The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht   

“Homily Grits Devotional”   http://www.homilygrits.com/

Written by the wise 84 yr old Robert VanHoose, who writes the “Homily Grits Devotional” above:

Read James 4:1-10,

Psalm  73                                                                  

July 26              

                             “In But Not Of”

   “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”   John 17:15-16  (NKJV)

    Living a life fully pleasing to God in a depraved world is impossible without the transforming grace and supernatural strength of God which we receive by the power of the Holy Spirit living within us.

    As long as we live in this world the forces of evil are going to bombard us with the distractions, temptations, and cares of this world.

    The secret of living in this world is to live in it on the higher ground of our new birth in Christ.  “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

     When the reality of Christ living in us overcomes the sin nature within us, we become insulated by the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the world’s power to draw us in to the evil of the world around us, and to draw others out of the darkness of the world by the light of our salvation.

     As enticing and attractive as the glitter of the world may be, and as much pleasure as we may find for a moment or season in sin, these futile pursuits are nothing but fools gold when compared to the eternal, everlasting pleasures and treasures laid up for us in the kingdom of heaven.

     As believers, we should be ever mindful that this world is not our home, and that we are just passing through.

     While we live in it, we must never succumb to it or become of it, as one who has never been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

   Father, keep me ever mindful of my citizenship in heaven as I sojourn in this world.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.