Psalm 40:17 - God Is Omnipotent In Us.
Psalm 40:17 (MSG) And me? I'm a mess. I'm
nothing and have nothing: make something of me. You
can do it; you've got what it takes - but God,
don't put it off.
COMMENTARY PEARL
I love the way The Message Bible shares
Scripture in unvarnished, often very raw, terms. When
I ran across this verse in a recent
devotional, I nearly jumped for joy. Yes! Arm pump, fist
bump, and all that. So often, this verse speaks my
heart.
Some days I feel like a genuine mess. I
clearly see my failings, the persistent defects,
large and small, that simply havent gone away.
But with grace, I no longer let these things
paralyze or demoralize me with self-condemnation. In
Christ, this verse, and a few familiar others, lead
to restful joy. Clinically busy, I sometimes
rush through a day in a near panic, snappy, and
self-righteous. I ignore my childs request to stop and
play, or my own bodys cry for rest. Then the
shame wells up and I finally stop to pray. Moments
later, I get a do-over with my family and with
myself.
Even my inspirational writing Im
in awe of the privilege that I have been given.
My mess has become my message, only by His
grace, molded by His hands.
Psalm 40:17 foreshadows John 15:5, when
Jesus Himself said, Apart from me you can do
nothing (NIV), and Pauls oft-quoted assertion,
direct from our Saviors mouth, My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV).
Indeed, in my flesh, Im a mess. In
Christs robe, I can increasingly recognize and rest
in both my progress and pesky defects. In
Jesus, I have all I will ever need to accomplish
His will. by Isabella Yosuico
Faith Step: When youre feeling
especially aware of some personal messiness, remember
Christ in you! [Mornings With Jesus 2020 Devotional
by Guideposts and Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
It seems as though every phone on the
market constantly has a new version coming out.
Each time there are new features, but all I
really want is a phone that has enough battery life
to get me through the day.
I dont care about the color of the
phone or all the extras, because those things
dont help me when Im constantly plugging in,
recharging, plugging in, and recharging.
In the Christian life, however, we want
to stay permanently plugged in. We want to stay
plugged in to Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us,
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in
the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10
NKJV).
But the Devil doesnt want that. He
wants to get you as far away from God as he
possibly can. So, heres what you need to do: Start
your day with the Lord. When you get up in the
morning, dont start your day with social media.
Dont start your day with checking your emails or
texts or the news - especially these days.
Instead, start your day with the Word of
God and with prayer. That will equip you to deal
with all the stuff that comes your way during the
day through your emails, texts, and everything
else.
And remember this simple statement: He
who is in you is greater than he who is in the
world (1 John 4:4 NKJV). In other words, God is
more powerful than the Devil and all the demons.
Thats why I stand in the Lord and in
the power of His might. I dont stand in
myself and the power of my own might, because I can
quickly collapse - just like you can.
Stand in the Lord and in the power of His
might. And keep as much distance from the Devil as
possible. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Do not be misled: Satan is strong in
power and cunning. He has laid low some of God's
choicest servants because they underestimated him and
overestimated themselves. Even Samson with all his
strength was no match for Satan. Nor was Solomon with
all his wisdom.
So how can you keep the devil and his
buddies out of your "house"? One stronger than the
one who controls you must deliver you. Only one
qualifies as stronger than Satan: Jesus Christ.
I want to make it clear that genuine
Christians need not fear being possessed or controlled
by demons; Jesus is not into a time-sharing
program with Satan. The Bible tells us, "He who has
been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked
one does not touch him." (1 John 5:18)
Oh, Satan may knock on the doors and
rattle the windows. He may threaten to "huff and
puff and blow the house down." But he cannot
enter because someone stronger has taken up
residence. "Greater is He that is in you, than he that
is in the world." (1 John 4:4 KJV) From
Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie (Tyndale House) pp
55-56 mod
Florida, my new home, is one of the
nations leading states for fishing. Its really
obvious. Drive by any body of water from dawn to
dark, and youll see many, many people fishing.
Men and women, young and old, from piers, off
the coast, in waders, up to their necks, from
boats and bridges fishing is everywhere.
People who fish (not me) know that casting is not
passive. People cast in an athletic stance,
forcefully launching their line into the deep. My
husband is a longtime fisherman, and I sometimes tag
along when he takes our boys. I can testify that
casting isnt as easy as it looks.
Todays Scripture tell us to cast our
anxiety - our cares in some translations -
fling it upon the Lord. Talk about hard to do! I
need constant reminders that casting is a
deliberate action I must choose to take. Over time,
Ive acquired and use a lot of different tools to
practice casting. I PAUSE AND PRAY. Sometimes a
simple HELP ME, JESUS. I JOURNAL. I allow
myself a fixed amount of TIME TO PONDER my cares. I
READ SCRIPTURE ALOUD, SING WORSHIP SONGS, WRITE
DOWN MY FEAR TO PLACE IN MY GOD BOX,
SURRENDERING IT TO THE LORD. I CALL A FRIEND and share my
concern or, even better, I HELP SOMEONE else.
Sometimes I do several things. REPEATEDLY.
Waiting for the anxiety to simply vanish
on its own has not worked for me. I have to
muster my spiritual might to claim this verse and
actively entrust my cares to Him who cares for me.
Casting, believing, trusting all actions. by
Isabella Yosuico
Faith Step: Pray: Lord, give me the
grace and faith and spiritual strength to cast my
cares on Your boundless, loving shoulders. Use
one of my casting tools this week.
[Mornings With Jesus 2019 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
1 John 4:4 - The Stronger One.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200817-1008.html
1 Peter 5:7 - Winning Over Worry.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200508-1442.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio (currently live):
https://bible.awr.org/en/the-signs/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
