Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

I woke up this morning a little confused of the date. I was off by a week. Realizing that I searched my computer files for my latest devotional to post. It was empty. I did not have one prepared. That is unusual for me. I was at a loss, first the date, now resource materials.

Now it is quiet time. Time to get inspired. Blanks, I am shooting blanks. Nothing seems to be within my reach. Maybe I need to do some bible study. Maybe the Word will speak to me, so I open up my bible app and there it is, Romans 8:1, my all-time favorite reminder.

Romans 8:1 has been my go to verse for a long time. It is my centering verse. Where am I? What am I doing? Are you in the Spirit or in the flesh? Those questions seem easy to me now but there was a time when it was not so easy to tell. I’ve forgotten how difficult the past was for me. Romans 8:1 didn’t always hold this same significance for me.

I can barely remember now that moment when the light when on for me when the depth of understanding of what Romans 8:1 revealed. It sounds simple now but it wasn’t that way so many years ago. I’ve lost touch with how it feels to be lost and wandering. I’ve lost touch with how it feels to be truly alone.

How can I express to those reading right now what it feels like to be truly found for the first time, if I cannot remember being lost? I can remember back to a time before Christ, way back when I was stupid, naïve, and pleasure seeking. That kid didn’t know he was lost.

Are you lost?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I’ve always focused on the word everything in this verse. It was my way of dealing with bad experiences. I thought if bad things happened to me, then it was God’s will. I was wrong.

Here is God’s will for us; to be joyous, to pray, to be thankful. God does not will bad things to happen to His people. We do however have to suffer the consequences of our choices in life. It is not God’s fault if we did not seek His counsel before making those choices.

Some of the bad stuff happens because we are human, frail, and time has its way with us. That isn’t God’s will for us either. His will is for us to remain joyous, prayerful and thankful despite the circumstances. The way we respond to adversity marks us as being His.

Life has scarred me. Not as bad as others I grant you, but I haven’t escaped this life without some wounds. My joy is that I have not gone through them alone. He has been with me through it all. I pray because I can. I am thankful and give Him praise because He is worthy.

My takeaway here is this. It isn’t God’s will that bad things happen to you. It is His will that those things do not lessen the love He has placed in you.