The Devotional – 1100 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1100 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

I remember as a child growing up, now I know that is reaching way back there, but most of us do that now and then. Mom would set out three glasses of the same size and fill the glasses with milk or water, we did not have a lot of soda in those days and if we did it was always “Dads” root beer. Anyway, I was an “inspector” frankly I still am. The glasses had to be filled to nearly going over the top, all had to be the same or we would fight for the one with the most, of course if we spilled the contents in the fight everyone lost, so “giving in” was important too! How is it today that when the apostle Paul says in his epistle (“But sanctify the LORD God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to EVERYONE who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear – 1 Peter 3:15) that we seem so empty of Christ in us? Could it be because we are sanctified to the brim with the world and not filled to the brim with Christ our LORD?

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

The spiritual struggle of keeping our eyes on Christ is very real to most of us, we are distracted by the boldness of others and we are equally distracted by the meekness of others too. Gentleness is not the strong suit of most of us. Most today in the local church are gentle in face to face communication but afterward are harsh critics of what they perceive with the eye and think in the mind. Also those who write have the same trouble in that meekness and boldness are both sides of the written coin and people become grieved or disinterested with written comment.

The rub! Spiritual war is REAL, Satan and his demons are very active in our eyes and minds, he and his demonic followers, relish in deceiving the soul that observes and ponders the fleshly characteristics of others in Christ. When we see we think and when we think of what we see, we war in our mind! “His suit must have cost a fortune, why didn’t he give that money to the poor instead of wasting it on himself”! OR “Wow! I am so glad that I don’t run my mouth like she does, never a moment’s peace when she’s in the room” Luke 18:9-14 is a good read for this.

The weapons of OUR warfare are not “of the flesh” even if the flesh is our “first” weapon of choice. One way to look at this is to vision yourself in a battle with a battle tank, your counter attack would be to put on a pair of boxing gloves and tank shorts and meet the tank for battle. Yes I know the David and Goliath event is pretty much a similar sizing up, but God was on David’s side in this battle and God will be on your side when the weapons of our warfare and not carnal (of the flesh).

When we are mighty in God, (like David), He will be mighty in us, He will pull down the strongholds of our personal sin, He will cast down the arguments of our mind and He will bring low every thought that seeks to exalt itself in our heart against the knowledge of God. Please see this! It is not the argument with another person, nor the thoughts of people around you, nor is it the disobedience of others where this battle rages. These strongholds are within our self.

We therefore must be ready to punish the disobedience of ourselves just as we are so very willing to punish someone else. Notice what we often miss in this section of 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 and that would be the last five words of verse six, which are: “when your obedience is fulfilled!” Until we are willing to obey 1 Peter 3:15 we will always have trouble with obeying God.