Daily Devotional for May 4, 2015

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.

Timothy with all of his baby teeth...
this might be the last picture
before he loses one!

Sometime this week, I predict that Timothy will lose his first tooth.  He has two bottom teeth that are loose…but one is particularly wobbly.  We asked him to “show us your loose tooth” yesterday, and he eagerly wiggled it back and forth for us.  According to Timothy’s mother, the permanent tooth is already pushing through and nudging this old tooth out of the wayN

My four-year-old gap-toothed,
"David Letterman-style" smile!

I’ll be honest…I love little kids’ smiles with their sweet “baby teeth”.  Often what comes in afterward is relatively large and “gawky” for awhile. In my own case, I had a wide “David Letterman-style” gap between my two front teeth that was corrected when I was about twelve with some oral surgery - and braces.  The pretty smiles that many adults sport don’t “just happen”…they often take a lot of work!

When we surrender to Jesus and invite Him to dwell in our hearts and guide our lives, it’s somewhat like losing our baby teeth.  Over time, we get the new “permanent” ones, but there are struggles along the way – and often a lot of work is required to make everything straight and pretty.  And it’s that way for Christians, too.  We do become new creatures in Christ Jesus…but there is still a lot of work to be done…often over a lifetime!

Here’s another thing about “permanent teeth”…in general, they are stronger than “baby teeth” – and will last us the rest of our natural lives if we take care of them.  Likewise, our “New Life in Christ” will be stronger than the old one…but it will also require nurture, care – and “regular maintenance!”  Sometimes, despite our best efforts – or because of a lack thereof – we lose our teeth.  Thankfully, God often “fills in the gaps” quite literally for us with dentures and provides a way for us to keep going!

Just as a child’s “baby-teeth smile” may be all pretty and neat, our old lives may seem fairly comfortable and orderly.  But I assure you, the “permanent-tooth-smile” of a New Life in Christ will be so much better.  You will have highs and lows…and plenty of work to do…but the benefits will far surpass all of this.  God will bless and strengthen you in ways you cannot imagine…and He will reward you with a seat at His table in heaven for all eternity when your earthly life is over. 

I don’t know where you are in your journey.  I don’t know if you “still have all of your baby teeth”…are smack in the middle of “losing the bigger molars” and are experiencing some real struggles…or you’ve come to the place where you “have a set of dentures” and God’s strength, grace and mercy carry you through every minute of the day and make all the difference.  Whatever your “stage,” I pray that you have started the process…that you have asked Jesus to forgive your sins and dwell in your heart.  I pray that this day, Jesus is helping you to build the “new smile” that only He can create.  Now, let me see those “loose teeth!”

©2015 Debbie Robus