"The Good News Wins"
June 27, 2017
Romans 8:37-39 - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Writing Daily Devotions can be a real blessed experience. It is always surprising what the Holy Spirit, and you readers, will do with these brief thoughts. I am constantly amazed at how you share them, send them, and publicly use them. That being said, I have to admit it is easy to become discouraged and depressed in the Daily Devotion production.
That's because as I'm searching for the stories which provide inspiration, I am bombarded by countless news items which, at their heart, are discouraging and depressing. The results of sin are all around us, and it is sometimes very hard not to get swept away by the hurts and horrors of this world.
Of course, there are exceptions to that rule.
One of those recent exceptions came from the June 14th shooting in Washington. You remember, Steve Scalise from Louisiana was critically injured when a rifleman turned his guns on some Republicans, who were practicing for the annual charity baseball game.
If you remember, the airwaves were filled with all kinds of negative reports trying to explain how bad our society has become. Almost lost in the hullabaloo were some words by the coach of the Republican team, Rep. Roger Williams from Texas.
In an interview with ABC News he said, "If we don't play this game, it's been played a hundred years, then we let these people ... change the way we live in this country forever, and we're not going to allow that to happen ...."
I like that attitude. It's one which has some very practical applications for Christians.
When we hear of the latest persecution which has produced some martyrs overseas or some discouraged believers within our borders, when we start to despair of the direction the world is headed, we would do well to paraphrase the Congressman and say, "If we do not continue our Christian witness, the same witness which has been made for 2,000 years, then we let sin, Satan, and the world determine how we live and what our witness will be. The Holy Spirit doesn't want that to happen, and we don't either."
Many centuries ago the apostle Paul reminded us that we are conquerors over this world. We are conquerors not because we are so brave, bold, or skillful on the battlefield. No, our victory has been won by the Savior who did everything necessary to win our forgiveness and salvation. Because of the Savior, we know that this world and all of its bad news cannot separate us from the love of God, which comes to us in our Redeemer.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, our archenemies -- sin, death, and devil -- do their best to grind us down. Grant that we may stand firm on the victory, which has been won for us by the Redeemer. Help us to rejoice in the forgiveness and salvation He has won. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Morgan Winsor for ABC News on June 15, 2017. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written. Please
click here.
