Day 15 – Romans 3:21-24 – September 16, 2018

 

But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. The righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:21-24).

We’re human.  Sometimes the wrong path is enticing, and we take it.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  We cannot keep the Law, the rules we impose on ourselves, or the rules that others impose on us.  I went to bed and woke up frightened this morning.  I’m happy or at least content most of the time, and I avoid situations and things that I fear, so being frightened is unusual for me. I don’t like it. I’m having an engagement party for my daughter in a week, and I thought I was frightened because I wasn’t prepared, so I made some food and froze it.  I felt a little better for a day, but last night fear overtook me.  I prayed for God to show me why I was afraid.   It hit me this morning that gluttony has overtaken me.  It’s my birthday week, and Sam, my husband, took me out for dinner both on my birthday and last night.  My best friend gave me a fancy cupcake, my Bible Study sisters had a luncheon for me, and Mary baked the best carrot cake from scratch that I have ever had. My work family bought me lunch complete with luscious chocolate and Oreo fudge for dessert, and one of the residents where I work gave me a box of chocolate.  I can’t tell you how blessed I felt until fear crept in.  Fear is especially frightening because one cannot feel negative emotions and love at the same time.

I believe that everyone has at least one bad habit that they cannot overcome without God.  Mine is gluttony.  I just lost 25 pounds, and I don’t want to gain it back.  I read in one of Joyce Meyer’s books that she was gaining weight because people invited her to lunch and dinner on a weekly basis.  She said that she stopped accepting invitations to meals.  Overeating is a struggle for many of us, but I don’t want to give up the blessing of being with friends and family.  But in a way our bad habits can be a blessing, too, if we see them as sin because God is our way out.  After I’m finished writing, I will go to God in prayer for His help to make me feel comfortable with less and more healthy food and to forgive me for having food as a god. I have faith that He will help me because He always does. If you pray, He will help you, too.  I feel so blessed to be living in the time period after Jesus and not before Him. Before Jesus, a system of offerings and sacrifices and the intervention of a High Priest was necessary to contact God.  But now Jesus is our sacrifice and our High Priest.  Through Him, we can go directly to God.  God’s grace and redemption are ours for the asking when we believe that Jesus is our High Priest.  Thank you, God!

Day 15 – Romans 3:21-24 – September 16, 2018

2 thoughts on “Day 15 – Romans 3:21-24 – September 16, 2018

  1. Dear Jody,

    Since I had a baby, weight has also been an issue for me. I love food!! I won’t deny it!! I always felt like it was MY struggle. I won’t say that I have never prayed about it, but certainly I have not prayed about it often. Another reminder that God is with me every minute of the day and with me through every struggle. Thanks for the reminder, Jody!!!!

    1. God is working with me one problem at a time. He helped me so much with my anger issue, and now we are working on gluttony. I want to crave God and not food — easier said than done. I have to say that with God’s help this is the first Halloween ever that I have not had one piece of chocolate. Just today though. For the past couple of weeks my Bible Study leaders have put out bowls of chocolate which I have indulged in on Wednesday nights! Life is a struggle, but praise God that He is always there to help us. He gives us hope so that in every situation we can feel joy!

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