Our Ugly Chapters

Moses had blood on his hands, Abraham was a bald faced liar, Elijah was at times a coward, Jacob was a liar and a cheat, Esther kept her faith a secret, Peter was a betrayer, and Paul was a murderer.

Yet God used them all. They chose to trust God with their futures and because they did, their pasts no longer had a hold on them. God is not put off by our ugly chapters and with his help, we can soon say what Paul came to say. But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ, Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

God never gives up on you.

Devotion by Max Lucado | The Almighty Jehovah | https://thealmightyJehovah.com

Jesus Is Victorious

The first man, Adam, was challenged to remain sinless in a sinless world. Christ, on the other hand, was challenged to remain sinless in a sin-ridden world. The Son of Heaven was tempted but never failed, struck but never struck down. He succeeded where Adam failed.

Here it is in a nutshell in Romans 5:18 (MSG): “Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it.”

Listen, you and I are no match for Satan. Jesus knows this. So he put on our flesh. He was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet without sin. He was victorious for us. Trust his work. Trust his Word. Hang in there.

Holy Thoughts

When you see the successful, are you jealous? When you see others struggle, are you pompous? Do you assume the worst about the future? If so, you suffer from what I call DTPs – destructive thought patterns.

Oh to be DTP-free. No energy lost, no time wasted. A lifetime of healthy and holy thoughts would render anyone a joyful genius. But where would you find such an individual?

Blame DTPs on sin. It messes with our minds. So, God changes us by changing our mind. By considering the glory of Christ. To behold him is to become like him. Give him your best thoughts, and see if he doesn’t change your mind!

Our Ugly Chapters