Eyes on Jesus – Day 2

The peace that surpasses all understanding, funny how just before this series I found a 3 day devotional on peace right? Be anxious for nothing but through prayer and supplication make your request known to God! Prayer changes everything and worrying changes nothing! So let’s pray without ceasing by keeping our eyes on Jesus. Let’s jump in and see what our devotional has to say today.

Scripture from Today’s Devotional:

‘ Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].’

Romans 12:2

God’s Word is His love letter to us! God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path! God’s Word never returns void! God’s Word is the truth! God’s Word is sharper than a double-edged sword! God’s Word is our one offensive weapon against the lies and attacks of evil! God’s Word is good for teaching and correcting, preparing and equipping so that we can accomplish every good work that God has prepared in advance for us to accomplish!

Let’s be the dads who don’t conform to this world and this age! Let’s be the dads who aren’t fashioned after or adapted to its external superficial customs! Let’s be the dads who are transformed and changed through Jesus! Let’s be the dads who are transformed so that we can prove for ourselves what is good! Let’s be the dads who are transformed so that we can prove for ourselves what is acceptable! Let’s be the dads who are transformed so that we can prove for ourselves what is the perfect will of God! Let’s be the dads who are transformed so that we can prove for ourselves what is good and acceptable and perfect in God’s sight for us!

Today’s devotional has been provided to us by Tim Ferrara (Discerning Dad) | Twitter, Instagram, YouTube | Linktree!

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me: (check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information, please visit: https://linktr.ee/discerning_dad

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“TRANSFORMED“

• Transformed: make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character
• Transformed: change, alter, modify, convert, metamorphose, transfigure, transmute, mutate, remodel, reshape, remold, redo, reconstruct, rebuild, recast, reorganize, rearrange, reorder, reshuffle, restyle, rejig, rework, renew, revamp, renovate, overhaul, remake, revolutionize, stir up, turn upside down, transmogrify
• Today’s devotional kicks off asking about what we think of when we hear the word transformed and shares their thoughts with us:
  • “For me, I think of Superman. You know, the Clark Kent running into a phone booth and poof! He is instantly transformed into Superman, ready to beat up a bad guy and save the damsel in distress.“
• Ever noticed how sometimes transformation is instantaneous and other times it requires a process?
• Ever noticed how transformation may happen quickly in some areas but take a lot longer in others?
• Today’s devotional speaks to the transformation that takes place in our lives when we are saved:
  • “As Christians, once we receive salvation, we have the Holy Spirit inside of us that transforms us and gives us the mind of Christ and the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. However, the rest of our life, after salvation, is a process we call sanctification. Sanctification is a life-long process of pursuing perfection, as Jesus is perfect, while knowing we will never obtain perfection. So why pursue a goal if you know you will never achieve it? Seems pointless, right? Well, no it’s not . . .“
• Today’s devotional brings us an interesting view of what transformation is or should be in our lives when it says:
  • “The Christian transformation is, or should be, more like a caterpillar to a butterfly. The old has gone, and the new has come as 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us which is also interesting because the Greek word Paul used in Romans 12:2 for transform literally means metamorphosis! It’s a process to get there, but there is beauty and freedom on the other side. “
• Remember learning about the process of a butterfly and the word metamorphosis?
• Metamorphosis: the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages
• How many stages will it take for us to become who God created and purposed for us to be?
• How will those stages work themselves out to help us become more and more like Jesus?
• Let’s be the dads who choose to pursue the goal of becoming more and more like Jesus!
• Let’s be the dads who choose to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us to help us become who God created and purposed for us to be!
• Let’s be the dads who don’t lean on our own understanding but instead put our hope and trust in God!
• Let’s be the dads who lean in on God so that He can show us which path to take!
• Let’s be the dads who pray rather than worry!
• Let’s be the dads who pray rather than allow worry to build up into anxiety!
• Let’s be the dads who trust God because we know that God is good and God is love!
• Let’s be the dads who trust God because we know that God’s plan for us is for good and not for evil, to give us hope and a future!
• Today’s devotional closes with this thought and challenge to reflect upon:
  • “To discern the will of God we need to renew our minds; we cannot make decisions that honor God if we are still thinking with our sin nature or with influences of the world. We have to put to death the sin which so easily ensnares (Col 3:5) and be transformed into thinking like Jesus.“
  • “Reflect: In what ways have you transformed your mind to not be like the world? What areas are you still working on? Pray to God about them.“