"Made To Order"

"Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." (Psalms 119:133)

    Life is full of so many choices, it gets hard sometimes to figure out where we are at and where we left off. Here we have a very simple plan to try and keep that path we are on in focus, by simply staying in God's word and not letting our life run off in any strange direction. In the area of running or being in a race, this is quite often the case for us doing the things we need to do to stay in shape, and not doing the things that cause us to become out of shape. You would think that as long as you keep running you would be better and better at running; but it is really not that simple. There are certain things that we put into our bodies that we give us stamina, and there are things that we put into our bodies that will cause us to cramp up and feel weak. So too is the need for a strong diet of God's word in the life of the believer! If we are not feeding on God's word for direction and guidance, then where are we getting order from for our lives? This is not a joke, because there are so many different sources around us, every single day, that are trying to take us out of the race; whether that be the strange ways of the world, the need for competition in the workforce, family issues, or the enemy of our souls. If we are not feeding ourselves properly, then we are not going to be strong enough to run to win! This was Paul's point about running to win, that it takes determination and a plan. Jesus gave an illustration concerning this, as He spoke about those that go to war considering the strength of the enemy first, or those that build a house considering first if they have the resources or the materials. It is a matter of planning what it takes to win and what might be in the way of winning...

"And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; no not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." (Romans 6:8-14) NLT