Recently I’ve been thinking about your promises-so generously & copiously given in your Word. I now see, & grieve, how as a young follower of Jesus, I was pretty much trained to be “computer programmer,” & you were the computer. I acted as though you were passively waiting for me to tell you what to do. Your hands were bound by the limitations of my faith & the intensity of my prayers. All I had to do was “claim the promises,” without negative thoughts or a wavering will, & you’d “spring to action.” How demeaning to you, & deifying of ourselves. Thankfully, I now see that your promises are primarily about changing us, not channeling you. Through your promises, we increasingly “share in your divine nature”—that is, we become more like Jesus. By your promises, we escape the corruption in the world, not simply accumulate more of its treasures. Father, every one of your promises direct our gaze away from us to Jesus, who is the ultimate “Yes!” to every promise you’ve made (2 Cor. 1:20). Oh, the difference the gospel makes in how we view all things. We don’t claim your promises—they claim us! ~Scotty Smith~ You are God, I am not!!!
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:52:05 +0000