This devotional prayer about Galatians 5:22-26 was in this morning’s inbox.
“Dear Father, grower of spiritual fruit,
“Let the fruit of the Spirit blossom, mature, and ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these. Let me possess them!
“Since I belong to Christ, I have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Let me live by the Spirit. Let me walk by the Spirit!
“Let me show no self-conceit, give no provocation, have no envy toward anyone else. Let me live in, through, and for Christ Jesus, as he lives in, through, and for me and his whole church.
“In the name of Jesus I ask you to perfect us, whatever that may take, and give us the grace to endure your renovation process. Amen.”
A treasured few of you know that Babycakes and I have spent months facing the most trying time we’ve experienced since I faced death several times from ’97 to ’03. I won’t elaborate. If you already know, no explanation is needed. If not, just be lifting us in prayer. There’s a violent attack going on that the spiritually dull wouldn’t recognize.
It should be no secret that God’s warriors in all Earth’s nations are increasingly finding themselves under deadly assault by Hell’s mercenaries. They think what they’re doing is their own idea, and even that they’re doing whatever god they own a favor. Saturated in their own nescient velleity, they are blinded and unable to grasp how thoroughly they’re being played by the Universe’s most sinister terrorist mastermind, The Adversary himself.
Lock in on this. Those hellish forces aren’t just targeting you. They’re after your kids. They want to take those you’ve tried to raise in Christ OUT before they can do much more damage. Look around. Listen. Observe. Your family can be shredded and rinsed down Hell’s drain just as easily as those of anyone else.
All it takes is to get careless. Let the Bible become optional. “Oh, it doesn’t really say that . . . that’s not what it really means . . . ” Appease. Keep the peace. Be reasonable.
I just read this week that it’s in the quiet after the storm when you get an accurate glimpse of who you really are. If your spiritual mirror isn’t very complimentary about now, it’s up to you to do something about it. God’s the One you’re needing to please.
Everyone else will just have to get in line.
Psalm 46:1 says God is a very present help in trouble. That means that, even during times like this where He seems distant and we feel so alone, He is NOT, and neither are we! He’s not only present; He’s hovering over the whole shebang. No. I’ve no idea what a shebang is. Stay with me.
So. This morning’s devotional can’t be coincidental. There are 9 things there, any one of which make the entire passage a challenge to live out today. Put them all together, and what do you get?
Yeah. That’s what I thought you’d say. I’ll write more about this tomorrow.
The only way it’s not impossible to be making those Galatians 5 things happen, in increasing potency and more satisfying richness, is to be constantly partnering with God as honcho of your life.
It can be rough enough with Him.
I don’t recommend trying it without Him.
© D. Dean Boone, July 2017