document.open(); document.writeln(""); document.writeln("The Will for Self-Control
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\'€œFor"); document.writeln("God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.\'€1

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The"); document.writeln("story is told of Raynald III, a 14th century Duke in what is now Belgium."); document.writeln("Grossly overweight, Raynald was often called by his Latin nickname, Crassus,"); document.writeln("which means \'€œfat\'€. After a violent quarrel, Raynald\'€™s younger brother Edward"); document.writeln("led a successful revolt against him. Edward captured Raynald, but did not kill"); document.writeln("him. Instead, he built a room around Raynald in Nieuwkerk castle and promised"); document.writeln("him he could regain his title and property as soon as he was able to leave the"); document.writeln("room. This would not have been difficult for most people since the room had"); document.writeln("several windows and a door of nearly normal size, and none was locked or"); document.writeln("barred. The problem was Raynald\'€™s size. To regain his freedom, he needed to"); document.writeln("lose weight. But Edward knew his older brother, and each day he sent in a"); document.writeln("variety of delicious foods. Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald"); document.writeln("grew fatter. When Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer: \'€œMy"); document.writeln("brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills it.\'€ Raynald stayed in"); document.writeln("that room for 10 years and wasn\'€™t released until after Edward died in battle."); document.writeln("By then his health was so ruined that he died within a year. He was the prisoner of"); document.writeln("his own appetite.2

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We"); document.writeln("all struggle with different temptations. While for some it may be food, for"); document.writeln("others it may be the distractions of the digital age, overworking,"); document.writeln("procrastination, gossip, or lying, to name a few. We fall into the trap of"); document.writeln("believing that we are lacking or missing out on something. But what we are truly"); document.writeln("lacking is the will to step away. It seems much easier to stay stuck and become"); document.writeln("\'€œfat\'€ with sin than to be brave and stop giving in to temptation. We become the"); document.writeln("prisoner of our own temptation. God has given us an out, an unlocked door and"); document.writeln("unbarred windows to step through and live in victory from our temptation. He"); document.writeln("has given us the power of self-control!

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Suggested prayer: Dear"); document.writeln("Lord, forgive me for the times that I allow temptation to replace you in my"); document.writeln("life. Thank you for giving me the power to defeat these distractions and return"); document.writeln("my focus to You. Help me to have the will for self-control. In the name of Jesus I pray,"); document.writeln("Amen.

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1.    2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV).

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2.    \'€œThe Three Edwards\'€, Thomas"); document.writeln("B. Costain, 1962.

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Today\'€™s"); document.writeln("Encounter was written by: Veronica B.

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This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.

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ACTS International

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