My computer is causing me all sorts of problem this week, so I'm going to post Pastor Karen's meditations until I get it fixed. Besides, I think her meditations are better than mine!
Good morning!
“What does God require of me today?”
Mornings that begin with that question always go better for me than mornings when I jump out of bed with lists of things I must do in my head. And the problems of the world weighing heavily upon me.
This question, “What does God require of me?” is one of the biggest differences between believers and unbelievers. Unbelievers think only about what Paul says is “flesh” in his letter to the Romans—one of our readings today.
Paul divides everything into flesh or spirit. But not everything that is “of the flesh” or of this world is bad, because we live in mortal bodies, created by God in His image. We must take care of our bodies and our worldly responsibilities. We cannot ignore or deny our lives in this world. We rejoice in every day we live because we are God’s own—in this world and the world to come.
But when “flesh” is bad, it is evil. Flesh can take the place of Spirit. Flesh can deny the existence of Spirit. Flesh seeks to satisfy itself and never to honor and obey the Lord’s commands. Flesh is what leads people away from the Lord and His eternal Kingdom. Flesh is what keeps us in bondage to sin, unable to break free of its hold on our lives.
But we aren’t just “flesh” anymore—not if we are people of faith. We have the Spirit of God dwelling within us, guiding and empowering us to do His will. Christ Jesus and the “Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” has set us free from the bondage of only flesh—before we knew Christ and had the Spirit within—when we were under the “law of sin and death.”
Paul says in Romans, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
So days when I wake up and ask the Lord what He requires of me, I begin the day with the peace of Christ, knowing that I am not only flesh—and that this world is not all there is. The Spirit allows us to see ourselves differently than the world sees us. We can see we are not just mothers and fathers and children, not just teachers, farmers, and nurses, or truck drivers, scientists, and real estate agents. We are not just government workers or factory workers or retired persons. We are those who work for the Lord and seek to glorify Him.
And we are infinitely valuable to Him!
Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you for your guidance today and for giving us the strength and wisdom to turn away from the things of the flesh and to do the Father’s Will. Thank you for the world to come—where there is no longer “flesh” and only life in the Spirit. Give us a vision of your heavenly kingdom, whenever we are discouraged in this world. Thank you for choosing us to serve you and giving us the faith to do all that you require of us. Thank you for forgiving us of our many sins—all because you loved us, even while we were sinners, and sent Jesus to die for us. In His name we pray. Amen.
Today’s readings are Numbers 23:11-26; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 22:1-14; and Psalm 131, 132, 133.
Blessings in Christ!
Pastor Karen
Good morning!
“What does God require of me today?”
Mornings that begin with that question always go better for me than mornings when I jump out of bed with lists of things I must do in my head. And the problems of the world weighing heavily upon me.
This question, “What does God require of me?” is one of the biggest differences between believers and unbelievers. Unbelievers think only about what Paul says is “flesh” in his letter to the Romans—one of our readings today.
Paul divides everything into flesh or spirit. But not everything that is “of the flesh” or of this world is bad, because we live in mortal bodies, created by God in His image. We must take care of our bodies and our worldly responsibilities. We cannot ignore or deny our lives in this world. We rejoice in every day we live because we are God’s own—in this world and the world to come.
But when “flesh” is bad, it is evil. Flesh can take the place of Spirit. Flesh can deny the existence of Spirit. Flesh seeks to satisfy itself and never to honor and obey the Lord’s commands. Flesh is what leads people away from the Lord and His eternal Kingdom. Flesh is what keeps us in bondage to sin, unable to break free of its hold on our lives.
But we aren’t just “flesh” anymore—not if we are people of faith. We have the Spirit of God dwelling within us, guiding and empowering us to do His will. Christ Jesus and the “Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” has set us free from the bondage of only flesh—before we knew Christ and had the Spirit within—when we were under the “law of sin and death.”
Paul says in Romans, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
So days when I wake up and ask the Lord what He requires of me, I begin the day with the peace of Christ, knowing that I am not only flesh—and that this world is not all there is. The Spirit allows us to see ourselves differently than the world sees us. We can see we are not just mothers and fathers and children, not just teachers, farmers, and nurses, or truck drivers, scientists, and real estate agents. We are not just government workers or factory workers or retired persons. We are those who work for the Lord and seek to glorify Him.
And we are infinitely valuable to Him!
Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you for your guidance today and for giving us the strength and wisdom to turn away from the things of the flesh and to do the Father’s Will. Thank you for the world to come—where there is no longer “flesh” and only life in the Spirit. Give us a vision of your heavenly kingdom, whenever we are discouraged in this world. Thank you for choosing us to serve you and giving us the faith to do all that you require of us. Thank you for forgiving us of our many sins—all because you loved us, even while we were sinners, and sent Jesus to die for us. In His name we pray. Amen.
Today’s readings are Numbers 23:11-26; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 22:1-14; and Psalm 131, 132, 133.
Blessings in Christ!
Pastor Karen
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