It could have been me among that group of dosing disciples. There they were in the Garden of Gethsemane, having just been warned by Jesus to watch and pray as He moved off to pray alone. Coming back to them, Jesus was dismayed to find them all sleeping and asked, “Are you sleeping? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you won’t fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Mark 14:38) Yes, it could have been me that Jesus found asleep. For how many times have I started to pray only to have my mind wander and become distracted after only a few minutes?
Tag: daily inspirational blog
Luke 22:34 ” Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know Me.’ “
That could have been me in place of Peter. How can I self-righteously think that I would have behaved any differently? Peter had followed Jesus for three years, watching as He preached, healed, and performed miracle after miracle. But despite all Peter had been part of, he still denied he even knew who Jesus was. Yes, it could have easily been me disowning the Lord. For any time I allow fear to mute my voice in speaking the truth of God…I’m silently renouncing Him…more afraid of possible retribution or embarrassment than speaking up. That’s because when I’m silent instead of standing up for what’s right and good and godly…I’m quietly condoning sin.
I John 1:5 ” This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.”
When you have night blindness, you have limited visibility in the dark…and take it from me, it makes driving at night very difficult at times. When we’re walking in the darkness of sin it’s much like having night blindness…we’re unsure of where we’re going, we’re full of fear, and we’re apprehensive about what’s up ahead. But the blindness of sin can be overcome by the light of God…for this light depicts the very essence of His character and holiness. And when we walk in that spiritual illumination of God’s light, our path is made sure.
Luke 11:9 ” So I say to you; Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
This verse hinges on our faith and trust in God. For when we ask God for something, we must trust that He’ll give us what’s the very best according to His Will. When we seek, we must have faith that we’ll find His perfect plan and purpose for our life. And when we knock, we must be confident to walk through the door He opens for us.
Deuteronomy 2: 2-3 ” Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have made your way around this hill country long enough…”
As Believers, we will all go through seasons of “wandering in the desert.” Sometimes, it’s because of our own stubborn disobedience…sometimes, it’s because we are not yet prepared for the next step God has for us. But regardless, there are two things to remember. First, God has been with us faithfully during our wanderings, for in Deuteronomy 2:7 God says, “The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These 40 years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.” The other is that there will come a time when God will say, “It’s been long enough…time to move on.”
Titus 3:4-5 ” But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.”
Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God’s loving kindness towards us. For as sinners, we have no right to claim that any of our good works will get us any closer to heaven…for they won’t. It is only by putting our faith and trust in Jesus that we can be saved…and it is only by His unmerited grace and mercy towards us that it can happen.
Mark 2: 16-17 “…they asked His disciples: ‘Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ “
As His ministry became more well-known, Jesus became more popular among the social outcasts. Why? Because He wasn’t concerned about maintaining His squeaky clean image, or only being seen with the right people. Jesus went where the need was. So here we find Jesus at a large banquet made up of every kind of questionable personality and reputation. But He looked beyond the person and saw their potential… and wasn’t afraid to go where they lived. You won’t find the healthy in the hospital…you’ll only find the sick. Just as you won’t find most lost sitting in the pews on Sunday. As Christians, we need to be willing, just like Jesus, to go where the need is.
II Thessalonians 1:3 ” We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love everyone of you has for each other is increasing.”
After pondering this verse, an old 1960’s praise song came to mind. It’s premise comes from John 13:34-35, where Jesus is giving the command to love one another, “for by this all men will know that you are My disciples.” The title of the song is, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” So my question to you today is… does the world know you by the love you share with the lost? And does the world recognize your Church Body for its love for those outside the four walls of the sanctuary? We are to love one another, but we are to also take that love out to reach the unsaved.
Job 11: 7-9 ” Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens – what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave – what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.”
I think wise King Solomon summed it up best in Ecclesiastes 3:11 when he wrote, “God has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” We can’t begin to know the mind of God, or even start to grasp His majesty and power. We can only trust in His love and faithfulness towards us and walk in obedience…knowing He is in control of every detail of our life. For nothing happens to us that hasn’t already passed through God’s hands.
Galatians 3: 26-28 ” You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus came to not only destroy the barrier…the dividing wall…the chasm between God and us, but He came to abolish in His flesh the Law with all its commandments and regulations. (Ephesians 2: 14-15) So in the eyes of Jesus, there is no partiality, bias, or prejudice. For Believers are all children of God and subject equally to His grace, mercy, and blessings…from the multi-millionaire follower of Jesus in Hollywood to the blue-collar laborer in fellowship with Christ in Detroit, Michigan. We are all blessed in our faith of Jesus.
Safetypinlove 