Friday,
May 14, 2021
Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. Romans 13:11b – 14
When I was a
student in seminary they called it a “trial sermon”. It’s a lot like a meat market, where the
congregation gets to look over the prospective pastor before they buy. It’s kind of exciting actually. You preach before a whole bunch (or a little
group) of folks you have never met and they have your life in their hands; it’s
somewhat like volunteering for the firing squad.
They sent me a plane ticket and I traveled to
central Florida. The chairman of the
pastor-search committee picked me up from the airport, and on the way home I
found out I’d be staying with him and his wife for the weekend. They had a “prophet’s-room” in a loft and they
were very hospitable.
It was a wonderful stay. And, as he introduced me to the loft and the
rest of the surroundings he said, Whatever we’ve got is yours. If you don’t see something that you need, ask
for it and you’ll have it. If you ask
for something and we can’t get it, we’ll teach you how to live without it. Then he smiled and closed the door.
I suspect I’ve learned to live without a few
things since then. It doesn’t hurt. In fact not having a bunch of stuff to drag
through life has been something of a blessing.
I remember Dr. James Dobson’s talking about how,
when he and Shirley were young parents, his in-laws gave them a swing set for
their little children. After putting the
behemoth thing together, which had several hundred screws, bolts and assorted
other fastening devices, the last paragraph in the instructions told him: you must check each screw, nut, bolt and
assorted fastener MONTHLY to make certain your swing set will operate safely. Dr. Dobson realized he was not the proud
owner of a swing set; that swing set had gained a new slave. You don’t own stuff; stuff owns you!
For You Today
Take a good look around at the stuff that may
want to own you. And then decide if the
presence of Christ can fit in that scenario.
Can you truly be clothed with the presence of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and, at the same time, fulfilling every desire of the flesh?
[1] Genesis
32:22-28
[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
Today’s devotion was first published October 21, 2013
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