Podcast (daily-devotion): Download (7.8MB)
[expand title=”Devotion Text”]1 Thessalonians 4:3-7
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
When I was young, growing up in Perry, Oklahoma, I listened to the St. Louis Cardinal baseball games on my little transistor radio. The Yankees were my favorite team (Mickey Mantle and Bobby Mercer were both from Oklahoma), but there was no way I could pick up the New York games. So, I listened to the Cardinals…at least I tried to. The static and interference always presented a challenge. I usually lost the broadcast in the bottom of the ninth, two runners on, the score tied, and Orlando Cepeda at the plate. Then I had to wait until the next day when I read the Perry Daily Journal to see whether or not Cepeda delivered. Static can play havoc on a transistor radio broadcast…and static can play havoc in your life.
One of the things that can get in the way of clearly hearing God’s voice is…sinful static. God lays before us a clear message of what he expects—his revealed will (It is God’s will that you should be sanctified (NIV)—or set apart). But when we do not follow God’s revealed will, the “sinful static” keeps us from hearing his specific will for our lives. For instance, if a single person prays, “God, I really need to know what you want me to do with my life,” but is sexually involved, the “sinful static” interrupts the reception. In essence, God says, “Why do you want to know my specific will when you are unwilling to follow my revealed will?”
Discovering God’s will is not just looking to the future; it takes stock of the present. Do you need to get rid of some sinful static so you can clearly hear God’s voice?
Talking Points
- Ask God to reveal the “sinful static” in your life.
- Confess the area of “sinful static” and receive his promised forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
Father, I desire to know exactly what you want me to do. I do not want to live this one and only life and miss your will. Show me my sinful static. Help me confess it and deal with it. Please rid the static so I can hear you loud and clear. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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