April 13

Romans 3:16
Destruction and misery are in their ways.

This verse takes me back to a time in my moms life when she was not a Christian (she thought she was). I had witnessed to her for years and always heard her say "I know the Lord and He knows me". I finally prayed and ask God to show her if she was saved, to give her peace if she was and if she wasn't to make her miserable until she realized what she needed. After she did get saved, we were talking one day and she told me about how miserable she use to be before God got her attention. I laughed, and then had to explain that I prayed just for that! Now I had to remind her too that it worked so she wouldn't get too mad at me.

So this verse is very clear, the verses before and after talk about a person before they come to know Christ, and it just gives a list of what their characteristics are. We are destructive, mainly in the way that we destroy ourselves, because we do not really care about who we are. We will pollute our bodies and minds will all sorts of garbage that is unhealthy for us in every possible way, mentally and physically. We are miserable because we do not have peace, we wrestle against our mind and know that there is something missing in our life.

I am thankful to know that I am only miserable now when I chose to be. Yes, it's a choice that we make, but we don't have to be. We now have hope and His name is Jesus. We should be reminded that no matter how bad it gets, that Jesus is beside us all the way and even sometimes carrying us through a situation. My prayer is that you are no longer miserable and destructive. That you know Jesus and have been washed by His blood, cleansed from the destruction and misery that once held you in captivity.