All in Daily Devotion
We read in scripture that Jesus has overcome the world, and we find a wonderful fuel source for our faith in that knowledge as we place our burdens on Him, but what does this have to do with us? Anything? How do we lay claim to that power which Jesus speaks of? Is it possible for us to overcome the world as well? I can tell you that it is indeed possible, and as a matter of fact it is more than that... it is the truth... we can overcome the world, if we would only believe.
As men and women of faith we have hope bubbling up in us, and it is recognized as true by those around us, even if they don’t yet believe, or understand it. Are you asked why you act joyfully the way you do, or why there is a peace in you that defies understanding, and a sense of humility even though you are strong? When asked such questions do you shrug your shoulders or do you tell them about Jesus, and His gospel? Do you listen to their questioning and then hoe the weeds from around the tiny seedling that God planted there as a grain of faith, or are you afraid of failure, so you ignore them?
Whose interest are we promoting through our faith? Are we seeking a smoother way for ourselves through life, or perhaps a fine meal at God's table in heaven after we take our last breath? Are we obeying God’s Word and commandments out of self-interest, or to serve the same interests of Jesus Christ? Jesus loved God, obeyed His will, and in every aspect of Christ’s life His sole purpose was to glorify God. Do we live out our faith in this manner? Is our every desire meant to do these same things that Jesus taught us?
We all suffer in our lives. When we become believers in the one true God, and Jesus Christ, life’s suffering does not end, but the manner in which we suffer does. As Christians we are no longer meant to suffer in sin, but we will suffer because of it, and even in the process of doing God’s will. When we are going about our life as believers, doing the will of God, we will meet hardships and suffer calamity along the way, but we have a faithful God in whom we can place our trust, and turn to for help. He will not let our souls slip into sinfulness, but will strengthen us against it. Are you facing hardship? Well, lean on Him, and stay the course of righteousness. Do His will.
Where do we go for relief in our times of distress? Who comes to help us when we are in trouble? When we are in need of rescue, who is it that charges to our aid? Although most Christians say that it is Jesus Christ, or our Father God, do our actions betray our words? When we find ourselves in a challenging situation and we quickly say a prayer, that is good, but if we then turn straightway to our friends and family without waiting for God to respond then what have we really accomplished in faith?
Do we pray to God as if He were a benevolent stranger, an official, a judge, or maybe even a powerful acquaintance? Do we come before Him as though we were confessing our problems to a psychiatrist, visiting a banker for a loan, or sitting in a doctor’s office? Well, He is all of these and yet none of them; He acts in each of these capacities by simply being “Abba! Father!”. We should pray to Him as our Loving Father.
Have you been drawn, or called, to Jesus Christ? Perhaps you thought it was your Idea, and effort, that brought you to Him, or that it was the culmination of a happy set of circumstances that led you to know Him? Well friend, God is deliberate regarding our faith, and He calls to us for specific reasons, and to glorify Himself through us. For Him to have drawn you to Jesus He had a plan for you, and knew you fit perfectly into His will. How are you responding to His urging, or upholding your end of the promise you once made to Him?
Are we busy pursuing religious things to the point where we are neglecting our worship, and relationship with God? Do we put the things that we do to impress Him, and to show Him our dedication to His cause, above truly loving Him with all our heart, and walking with Him In the cool of the evening? Sometimes we think more of our labors during the day than the quiet times of repose we have with God. When all is said and done, which of these will be our greatest treasure, the things we have built of stone, or the moment of a single hug and kiss given in love?
What do we own? What do we count as ours as we make our way through life? It takes us a long time before we finally come to understand the fallacy behind living in a yours and mine world, or involving ourselves in a yours and mine relationship. Life becomes easier once we understand that we are merely light passing through a glass... when we reach the other side the glass remains unchanged, and we have left it behind without a mark. So why do we believe that we own the glass, or in our case, that we own earthly possessions during that brief instant in which we pass through life here?
Are you a humble servant of God, and His children? Do you see your mission in life as being to rule over others, or is it to lead them humbly to our Father? If we are truly servants of God, and one another, then we need to go about doing the work of our Master... we need to know God’s will and do it, we need to see man’s shortcomings and mend them. Jesus washed the filth of our sin from us... do we wash the dust from one another’s feet?
How was it for you on the day you first believed? Did you even think it was possible to feel such joy, or that the Son of God could love you in this way? Did you come to Jesus with your heart burdened by sin, hoping only for a glimpse of Him, and leave that place filled with the Holy Spirit, and dancing on air? People might have grumbled when they saw your sins washed away, or were made jealous by the joy you received, but Jesus came to save those who need Him most, like the rich tax collector Zacchaeus... like you!
Are we inclined to believe what men say the truth of God is, and find ourselves unable to fully accept the glory that is Christ, and those things which are spoken by God Himself? Do we lean upon the understanding of others while using the Word of God only where it is convenient for us to do so, and where it justifies what men say, and what they do; not placing God’s Word in its rightful place as the rule by which all men are judged? If this is true about us then we have established ourselves to be gods, and in our minds have subjugated the one true God... we have sinned.
Do we think that we can flirt with the coals of temptation and not be burnt, or draw Close to the flicker of sin and not erupt into flames ourselves? Are we on the verge of such occurrences today? Are we speaking about someone negatively, calling it a correction, or warning, when in fact it is bitterness and hatred? Surely our words, and actions, will rub against us like a rasp, and we will find ourselves bleeding, or worn away.
It is Easter morning, and by government decree many of us are locked in our homes. We are much like the apostles who were sequestered in Jerusalem for fear of what might happen to them. First Jesus sent word to them to meet Him in Galilee, and then when they didn’t believe He appeared to them personally by miraculously entering the bolted room they were hiding in. Today we are locked in our homes, but not out of disbelief. This morning Jesus will come to us wherever we are at, and He will likewise send us into the world with His gospel.
Are you quarantined, sequestered, and alone in your home due to the Coronavirus? Is this Easter season especially hard on you because you not only feel separated from family, friends, and others of faith, but God, and Jesus too? Today is Holy Saturday, and on this day we remember that Jesus was in the tomb, that it was the Jewish Sabbath, and that He was wrapped in a burial shroud. He was not still AS death, but still IN death. We also remember the suffering of the disciples who thought that Jesus was gone, dead, and that they had been left alone. Has Satan sought to take our hope, and our joy this Easter season as well?