WRITTEN BY CHERYL WELLS
As I have been sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening for Him, He has led and answered. The peace that passes all understanding is promised and He always delivers when I come to Him. I hope that is true for each of you during this season of waiting on Jesus. Our theme for the year has been so meaningful to me and also has led me closer. I love the worship song When You Walk into the Room. Every hopeless situation ceases to exist in the presence of Jesus the lyrics say. I know we all have things going on that seem like they will never stop and yet when I turn to give it to the Father, He gives me a perspective that releases me from fear and the desire to control.
Psalm 119:57-60 says: “The Lord is my portion: I have promised to keep Your words. I sought Your favor with all my heart; be merciful and gracious to me according to Your promise. I considered my ways and turned my feet to (follow and obey) Your testimonies. I hurried and did not delay to keep Your commandments.”
Our theme at Side by Side Ministries this whole year is “At Your Feet”. Last month Michele wrote about Him being at our feet and how Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. He wants us to do the same thing with others and serve in a loving and kind way. It was a great encouragement to love like Jesus even when it’s hard. I have been studying and thinking a lot about what gets in the way when I want to love that way, but my flesh gets in the way. I thought about the battle between the spirit and the flesh that Romans 7 and 8 talks about.
“For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” (Romans 7:19)
It will always be hard for us in our humanness to do what the Spirit would do. Romans 7 goes on to say, “…for I joyfully delight in the law of God in my inner self (with my new nature), but I see a different law and rule of action in the members of my body (in its appetites and desires), waging war against the law of my mind and subduing me and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is within my members.” I read this and I know that I can’t live like I want to when I lean on my own thoughts and my own strength. I am selfish in my flesh, and it will be my MO as long as I am alive and in this body of flesh and sin. There is my problem. I know what I think I want to do and am doing, but whenever I don’t stop and pray and ask the Spirit HOW to do it, it will always be fleshy and it will always just be my way.
Let’s go back to the Psalm that the Lord brought me to. Verse 59 says – “I considered my ways and turned my feet to (follow and obey) Your testimonies. I hurried and did not delay to keep Your commandments. The cords of the wicked have encircled and ensnared me, but I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You because of Your righteous ordinances. I am a companion of all who reverently fear You, and of those who keep and honor Your precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of Your lovingkindness and goodness; teach me Your statutes.” Psalm 119:59-64
God made a way for me, for us, to be free from the flesh and alive to the Spirit of Christ. It was the whole point of His life, death and resurrection. Our victory is in Christ, and the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. I can’t forget that I am weak and I need the power of the Holy Spirit to always lead me and empower me so that I don’t blow it and say or do something when I am triggered. As I was waiting and praying about all this I sensed that the Spirit was showing me that there are times that I might even be right about something but I still need Him to show me how He wants me to respond, knowing He is my defender and when I do and say what He shows me that it will turn out well for everyone – and He will get all the glory!
Romans 8:1-2 is such good news for us. “Therefore, there is no condemnation (no guilty verdict) for those who are in Christ Jesus (who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior). For the law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has set you free from the law of sin and death”.
As I turn my feet to follow and obey, I do it out of love and devotion to Jesus. My freedom from the law of sin and death has been paid for with the precious blood of Jesus and I dare not take that lightly. In my love relationship with Him I live in gratefulness to honor and bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The result of living in the Spirit is that I can rest in the truth that promises me that I am habitually putting to death the deeds of the flesh and that I share His spiritual blessing and inheritance. Romans 8:26 says that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses and so I want that help in my daily living and serving. This is also about loving others in the way that Jesus did and reflecting Him. Let’s read and study Romans 7 and 8 this whole month that will encourage us to listen to the call of the Holy Spirit as the sons and daughters of God. We cry out Abba Father! He will hear and respond.
“…if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6)
We look forward to next month at the feet of Jesus…
