Passage of the Day:
I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[b] Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 6:19-23.
Reflection:
Horatio G. Spafford is the creator of the famous hymn, “It is Well With My Soul.” This wealthy lawyer from Chicago received news in 1873 that all four of his daughters died when their ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean. In this moment where Spafford’s faith was challenged by personal tragedy, the lyrics to It is Well With My Soul were conceived. A Christian’s faith isn’t based upon how you feel. Rather, Horatio’s testimony serves as a reminder to modern day followers of Christ that the state of your soul is based upon biblical promises like Romans 6:23.
Prayerful Action:
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness, Romans 6:17-18.
Refreshing Your Soul:
As a former student of Evangelism Explosion, Romans 6:23 is the basis to the Grand Canyon analogy. This diagram serves as an icebreaker to share the gospel with unchurched individuals. I was taught to compare this with track athletes seeking to set the world record in the Long Jump. While high school athletes may break 20 feet, college participants and Olympians are nearing the 30 feet mark. Despite this remarkable feat, no one is good enough to clear portions of the Grand Canyon, Romans 3:9-12. This is where the Gift of God steps in, laying down a cross to bridge the gap to the other side. May today’s devotion remind you that the state of your soul is fueled and renewed by the promises in the Bible, 1 John 5:13.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
The reality of a sudden death in your family or to a close friend can knock the wind out of your soul. This spiritual gut check provides you the opportunity similar to what Horatio G. Spafford faced. In your time of need, may the Holy Spirit minister to your heart so that once this storm subsides, you’ll be able to proclaim, “all is well with my soul.”
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 