Back to Basics- Daily Devotional by Pastor Steve

I will give you a couple of examples. If I am reading my Bible but I’m upset about the way someone has treated me recently, I will have trouble concentrating on my reading. If I am overwhelmed with a crisis swirling around me as I am trying to plan my day I will find myself mentally strained.

God created us as multi-faceted human beings. We have all these different parts of who we are and they together help create our life experience. As a result (for me) I can very easily find myself running from area to area in my life, trying in my own wisdom and strength to put out the fires, solve problems, change my thinking, etc. and before I know it I am exhausted-  in every way. Throw in what is going on in the world lately and the result is ….a mess.

Now the enemy not only wants us to find ourselves in a bad place. He also wants to keep us there. It is a place of destruction both for ourselves and the people around us. And, of course, it jeopardizes our walk with God. The good news is we DO NOT have to stay there. Wherever we go, whatever we do, our Lord is right there. He sees everything. He knows everything and He understands exactly what is happening to us.  He always wants to help us. His love for us is eternal. I have to remind myself of these truths…..constantly. 

I find it more challenging the longer I go about it on my own-  trying to fix myself and get this together and get that together. What I need to do is stop and look up and realize that I was created this way- UNABLE to fix myself and UNABLE to truly change myself...on the inside. David realized this and expresses it so well in Psalm 51:10- ‘Create in me a clean heart oh God, and renew a right spirit within me’. It did not start with David fixing himself up and then going to the Lord. It started with David realizing that true change comes from God reaching deep into us and changing the very essence of who we are. We DO NOT do it. Our Lord does.

Once we get this simple concept and let the Lord truly rule in our lives then all the “stuff’ in us and all the craziness of the world going on around us loses it’s power over us because the Spirit of God can FULLY live in us and empower us to go through this life in His power and not in our own ability. I need to tell myself every day that in order to live in victory and peace on the inside, where it really matters, I need to move over, get out of the way, and let God be my Lord…..truly my Lord.

Blessings to all,
Pastor Steve