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"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
(Romans 8:11)
There is so much stress in the world in general and in our minds specifically. There is a violent war being fought in Europe, which adds to the angst and fears surrounding the global COVID-19 pandemic and all its associated issues. The other pandemic that is sweeping our world, and our nation especially, is the mental health pandemic. Before COVID-19, one in every five people suffered from a severe mental health crisis. During the pandemic, that number changed to one out of every two. Is that not astounding? Every other person you see is struggling from a severe mental health crisis, battling anxiety, depression, and overall despair.
I listened to an interview of Ann Voskamp just a couple of weeks ago while I was riding on a stationary bike at Lifetime Fitness. I rode for an hour, but the time went quickly as I listened with rapt attention. Voskamp and her husband are pig farmers in Canada. They enjoy the quiet, secluded lifestyle. But a few years ago, she started writing a daily blog that grew to 800 people reading it daily. An agent with Zondervan was introduced to her writings and reached out to her. She is now a New York Times best-selling author. She loves God and communicates from a place of transparency and vulnerability that is refreshing. She said, "Everyone you meet is facing a battle, so be careful how you use your words. Do not tear down, but seek to build up." That is what I am going to attempt to do over the next few devotions: offer practical ways to help you win your battles with anxiety.
I have been thinking about a truth that is mentioned twice in the Bible. The truth is, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in the hearts of those who believe in Him. That to me is incredibly powerful and assuring. I could spend the rest of my days on earth focusing on this one truth.
Romans 8:11 states, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
"Give life" is the phrase that jumped out at me. Jesus gives life, not death. He empowers us to live victoriously in this life on earth, and He gives eternal life to all who follow Him.
Will you believe God for it? Will you trust God to do the impossible in and through you? He certainly can, because the same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in you.
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