The Spiritual Journey 2024 - Day 3: In and of ourselves there is no remedy for being nothing.

”O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. O Lord, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.“

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭10‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When hearing what we began to look into yesterday concerning becoming nothing, some people will suppose that they already see themselves as nothing. But the nothingness experienced before God has nothing to do with low self-esteem, self-loathing, or any other such psychological ills in a man. The sense of nothingness with which I began the spiritual journey we are sharing together, had no connection to any statements of my being one way or the other. There was no thought of my qualities and strengths. At the same time, there was no thought of my weaknesses and shortcomings. The nothingness that began my spiritual journey was being experienced in a vacuum, so to speak. It was a knowledge that I was nothing without any sort of commentary coming with it.

The apostle Paul, though highly trained in The Law, came to understand the nothingness we must all experience before the Throne of God.

Even when defending his credentials (which were being challenged), he made clear that he was not arguing that he was anything. No, rather, he was nothing.

”I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.“

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

You see, Paul had come to recognize that any good thing, any ability, any sufficiency was only the product of Christ working in him.

”Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

II Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Indeed, Paul came to understand that his whole identity came from one Source. It came through Christ.

”For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.“

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Our Lord openly recognized that whatever He did when walking as a Man, had only one Source: the Father.

”Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As well, the Lord made it clear that outside of our union with Him, we can do nothing.

”Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.“

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Our opening scripture is the way the prophet Jeremiah indicated his awareness of being nothing. He knew that we were bankrupt in terms of being able to—in any way—correct our course.

So, my spiritual journey had begun with a sense of nothingness. But, the nothingness wasn’t the destination, only the vehicle.

We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

#thespiritualjourney2024