Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays: "Male and Female" -- Nothing Less and Nothing Else.

Monday, January 04, 2021

"Male and Female" -- Nothing Less and Nothing Else. - January 4, 2021

Morning by Morning, January 4 - "Male and Female" -- Nothing Less and Nothing Else.

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face and listen for Your voice, as I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit. ...

"Then God said, 'Let Us make humankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.' So God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. God blessed them...." (Genesis 1:26-28).

You created us and You blessed us as "male and female" -- nothing less and nothing else.

It's our fallen nature that would deny that or distort that. Just as it's our fallen nature that would rebel against Your Word and Your will as the authority of our lives.

But the power of Your grace redeems us and restores us from our fallen nature to Your truth and Your will, as we yield to Your authority in our lives -- all by the power of the blood of Jesus that sets us free and sets things right:

"You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once live among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -- by grace you have been saved -- and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:1-7).

So no matter what the new House Rules of the House of Representatives of Congress may say, no matter what the new demands of "the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient" may say, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). As for me and my house, we will keep standing up and speaking out for what is right and true, as defined by Your Word and Your will as the authority of our lives.

And by the power of Your grace, we do not give up this fight for the soul of our nation. We do not shrink back or shut up or bury our head in the sand. We look to the One who is the head of His church, to the One who holds "all authority in heaven and earth" (Matthew 28:18). We keep "looking to Jesus" and we "consider Him who endured such hostility against Himself from sinners, so that (we) may not grow weary or lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3).

I hear in my heart, "Do not grow weary. Do not lose heart. Look to Me and not the world. Trust in Me and no other. I have called you and cause you to shine as My light in the midst of this darkness, as My people who are called by My name." ...

Yes, Lord. Your written Word comes immediately to mind to confirm the spoken word I believe I hear in my heart: "That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

Lord, give us that power, that courage, to keep standing up and speaking out, as Your light in our world. No surrender. No retreat. No shrinking back. No hiding away. All by the power of Your grace, by Your blood and the authority of Your name. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My friend, may you be empowered by the Holy Spirit to keep standing up and speaking out for what is right and true, looking to Jesus and embraced by our Father, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I continue to join with you in prayer for our nation through these challenging times. God bless you, my friend!