I just have to share something with you about Romans 8:37. It says, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." I mentioned this verse in my post about the pumpkin devotion.
For so many years, I really didn't understand what this verse was really supposed to mean. I could relate to being a conqueror - but I always wondered what God meant by being MORE THAN A CONQUEROR. I think I've finally started to get the picture. It started about three years ago when Chris and I got to go Israel for the first time. Our tour guide is Rimon - and he has so much biblical and historical knowledge that we could hardly keep up with him much of the time. Some time after the trip, I came across Romans 8:37 again, and God helped me recall some of Rimon's words.
In biblical times there were so many different kings and kingdoms - some large kingdoms, but also many city-states. If a king wanted to grow his kingdom, he might decide to attack a city-state, destroy it, and either kill or mutilate its king. If he could do this, you might say he had "conquered" that kingdom. What more could he do to be MORE than a conqueror then? Well, once all the city was captured and the king and all his people were dead or taken captive - the king would keep all the spoils of the war! He received wealth and riches and spoils from the conquered city. Then the new king would take over this new territory and use it for the purposes of his own kingdom. That's a picture of us!
See, until Christ - the King of Kings - came and rescued us, we were in a besieged city! We were captive and condemned to death. Anyone who is in Christ, though, is now free. We are conquerors. We have freedom from the penalty of our sin, and we also have freedom from he power of sin! We have victory over sin! But even THAT is not the end of the story for us! God gives us opportunities to see Him take possession of our past and transform it into riches for His Kingdom by using it to accomplish His kingdom purposes! Only a holy, soveriegn God can accomlish the miracle of making us more than conquerors! Taking over enemy territory...for God's Kingdom...What a mighty God we serve!
Need some practical pictures of people who are more than conquerors? Imagine somebody who once stuggled with anger. Now they're set free from anger: conqueror. Then God uses them to help others overcome their anger: more than a conqueror.
Imagine a young woman with a strong will and rebellious spirit. Later, in Christ, she is so fully submitted to God that she surrenders to her calling of poverty on the mission field: conqueror. God uses her surrendered sense of determination, perseverence, and long-suffering to change the face of international missions: more than a conqueror. (Lottie Moon...)
Imagine somebody who once struggled with alcohol. God strengthens them and they are no longer ruled by this thirst: conqueror. Then God makes them a policeman with a passion for pulling over drunk drivers...so he can help save their lives from destruction: more than a conqueror.
Imagine somebody who struggled with impure thoughts. They rely on God to maintain a consistently pure thought life: conqueror. They later help others by passing on their testimony of God's purifying work in their own lives...perhaps their own children...:more than a conqueror.
If you find yourself having to walk on what was once enemy territory in your life, and you choose to glorify God and assist others traveling through that same territory, you are more than a conqueror, too. Please leave a comment - share how God has made you more than a conqueror. Who knows what kind of spoils it might leave at the feet of your King.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Loving Fall Time: Pumpkin Devotion
It's fall time! It's my favorite season of the year. So, I will post some reasons why fall is so special to me over the next couple of days.
Fall has always been special to me for simple reasons like watching the leaves turn colors and feeling the air turn cooler. My Dad used to make homemade apple cider, and that was always so tasty! But as an adult, there have been some other reasons God has given me to cherish fall time.
Perhaps some of you grew up with the tradition of the Pumpkin Devotion. I'd never heard of it until about eight years ago! For anyone who hasn't ever heard about it, this is just wonderful! I do this with my kids each year now as an alternative to Halloween.
The pumpkin symbolizes the human heart. The kids and I cut it open together and make a big deal about just how yucky (big vocab, I know!) the inside of the pumpkin really is! Then we experience how very difficult it is to clean out all the GOO (yes, more big vocab). We stop and discuss how the human heart is full of sin (Jeremiah 17:9, Matt. 15:18-20). But Jesus loved us so much - even before we knew Him - that He was willing to die so that we could have that terrible sin removed from our hearts (Romans 5:8, John 3:16). But praise God! He did not leave us empty! Oh, no - You know, we would never clean out a pumpkin and leave it that way! We continue the work of carving a face on it and putting a candle or light inside of it. God's work in our lives doesn't stop with forgiveness either! See, forgiveness is the work of of the Son of God FOR us. But once we become His child...His little "punkin'" - He fills us with His Holy Spirit! That's the work of the Spirit of God IN us! So, at this this point, the kids and I carve a cross or happy face in the pumpkin (I prefer a cross, personally) and place a candle inside of it. The picture this creates for us is that the lost world is dark, and if we are filled with the Light of Jesus Christ, we will be a picture of the cross to them.
