And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:11, NIV)
Playing golf in the summer heat of the desert is both a joy and a test of perseverance. The sun bakes the Bermuda grass, and a perfectly hit drive down the fairway can end up landing in an endless patch of brown, seemingly dead hardpan. Within the Rules of Golf, you may get relief from some of these bad lies, but often there is no relief unless the handicap committee has decided to implement “winter rules.” Yes, in the desert, winter rules really happen in the summer, when you get the opportunity to move your ball from bad lies.
Bad lies without relief are a great analogy to the lies that I mentioned in my last devotion, where I stated:
Many of our unbelieving friends still carry around the lies they believe will make them happy. They also have spiritual scar tissue from lies they were told or lived out in their past.
You or a friend may be scarred by religion and, as a result, have rebelled against God. Perhaps there is a voice that says, “I can’t change my past. And even if I could, Jesus can’t help me, because I can’t fix what I have done and don’t believe I have the strength to change my bad habits or sin in my life.”
The power of the Holy Spirit can answer the lies of this world and culture. Believe in him.
Perhaps this question is running through your mind or through the minds of those you know who are not believers. Let’s look at God’s replies to this lie.
In Luke 10, Jesus sent 70 disciples to evangelize in places that were evil and overcome with sin. These disciples came back to Jesus with testimony of the amazing results they had ministering in his name with his authority.
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in Heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20, NASB)
Yet with all the amazing things these disciples saw in this world, Jesus refocused their eyes on the wonders beyond this world. When the lies come to tell us that we can’t do better in this world, we can respond with these words: “That’s OK. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, and that’s the kingdom I’m living in today.”
Jeremy Camp sings a song that echoes our main verse today from Romans 8. The song is called “Same Power,” and it encourages me every time I hear it. Consider these lines:
The same power that rose Jesus from the grave
The same power that commands the dead to wake
Lives in us, lives in us
The same power that moves mountains when he speaks
The same power that can calm a raging sea
Lives in us, lives in us
He lives in us, lives in us
The power of the Holy Spirit can answer the lies of this world and culture. Believe in him. Abide in his promises and you will experience incredible joy and fruitfulness. Truth will prevail.
—
Chris Hermann
September 16, 2020
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.