Bringing the Law and Me to Our Knees

Text: Romans 8:1-4
Theme: My fleshly nature weakened God’s law; now I must surrender my flesh.
Key verses: “Therefore, now no condemnation awaits those who are living in Jesus, the Liberating King…because when you live in Him a new law takes effect” (v.1-2). “…human flesh took its toll on God’s law. In and of itself, the law is not weak; but the flesh weakens it. So to condemn the sin that was ruling in the flesh, God sent His own Son, bearing the likeness of sinful flesh, as a sin offering” (v. 3). “Now we are able to live up to the justice demanded by the law. But that ability has not come from living by our fallen human nature; it has come because we walk according to the movement of the Spirit in our lives” (v. 4).
What God said to me: Dwayne, it has been too long since you disciplined yourself and journaled your QT with me. I have so much more to show you and so much more I want you to teach others. But your struggle with inconsistency and your tendency to get busy and distracted rather than prioritizing these learning times with me will ultimately cause you to miss the mark of what I have for you to experience and accomplish while you’re on earth. Your flesh brought my law to its knees, so to speak, and weakened it because, well frankly, your stubborn flesh is determined to break my laws and run through the blood of my precious Son. But I sent my Son; I watched him die an aggonizing excruciating death on a cross so your flesh would no longer have to rule you. You are without excuse, Dwayne. You are able to live up to the justice demanded by the law. You flesh may have weakened my law, but now you must bring your stinking rotten flesh to its knees. You must die to it and surrender yourself completely to me–to life and joy and peace in my Son and the Spirit who lives in you.
What I said to God: Holy Father, I see perhaps more clearly than ever, that these quiet times–of meditating on your Word, listening to your still, small voice, and then journaling what you say to me–will prove to be the most important and distinctive and useful times of my life. Forgive my laziness and slackness please! I yield to you and gladly commit myself to this awesome discipline afresh today.