Living Free - Dec. 12, 2012

Living Free Every Day®

"We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters,about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us." - 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 NLT

Thoughts for Today

Yesterday we discussed relying on other people and things instead of God. Sometimes we make ourselves a god by relying on self instead of God. And how foolish is that? Compare his strength to ours. Compare his wisdom to ours. Compare his power to ours. No matter how talented or educated or strong we may be, it pales to nothingness compared with God.

In today's scripture, the apostle Paul tells about an extremely rough time he and his co-laborers experienced. They didn't think they would live through it--but they did. And they learned a valuable lesson: "We stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God." He goes on to say God rescued them and would continue to rescue them from anything they faced because their confidence was in him, not themselves.

Consider this … 

Are you experiencing difficult times? No matter how hard you try, you can't turn things around? Good! You have an opportunity to learn the same lesson Paul learned. Stop relying on yourself--and learn to rely only on God. You will learn how freeing it is to have the weight of responsibility off your shoulders. Do things his way and in his strength, not yours.

You will still have problems and challenges, but with God in control, he will make all things possible. He will bring good from every circumstance. As you place your confidence in him alone, he will continue to rescue you.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:5-7)

Prayer

Lord, I give up. And I give it all to you. I've been trying to do this my way. I've been depending on myself instead of placing my confidence in you, and I'm not doing very well. Forgive me. I submit it all to you and will rely on you for guidance and strength. I will trust your plan. In Jesus' name . . .

These thoughts were drawn from …

The Ten Commandments: Applying the Foundations of Living to My Personal Life by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. Knowing that there are absolutes that define moral conduct and ethical decisions is essential for believers surrounded by relativistic values. This guide helps us understand God's boundaries. It shows how the Ten Commandments apply today. It also discusses the biblical laws on which the legal codes of every civilized society are based. This guide is written in a way that helps people see the Ten Commandments in light of today's problems. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.