From the Edges – Doing What I DO – Morning Devotional

From the Edges – Morning Devotional

Doing What I Do –

Pastor Calvin Cook – September 13, 2024

Scripture focus – Romans 7: 21-25  So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

There is a great struggle that we don’t want to often admit to that is going on in our life. That struggle if we are seeking Jesus is really trying to discern, what we are doing and why? This became really clear to me in last nights “prayers of Compline” or the last talk we have with God before resting. My thoughts stemmed from the day. I left home at 8:30AM and did not return until 11:30PM. I shared this with Gail and my friend James as a grand announcement when we had arrived home. However, during my prayer time I heard the Holy Spirit ask “are you bragging or complaining?” Awkward silence on my part, you know the type of silence that overtakes when you really don’t want to answer a question. There seems to be a lot of that going on lately as I am feverishly trying to determine the next steps in many areas of my life.    

The next question the Holy Spirit asked which kept lingering through the night “why are you doing what you do?” I am really trying to live into the idea that everything I do is for God’s glory. I am doing what I do for the will of God to be lived out in my life, but why? Is it for me or is it for the glory of God. I am genuinely desiring the will of God to be lived out but what keeps this from happening? I and other things get in the way.

Then in the early hours of prayer this morning the question kept lingering “Why do you do what you do?” This question bleeds out in so many different areas to figure out why we are doing what we do. For whose glory and purpose? Then Romans 7 is opened up especially the verses 7-25 which deals with “the Law and Sin”.  Is it sin and self that is keeping me from doing what is right? I humbly answer – Yes! What about you are you being convicted at all ? Seriously make a list of everything you did yesterday and be more aware of it today! For whose glory and purpose are you trying to fulfill?

I know, I know, I know that we must work, we have to deal with problems, we have to earn a living but how are we accomplishing all of this, through the power of God and for the glory of God or for self. Has sin taken us over, the control of our mind by sinfulness, or are we allowing the love of God to transform us into the person we need to be.

I am already amazed at what I have written, and I realize that I could probably go on but I will allow the Holy Spirit to talk me through everything I must encounter and do today. I will hopefully not get in the way of the Holy Spirit moving, guiding, directing, even chastising me today. For the benefit and confession of some I was with yesterday – I no longer want the Holy Spirit at the back of the bus. I want, I need that direction in my life to get me through the muck and mire of everything.

It is a brave and courageous prayer to pray but I’m praying it – “Have your way, in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” – “Your will not mine be done on earth as it is in heaven”  Amen