The Mouth of God
G.alatians 5:16,17 NLT
So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
I Peter 2:11 NIV
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Matthew 4:4
But he answered, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
Wow, being an alien and a stranger in the world is hard. Sometimes its actually impossible, isn’t it? I don’t know if I am encouraged or discouraged by reading Galatians! “These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.” My struggle is, I want an answer, and I want it
Now! I have a low threshold for waiting – for anything. I’m one of those people who drive people like my husband crazy! He’s thoughtful and deliberate, and intentional. I, on the other hand, make a decision and then charge on ahead, “Let’s do this!” is my mantra.
You can imagine some of the conversations that have taken place at our house over the years. Sometimes I do feel like an alien and stranger, because while a majority of the world is dipping their big toe in the water to check the temperature—I’m already up to my knees. Sin is like that, too. We may think that we’re pretty steadfast in our faith. And perhaps it’s even true. The downside of that is that we may be susceptible to sin because we have our guard down, because we’re not deliberate and intentional and thoughtful.
Sometimes we like to travel with the natives, and we don’t want to be identified as “tourists.” All too often the world calls to us and we linger, trying to think of a reason its okay to live counter to what Jesus taught us. It’s okay to lie—a little. It’s okay to tell an off-color joke, as long as it’s not too bad. It’s okay to – you can complete the sentence on your own. The world is so enticing, all the glamour and the greed, all the ads telling us we deserve everything this world has to offer, right now, and we don’t even have to pay for it-earn it. We don’t even have to be nice people! But another voice calls to us, “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
My prayer today is that you will take a moment to read the words that proceed from the mouth of God. And that you will join the rest of us aliens and strangers in our on-going struggle.
Mary
