Hope Beyond CircumstancesSample
Justice and Patience
Justice is defined as giving each what they deserve and behaving consistently according to an established law. In the Scriptures, we find that it speaks of a new land where justice will reign, or rather, where God will reign. That will be a time when righteousness is the norm, and it won’t be a struggle. But that will come later. Right now, we need to strive to live in righteousness. God is the one who instills the desire in our hearts for righteousness so we can bear fruit for His glory.
On our own, we cannot be righteous. We need Jesus Christ to make us righteous through His redemptive work on the cross and thus find favor in the eyes of God.
Every time we hear the term salvation, we should ask ourselves, "What is God delivering us from?"
Our salvation is Christ delivering us from a life of sin and into a life of peace. It frees us from a life where we waste opportunities to a life that seizes them. It transforms us from sinners to saints.
The impact of being freed from sin in our daily experience is to avoid destruction, as drastic as changing from death to life. One of the main things that gets destroyed when we sin is the opportunity to access grace and grow in it. "Growing in grace" is probably better translated as "growing in favor." There is only one opportunity to gain God’s favor, and it is by walking in faith. And it is in this life. For this, we require patience.
In many ways, it is easier to be diligent in the valleys. Uphill circumstances demand effort. And if we are not diligent in the waters, we can drown. The testing of our faith produces patience.
Patience in the face of suffering saves us from a life of apathy, sin, and destruction. It invites us to a life of faith in all things, every day, always. To live with an eternal vision that what is done here will have a reward and is living in eternity with God.
Lord, thank You for rescuing me from sin and giving me a new chance to live. Help me to obey Your Word so that I can conduct myself with righteousness. I will praise You amid my circumstances.
Yellow Balloons explores the far-reaching applications and impact of just one of the Servant Leadership tools: the power of perspective to transform people and organizations. The Yellow Balloons Devotionals are a daily reminder of the great opportunities of life, connecting age-old biblical truths with our modern-day lives in a way that is simple, practical, and easy to understand. Get a free copy of Tim Dunn's book Yellow Balloons: Finding Power to Live Above Our Circumstances through this link: https://yellowballoons.net/power-to-live-above-our-circumstances/.
About this Plan
Faith is unstoppable and has no limits. This devotional challenges us to have faith and hope that transcends our circumstances. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God gives us the power to see beyond our trials and hope in the glorious future to come. God has saved us from sin and death, which is reason enough to hope.
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We would like to thank Grace School of Theology, in partnership with Yellow Balloons and El Centro Network, for providing this devotional plan. Grace is devoted to developing spiritual leaders from every nation who can teach others about the love of Christ. The school offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level academic degrees. Grace Center for Spiritual Development (GCSD) provides non-degree studies, live online Bible study opportunities, and resources. For more information, please visit https://yellowballoons.net and http://www.elcentronetwork.com