#InTouch Devotional The Grace to Keep Going God declares that His grace is sufficient to keep us going in every situation. #Read | Romans 16:17-20 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (Romans 16:17-20 NIV) “I can’t take it.” “I give up.” “I quit.” These are powerful words which, when we act on them, deeply impact others’ lives as well as our own. Let’s look at three key things that could cause us to express such sentiments. First, Satan and his fallen angels’ influence can be a factor in our choice to walk away from God’s plan. Their involvement in our goings-on can tempt us to stop waiting on the Lord for solutions and instead seek a more immediate way out. But running ahead of God is the same as declaring that His promises don’t hold true. This is what the devil wants—he tries to redirect our focus away from hope in Jesus Christ and onto our negative emotions. His tactic is to make us feel discouraged and helpless so we will be less effective for the kingdom. A second reason we stop following God’s plan is the influence of our culture. Ungodly people are always ready to give believers advice, and too often we find the world’s methods and “wisdom” attractive. Divine direction is needed if we are to set ourselves apart from nonbelievers’ thinking and yet stay close enough to be able to share God’s viewpoint and message of hope with them. The inclinations of our natural self—known as “the flesh” (Rom. 8:8)—conflict with our new nature, tempting us to abandon God’s way. Sacrifice isnt comfortable; our innate tendency is to do what feels good and benefits us or those we love. God declares that His grace is sufficient to keep us going in every situation. That means we need never give up. How does this apply to your life today?
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 13:07:30 +0000
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