Romans 8:14-15
Thoughts from Chad Smith
Dive Deeper
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.”
Romans 8:14-15
Behind the Scenes
I’ve been reading through Genesis, and this verse resonates deeply with early passages in scripture. It’s a theme Christians struggle with since the beginning of time when we are not led by the Spirit of God, and when we do not embrace the fact that we are sons and daughters of the King Most High. The earliest stories of the Bible speak to God’s people being enslaved (the Israelites). After they were freed, they still acted as though they were enslaved, and many of them were living in a mentality that held them mentally captive.
Does that sound familiar? Oh, how our culture is riddled with fear and anxiety today! It’s nothing new, and it dates to the earliest human documentation. It may look different culturally, but our mentally enslaved state is the same when we don’t embrace the truth of our adoption as His beloved children.
The story that speaks the most to me in the earliest chapters of the Bible is when God provided daily mana that fell from heaven. Every single day, the Israelites would wake up with sustenance- with what they needed. If they gathered too much, it would be full of maggots the next day. God was demonstrating to His people that He will provide what we need DAILY.
God is not our employer waiting to tell us if we’ve done a good job at the end of the day. His desire is that we will be led by His Holy Spirit and join in His dance, just like Brian spoke about last week. Our relationship with Him is meant to be condemnation free, shame free, anxiety free, and free from fear.
Make it Real
Do you walk in faith as though you are adopted as heirs to God’s Kingdom? Or do you find yourself riddled with anxiety, fear, or shame? Something that I’ve been convicted to do lately is to spend time with God every single day, because every single day when I wake up, my selfishness increases unless I go to my Father in Heave who gives me what I need.
I encourage you this week to think of your relationship with God like the Israelites and fresh manna. God gives us what we need every single day, but we do have to go to Him and glean from His presence. Why do we starve ourselves and wonder where God is? Why do we eat from His table once a week and owner why we lack His peace in our lives? James 4:8 tells us to draw near to Him, and He will draw near to us. Tomorrow when you wake up, ask God what his manna is for you. Ask for The Holy Spirit to fill you and speak to you.
Ali Bair
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
Dear God, today I ask for Your Holy Spirit in my life. I want to receive all the goodness that You have for me. I am sorry for the times when I starve myself and wonder where You are in my life. Just like the Israelites, I ask for Your spiritual manna to provide all that I need today, and every day. May I make this a daily practice to remember that You are everything that I need in life, and more. I welcome You into my life today, Amen!