All in Daily Devotional
God works within us every day. He brings us to the doorstep of His will and then perfects us as our efforts join with His in accomplishing it. However, none of our achievements are possible without His efforts in us, and none is possible by our own doing. So, when His will is done in some manner how do we respond to others as they acknowledge it in gratitude or amazement? Do we take the credit ourselves, or humbly give him all the glory for what His grace has brought forth by our obedience?
Do you understand that Jesus Christ had to die in order to secure your redemption, or do you think that He was just a mythological character meant to describe morality to us in a how-to book called the Bible? Friends, let me assure you that the account is real, and not just a story; it is the single greatest event to occur since creation... and is complete with all the miracles, wonders, suffering, awe, and yes, death that we read about in scripture.
Are we one of those people that will give someone the shirt off their back, but that won’t accept a gift themselves? Does it make us uncomfortable when someone does something for us; so much so that we must repay them in some manner before we can rest? If so then the grace of God that flows through Jesus Christ is probably our worst nightmare!
Do we think that by withdrawing from the world, by separating ourselves, that we will become more pious and that this will help us to consecrate ourselves by removing all temptation? Well, this is a false hope, and if we look at the gospel of Jesus we understand that He inserted Himself fully into the world and wants us to remain in the world also. He didn’t run from it but overcame it.
When we first meet Him, God doesn’t just rush into our lives, He treats us much like I learned to treat stray or feral dogs and cats when I was a boy. When I met an animal for the first time I would approach it very slowly, and when I noticed that it was getting nervous or was preparing to run I’d stop; all the while I was speaking to it in a soft and reassuring voice. This is very similar to how God approaches us before He reaches out His hand towards us.
Do we let the happenings of the world trouble us and destroy the faith, peace, and tranquility we have in Jesus Christ? Are we so worried about what is occurring in our day to day lives that we can no longer see or feel the eternal truth, which is that Jesus suffered so we should be redeemed; that we should have peace and rest? If so it is time we started stripping the meaningless outer layers away from our life in the world and get down to the one thing that truly matters... our faith in the Cross.
When the Lord gives us a specific calling or mission that He wants us to accomplish, how do we know when it, or our part in it, is complete? Have you ever left spiritual business unfinished because you took your eyes off the Lord? Whether it is praying for someone each day, being a loving spouse, serving in a far-off land, or simply mowing the yard for a sick neighbor; when does stopping what we were once called to do become a matter of God’s will, as opposed to our own reluctance, fear, or lack of desire to continue on?
As we look about ourselves today, what do we identify as being our distractions from achieving a fullness of faith, and what are those things that bless us most as we seek out the Lord? When we begin our prayers this morning what will we thank God for, and what will we ask Him to help us to overcome? Sometimes we find that we are blessed most with the little things in our lives... and that it is a myriad of small, seemingly insignificant, sins that rob us of the peace and joy of believing that we seek.
Do people we associate with consider us to be arrogant or conceited men and women of faith? By this I mean, do we present ourselves in faith as being stuffy, academically aloof, or “better than you” Christians? If we are like this or are more interested in appearing righteous than actually being righteous, then it is time that we wake up. Jesus was born a humble carpenter’s son and lived a common life despite being anything but common.
Jesus didn’t come to earth to redeem us because He felt sympathetic love for us, He came at the Father’s request to do a job, and that job was to defeat sin, and glorify God Himself. His task was to mend the rift between God, and man whom He had created. To accomplish this, He had to do so by the only way possible... by yielding His life as He suffered and sacrificed Himself in death for us.
Do you see God the Father as a gentle old grey-haired man who forgives you regardless of what you do and without regard to, or memory of, who and what you are? Well, that isn’t so. Without the horrific and yet wonderful sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ we would be lost, because God’s very nature would prohibit Him from overlooking our sins. Our forgiveness is a supernatural spiritual event that is without precedent, and which cleanses the once permanent stain of sin.
Have you ever received manna from heaven? Maybe you haven’t been the recipient of this heavenly food specifically, but perhaps some form of spiritual or supernatural rescue or provision has been provided for you? How about a call from God telling you to be the answer to someone else’s need or prayer? When God uses us in this way we suddenly realize the immensity of the blessing that comes from giving, and our being in His service.
What sins do we have in our lives that have enslaved us? Do we have an overriding desire for something that drives us to commit sin, or a need in our life that makes us complicit or vulnerable to sinful things? Either way, we have been enslaved, and our sin will rule us until we can find emancipation from it. Sexual predators are in the news again right now... let’s take a look.
Do we search for God with all our heart, and in so doing are we seeking Him by His terms, or is our motivation our own self-gratification? As we pray and call His name are we continuously obeying His beckoning voice “come”, or are we calling Him to where we are, and asking Him for favors on our own terms?
When we look into the mirror do we consider ourselves to be great men or women of God? Do we have stripes on our sleeves for all to see, as we live the years of our faith for everyone to marvel at? Is our goal for each day to show those around us how mightily we serve God, or the pious nature of our calling? If so, then we had better stop the pompous religiosity and seek out the humility of Christ... we need to be humble like Jesus and give the honor and glory to God. We need to stop boasting about the notoriety of our own righteousness and works and start boasting in God alone.