Written by M. Hall
Please feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired. If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)
Evil people are trapped by their own sin, but good people can sing and be happy. Proverbs 29:6 NCV
Did you know that your sin can trap you? But, there is a way out -- only God can set you free. I am glad to be considered a good person, for I can sing and be happy all day long. We just spoke in our last devotional about praising in all circumstances, and especially in challenges. WOW! What a day I had today… challenges galore with the precious little preschoolers. I needed to keep my cool, remain calm and peaceful and also joyful. That was a struggle and a half, having screaming, jumping, running, spitting Preschoolers inside on a rainy day. But as I said, I appreciate challenges. I was thinking to how my day would be without those challenging children, and I would really miss them. Deep down they are very precious and sweet children, who just have a rough time every now and then. Some of them have to get up really early and be dropped off at daycare early, and they are there all day long, and that in itself can be trying on a little body. So I always empathize with them, which poses to be a problem sometimes, and ignoring the behaviour doesn’t always work. But we managed to get through the day, as challenges help me increase faith, which helps me increase perseverance and patience! YAY GOD! A few of the mom’s even commented how I could remain so patient. It’s all God! =) Praise Jesus! But getting back to the Scripture above, I am a good person, and therefore I can sing and be happy in crazy circumstances.
Paul and Silas were put into prison, and while they were chained they sang praises to God. God sent an angel to unlock the cell doors, but not one of the men escaped. The guard came back very worried that he would be killed if the men escaped, and Paul reassured him that they all were there. Then Paul and Silas went to the guard’s home, and all his family was saved. WOW! The power of our praise, it can change the atmosphere! It has been said on many occasions that worship changes the atmosphere and attitude of those around. We should be able to notice other Christians just by their attitude and when they walk into a room the atmosphere changes. It should be the same with us and our Christian walk.
Getting back to the dreaded first part of the verse, ‘Evil people are trapped by their own sin’, I am reminded of a drama that our youth group drama team performed years ago called ‘The Chair’. The silent drama starts with an empty chair on the stage, and there is a sign on the chair that says ‘Do Not Touch!’ Several people walk by the chair and notice it, and then walk back one at a time to the chair. The first guy touches the chair, and smacks it with his hands, not getting stuck, then he chuckles and does it again, and he gets stuck. He starts to walk away, but the chair comes with him. Someone else comes by, and the guy is struggling to get his hand off the chair. They offer him assistance, and get stuck to the chair as well. A cute girl walks by and the two look masculine and manly pretending there is nothing wrong, but continue still to try and get free from the chair. The girl offers to help, but they don’t want any help. The girl walks on. Another person comes by and sees them struggling, offers help, sees the sign, touches the chair and gets stuck to the chair. Yet another person comes along, sees the chair, and the sign, and the others smiling and such, and then walks over to touch the chair, and the others silently act out ‘No don’t sit down’ by shaking their heads and they try to get them not to touch the chair. They end up sitting on the chair. The drama stage now has a bunch of people pretending to be stuck to the chair. A person with a Bible comes along and sees the chair of people. They are struggling, and so they look in their Bible, and show the people a verse, and act out leading them in prayer. The people on the chair pray one by one, some of the last ones still doubting. They roll their eyes; shake their heads, etc… while one by one the ones who pray are released from the chair. Finally, the last person (who was the first person) gets unstuck, and they all do a happy dance, and the ‘Christian’ kicks the chair over, and stuck on the bottom of the chair is the word ‘SIN’. Then the Christian reads the scripture found in James 1:14-15, “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” It’s really powerful! It was one of my favourite ones to dramatize. I usually played the ‘Christian girl’. We cannot let ourselves get dragged away and enticed. For as we see it all leads to death and I choose life. As we have said before, and I’m sure you have heard many times, it all comes down to our choice. God gave us the power to choose. We have our own free will, and its that selfish fleshly mind-set that takes over and allows us to become enticed, and allows sin to conceive, which gives birth to death. Which is redundant in itself, but makes a lot of sense. Choose life with me today! Freedom = Life!
We can truly sing, ‘I Am Free’…
I <3
Prayer: Lord, we thank You once again for all You do for us. Forgive us once again for the sins we have committed in thought, word and deed, intentionally and unintentionally, so that we may boldly enter Your throne-room. Thank You for giving us a way out from our sin, so that we are no longer trapped by it. Thank You for the freedom we can have through Your Spirit. Thank you for creating us to be good people. We praise You and we honour You, we sing and worship You for who You are, and what You’ve done. We will try to strive for complete joy in every circumstance, knowing that You walk beside us, and even carry us along the way. Thank You Lord that when we do look back and see one set of footprints, that you don’t let our hearts get discouraged, but that You encourage us, by reminding us that You carry us through those times of trouble. I ask for wisdom and discernment, to assist us when temptation comes our way. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, in the name of JESUS, AMEN!
Be blessed and keep the smile on your face, the twinkle in your eye, and the love of Jesus in your hearts! <3 Shine and worship our Father in the darkness around you! Declare your FREEDOM in CHRIST!
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