Living in the Spirit
July 13, 2017
Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:105-112
I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but I do not stray from your precepts.
Your decrees are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes
forever, to the end. –Psalm 119:109-112
Our lives are in our hands; sometimes we do not like to admit it but we have been given free will. We choose how we respond to life’s challenges whether caused by the wicked or the result of our own mistakes or perhaps because we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We do need to learn from being on the losing end of other’s greed and lust for power and from our mistakes and even learn when possible to avoid wrong places.
There is a lot of greed and lust for power going around right now. Both ebb and flow but are always present in one form or another. Our response must involve not allowing those sins to catch us in their snares. How envious are we of those with wealth and power? Do we assume they know more than we do because of their status? They do not. My Dad would say, “They put their pants on just like we do, one leg at a time.” Some know more some less because they are human just like the rest of us. Some use their wealth and power for good; others squander it as in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32). Jesus warned us about money when he said, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Prayer: Lord, order our lives and guide us in your ways so that we may be filled with the joy of living your love. Amen.