And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.
Devotional: Every time we try to love our enemies and fail and try again, we discover ourselves a little more. God uses this trial to show us our own heart and allow us to become more spiritually mature.
I think this devotional applies beyond loving our enemies. I think it encompasses any commandment I try to fulfill, any good I try to do. You have led me to the wilderness, and although it’s only been 2 years and not 40, I have been humbled and tested; I have hungered and have been fed directly by You, just as You directly fed the Israelites manna from heaven. Any good I’ve ever tried to do, I’ve fallen. No matter what it was, I don’t think there was one instance in which I didn’t fall AT LEAST once, but typically more than that. Whether it’s service, or keeping You my number one, or remaining faithful to You, I have fallen time and again, and every time You’ve shown me a part of who I am, a part of what it is I need to work on. For that I am blessed. I am blessed that You use these times, these hardships, these shortcomings of mine to reveal to me who You made me to be and who I’ve made myself. I will say, though, it’s hard. It’s hard being in the wilderness. It’s hard falling and failing. It’s hard knowing that regardless of my best efforts, I will fall again. But I guess that’s why it’s so good that You are a faithful and merciful God.
God bless!
Marina
PLEASE KEEP THE PERSECUTED AND THOSE SERVING THEM, AS WELL AS THE ORPHANED IN YOUR PRAYERS!
St. Mark's Quiet Time 