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I Obtained Mercy and So Can You
by Elizabeth Marks And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 1 Timothy 1:12-13 NKJV Oh how this verse speaks to me personally. As I read, I can easily put my name in this verse. It might go something like this: Elizabeth thanks Christ Jesus our Lord who has enable me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a hater of God, mocker of those who believe and disobedient to His ways; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Years ago, my husband and I used to have conversations about religion. Wed say things like, religion is for the weak or religion is a crutch, etc. Oh how foolish we were! Now, having been born again with Gods Spirit living in us, we are so grateful He has enabled us to believe the truth. We are weak and we do need a crutch Jesus Christ who enables us to live rightly before God and grants us eternal life when we believe on Him. It is through Jesus we have strength, but we have to humbly accept Him. Thats hard for some. It took me 32 years! If you ever have a hard time understanding a section of scripture, try this. 1) Pray for wisdom and understanding. 2) Make it personal. Insert your name where possible to see what it reveals. Its a good exercise. It might be an eye-opener for you. 3) Finish by praying again, perhaps something like: Lord, thank you for revealing your truth to me in a way I hadnt seen before. Thank you for your Spirit to guide me through this process of discovery, giving me the courage I need to understand my weaknesses and to accept You as the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Jesus name Amen. Copyright Elizabeth Marks, author of ThinkOnIt Devotions, has a heart for encouraging believers with God's Word. Please visit http://www.ThinkOnItDevotions.com for more devotions, bible studies, book reviews and more! Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |