All We Need

Week 2  Abide and Adhere

Day 9 

All We Need

You rob yourself of rest and peace when you turn to other people for support ahead of the Lord. Don’t forget who you are. You are not identified by an earthly bloodline; you are a child of God, adopted by the Blood of Christ into the kingdom that cannot be shaken. Whether your loved ones rise to your aid or not, the Lord is with you, and He doesn't need anyone's help to bring about His will.

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F

amily ties and Christian fellowship are wonderful blessings; in fact, interaction with fellow Christians is a Biblical litmus test of a healthy Christian life. As the Apostle Paul says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-26). Today’s reading is in no way a recommendation that we should attempt to live our Christian lives in isolation.  

That being said, we also must accept that other human beings will fail us. Our loved ones may ignore or even thwart our attempts toward better health, and friends may be unavailable when we feel in need of counsel. 

The difficulty comes when, as we attempt to begin a new program of obedience, we place our focus on the logistics of how we are to proceed. An attempt to garner the support of other people as facilitators of our good and Godly plans seems legitimate and even recommended in light of Scripture. We gather our own resources and attempt to obey in order to achieve the goal of intimacy with Christ, when in fact it is intimacy with Christ that allows us to obey. The relationship we must nourish ahead of all others is with the Lord.

Interactions with our fellow human beings are sometimes painful and can leave emotional scars. We will never find healing for our hearts' hurts through relationships with other people. Healing comes only from the Healer, and His Name is Jesus. 

Pray:  Lord, keep me from placing my hope in other people ahead of You. Grant me the wisdom and humility I need to run straight to You when I’ve sinned, and keep me from attempts to remedy the messes I’ve created by utilizing my own resources. I commit my plans to You, and ask that You grant me understanding of Your direction and grace to obey. In Jesus’ name, amen.  

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Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

Psalm 73:25