The God Shot With Tara-Leigh Cobble

The God Shot: Ephesians 6:14

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place," (Ephesians 6:14)There is no other human who knows exactly what you'll face today, but God knows. He knows all about your cosmic enemies, your circumstantial trials, and your internal struggles, even the ones you're still unaware of. He goes before you to equip you for victory, freedom, and joy. In this verse, Paul is describing the armor of God, which is a metaphor he uses to help us see God's protection of us. First, we have the belt of truth. For soldiers, the belt is used to secure the breastpiece in place and to hold their weapons. So truth is what secures our breastplate of righteousness and truth is what holds our weapon which we'll learn about in the days ahead. What's interesting about this to me is that Jesus calls himself the truth. He is our truth and our righteousness. Clothe yourselves in Christ because He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Ephesians 6:13

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)God knows all the trials you will face today, from the enemies of darkness that hate His Kingdom to the battles against your own sinful desires and impulses. Because he knows and cares for you, He hasn't left you without help. He has made a way for you to face temptation, to stand firm against it, and to win because ultimately, it's a victory. Christ has already won over all His enemies by His death and resurrection. Not only that, but God's Spirit lives in us and empowers us. God knows your life is hard so He's given you His armor for the battles you'll face. We'll learn more about this armor in the days ahead, but in the meantime, know that you aren't alone. God is with you and He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Ephesians 6:12

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)Every day you face a battle. It's not against your boss or the person who won't let you emerge in traffic or the child who doesn't obey after the third warning. You're at war against enemies who love to lie to you about things that are far more important. The enemies of God are at war with God's kids. Do you know what the word Satan means? It's a common noun that means the accuser. God's enemies love to accuse Him to us and accuse us to ourselves. They want us to forget who He is to doubt that He is good. So today, resolve to preach the truth to yourself when the enemy lies to you. Remind yourself that God loves you that He is for you, that He has redeemed you. Remind yourself that He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Ephesians 6:10-11

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." (Ephesians 6:10-11)Every day you face a battle, you're not only fighting the battle against your own simple desires, but you also have unseen enemies who love to lie to you. Satan's most prominent lie is about who God is. But the good news for us is Jesus has already settled this truth on an eternal scale. In this verse, Paul reminds us that we don't walk in our own strength. By remembering who God is, we can walk in the Lord's strength. We need that strength because despite what the catchy coffee mugs and Instagram posts say, you will face more than you can handle. You are not enough, but God is and His power lives in you to remind you of who He is and to remind you that you're His beloved child. Your heart can be at peace today no matter what you face because He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Galatians 3:13-14

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." (Galatians 3:13-14)The Churches in Galacia had a lot of questions about how to please God. They wanted to honor Him and do what He required And Paul told them the best news ever. Jesus has already done what God requires of you. He took the curse you deserve and he traded it for His righteousness. He took the death you earned and granted you eternal life. And with that eternal life, God also grants us His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts by faith. And a few of the things Scripture says His Spirit does in us is give us new desires, guide us into truth, grant us obedience, repentance, and help us live in ways that please God. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Galatians 3:11-12

"Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” (Galatians 3:11-12)Let's be honest with each other. We know we aren't good people, we only look good when we compare ourselves to someone we consider worse. But by God's standard of good, we all fall short. None of us have aced the 10 commandments and especially not after we find out that God cares not just about our actions, but about our heart attitudes as well. The good news for us is that God knows we can't meet His standards. So He sent Jesus to do what we couldn't do! When we humble ourselves and accept the fact that we're saved by His works, not our own, we're free to love God out of the overflow of our gratitude. That's what Paul's talking about in this verse! Our humble obedience to God will no longer be an attempt to avoid punishment. It will be a response of love and joy. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Galatians 3:10

"For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." (Galatians 3:10)This is a scary verse, alright? Have you ever wondered how much of a role your actions play and whether or not God loves you? Or if your salvation depends on them? The church of Galatians certainly wondered about this too. So Paul wasted no time in setting things straight for them. He said that relying on your own actions for salvation means you are cursed. Wow! What? Here's why. God's law requires people to keep all of the law to live up to it perfectly. If you're imperfect in any way, you get the curse. This is why the gospel is such good news! Jesus kept the law perfectly and said His righteousness could be credited to our account. So we can either accept His righteousness by faith in Him or try to earn it ourselves, which ultimately earns the curse. Wow! I'm sticking with Jesus. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Galatians 3:8-9

"Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Galatians 3:8-9)All throughout the Old Testament, God kept dropping hints and promises that He was going to send a Messiah to the Jews who would also be a bridge to reach the non-Jews who are collectively referred to as Gentiles. Here in this letter to the churches in Galicia, Paul references this by quoting one of God's promises from the Old Testament to prove that this has been God's plan all along. This is not new. God's message of restoration and hope came through the Jews, but it was for all the nations, not just the nation of Israel. Our great God stepped over the dividing line to rescue His enemies into His family. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Galatians 3:6-7

"So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham." (Galatians 3:6-7)If you've ever felt like God was disappointed in you because of your life and your actions, you know a bit about what the churches in Galicia were going through. Paul wrote in this letter to encourage them at a time when others were trying to lay heavy burdens on them about all the things they should be doing or not doing in order to please God. Paul pushes back on that lie and reminds them that Abraham was counted righteous by his faith in God and they are too. They aren't counted righteous by their works, by faith in the works of Christ. If you're burdened by all you think God expects of you, remember the words of Jesus on the cross, "It is finished." He has met all God's expectations on your behalf and He is where the joy is!

The God Shot: Galatians 3:4-5

"Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?" (Galatians 3:4-5)In this letter, Paul is talking to the churches in a region called Galacia, which is near modern-day Turkey. These churches are made up mostly of Gentiles or non-Jews. The Jews had all kinds of laws, all of which Jesus kept perfectly. So these Gentiles thought they needed to keep these laws too, but Paul lets them in on some good news. God gave them His Holy Spirit before they ever kept any of those laws and before they ever started trying to live up to his standards. God didn't give them His Spirit because they were doing everything right. Your relationship with God isn't built on your ability to get things right. It's built on faith in Christ. What a relief and what a blessing. He's where the joy is!