas to the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to help you change. Paul says the end results are clear: Sinful thinking leads to death, but Spirit-controlled thinking leads to life and peace. We are called to be holy and godly. There can be neither without a commitment to God. Unfortunately, many Christians are more committed to themselves and the Apostle Paul knew this about the church at Rome.
Please do not misunderstand me on this. We all struggle with this, even pastors, even this pastor. Everyday is a challenge to crucify our flesh. Even though our old nature has died, we at times tend to do some form of “fleshly CPR” on it, attempting to bring it back to life. Even the great Apostle Paul struggled with this too. He wrote nearly 2/3rds of the New Testament, established churches all over the Roman Empire and found that his old dead nature tried to resurrect itself at times. Look at what he writes in Romans 7:14-25:
“We know that the law is spiritual, but I am not. I am so human. Sin rules me as if I were its slave. (15) I don’t understand why I act the way I do. I don’t do the good I want to do, and I do the evil I hate. (16) And if I don’t want to do what I do, that means I agree that the law is good. (17) But I am not really the one doing the evil. It is sin living in me that does it. (18) Yes, I know that nothing good lives in me—I mean nothing good lives in the part of me that is not spiritual. I want to do what is good, but I don’t do it. (19) I don’t do the good that I want to do. I do the evil that I don’t want to do. (20) So if I do what I don’t want to do, then I am not really the one doing it. It is the sin living in me that does it. (21) So I have learned this rule: When I want to do good, evil is there with me. (22) In my mind I am happy with God’s law. (23) But I see another law working in my body. That law makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and that law makes me its prisoner. (24) What a miserable person I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death? (25) I thank God for His salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord! So in my mind I am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful self I am a slave to the law of sin” (ERV).
Do you hear Paul’s frustration with himself? We all can relate with him on this issue. Sin loves to inch its way through our nature destroying our relationship to Jesus Christ. Here is a good example that illustrates this point:
“The guinea worm is a parasite found in certain areas of central Africa. It begins its life as a larvae and often hitches a ride in a millimeter-long crustacean called cyclops. When a human drinks water from a stream, the cyclops enters the stomach where gastric juices make short work of the cyclops. The larvae of the guinea worm, however, are not destroyed. The worms poke holes in the human's intestine and go for a swim.
After about three months, the male and female larvae get together. About one year later a full-grown guinea, the width of a paper clip wire and up to three feet long, begins to move through the body of its human host, causing tremendous pain. Finally, the worm pokes out of the host's body—probably through the foot. If not removed, the parasite will eventually lead to its host's death.
Once the worm exposes itself, it can only be removed a few centimeters a day. Otherwise the worm will pull apart and die, resulting in infection and possibly death for its host. Sometimes the painful process takes weeks or months. The guinea worm is like sin in three important ways:
First, sin is easy to get involved in. Just like drinking the water from a stream seems simple and harmless, so often does sin. Second, sin is difficult to get rid of once it has taken hold. When sin "pokes its head" out of our lives, and we recognize it has to be dealt with, we should act. Forgiveness comes quickly, but many times the process of getting free from its pull is slow and agonizing. Finally, like the guinea worm, sin when left unchecked can kill you” (Source: Men’s Health, December 1999).
Regular, honest spiritual evaluations help us see where we need spiritual freedom so we can ask the Holy Spirit for His help in those areas. He will be faithful to help us honor Jesus.
Questions To Consider
- Do some evaluation: In which areas of your life have you experienced that your mindset is hostile to God? How do you handle this?
- Growing up, I often heard, “You’re guilty by association.” This is true and if we associate with the ungodly, the unholy and the unrighteous without associating with the godly, holy and righteous, we will cave to our old sinful nature. What can you do to associate more with the people God wants (i.e.,, community group, a Bible study group, or a Sunday School Class, worship and etc)?
- Even though the Apostle Paul was miserable from his old sinful nature at times, he did not feel defeated. He says the answer is Jesus Christ. How can you depend more on Jesus Christ to help you battle your old sinful nature?
- How does the example above of the guinea worm help you understand sin in your own life? What do you need to do to get rid of those “spiritual guinea worms” in your life?
Scripture To Meditate On: Jeremiah 17:7, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Holy Spirit’s help, wisdom, and conviction. I choose to submit to His leadership. Holy Spirit, I welcome You into my life in a new way to help illuminate my mind and open my heart, so I might cooperate with You more fully than ever. Please show me Lord through Your Holy Spirit’s evaluation, the valuation through your Word and my own evaluation where I need to put my trust more in You. I love You Jesus. In Jesus' name, Amen.”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly