Today's Word

These are the verses on my mind and heart today:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:1-2

Here's a couple of big things that have struck me today about this very, very familiar passage.

1. "by the mercies of God" - a reminder that no matter how hard I try to present myself it is only by his mercy that I will have any measure of success

2. "be not conformed to this world" - I'm so familiar with this verse, but today I saw it in a different light. Today I really, really saw the first three words. "Be not conformed." It's so easy for me to see someone else doing something especially something good and think maybe I should be doing that too. Or maybe I should be doing it that way. But when I read on to the end it's clear that he has a good, acceptable, and perfect will that is customized just to me. Hallelujah!!! That's freeing to me on so many levels!