Category: Daily Inspirational Devotional

The unbelieving world has always raged against God. They rebel and refuse to be ruled by Him… rather, disobeying and opposing everything about God, they seek the throne for themselves . But God is saying to them in this verse that He is establishing a Messianic King that would rule forever – His Name is Jesus Christ the Anointed One. Or as I Timothy 6:16 tells us, Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords…now seated at the right hand of God and interceding on our behalf before the Father. The rulers of this world may think they are strong and powerful, but they will never be a match to God.

The wonderful question the apostle Paul asked was…”If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) The answer is nothing can! But there is also a vast spiritual realm we know nothing about, filled with hostile spiritual powers wanting only to to steal, kill, & destroy. For it tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “Our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” But the good news is the Cross of Christ Jesus was Satan’s undoing and in His resurrection, Christ Jesus was exalted over every created being…visible & invisible…heavenly & of this world. Therefore our confidence in God’s power and protection can be certain that our persecutors will be put to shame & brought to ruin…the consequences of His judgment.

God’s plan & purpose isn’t to perfect us to make us a trophy in His showcase. Rather, it’s getting us to the place where He can use us. That’s why our Christian walk is a journey not a short jog…and more of a marathon than a sprint. God’s ultimate plan & purpose in our lives is found in the process, with the ultimate goal manifested in our heavenly perfection someday. We are all far from perfect, but that doesn’t mean we don’t press on, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, pressing on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Typically, Jewish parents started instruction of the Law at age five, with the child beginning Hebrew School in kindergarten. The Teachers of the Law Jesus was addressing here had therefore spent decades upon decades reading, memorizing, & discussing the Torah. Yet Jesus tells them they are completely missing the mark by falsely presuming that it was the Scriptures themselves that would save them…all the while not willing to admit that every verse in the Old Testament whispered the Messiah’s Name & pointed them to Him. They thought that it was the Scriptures that would give them eternal life…even as the Author of eternal life stood in front of them.

My question for you today is this – at the Church you attend regularly are you a consumer or a participant? You do rush in every Sunday and expect to be entertained and served, or do you actively share in the responsibilities? Jesus was very clear…as a Believer you are not only chosen and appointed but sent to serve others. This Christlike life & conduct is indicative of the fruit of the Spirit talked about in Galatians 5:22. We should then be abiding in Him and serving others in His Name all the while spreading the Good News of the Gospel…inside & outside the Church. As Believers we will always be recognized by our fruit and the effect of God in our lives…or as Colossians 1:10 urges us, ” We are to live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God…”

Jesus was our Savior long before He became an example for us to follow. The word “was” in this verse literally means the endless life of fellowship with God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ , existed far before the beginning of time. We need to realize then that Jesus is not only salvation but the Gospel Message rolled up into One. But today in many Churches, Jesus has been relegated to merely a figurehead of religion…a good man and teacher who did kind deeds. But we only have to look at Jesus’ 6th “I AM” statement in John to see that He is infinitely more than just a good man & example to follow…”I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Jesus proclaims here that He is the only “road” by which anyone may approach God…that He is the embodiment of Truth Himself… that He is the consummate disclosure of who God is to man, and He is the glorious fulfillment of the Gospel Message of redemption.

God’s instructions were clear…Go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everyone and everything that belongs to them. But Saul pridefully decided to disobey God’s words. When Samuel called him on it, Saul made the excuse that it was the soldiers, not him, who had spared the best of the sheep & cattle. Then trying to smooth things over, Saul said they had actually brought the livestock back in order to sacrifice them to the Lord. But Samuel saw through all of Saul’s flimsy excuses & total lack of personal responsibility…and offered up God’s judgment, “Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”

The biggest mistake we will make in life is thinking we have time…time to accept Jesus Christ into our life…time to tell an elderly relative how much we love them…time to seek help for an addiction. None of us know how much time we or other loved ones have left here on earth, so as Ephesians 5:16 says, we should make the best use of our time. And that takes a wise and discerning heart…always seeking the right time, while listening closely to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. For a wise heart is a perceptive heart that makes good use of the time set before it.

Lukewarm water isn’t good for much. It’s neither refreshing like the icy water of a mountain stream, or medicinally healing like a hot springs. Our Christian walk is much the same. Romans 12:11 tells us that we should never be lacking in zeal, but keep our spiritual fervor in serving the Lord. There should be no hesitation or slothfulness in our laboring…it should be done with ardor, passion, enthusiasm, eagerness, and energy. For we’re not just serving others but God Himself. (Ephesians 6:7)

The apostle Paul’s pastoral style was one in which the Christian life was built upon what was already known. Taking what “is” (the assurance of the Gospel Message & other established foundational truths in our life) and striving towards the faith building we now “ought” to be doing. Our Christian journey should be anything but stagnant…a one and done occasion where we accept Jesus and then coast to the finish line. In John 13:13 the disciples called Jesus both Teacher & Lord…and those Titles still apply today. We are to continually be instructed by the Word and prompted by the Holy Spirit…standing on the shoulders of all the saints that have come before us…with the cornerstone being Jesus as we grow in Him. (Ephesians 2:20-21 – Ephesians 3:17-19 – Colossians 1:9-10)