Lifetime Daily DevotionsSample

New (and Confident) in Christ

Just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust Him, too, for each day's problems; live in vital union with Him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth.
Colossians 2:6,7 TLB

Bill had already gone down to the meeting. He was so pleased (and more than a trifle proud) of his newly elected position on the Oklahoma Education Association staff--Vice President! He had given me a "goodbye peck," opened the door to our room, and walked out without a moment's hesitation. He was on his way, with great anticipation, to meet his new employees, amuse them with his "funnies," and let them benefit from the words of wisdom that casually escaped from his lips. In other words, Bill was swimming in his element!

What he didn't know at the time was that his poor wife, Anabel, was finding it very difficult to open the door and head down the stairs for everyone to see--that's Bill's wife--or to interact with--quiet little thing, isn't she?

I took one, long, last look in the mirror, making sure everything was in place. I viewed my new, beige, polka-dot, "homemade" dress from all angles with a full-length image. Then I started for the door. With hand on knob I said to myself, "I am a pretty woman. I am not a dummy. These people are not going to be scrutinizing my every move, my every word, how I look, or my verbal skills." And with that stern lecture I opened the door and stepped out into the world. . . .

* * *

That's a pretty scary way to leave the safety of the hotel room, isn't it? But that was the best I could do. That comprised my fragile "body of truth."

Body of truth? Those things I believed at that point in time would equip me for facing the "Mondays" of my life. I had tried a lot of things. Discarded a lot of things. Settled on a few. And those few kept me going.

How different it is today. Oh, I still have my body of truth, but it isn't fragile, it isn't bent all out of shape when things don't go right. It doesn't depend on whether I'm a "pretty woman" or if I can hold my own conversationally in any group. No. It depends on one--and only one--performance act on my part: What I have done with Jesus Christ. The moment--the split second--that I accept Him as my Life--my way of life--then He gives me an unshakable body of truth.

According to Him, that old, scared Anabel died in Christ (Galatians 2:20--delivered Himself up for me), and I was reborn (John 1:12-13--"not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God"). I became someone new when I was born again (2 Corinthians 5:17--new things have come), and the life of Christ became my life (Colossians 3:4--"Christ, who is our life"). Furthermore, I was transferred out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light (Ephesians 5:8; Colossians 1:13--"kingdom of His Son"). I'm different! I'm new! And as this new creation in Christ, that old "body of truth" I walked in for years is no longer me--"walk as children of light").

Try walking out of your hotel room now, Anabel!

It works every time! I'm rather amazed at myself and how well "I" handle the pressures today that used to be much like walking up the stairs to the hangman's noose! Now I wish I could say that my emotional condition has improved as markedly as my belief system. Not so. But my emotions have difficulty "thinking"--remember?

One of these days, maybe they'll catch up.