Good Morning Tuesday...
Thank you Father for this NEW day. Please continue to fill our Hearts & Minds with Your Truth, Love, & Patience. Thank you for Loving us so much! In Yeshua, Jesus Christ Name, Amen. A big Thank You to Brother Larry Good for today’s devotion. - Our Father Grows Us 1 Step At A Time “then, so far as your former way of life is concerned, you must strip off your old nature, because your old nature is thoroughly rotted by its deceptive desires; and you must let your spirits and minds keep being renewed, and clothe yourselves with the new nature created to be godly, which expresses itself in the righteousness and holiness that flow from the truth.” Ephesians (Eph) 4:22-24 CJB Although God could instantly transform us, he has chosen to develop us slowly. Jesus was deliberate in developing his disciples, just as God allowed the Israelites to take over the Promised Land “little by little” so they wouldn’t be overwhelmed (see Deuteronomy 7:22). He prefers to work in incremental steps in our lives. Why does it take so long to change and grow up? There are several reasons: · We are slow learners. We often have to relearn a lesson 40 or 50 times to really get it. The problems keep recurring, and we think, “Not again! I’ve already learned that!” But God knows better. The history of Israel illustrates how quickly we forget the lessons God teaches us and how soon we revert to our old patterns of behavior. We need repeated exposure. · We have a lot to unlearn. Since most of our problems — and all of our bad habits — didn’t develop overnight, it’s unrealistic to expect them go away immediately. There is no pill, prayer, or principle that will instantly undo the damage of many years. It requires the hard work of removal and replacement. The Bible calls it “taking off the old self” and “putting on the new self” (Romans 13:12; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:7-10, 14). · Growth is often painful and scary. There is no growth without change, there is no change without fear or loss, and there is no loss without pain. Every change involves a loss of some kind. We fear these losses, even if our old ways were self-defeating, because, like a worn-out pair of shoes, they were at least comfortable and familiar. · Good habits take time to develop. Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. You can’t claim to be kind unless you are habitually kind. Your habits define your character. There is only one way to develop the habits of Christlike character: You must practice them — and that takes time! There are no instant habits. Paul urged Timothy,“Be diligent about this work, throw yourself into it, so that your progress may be clear to everyone.” 1 Timothy (1 Ti) 4:15 CJB Something To Think About...Something To Ask About... Something To Pray About... •Why do you think God allows us to go through pain and loss while we are growing spiritually? •What is a bad habit that you’ve had trouble changing? How is God helping you with this right now in your life? •What one thing do you need to practice doing every day so that you are developing more Christlike character?
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SERVANT OF YESHUA 7
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