Romans 1.16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel,
for it is the power of God for salvation
to everyone who believes,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God
is revealed from faith for faith,
as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
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In addition to being like roots, the Word, prayer, and community are also like power cords. I imagine I have a corded power tool, but no outlet. I’d be spinning that drill manually and it would be exhausting, terrible work! But if I find an outlet, everything changes! The work becomes easy and light (Matthew 11.28-30).
But I consider this as well: I have the same drill, I have the outlet, but the plug on the drill is cut off. I’m back to spinning the drill manually.
So it is with me and the power of the Gospel. I am an instrument and tool in the hands of the Lord. The Gospel is the power of God (the outlet), and the power cords are the Word, prayer, and Gospel community. If I’m the drill, with the Gospel there waiting to empower me, but I don’t utilize the proper cords to connect me to the power source, I will be spiritually lifeless. Likewise, if I have those cords, but they are not actually bringing me before the Good News and are just simply spiritual habits or empty religious works, there will be no power.
Think also of a well with water. I can’t get water without the bucket, and a bucket is also useless if when it’s dropped into the well it stops one foot above the surface of the water. The goal of my time in the Word, in prayer, and with God’s people should always be to bring me face to face with the life-transforming power of the message of the Gospel of Jesus. If it is just for good advice, or to check off a box, any kind of spiritual success I may see will be short-lived and empty, not to mention exhausting and unsustainable in the long term.
Spiritual disciplines
can trim the roots of sin,
but only the Gospel
can pull the roots out.
-John Owen
Good habits and routines are essential, but a bread truck with no bread in it is worthless to the hungry. These wonderful gifts are meant to deliver the Bread of Life to me each day so that I can be face to face with the One who truly transforms my life.
Do I often feel like I’m just running on a treadmill, like a power drill being manually turned, getting nowhere and accomplishing nothing? What must I do to change my approach to being empowered by the Gospel?
Read Again Out Loud by Making it a Prayer:
Romans 1.16-17
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I Shall Not be Moved
Hank Williams, Modernized
Personalize and Read or Pray Aloud:
On His Word I’m feeding, I shall not be moved
On truth I’m meditating, I shall not be moved
Just like a tree that’s planted by the water,
I shall not be moved
I shall not be, I shall not be moved
I shall not be, I shall not be moved
Just like a tree that’s planted by the water
I shall not be moved
In my prayers I’m kneeling,
I shall not be moved
To His will I’m yielding,
I shall not be moved
Just like a tree
that’s planted by the water,
I shall not be moved
With His people dwelling,
we shall not be moved
Fighting for the Gospel,
we shall not be moved
Just like a tree
that’s planted by the water,
We shall not be moved
We shall not be, we shall not be moved
We shall not be, we shall not be moved
Just like a tree that’s planted by the water
We shall not be moved
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Pray Aloud:
Father, be glorified in __________ ,
let Your Kingdom and will be done,
in and through __________ as it is in Heaven.
Give _________ daily bread,
and thank You for Your forgiveness.
Help me to forgive others,
as I know that You have forgiven me.
Keep __________ eyes fixed on You and Your Word
so that _______ may not sin against You.
Thank You for Your sovereign love.
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