Memory Monday #2

Whew! That week went by fast! It's "MEMORY MONDAY" again. How did you do on your verse last week?

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone the new has come!"
II Corinthians 5:17

The old has gone...YES!... and the new has come! Time to PAR-TAY! The more I read and studied this verse, the more excited I became. "Therefore, if ANYONE is in Christ...wait, did that say "anyone"? Do you think that means "anyone" such as the lady down the street who had an abortion as a teenager, but then found the Lord later in life and asked to be forgiven? Or the drug-addicted, strung-out dad around the corner who lost his family to drugs, went to prison, and found the Lord while serving his time behind bars? It does say, "anyone IN Christ..." And all anyone has to do to be IN Christ, is turn from their old ways, repent of their sins, ask Jesus to come into their hearts, and be baptized. Amazing! Talk about a God full of mercy and grace. Off with the old and in with the new.


However, keep in mind, doing the right thing is not always the easiest thing. It's a challenge to resist temptation and stay pure in heart. The stresses of "life" can deplete us from the strength we need to get things done and in some cases even getting out of bed each morning. We find ourselves growing weary; emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, then when the going gets tough, it's hard to get going. Take a look at this week's verse found in Isaiah.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
Isaiah 40:29

Do you feel weak? Do you need more energy to run your race? A personal relationship with God gives us strength that can keep us going. Participating in prayer, reading the Bible and living close to God gives us power that only God can provide. When we believe and trust what we read in scripture and in how God works, our hope is sustained. This strong belief and hope, grounded in scripture, can give us strength. (Yet another reason to share in Memory Monday's!)

So, I'll ask again...how is your strength? How much time do you dedicate to renewing this strength? Why not have some one-on-one time with God now and see if your strength becomes stronger.

Because of Him,