Devotional 181108

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. It is so good to be back to my morning routine again - to spend quality and quantity time with the Lord. It was like missing a good breakfast when I was too busy to enjoy the presence of God yesterday. It is essential to my health to eat right and act right; it is not for legalistic reason not to eat breakfast. I chose to eat breakfast and spend time with Christ because they are essential for my well being. If I don’t, I may not suffer any imminent consequence. But I will definitely hurt myself at the end. So don’t tell God that you can’t find time for Him nor you are too busy to take care of your own health, you will suffer from doing so.
If there is any remnant of individual conceit left, it always says, "I can't" (Remember, the opposite of pride is inferiority). The personality that God designs never says "I can't," but simply absorbs and absorbs (a little child is always daring to explore life and accept challenges). Personality always wants more and more. It is the way we are built. We are designed with a great capacity for God; and sin and our individuality are the things that keep us from getting at God. God delivers us from sin: we have to deliver our selves from individuality, i.e., to present our natural life to God and sacrifice it until it is transformed into a spiritual life by obedience. Therefore don’t tell God what you can’t do in the Bible. If you do, you are telling God that you know better than Him, and you are still in the driver seat.
God does not pay any attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His order runs right across the natural life, and we have to see that we aid and support God, not stand against Him and say - I can't do that. God will not discipline us; we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring every thought and imagination into captivity; we have to do it just as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:5. Do not say - O Lord, I suffer from wandering thoughts. Don't suffer from wandering thoughts. Stop listening to the tyranny of your individuality and get emancipated out into God designed personality. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Do not substitute 'Savior' for 'Son.' The Savior sets us free from sin (this is the accomplishment that Christ has done on the cross for those who trusts in Him); the freedom that we enjoy thereafter each day is being set free by the Son who lives in us. It is what Paul means in Gal. 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ," his natural individuality has been broken and his personality united with his Lord, not merged with the Lord but united with Him. "You shall be free indeed," free in essence, and free from inside out. We will insist on actively pursue this unity with Christ, instead of being energized passively into identification with Jesus.
The freedom that we can experience in life lies in Christ. When we abide in Him each day, we participate in this freedom that only Christ can offer. Therefore, the more we abide in Him each day, the more we realize how wonderful this freedom we can have in Christ. We will no longer be bound in sins, in fear, in pride or in worries. We are free to be the kind of personality that God designs us to be.
Hope you will enjoy your union with Christ today.
Love you because of His freedom in me,
Lawrence