March 31st Daily Devotion

20 Feb March 31st Daily Devotion

 A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PETER’S SECOND LETTER  

PEOPLE ARE SLAVES TO WHATEVER HAS MASTERED THEM

2 Peter 2:19  “. . .  people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

Drug addiction is an epidemic in this country and if not and epidemic is definitely a major problem.  The drug pusher (sales person) lures their potential client with promises of the good things that will come through taking the illicit drug or the drug will enable them to escape that which is unpleasant in their life.

Once again, there is nothing new under the sun. Isn’t that what Satan did to Eve in the Garden?  Look carefully at how he tempted Eve:  “The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:2-5)

Satan deceitfully gained control over Eve.  He, as today’s devotional verse says, “mastered” her.  He conquered and controlled her so that she disobeyed God and Satan conquered her.  She ate in direct disobedience of God.  She became Satan’s prisoner.  Likewise, Satan attempts to do this to you when he works to lure you into sinning.

Romans 6:16 says, “ . . . Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey . . .” The drug addict becomes a slave to the addicting chemicals they take into their bodies.  Eve became Satan’s slave, controlled by her desire to “be like God.”

The Lutheran Study Bible notes, “False teachers lure people away from the faith by perverting the freedom of the Gospel into an excuse for indulgence. They hide behind the masks of convenience, ease, practicality, etc. Unrestrained by God’s Word and Commandments, such freedom leads only to slavery. Real freedom is found not in sin, but in Christ (Jn 8:31–32)

Prayer:  Jesus, through your life, death, and resurrection You won for me freedom from my enslavement to sin.  Bless me daily by breaking the allurement of sin and giving me the promise of eternal life.  In Your holy name.  Amen.

One thing’s needful; Lord, this treasure Teach me highly to regard.

All else, though it first give pleasure, Is a yoke that presses hard!

Beneath it the heart is still fretting and striving,

No true happiness ever deriving, This one thing is needful;

All others are vain— I count all but loss that I Christ may obtain!

Wisdom’s highest, noblest treasure, Jesus is revealed in You.

Let me find in You my pleasure, And my wayward will subdue,

Humility there and simplicity reigning,

In paths of true wisdom my steps ever training.

If I learn from Jesus this knowledge divine,

The blessing of heavenly wisdom is mine.

Nothing have I, Christ, to offer, You alone, my highest good.

Nothing have I, Lord, to proffer But Your crimson-colored blood.

Your death on the cross has death wholly defeated

And thereby my righteousness fully completed;

Salvation’s white raiments I there did obtain,

And in them in glory with You I shall reign.

Therefore You alone, my Savior, Shall be all in all to me;

Search my heart and my behavior, Root out all hypocrisy.

Through all my life’s pilgrimage, guard and uphold me,

In loving forgiveness, O Jesus, enfold me.

This one thing is needful; all others are vain—

I count all but loss that I Christ may obtain!

(LSB 536)