Today I am coming at y’all refreshed. Instead of pushing this devotion out as I struggle to keep my eyes open, my kids were still asleep when I got home and I was able to slip into bed and get a nap in early. And what a good day to sit down to compose this message. We have one week left in June, and then we are halfway through the year. Which means 2020 is almost half-way over. Thank the Lord. But as bad as 2020 has seemed, let me help you flip it.
The devil created a virus to kill many. Many found their way home to the Lord early. Plot twist. Governments ordered people to shelter in place, businesses to close. Many decried being locked inside. The world just got an unprecedented pause, and all the time in the world to connect to family and God. Plot twist. Sports cancelled. Concerts cancelled. Church gatherings cancelled. Quality time with the Bible and connected to a global church strengthened. Plot twist. Realizing 2020 is not working out for the devil like planned, he managed to orchestrate the brutal killing of innocent men and attempted to incite a racial divide throughout the world. The world stood up to racial injustice and finally said enough is enough. PLOT TWIST.
I do not know how the rest of this year is going to fall apart. But I know one thing for sure: what the enemy is meaning for evil, God will work out for the good. So let’s flip it for the rest of 2020, let’s not let the devil catch us off guard. Let’s live every day for Jesus and spread His love to reach the entire world. As Miss Jamie Grace explains in her amazing new song below, if we can’t do something about it, we can’t live about it.
June 24
10I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. (1 Corinthians 1:10)
The Church in Corinth was suffering from many woes. According to the Jesus Bible, the Church in Corinth suffered from “divisions, abuse of liberty, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and the influence of false teachings” (The Jesus Bible, pg. 1772). In other words, a lot of what America is suffering from today. Hopefully as you read 1 Corinthians last week, it resonated with your soul. In the verse above Paul addressed the divisions in the church. Those are divisions that have distracted the Christian church throughout history. We are one body, yet look at all the different denominations that make up the “Christian Church:” Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, all claiming to be referencing the same source material but drawing very different interpretations of it. Luckily, we have advanced as a society and these different religions no longer kill each other over minor details. But it is still a distraction. The focus needs to be praising God, Jesus and loving everyone as ourselves. That’s it. If that’s not your church’s focus, find a new church, or a new “religion.” You would be better off staying home and continuing to watch Elevation Church every week. That is a church that unites and makes a difference.
Reading plan: 2 Corinthians 1, 2, 3
Deeper reading plan: Proverbs 10, 11, 12
Prayer and meditation: Pray for our country. Pray for love to conquer all. Pray that Christ infects our hearts and ignites a final fire of revival to sweep this land.
Fitness challenge: we’re on week three of our new 7 exercise challenge. This week we are up to 3 rounds of 25 reps each. And for that handstand wall-walk, let’s bump it up to ten reps! Get those shoulders strong!
- Hand-release push-up
- Single Leg Glute Bridge (25 each leg)
- Jumping Sumo Squats
- Handstand Wall Walk (up and down is one rep)x10
- Frozen V sit (hold each set for ten seconds)
- Reverse lunge with leg raise (25 each leg)
- Burpees
Common Sense Reborn 