Corona Devo 2008


Can we see which way these marigolds on my front porch are leaning?  
They are craving sunlight, and hence they are growing in the direction that will lead them closer to that nourishment.

How about us?  

Which way are we leaning today?  Toward who, or what?  

If we are craving God and His will and ways (nourishment!) for our lives...then we must make the decisions, choices, and efforts to grow in His direction.  

And the Lord has some advice for us if we want to grow into a full experience of salvation with Him.  (And we do.)

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.  ~I Peter 2:1

~~~

Dear Lord, cleanse me of anything that breaks Your heart.  Amen.

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit...  ~I Peter 2:1

Are we untruthful in what we are doing or saying?  God says for us to get rid of all deceit.  All lying, fabrication, embellishing, hiding (even a little!) of the truth: get rid of and be done with all deceit.

Do we leave details out sometimes in order to support our argument or version?  
Do we sometimes add (fabricated) details/energy/emotion in to win-over others to our side?

Be done with that, God says to us today.  It's evil, the Bible says.  (So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit...  ~I Peter 2:1)

Be done with that (deceit) today.

~~~

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all...hypocrisy...  ~I Peter 2:1

Hypocrisy--what is it?

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines hypocrisy as feigning to be what one is not, or to believe what one does not.  Behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel.  

If that is the definition of hypocrisy, then we can, then we must look through this hypocrisy-lens at our lives and at how we are living for the Lord. 

Are we (as Merriam-Webster puts it), feigning to be what we are not, spiritually speaking?

Do we have/exhibit/continue-in sin or behavior that contradicts what we claim to believe?  

Ouch!  This Bible-stuff is hard.  God gets into our business through His Word, doesn't He?  
Yes, He does, and that is His goal. 
Why? 
So that we will become more like Him and so that we will grow into a full experience of salvation with Him (I Peter 2:2).

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all...hypocrisy...  ~I Peter 2:1

~~~

Are we still l-e-a-n-i-n-g toward the Light (of Christ), like the marigolds on my porch leaning toward the sunlight?  

Keep it up!  And let's keep getting rid of our evil behavior.

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all...jealousy...  ~I Peter 2:1

What are we jealous of?  Fame?  Status?  Approval?  Intellect?  Beauty?  Money?

Really?

These earthy "straws" will burn up in the end.  

Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. (13) But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. (14) If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. (15) But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.  ~I Corinthians 3:12-15

Don't be jealous of the wrong kind of riches and beauty.  Get rid of all evil behavior. 

And today is a good day to evaluate what we are jealous of, and why.  

The Bible prompts us to be done with all...jealousy today, and God also tells us what we should aspire to be like, and it ain't a super model or a millionaire:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. (4) Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.  ~I Peter 3:3-4

Jealousy, the Bible says, is an evil behavior.  Let's be done with it today.  

~~~

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all...all unkind speech.  ~I Peter 2:1

Period.

I could give a million (unkind) examples of how to fall prey to this evil behavior, because...I fall prey to this evil behavior of unkind speech.  

But instead of citing examples (we all have thm)...let's just lean toward the Lord and His ways.  Get rid of unkind speech in our lives today.  Let's lean over and into God's Light today.  Be done with all...unkind speech (I Peter 2:1).  

Crave God and be fed like a baby on His pure spiritual milk.  Let's get rid of all evil behavior today. 

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. (2) Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, (3) now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.  ~I Peter 2:1-3

Cry out for this nourishment, Brothers and Sisters in Christ!  

The other stuff isn't nourishing, it's evil!  The deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and unkind speech drains us and mal-nourishes our spirit and hearts.  But Jesus gives us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).

~~~

Can others see which way we are leaning today?  

If we are craving Christ, then we will be growing in His direction, and by the direction of the Bible: and this will allow us to grow into a full experience of salvation.

Let's get rid of all evil behavior today and let's (instead) cry out for the Lord's nourishment,
 

Blessings, 

Sarah 

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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