Daily Devotional Still Constrained? Sunday, January 11th, 2015 Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 Stand firm . . . and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. - Galatians 5:1 (NIV) For years, whenever my dog and I went walking through our woods, we had to maneuver around a trampoline. Finally, with the kids grown, my husband and I decided we could get rid of it. I relished the thought of not having to encounter it on our walks. I expected the dog would be just as happy since his leash regularly got tangled in the trampoline legs. Surprisingly, on our first walk after the trampoline was down, instead of traipsing through the new wide-open space, he clung tightly to the old path and I followed. The old obstruction was gone, but we acted as if it were still there. This experience reminded me of what can happen when we become believers. When we accept Christ, we are made new and sin has no power over us. So I wondered: Why do I still struggle with fear? I realized that the same force that kept the family dog and me on the worn path keeps me struggling: familiarity. The dog and I continued to choose the comfortable and safe path, one that didn’t require much discernment. In a similar way, even after we receive Christ, we may plod along the path of old thought patterns — but we do have a new power over them. We can consciously choose to dismiss old thought patterns that don’t produce fruit and walk the path of freedom. The Author Debbie Middlebrook (Georgia, USA) Thought for the Day “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Prayer Heavenly Father, help us to examine each thought so that all our thoughts may glorify you. Amen. Prayer focus: To renew our hearts and minds The Daily Reflections from Upper Room Ministries invite you to spend some time with God in reading, prayer, and meditation. Each reflection is based on an excerpt from an Upper Room book or magazine. Visit daily.upperroom.org/ and subscribe for free to receive reflections each day in your inbox.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:05:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015