The completed pumkin symbolizes to me the new creation I am in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). This year as I cleaned out the pumpkin, I was faced with the decision of what to do with the seeds and yucky goo (you've learned my big vocab, now, haven't you!). I really just wanted to throw it away and be done with it. That stuff's really gross! But the kids love to toast the seeds and eat them. Well, this really struck me, when I considered what God does with my yucky goo - all the sin of my past and all the seeds of the flesh I have sown. He cleans all of that out of my heart and forgives me - but He then turns it into something useful and even beautiful! Think about verses like Ecclesiastes 3:11 (He has made everything beautiful in its time.), Romans 8:28 and 8:37 (...in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose; ...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors...), and Psalms 130:7-8 (...and with him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from alltheir sins.). God doesn't just throw away the seeds and yucky stuff! He redeems that, too! He's redeemed everything about me! That means it now belongs to Him, and He can do with it as He pleases. He uses it for good. He can use me inspite of all I've done. He allows me to pass on the things He's taught me from my mistakes and sins. He's given me an opportunity to be a picture of His cross, a vessel of His light, and more than a conqueror! I'm His lil' punkin.
Fall has always been special to me for simple reasons like watching the leaves turn colors and feeling the air turn cooler. My Dad used to make homemade apple cider, and that was always so tasty! But as an adult, there have been some other reasons God has given me to cherish fall time.
Perhaps some of you grew up with the tradition of the Pumpkin Devotion. I'd never heard of it until about eight years ago! For anyone who hasn't ever heard about it, this is just wonderful! I do this with my kids each year now as an alternative to Halloween.
The pumpkin symbolizes the human heart. The kids and I cut it open together and make a big deal about just how yucky (big vocab, I know!) the inside of the pumpkin really is! Then we experience how very difficult it is to clean out all the GOO (yes, more big vocab). We stop and discuss how the human heart is full of sin (Jeremiah 17:9, Matt. 15:18-20). But Jesus loved us so much - even before we knew Him - that He was willing to die so that we could have that terrible sin removed from our hearts (Romans 5:8, John 3:16). But praise God! He did not leave us empty! Oh, no - You know, we would never clean out a pumpkin and leave it that way! We continue the work of carving a face on it and putting a candle or light inside of it. God's work in our lives doesn't stop with forgiveness either! See, forgiveness is the work of of the Son of God FOR us. But once we become His child...His little "punkin'" - He fills us with His Holy Spirit! That's the work of the Spirit of God IN us! So, at this this point, the kids and I carve a cross or happy face in the pumpkin (I prefer a cross, personally) and place a candle inside of it. The picture this creates for us is that the lost world is dark, and if we are filled with the Light of Jesus Christ, we will be a picture of the cross to them.
The completed pumkin symbolizes to me the new creation I am in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). This year as I cleaned out the pumpkin, I was faced with the decision of what to do with the seeds and yucky goo (you've learned my big vocab, now, haven't you!). I really just wanted to throw it away and be done with it. That stuff's really gross! But the kids love to toast the seeds and eat them. Well, this really struck me, when I considered what God does with my yucky goo - all the sin of my past and all the seeds of the flesh I have sown. He cleans all of that out of my heart and forgives me - but He then turns it into something useful and even beautiful! Think about verses like Ecclesiastes 3:11 (He has made everything beautiful in its time.), Romans 8:28 and 8:37 (...in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose; ...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors...), and Psalms 130:7-8 (...and with him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from alltheir sins.). God doesn't just throw away the seeds and yucky stuff! He redeems that, too! He's redeemed everything about me! That means it now belongs to Him, and He can do with it as He pleases. He uses it for good. He can use me inspite of all I've done. He allows me to pass on the things He's taught me from my mistakes and sins. He's given me an opportunity to be a picture of His cross, a vessel of His light, and more than a conqueror! I'm His lil' punkin.
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