Father, as I sit here with You, may my mind rest in Your presence. May Your thoughts and wishes guide me. Bring to mind whatever You deem fit. Amen.

Romans 8:9-11 (<<click here to read the passage)

This morning, in the middle of my elementary route, something crossed the road as I was coming up a country lane. At first, I thought it might be a mouse but as my eyes focused on it I realized that it was a solitary brown leaf being slowly pushed across the road by the wind. Seeing those kinds of things quite often makes me think, “I’m the only person that saw that.” I already had several kids on the bus, but no one else saw that leaf blow across the road…but me.

I don’t know about you but sometimes I feel like that leaf…small, blown by the winds of life, with no control, defenseless against the world. No one sees me. No one understands. No one cares.

But the thing is, Someone does see me. I am not alone – God is with me. And because He is with me – always with me, I am not defenseless, for He is in control.

Because of who and what we are, we feel vulnerable. So many people take risks with their lives – bungee jumping, driving recklessly, climbing sheer cliffs – knowing that their lives could be snuffed out with one wrong move.

This jar, this tent, this fragile vessel we call our bodies, is the way it is because of the sin we perpetuate in the world. It will cease to function someday. Our lives will come to an end. But as this passage clearly points out

…Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. vs10-11 NLT

We are not nobodies blowing across space and time that no one ever sees much less acknowledges. We are somebodies! And with Christ in us, we can be all we were created to be.

So, take heart, my brothers and sisters! With Christ living within us, even though we may feel small and insignificant, we can be victorious! As Paul says in Romans 8:35-37,

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
…..“For your sake we face death all day long;
….we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. AMP

Amen!

Feb 15th, 2023, Wed, 12:41 pm