In my quiet time this morning, I reread Romans 8:37. It arrested me. It says, "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." Y'know, that's not a very 'big' verse, but it is PACKED.
First of all, we need to look back at what the 'all these things' are. In verse 35, Paul says, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" These are things most American believers know little about. These are things that are so much more intense than the things we face on a daily or weekly basis. Yet, they were not just coming through those experiences by the skin of their teeth. They were, according to Paul, OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUERING. Can we truly grasp the depth of this? I don't think I can. I do know some of the horrific things some of our brethren suffer in other lands because of their faith in Jesus Christ. I know of some of the things Nero did to the believers in his day. They were things no human being should ever inflict upon another human being, just as other atrocities today that are being committed.
Yet, do I/we overwhelmingly conquer in all these things we go through? Do we even 'just conquer' in these things? Do we consult with Him BEFORE we fret and worry about these things? For, if we did, we could just skip the worrying and fretting part. Right? When we lose our jobs, do we overwhelmingly conquer? When we're rushing to get somewhere and run into new construction (which seems to be at least a weekly occurrence in Tulsa these days), do we overwhelmingly conquer? That's just part of my list. What's on your list? Are you conquering overwhelmingly? I long to, but I'm not there yet. I'm not bad, really, on the joblessness, but the traffic seems to strip me of my conqueror status every time.
But, again, what a verse. What a passage. As The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, "These things--stated in increasing intensity--do not separate Christians from Christ; instead they are part of the "all things" (Rom 8:28) God uses to bring them to conformity to His Son." So, my dear friends, if our brethren, past and present, can overwhelmingly conquer in such intense situations, may WE OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER in the things that come our way, whether large or small, whether traffic or the death of a loved one. May we allow this verse to be branded upon our hearts and minds, also remembering the rest of the verse...through Him who loved us.
Showing posts with label 35. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 35. Show all posts
Monday, December 6, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Instant Obedience
I was reading Acts 8 (much) earlier today and was struck by Philip's immediate obedience in four different verses. In verse 26, an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.) Verse 27 says, 'So he got up and went;' No delay, no whining about how hot it was or that it was a desert road, he just 'got up and went.'
Then, in verse 29, the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." Again, no rationalizing, but verse 30 says, 'Philip ran up...' He didn't stop because he didn't know the man in the chariot or that he (probably) looked like an official of some sort, or maybe even royalty. No, he RAN up...immediately. He didn't walk or shuffle his feet, scratching his head, wondering if this was really a smart thing to do.
Then, in verse 34, the eunuch said to Philip, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself of of someone else?" Again, verse 35 tells us, "Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him."
Now, I could stop there, but it goes on to say that as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" Philip's immediate response was to ascertain whether or not the eunuch believed in Christ. As soon as the eunuch said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," Philip ordered the chariot to stop, went down into the water, with the eunuch, and he baptized him. He didn't tell him to get baptized as soon as he made it back to Ethiopia, since he wasn't a pastor.
I'd never before been so impressed with Philip. In previous readings, I thought it was cool how the Lord used Philip, but I think I may have missed WHY the Lord used Philip so much in this brief window of time captured in this passage of Scripture. He was INSTANTLY OBEDIENT!
It reminds me of teaching I heard one Sunday a few years ago. The pastor said that delayed obedience is disobedience. Oh, my...it pierced me. And yet, a few years later, I have to wonder (or do I really?) how quick I am to obey Him. Oh, to be like Philip! I fear we are all too ready to have to 'weigh things out' before we obey Him. hmmm...interesting how I switched from 'me' to 'we,' isn't it? Perhaps I/we'd be much more used by Him if we were quicker to obey when we hear His voice. May I and may we.
Then, in verse 29, the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." Again, no rationalizing, but verse 30 says, 'Philip ran up...' He didn't stop because he didn't know the man in the chariot or that he (probably) looked like an official of some sort, or maybe even royalty. No, he RAN up...immediately. He didn't walk or shuffle his feet, scratching his head, wondering if this was really a smart thing to do.
Then, in verse 34, the eunuch said to Philip, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself of of someone else?" Again, verse 35 tells us, "Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him."
Now, I could stop there, but it goes on to say that as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" Philip's immediate response was to ascertain whether or not the eunuch believed in Christ. As soon as the eunuch said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," Philip ordered the chariot to stop, went down into the water, with the eunuch, and he baptized him. He didn't tell him to get baptized as soon as he made it back to Ethiopia, since he wasn't a pastor.
I'd never before been so impressed with Philip. In previous readings, I thought it was cool how the Lord used Philip, but I think I may have missed WHY the Lord used Philip so much in this brief window of time captured in this passage of Scripture. He was INSTANTLY OBEDIENT!
It reminds me of teaching I heard one Sunday a few years ago. The pastor said that delayed obedience is disobedience. Oh, my...it pierced me. And yet, a few years later, I have to wonder (or do I really?) how quick I am to obey Him. Oh, to be like Philip! I fear we are all too ready to have to 'weigh things out' before we obey Him. hmmm...interesting how I switched from 'me' to 'we,' isn't it? Perhaps I/we'd be much more used by Him if we were quicker to obey when we hear His voice. May I and may we.
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