You Will Never Be Independent
by Paul Tautges | February 20, 2023 7:57 am
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” – John 6:35
All good gifts, beginning with life itself, come from God. You will never be independent. The Lord sustains our lives physically. And every word from the mouth of God gives life. And, supremely, Jesus Christ is the bread of life. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am his dependent.”
Our dependency as created beings is compounded, complicated, and intensified by sins and by sufferings. To know ourselves truly is to know our need for help. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am poor and weak.”
The Lord is merciful to the wayward. He redeems the intrinsically sinful, forgetful, and blind. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am sinful– and I am forgiven.”
God is our Father. He adopts us in Christ and recreates us with a childlike heart by the power of the Spirit. We need parenting every day. We need tender care, patient instruction, and constructive discipline. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am God’s child.”
The Lord is our refuge. Our lives are beset by a variety of troubles, threats, and disappointments. We aren’t strong enough to stand up to what we face. God’s presence is the only safe place.
Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am a refugee.”
The Lord is our shepherd. He laid down his life for the sheep. He watches over our going out and coming in. We need looking after and continual oversight. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am a sheep in his flock.”
[*This devotional is the February 20th reading in Take Heart[1] by David Powlison.]
Related
Endnotes:- Take Heart: https://newgrowthpress.com/christian-books/devotionals-books/take-heart-daily-devotions-to-deepen-your-faith/
Source URL: https://counselingoneanother.com/2023/02/20/you-will-never-be-independent/
You Will Never Be Independent
by Paul Tautges | February 20, 2023 7:57 am
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” – John 6:35
All good gifts, beginning with life itself, come from God. You will never be independent. The Lord sustains our lives physically. And every word from the mouth of God gives life. And, supremely, Jesus Christ is the bread of life. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am his dependent.”
Our dependency as created beings is compounded, complicated, and intensified by sins and by sufferings. To know ourselves truly is to know our need for help. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am poor and weak.”
The Lord is merciful to the wayward. He redeems the intrinsically sinful, forgetful, and blind. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am sinful– and I am forgiven.”
God is our Father. He adopts us in Christ and recreates us with a childlike heart by the power of the Spirit. We need parenting every day. We need tender care, patient instruction, and constructive discipline. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am God’s child.”
The Lord is our refuge. Our lives are beset by a variety of troubles, threats, and disappointments. We aren’t strong enough to stand up to what we face. God’s presence is the only safe place.
Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am a refugee.”
The Lord is our shepherd. He laid down his life for the sheep. He watches over our going out and coming in. We need looking after and continual oversight. Faith knows and embraces this core identity: “I am a sheep in his flock.”
[*This devotional is the February 20th reading in Take Heart[1] by David Powlison.]
Related
Source URL: https://counselingoneanother.com/2023/02/20/you-will-never-be-independent/