Jesus had just asked the disciples who they thought He was, and Peter had answered…”You are the Messiah, the Son of God!” So now Jesus was proceeding with the next aspect of His journey towards the cross. He started to make very plain to them the horrific experiences He would have to undergo at the hands of the Jewish Leaders…but on the third day He would be resurrected from the dead. I can only imagine that His disciples had a very difficult time wrapping their minds around the things He was telling them…not wanting to believe Him, but also remembering Isaiah’s prophecy…”He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Tag: inspirational
Hebrews 10: 9-10 ” …Here I am, I have come to do Your will. He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Unlike the other priests, Jesus didn’t have to keep offering sacrifices day after day for the people. He sacrificed for their sins, once for all when He offered Himself. He willingly gave Himself up as the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, and by doing so destroyed the power of Death and the grave. As it says in I Peter 2:24 ” He bore our sins in His body on the tree so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” Jesus came to do His Father’s Will…once, for all.
Matthew 26:31 ” Then Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ “
For three years Jesus had lived, laughed, worked, and traveled with His disciples, but now they couldn’t believe their ears when He told them they were all going to abandon Him. The scripture Jesus is quoting comes from Zechariah 13:7 ” Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me! declares the Lord Almighty. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.” He was using Old Testament prophecy to foretell what was about to happen…even if all the disciples insisted otherwise. As they sat around the table, none of them could imagine what He was telling them would come true in a few short hours…none of them could envision deserting Jesus…but they all did.
Lamentations 3: 22-23 ” Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
God’s loving kindness towards us continues to work on our behalf until His plan for our life is complete. I heard it once compared to waking up each morning with a new package of Oreos on your nightstand. Delicious cookies for you to enjoy all day, but also having confidence that there would be a new package waiting for you the next morning. Our Lord’s compassion and mercy is like that…offered to us anew and afresh everyday. Never to run out, never to run dry, always steadfast, always faithful… Great is Your unwavering, unfailing love for us Lord.
Hebrews 12:1 ” Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everthing that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
Many races are sprints…many more are marathons. God gives each one of us unique races to run, but it’s our decision how we run them. Sometimes we see the goal clearly and sprint to the finish…other times we allow fear and indecision to drag us down, making the race a very long, exhausting, marathon. I will give you an excellent example…for probably 15 years the Lord had been speaking to me about sharing His Word with others. For a long time, I was frozen in place by fear, unable to even begin my race. Six months ago today, the Lord kicked me off the starting block, and today, by His grace alone, this Blog is being read in 25 countries around the world. My regret is that I didn’t put aside my fears, and run my race sooner. Has the Lord marked out a race for you that you haven’t started yet? I encourage you today to get rid of all that stops you from running your race, and receiving your prise.
Proverbs 11:16 ” A kindhearted woman gains respect…”
Growing up I had three Great-Aunts who never married…back in the day, they were called Old Maids, or Spinsters… but in my mind, they were spirited, intelligent, independent women way ahead of their time. My Great-Aunt Martha traveled when women usually didn’t travel alone. She raised wild birds, painted her house outlandish colors, and cooked meals for her poodles. She also was a savvy businesswoman who owned farm ground, and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. My other two Great-Aunts… Ollie and Kathryn, were outstanding cooks and bakers, who earned hundreds of ribbons at State Fairs, and even sold a cookie recipe to the Archway Cookie Company. They had a thriving Cottage Industry, selling cookies, candy, and fruitcake. Even at a young age, I marveled at their self-reliance, spunk, and zest for life…all three were highly respected and loved members of the family, who lived their lives to the fullest.
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.”
There is nothing as powerful as God’s Word. It is living and active, it cannot be revoked, or delayed…it is always fulfilled. When the Lord first started speaking to me about writing these daily devotionals, first and foremost was the desire to get His Word to as many people as possible. The pittance that I add is nothing compared to you reading His Written Word. Reading God’s Word changes us…from the inside out….it changes us for the good…it changes us forever. His Word will never return to Him without first executing His desired plan in our lives. As John so aptly stated, ” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” When we take the time to immerse ourselves in His Word, we will emerge from the encounter different than when we started.
Esther 4:16 “…When this is done, I will go to the King, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
Even though she was Queen, Esther had to be summoned by King Xerxes to enter the inner court. If he did not extend his golden scepter towards her, she would immediately be put to death. Esther entered that inner court with fear and trembling, not knowing how the King would react to her. By contrast, we can enter the Great Throne Room of Grace like a little child running into their parents room…laughing, joyful, without fear, totally trusting we won’t be rejected by our Heavenly Father. The Lord wants to spend time with you today..listening to every little thing you have on your mind. So go boldly into His inner court…He’s waiting for you!
Colossians 2:6-7 ” So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strenghened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Why shouldn’t everyday be an overabundance of appreciation?… Why do we spend a good part of our days grousing rather than being grateful? If we haven’t put into place the elements of the first part of this verse, unfortunately, we will never achieve the latter. It says that once you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are to continue your Walk…growing in the knowledge of Him, ever-increasing your trust and confidence as you learn from your Teacher and Lord. Thus, with this ever-increasing Faith within, you too will overflow with thankfulness and gratitude.
Hebrews 11:1 ” Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is known as the “Faith” chapter…commending Old Testament heroes for their faithfulness under adversity. Thus, this first verse lays the groundwork for the rest of the chapter to build on. Our confident belief in the truth of the gospel keeps us ever looking forward to what God has promised…even though we have yet to see it. We are to fix our eyes on the unseen eternal…until it becomes real.
Safetypinlove 