I know we have all had that moment in life where we have found ourselves stuck! It happened to me on a hot August day. I remember it as if it was yesterday, trapped in my minivan with my one & two-year-old. Help me JESUS!! Both screaming and crying, both hot and tired. I tried to start the van but nothing happened; my battery was dead. Just great! I said a short prayer, really to keep me sane. I said Lord, get me through this test as you have done so many times before in the past.
Matthew 28:16-20: “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 — “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Listening to your wife is skill you should take seriously. I am a terrible listener when distracted. If we are in a crowd, the multiple conversations of the group will get my attention. Busy restaurants are difficult for me. If it is a beautiful day outside and the light is shining through the window, my eyes gaze out the window mesmerizing me and making it difficult to hear the person talking.
James 1:19 — “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;”
Our scripture reminds us of the importance of accountability in the life of the believer.
1 Timothy 5:20 — “Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”
Every day I begin my devotion in prayer. I ask God to clear my conscience so I can bask in the wisdom of His Words. After reading the word, I begin to go into deep prayer and then write that prayer in my prayer journal. This journal has all of my thanks, all of my request and all of my sin.
There are still consequences of sin after salvation. I was speaking with a man that had come to the Lord some time back, and I could tell that something was weighing upon him. I wanted to ask him about it, but in a way that gave him the options to address it or not. So, I asked him what was going on in his life. I watched a range of emotions run over his face that went from frustration to regret. He took a deep breath and said, I’m paying for past sins. I didn’t say anything as I wanted him to continue on his own accord.
