Sun.’s Devo - The Bigger Picture

Read: Romans 15:1-16:27; 2 Corinthians 1:1-2:4
In reading this, you can feel the underlying factions between the petty differences of beliefs. We can get so bogged down on little doctrines that don’t determine heaven or hell, that we miss the bigger picture. Paul tried to avoid that be going to churches who had never heard of Jesus so he wouldn’t have to defend his beliefs. That is why he wrote to the Corinthians instead of visiting them. He wanted to extend love and prayers without having to submit to the doctrines they were stumbling over like circumcision.
I want to bring out something again. Paul names Aquila and Pricilla as his fellow worker who risked their necks for his life. This husband and wife team were part of his A Team. I keep bringing them up because when God gives you a position of respect and honor in his church, you are held to a much higher standard. If you let selfish motives get in the way, you will be punished much more severely because your action affect so many people.
In Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth he talks about how the preaching of the cross was foolishness to those who are perishing but the power of God to the saved. I have been messaging my two nieces in Canada who could not understand this past election and the outcome and especially how an “educated smart woman” like myself could have voted for a man like Trump. It is foolishness to the unsaved. How do you explain seeing into the future and seeing God’s heart for a man who has lived his whole life for himself. It doesn’t make sense and trying to explain spiritual things to people who have no desire or spiritual understanding has been very hard. It does seem stupid because God’s ways are apart from reason many times and many times they make total sense. Who can know the mind of God? His ways are so much higher than ours. I can only extend a little insight to them and much love. I do love them and I know that one day they will come to the personal knowledge of Jesus as their savior. They have a praying Nana and a praying aunt in heaven and a praying mother and myself who will not give up, and neither will God!
I pray that you are filled with hopeful excitement about what God is doing on the earth and especially in our nation. I want to dance in the streets! Let’s pray that the enemy will be crushed underneath our feet!
Lord, we pray for our nation and the devil’s struggle over his defeat. Let us see the battle and know how to use our weapons mightily to bring down the strongholds of Satan.