NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

March 18

Scripture focus: The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Whoever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way. The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 The Message

There’s a youtube video clip that our community has watched a few times called, “Bacon is good for me.” It is worth watching! It’s a clip from a wife swap episode, I think. Anyway, a family of junk food lovers is introduced to Joy, their temporary mother, who comes in and cleans the kitchen up. Out goes the cheese in a can, the donuts, the chips and even the bacon. This really gets Curtis all agitated. Curtis is a young boy who has already learned to love junk food. He is not willing to give up his bacon. He thinks Joy is silly.

Little Curtis doesn’t know how cruel the world can be if you’re over weight. He hasn’t yet experienced the humiliation of not being able to take gym without worrying about what the guys will say about his girth. It will be years before he develops a crush on a lovely young woman – who might not be able to see past his chubby cheeks to the funny, smart young man he is created to become. Curtis is a kid, and their brains are developed enough to think ahead to a time when his poor eating habits may impede his ability to run and play with his kids or live long enough to love his grandchildren.

Joy is offering Curtis a gift. Curtis doesn’t get it.

For those of us who believe, we have been given an amazing gift – we have Christ’s Spirit. We have the capacity to understand God’s in-depth report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. Curtis has the capacity for living a fit life.

But neither Curtis nor the rest of us will achieve up to capacity if we aren’t willing to learn. We have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing – how incredible is that? May we live large and access all that God has given us.


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