Devotionals

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Never been a fan of feeling guilty, let alone actually being guilty. If it wasn't for rules, laws, and guidelines I'd be home-free! Oddly, though, even now as I live my life as 'proper' as I can, there are times when I sense the guilt, sense the shame, and even sense the judgement creeping back over my soul... that, "you've done something wrong" feeling that creeps back into my life... especially when things are 'too good to be true', or when nothing bad has happened in a long time, or maybe just that "I must be due for some more trials by now" sense of timing in life. Almost as though living a good, solid, wholesome and Godly life is actually a bad thing and you should be experiencing anguish, woes, and utter chaos by now. While none of us is beyond being guilty, none of us is beyond being wrong, and none of us is beyond failures, flaws, and quirky misgivings, the Lord's view of us never, EVER changes.

But, it is very, very hard to think like the Lord, to look on things the way He does, to even view myself with His eyes, with His heart, with His forgiveness. But, Romans 8:1-2 reminds us; "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.", which is certainly a clear message that the guilt and shame 'can' move our lives in the wrong way when we walk in the flesh, and not 'after the Spirit'. Now, that is great comfort as a sentence, but it is colossally harder in practice to walk in the Spirit, for we are fleshly people. We are of this earth. We are human. We are innately fallible, so no wonder the guilt hovers over our lives.

But, those lies that "it will always be that way" are just what the enemy wants you to hear. In John 10:27, Jesus actually told us; "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:", which IS the voice to which we must listen to walk in the Spirit... to avoid walking in the flesh... to thwart that guilt, that shame, that condemning aura that plagues our hope.

How?
Walking in the Spirit is no easy task... initially. See... our flesh wants utter control... our flesh considers itself 'all in charge' and getting directions from an outer source is very contrary. Oddly, we 'do' still get directions from those guilt feelings, from those judgmental shame pangs, and from those condemning thoughts and feelings... right! Walking in the Spirit is a matter of following His voice, following His leading, and following His will for your life.

Isaiah 30:21 encourages us with; "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.", which is a clear explanation of how we are to walk in the Spirit. His voice in our ear, His voice in our hearts, and His voice in the core of our soul guides us as we turn to the right or to the left... His is a voice that we hear because "we are His sheep"... His is a voice that does not spew condemnation... His is a voice that does not play the Shame Game!

G.W. Bill Elliott, Jr. MDiv
VocalBillity Devotionals - http://vocalbillity.blogspot.com

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