Nougat 24

There are some songs that float in on a sound cloud and seem to stay there regardless. They float in and out of our minds at random times, reminding us of God’s grace, mercy and/or God’s love. One of those songs is Amy Grant’s ‘I have decided’, which for me is aligned to today’s Holy Nougat.

“Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Live God’s Truth

It’s my thought that Amy read this Nougat and was so strongly convicted, she wrote that song to drum the reminder musically. The lyrics of her song includes the following lines, ‘There’s a wealth of things that that I professed, I said that I believed, but deep inside I’d never changed, I guess I’d been deceived …’ Those words may be a summary of many of our experiences as we grew into spiritual maturity. (I hope we’ve since changed from that mindset). Living like that for me denies us the opportunity to truly experience life in fullness with God.

The writer to the Corinthians saw this as a real problem amidst the congregation. Perhaps they suffered from what we now refer to as the ‘_Imposter Syndrome_’ which is about us failing to live with confidence as we feel that we are not worthy of being who/where we are mentally or socially, or that we don’t belong. (Ironically, it doesn’t seem to plague us when we genuinely are in the wrong place in relation to our higher qualifications. Go figure.) Or maybe folks weren’t fully ready to live boldly as believers in Christ. Whatever it was that played out in Corinth, it was a visible enough manifestation for that mandate to be shared – ‘Live as a believer wherever you are!’

And that’s the word for us today.

In an era of fake news, #MeToo, and all the other issues that challenge one’s mental and spiritual health, we need to see people who are not afraid of Living God’s Truth:

That despite being born in sin and shaped in iniquity (Psalm 51:5), we have been bought with a price: Christ’s Blood (1 Corinthians 6:20)

That we are God’s masterpiece created in Christ for Good Works (Ephesians 2:10).

That we host God’s Spirit within for our body is God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16), thus God’s preferred dwelling place.

That with God’s Spirit living within, truly Jesus is with us wherever we go (Matthew 28:18-20)

That we are sent to be witnesses in our homes, countries, region, and the world (Acts 1:8).

Of course, we have to believe and walk in the knowledge of these Truths. There are some among us who need to know this about our own selves, and come to the knowledge of Christ in it. And having accepted God’s Truths, our next task is somewhat simple: Live God’s Truth and help others to know that they are included in God’s Truth.

Let’s hear Amy’s reminder about this

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May all we seek be found in Christ