Thought for November 11, 2024

• 1620: Mayflower Compact signed
• 1647: First compulsory school attendance law in America--Massachusetts
• 1750: First college fraternity formed--Williamsburg
• 1793: William Carey lands in India to begin his missionary career
• 1807: Washington Irving is the first to call NYC--Gotham
• 1865: Mary Edward Walker awarded the Medal of Honor--Army's first female surgeon
• 1909: Construction of naval base at Pearl Harbor begins
• 1918: WWI Armistice--11th month, 11th day, 11th hour
• 1921: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier dedicated
• 1926: Route 66 established
• 1938: Kate Smith sings "God Bless America" for the first time
• 1940: Willys unveils the Jeep
• 1972: Dow moves above 1000 for the first time
• Born: Dostoyevsky, George Patton, Kurt Vonnegut
• Died: Nat Turner, Soren Kierkagaard, David Lipscomb [one of the founders of Nashville Bible School, now Lipscomb University], Liliuokalani [last Queen of Hawaii], Typhoid Mary, Alexander Calder, Yasser Arafat

Thought:

Romans 12:1-2 are oft quoted and important verses. When I read these verses I see the answer to the question, "what is my role in the ministry of Jesus?" As I read 12:2, my job is to prove, give evidence, be exhibit one in the proof of what God's will is---be good, acceptable to God, and perfect as the Father is perfect. My daily life should give truthful evidence of what it means to do and be within God's will. So, I must daily ask, when the world examines the evidence I provide, what do they think about the will of God. Would they look at me and listen to me and say, "now we know what God intends our lives to look like." 

My problem is that God's will is good, acceptable and perfect and I am not. I look back at 12:1-2 to see what I need to do. 

• Do not conform to the world. Do not yield to temptation, to compromise, to just getting along. Jesus is not like the world, so I need to be careful to avoid conforming to the world view, the world attitude, the world solutions.
• Be transformed. Jesus is not in the business of patching up my life. He is making all things new and conforming me to His image. I need to be transformed--that is what Jesus described as being born again. Transformation requires me to sacrifice my will to His. The more He controls, the more holy and acceptable I become. 
• Renew my mind. I think this is a constant job. I live in the world and it tries to influence me. I must go to His Word  and talk to Him in prayer to renew, adjust , transform my thinking to His. For as a man thinks, so is he. 

Now I notice something interesting--verse one tells me that God is merciful. He does not give me what I deserve. He is patient in His mercy, allowing me to fail and repent and continue to grow into the likeness of Christ. Then, I look down at verse 3, where Paul refers to the grace given to him. Grace is God giving us something we do not merit or deserve. So my sacrifice is covered by God's mercy and God's grace. Without His mercy and grace, I would fail in giving evidence of His will in my life. Praise God!

Blessings

Larry