Seeds Of Hope Daily Devotional: sufficiency

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Take Care, God!

Little Margie was saying her prayers before getting into bed. Her mother stood at her door and listened as she honestly expressed her faith and dependence on God:

“Dear Lord, You know I really had a bad day. Thanks for getting me through everything OK. I don’t know what I would have done without You. So I really want You to take care of Yourself - cause if anything happens to You, I don’t know what I’d do!”

Being dependent is sometimes difficult. It is normal and natural to want to be self-reliant, believing that we can do all things in our own strength and with our wisdom and insight. We take great time and go to great lengths to prepare ourselves to meet and overcome the demands of life. But in the end, when facing life’s difficult challenges, we know that sooner or later, we’ll need God’s help.

How fortunate for those who know they can be mighty because God is mighty. Our God who created the universe has arms that can reach us wherever we are or whatever our situation may be. Nothing is beyond Him, nothing escapes Him, nothing overwhelms Him, and nothing frightens Him. If it concerns us, it concerned Him first.

God will make us equal to every challenge He brings into our life. Remember the words of the Apostle Paul: “Our sufficiency is from God!”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know when we need to be convinced that we can’t make it without You. Help us to see You at work in our lives to make us depend on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: 2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything to ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Strength For The Journey

There are “woods” and there are “woulds.” And there is a great difference between the two of them. We know that “forests” are made of “trees” that we call “woods.” And there are many Christians who have “woulds” in their lives.

Every now and then we hear some say, “I know that what I am doing is wrong - but I’m going to do it anyway. I would do the right thing but there is some thing inside me that is stronger than me and it makes me do these evil things. I would do the Lord’s will, but there is some thing deep within me that continues to make me a slave to sin and I would give it up but have not been able to.”

That’s being lost “in the woulds.” But the Psalmist decided that he would not be lost in the “woulds.” Rather, he confidently cried out from the depths of his heart and said, “The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation!”

None of us are sufficient in ourselves to be or do all that God would have us to. We have proven this time and time again: we often intend to do what was right only to realize that our best and most earnest efforts were not enough. We needed someone Who was above us and beyond us but willingly and lovingly lived within us.

Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing.” But Paul gave us the solution to our lack of strength and the resource that is available to enable us to do God’s will: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

If we would do right and live right, He must be Lord.

Prayer: Often, Lord, we would do what is right only to fail. Strengthen us with Your Spirit to honor You always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 118:14 The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.