The Apostle John was addressing the Church in Laodicea, a city known as a great banking center for the region. In this Scripture, John was reprimanding the Church for its misplaced trust. Rather than relying on the Lord, they were boasting in their own wealth and independence… and he was exhorting them to realize just how deceived they were putting their faith in money, and not God. Therefore, anytime we rely totally on ourselves and our own abilities…we’re essentially telling God, “I can do it myself, I don’t need You!” And this can be a very dangerous situation to be in…for it’s a place of self-deception, pride, and potential falling away.
Category: daily devotional
Jeremiah 31:34 ” No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord.”
Isaiah gives a vivid picture of this knowledge of the Lord in Chapter 11, verse 9 when he says, “For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” All mankind has the opportunity to experience the Lord in a personal way…to have intimate fellowship with the Creator of the universe. For you can be “told” about God all your life, but it’s not until you fully grasp what Jesus did for you on that Cross…dying so you may live…that you can really “know” Him. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8
I John 2:3 ” We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands.”
Our walk with the Lord is a process…a long, sometimes difficult passage, from what we once were, to what we are becoming. But what happens many times, we end up feeling stuck in the middle of our old and new self. So that’s when it’s time to take inventory. Turn around and take a critical view of your old self…not a pretty picture, right? Now, ponder where your life is today with the Lord’s help. It’s nothing short of a miracle in how you have grown in the knowledge of God…and with that knowledge, how you have been changed. None of us will every be able to say, “I’ve arrived!” when it comes to the full knowledge of God…but as long as we continually strive for more of Him in our lives…we’ll be making headway.
Genesis 49:10 ” The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is His.”
This Messianic prophecy is of Jesus coming to rule and reign over all the people of the world…both Jew and Gentile. This is also shown in Isaiah 49:6 where it says that Jesus is coming not only to Israel, but to the Gentiles…”that You may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.” It’s not that there’d be a continuous reign by the descendants of Judah…only the promise of the permanent right to rule…this being in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. And at that time He will say, ” Before Me every knee will bow; by Me every tongue will swear.” (Isaiah 45:23)
Luke 4:28-29 ” All the people in the Synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way.”
Jesus was back in His hometown of Nazareth…the place where He had been brought up, and where everyone knew Him and His family. We find Him on the Sabbath in the Synagogue where someone handed Him the scroll of Isaiah to read from. He read from Isaiah 61:1-2 …( Which was Jesus’ exact job description here on earth) and then sat down. Everyone spoke well of Him until He uttered 8 words, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” No wonder the people were furious! All they could see was Mary and Joseph’s little boy…and now He’s daring to claim to be the Messiah! Their minds refused to believe…their hearts were hardened by pride…their eyes were blinded to His Deity. Their long-awaited Messiah had come and was in their midst…yet they rejected Him.
Proverbs 13:4 ” The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”
You don’t hear the word “sluggard” used very much today. It’s definition is an habitually lazy person. The sluggard in this verse, refuses to work, but wants everything he desires to be just handed to him. I see many Christians that are sluggards in the Lord. They long for a closer walk with God…but they want someone else to do all the heavy lifting for them. They want someone else to hand feed them choice bits from God, because they’re too lazy to open the Bible up for themselves. Or they’d rather listen to a pod-cast on their phones than get their back-sides up off the couch and actually go to Church. Laziness in the Lord will get you nothing. But diligence in the Lord will strengthen you from the inside out. For when you are motivated to know God better…He will meet you more than halfway.
Isaiah 55:11 ” So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Today marks the 6th Anniversary of Safetypinlove.com! This Daily Devotional has become a labor of love for me and now spans across 129 countries around the world…reaching countless people for the Gospel. It has shown me in a real way that God uses common, ordinary people to do His work…and with Him, anything is possible. Looking back over the years, the lessons I’ve learned are many…for I’ve grown in discipline, obedience, and trust – Praise God! Thank you to all my friends that have been on this journey with me from the start…your encouragement and love have kept me going when doubt filled my head . Thank you to those around the world that have stumbled upon this site…know that it isn’t by chance you’re here…for the Holy Spirit has directed you to God’s Word and His Word never returns void. Finally, thank You Lord for Your faithfulness, for this is all for Your glory!
Deuteronomy 1:42-43 ” But the Lord said to me, ‘Tell them, Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’ So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. “
Moses was speaking to a defiant and rebellious Israel in the desert wilderness after they had returned from a disastrous battle with the Amorites. The enemy had chased the Jewish army down the hillside like a swarm of bees…beating them back…resulting in heavy casualties. The old saying, “I’d rather ask for forgiveness than ask permission,” just doesn’t work with God! Anytime we think we know more than God, we’re treading on thin ice…and anytime we act on it, we too will be marching out minus God’s blessing.
James 2:5 ” Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the Kingdom He promised those who love Him? “
Everyday there are common, ordinary people -just like yourself – that do extraordinary things in the name of Jesus. These people may be poor when it comes to material things, but they are rich in the things of God. The Lord is depending on ordinary people – like yourself – to do His work here on earth. These are people who, in the world’s eyes, may not have much to offer, but they are rich in faith, with confidence in their salvation and eternal life…and with that kind of trust, they can move mountains. For Luke 6:20 says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” The Lord is looking for common, ordinary people to advance His Kingdom here on earth…are you in?
Isaiah 2:5 ” Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
Walking in the light of the Lord is so much more than how we behave in Church…or what we say, or don’t say around the Pastor…or how we can quote Scripture at Bible Study. No, walking in the light of the Lord is more a lifestyle…a way of life of putting others before ourselves, of speaking truth and wisdom in difficult situations, and of doing the right thing…even when no one else is looking. Rather, walking in the light of the Lord is manifesting the enlightenment of the knowledge of God into everyday living for His glory.
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