Scriptures and thoughts for Thursday, March 6, 2008

“when my flesh yearns for some prohibited thing,
I MUST DIE.
when called to do something I don’t want to do,
I MUST DIE.
when I wish to be selfish and serve no one,
I MUST DIE.
when shattered by hardships I despise,
I MUST DIE.
when wanting to cling to wrongs done against me,
I MUST DIE.
when enticed by the world’s allurements,
I MUST DIE.
when wishing to keep besetting sins secret,
I MUST DIE.
when wants that are borderline needs are left unmet,
I MUST DIE.
when dreams that are good seem shoved aside,
I MUST DIE.” ( Milton Vincent, The Gospel Primer, p. 41)

Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is not longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now life in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

When I read this yesterday in The Gospel Primer it resonated with my heart! We can fill in the blanks with any temptation or sin! “when I want to complain about my children, I MUST DIE! When I want to snap back at my husband, I MUST DIE! When I want to feel sorry for myself, I MUST DIE! When I want to complain about some circumstance in my life, I MUST DIE! When I am tempted to worry, I MUST DIE. ” etc etc… you get what I mean! Fill in your own blanks!

I chose this today because I want to concentrate today on Christ who lives in me and who helps me put these sins to death!

"Oh Lord, help me to die to self and live in faith and obedience to you! Thank you Lord that you are for me and are working in me to put to death the things of my flesh and helping me to live for your perfect will!"

Pray for me as I continue to daily die to self. I feel I must add that I can’t do this on my own! I need to pray to God and ask him to do this in me. I need his help to die to self. I have to remind myself, as I die to self, Romans 8:1 : Therefore there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. As God helps me die to self I must remember that Christ died for this sin! How great is that!!