May 18
in my flesh) nothing good dwells.”
ROMANS 7:18
It is a great day for the Lord when a disciple of Jesus learns this most basic lesson: that in “me,” in myself, in my flesh, dwells no good thing.
This is a very difficult thing for people to learn. Jesus says that without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). This verse is very well-known. Even so, Christians still attempt to do many things apart from the Lord. We feel like we simply must do something, anything. And even though the Bible says there is nothing good in our flesh, and the flesh profits nothing, we spend a lot of time doing fleshly things apart from the Spirit of Jesus, thinking they are good and profitable.
It is impossible to say for sure just how many of the things we “feel led” to do and say are actually just things we feel like doing and saying. A lot of the time the Lord has very little to do with it.
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Amen! There is such freedom and peace as we learn to rest in this truth…
– So true
What a powerful word was (is) The Most Basic Lesson. My wife and I are pastors to the seniors in our local church. We have been asked to do more in the office and other areas but I began to loose sence of direction, I had no peace and I felt that doors were closing. We are successful (in Him) in what we are doing but with the additional task I lost peace. I was not successful, so I had to go back to the Lord and ask for His blueprint, His plan. I feel very much better and am in touch with God again. Because you are successful in one area doesn’t mean, when you do other good things they are what God wants you to do but what others want you to do. They may well be things of the flesh and not of the Spirit.
Thanks for that article as Usual I enjoy them. God bless you and your family real good.
Casey.
My daughter and myself was just talking about this very thing Sunday. She is 17 and wants to go back to our previous fellowship for companionship of friends and to help with the children. I was encouraging her to seek Christ on this because she can do nothing without Him and His approval is all that matters. There is a lot of worldliness that has crept in to the church so it will be hard for her to separate Truth from error, especially at her age, she is very impressionable. She doesn’t want what we had before we left, she just wants to go serve and disciple the preschool children. I don’t know how she can with all the pagan influence and worldliness that’s still there.
Most of us have a problem with “self”. Listen as people talk. You will hear in most cases it is I, me and my wanting to do this ,that or the other. STOP!. Seek God first and all these other things will come to pass. What are the “other” things? God will show you when you seek Him first. It may be to place you carrying His Word and teaching in a nursing home. Never did I feel that I would desire to have Bible Study in a nursing home, but He let me know that these people were normally in the last place they would be in on this earth and they needed His Word to pull them through. It is not because of me that I go there, but because of Him and getting His Word to those who cannot go where it is being taught or carried. There are so many “other” things that He has for us if we will get self out of the way and seek Him to lead us and guide us on the path or journey He has for us here for a short time. It is true that all in the nursing home may not be able to understand everything like other people do, but it is amazing how they get one or two words that they hold on to, like God loves them. Many there are forgotten by family and friends , but God has not forgotten them and they need to be aware of this. Family may forget you but God never will. Go show His love to others and thank Him daily for the wonderful privilege that He has given you to take His love to others who cannot go hear it away from the nursing home or wherever they may be. One day we may wind up there ourselves and hearing God’s word is so encouraging when everything else is not. God has a calling for all of us. Not all are called to go to the nursing home, but there is a ministry for you if you will seek Him first.
The “Most Valuable Lesson” has been placed on my heart by the Lord for several years now! Scriptures like in Zechariah 4:6 that we find we must be lead by the Spirit for then we are assured we are then in the Will of God! Matthew 7:21-23 is a very sobering set of verses that instruct us that we must be in His Will and that despite casting out demons in Christ’s name, prophesising in Christ’s name and doing great works in His name if we are NOT in His Will then we will hear the words – depart from me that work iniquity! Who wants to hear those words along with “And then I will profess unto them , I never knew you”. These are the last words that a Christian wants to hear! So yes, the Most Valuable Lesson is to listen to His voice for His sheep will know His voice and act only in obedience to that voice, thereby ensuring that you are always working within His Will! The other option is well documented by Matthew 7:23!
May the Holy Spirit be upon you always, teaching comforting and leading you into His Will in your life as you wait upon Him and listen for that voice, in Jesus’s Mighty name, Amen.