Victory over the Oppressor

I believe that we daily face oppression by material things of this world and money is definately my strongest oppressor. It is not the paper or coins themselves but rather the things which it buys.

Reviewing my bank statement for this past month I noticed that it was pretty evenly distrubuted to the different needs in my life. Although, the area that always seems to lack is savings. This is not because I am trying to avoid storing my treasures on earth. My struggle is sticking closely to my budget so that my savings do not suffer.

My lack of savings does not line up with what I would like my priorities to be. My goal is to see my savings as untouchable. It is not to be used unless an unexpected need that I trully cannot live without arises.

Fifteen Minutes

As I prepared to complete the assignment to pray a passage for fifteen minutes for two days, I debated on what I would like to read. I finally chose Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our suffereings, knowing that produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produes hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

This passage has been very meaningful for me as I process my father's death. It has been so encouraging because so much good can come out of suffering.

As I read this passage my prayer became 'Lord, help me to rejoice in my loss so that it will produce endurance which builds character that produces hope i nthe reliance of your love. May I depend upon your love and the guidance of the Holy Spirit'.

I loved this exercise because it reminded me that praying God's Word can be so encouraging. God loves when we pray his words.

Taylor's Rules

God has really been challenging me in understanding humility for quite some time. As I read Taylor's rules I knew without yet reading the others that number one would be the one that comes most difficult to me. The following words from the devotion struck me the deepest, "Humility does not consist in critizing yourself, or wearing ragged clothes, or walking around submissively wherever you go. Humility consists in a realistic opinion of yourself, namely, that you are an unworthy person." So often in order to try to humble myself I will end up degrading myself. God never called us to think lesser of myself only to realize that I am a sinner. Knowledge and understanding of God's grace is what should bring humility.


The rule that comes most easily to me is to lift people up in encouragement. I don't want to tear people down with my words, but rather build them up especially their weaknesses.