All in Daily Devotion
When we come to know Jesus Christ, and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, something amazing begins to happen in, and to us. We are most certainly relieved of the sin which began in Adam, but the knowledge of good and evil remains... so what is God to do with that?
Has God called you to serve Him in a way that requires you to sacrifice something you own, or of yourself? Are you at a place in your faith that requires you to make a choice between believing and having faith in Him, and Jesus, or returning to where you once were in faithlessness? Well every believer comes through this fork in the road, and it separates the believers who go to the right, from the nonbelievers who turn back to the left.
Are you like a child before God, or are you walking in your own independent self-righteousness? Do you say “I believe” and yet act like you are in control of your life? Maybe you had trusted God with your life once, but have since taken those reins back from Him, and slowly, over time, found you were walking apart from Him. Do you see where you are? Are you uncertain how, and if, you can come home? Well you can.
Do you deny the sin within you? Do you say to me that you are a moral man, a good man, and that you harm no one? Do you argue that your morality makes you righteous? My response to you is that you have no idea what sin truly is... or else you are deceiving yourself. Let’s look at this further.
Are you worthy? Are you worthy of the sacrifice that God made by giving His only Son to die for your sins? Are you worthy of an audience with the creator of the universe? Are you worthy of forgiveness? There are so many questions like this that most of us would answer with a resounding “NO!”, but is that really true?
This morning we celebrate the moment in Time when God became man. On this day, so many years ago, Jesus Christ was born to a virgin in Bethlehem. I would say that this was the beginning of God’s plan to redeem mankind, but that plan was actually conceived at the very moment of creation, even before Adam and Eve had realized sin, and continues on today.
On this day, Christmas Eve, we are in great expectation of a tiny baby’s arrival into the lineage of David... the Christ Child, Jesus, Emanuel, the Son of God. He will be born in Bethlehem, and a star will shine bright inside each of us to show the way to where He will be held to His mother’s breast. Are you ready to make the journey to where He will be born into the world; into each of us? Is the anticipation of His coming calling you even now to where Angels announce Him?
Have those things of the world died to you? Are you a different person today than you were the day before you first believed? Do you ask the Lord for forgiveness of your sins and then take a deep breath of relief when they are lifted from you, or do you ask, but then refuse to allow His forgiveness to occur in you? Let’s look at this ploy of Satan... our continued spiritual regret and conviction.
Are you struggling with whether you will give yourself to Jesus, and fully believe in God? Have you been reasoning and reading scripture without moving an inch closer to believing? If so, then quit listening to your own intellect, and still yourself... then open your ears to the still small voice of God that calls you to “Come.” Hearing God isn’t a matter of intellectual reasoning on your part; it is being inexplicably drawn by the Lord.
Do you know Jesus? Have you developed a relationship with God? Are you confident in your faith and feel like you have a handle on it? If you answered yes to the first two questions, that is exciting and wonderful. If you answered yes to the third then you are in for some big surprises as you read on.
The world is five sunrises away from Christmas morning, and the day we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Thank God Almighty we aren’t still awaiting His birth, but celebrating that which has already come! As with the birthdays of my own children, I reminisce, and think about that day Jesus was born; it brings the same tears to my eyes. Now He is with us always, every minute, day, and week... so listen as I praise Him... listen as I speak...
Are you having a hard time touching God with your prayers? Do you pray only to find an empty feeling, and conclude by wondering if God has heard you at all? If this is so, then it is time to look not at God, but inward into yourself. Upon introspection you will find something in you that is standing between the Lord, and you... a sin you cherish more than the Peace of Christ, and your heavenly relationship; a sin that needs to be severed from you before you can reinvigorate your conversation with God.
Do you trust enough in God to allow yourself to be used unconditionally to accomplish His good will? Do you believe that He brings bad situations upon you, or do you believe He uses you amidst bad situations for His good purposes?
Hearing the gospel, and having it fall on that fertile spot within you creates a need for it that is unquenchable. Are you one of those in whom the gospel of Jesus Christ has found a slight furrow inside you into which its seed has fallen and taken root? If so then despite the season you you are in, you will be called to tend it... time and time again, day after day, until it bears sweet fruit. For all others there is darkness and a withering.
Are you completely dressed and ready for the day, or have you professed your belief in God and Jesus Christ, but not clothed yourself in those things they provide you that will protect you against the world? On top of that, are you ready to wrestle with the issues pertaining to God’s will for your life that require you to be more than an unthinking creature?