Fast

Negative Talk Within Your Family

Life

Share with your family members what you love about them.

Reading

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 122:8

8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say,
    “May you have peace.”

Mark 3:25

25 Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.

Galatians 6:10

10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

1 Peter 2:17

17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.[a] Fear God, and respect the king.

1 John 3:9

9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life[a] is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.

BREAKING FREE DEVOTIONAL

© 5 Day Reading Plan by Beth Moore

ISAIAH 43:5-7

5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
    I will gather you and your children from east and west.
6 I will say to the north and south,
    ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel
    from the distant corners of the earth.
7 Bring all who claim me as their God,
    for I have made them for my glory.
    It was I who created them.’”

COLOSSIANS 1:24-27

24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. 25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

ROMANS 3:23

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

"BENEFIT TWO: TO GLORIFY GOD"

The more I study God’s glory, the more I’m convinced it is almost indefinable. God’s glory far exceeds anything we can comprehend in human terms. It’s the way He makes Himself known or shows Himself mighty. God’s glory is how He shows who He is.

The Greek word for glory in these New Testament references (doxa) is “the true apprehension of God or things. The glory of God must mean His unchanging essence. Giving glory to God is ascribing to him His full recognition …The glory of God is what He is essentially.” Doxa comes from another wonderful word, dokeo, meaning “to … think or suppose.” God’s glory is the way He makes Himself recognizable. 

God desires to be recognizable in us in all we do! A life that glorifies God is a life that reveals God. If you’re like me, you’re probably overwhelmed by the enormous responsibility of such a calling. We’re imperfect creatures! How do we help others recognize something about God just from watching our lives and knowing us? 

Paul announced the mystery that Christ Himself dwells in every believer. Romans 8:9 tells us that “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” The moment we received Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit of Christ took up residence in our inner being. 

Do you see the key? We have no hope whatsoever of God being recognizable in us if the Spirit of Christ does not dwell in us. If we are not occupied by the Holy Spirit, we have nothing of God in us for Him to show. 

We glorify God to the degree that we externalize the internal presence of the living Christ. A life that glorifies God is not something we suddenly attain. People living out the reality of liberation in Christ (Gal. 5:1; 2 Cor. 3:17) progress in an “ever-increasing glory.” As they grow in spiritual maturity, the Spirit of Christ becomes increasingly recognizable in them. So when Christ is not recognizable in a redeemed life, we want to identify and allow God to treat that area of captivity. God makes us aware of hindrances so He can set us free! 

Learning to dialogue with God in very personal ways is a crucial part of the freedom process. Share with Him your sincere response to today’s devotional.