The Word for Today

by Bob and Debby Gass

Text size: A- A+

‘I live by faith in the Son of God.’ Galatians 2:20 NKJV

A man who inherited an antique grandfather clock with a brass pendulum watched it push the big heavy weight back and forth. ‘What a burden for a 100-year-old clock to bear,’ he thought. So he opened the glass case and unhooked the pendulum.

‘Why did you remove my weight?’ the clock asked.

The man replied, ‘It was heavy and I wanted to lighten your load.’

The old clock exclaimed, ‘What you don’t understand is, it’s the weight that keeps me going!’

Paul said, ‘I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.’ God allows us to experience frustrations and burdens in order to develop our patience and humility and make us more dependent on Him. Unlike us, He knows ‘it’s the weight that keeps us going’.

That’s why: ‘The Lord disciplines those He loves… As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children… our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness.’ (Hebrews 12:6–11 NLT)

What ‘weight’ is God using to produce the nature of Christ in you? Paul goes on to say, ‘Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.’ (Colossians 3:5 KJV) The word ‘mortify’ is related to mortuary—a place where there’s nothing but dead bodies. In other words, instead of letting your earthly nature rule, ask the Holy Spirit to bring forth new life in you.

SoulFood: Ezek 1–4, Matt 21:1–11, Ps 119:161–168, Pro 19:3–8

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024

Select Specific Day

SMTWTFS
« JulSep »