Daily Devotional
February 26, 2010 - ...with God - Week 8: Day 5Can a cup of water honor God? In Matthew 25, Jesus is teaching the disciples that a time is coming in the future when God will separate His sheep from the goats. The King, Jesus, will welcome his children into the “…kingdom prepared for you,” he says, “before the foundation of the world (25:34).” Jesus then explains to His “sheep,” it’s because when “…I was hungry, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in….” Stunned, the righteous wonder aloud when they did these things for Christ? Jesus in such a profound, earth shaking way, states, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.” One of the great Christian responsibilities is to give “…a cup of water to drink…” in the name of Christ (Mark 9:41). Humanly speaking this seems to be quite simple, but when we obey this order from the King, we literally, as Christ teaches, place that cup into His merciful hand.
February 25, 2010 - ...with God - Week 8: Day 4
One of the great themes that is woven throughout all of Jesus’ teaching is the concept of living life as a “performance” to please people. Jesus, addressing the scribes and Pharisees, cuts deep to the heart of the situation, saying of these religious leaders, “…all their works they do for to be seen of men.” Yet scripture is very clear that “…whatsoever ye do,” Colossians says, “…do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men….” Unlike the extremely religious Pharisees, we are to do everything “…with all our might…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) as an act of worship toward God. Our Savior demands that our work, our family, our hobbies…absolutely everything must be done with an audience of one in the forefront of our mind. That audience is a Savior who took on the form of a slave, was obedient to His father even unto death on a cruel cross. Jesus set an incredible example that we must faithfully follow, realizing that it is God and God alone who brings lasting rewards.
February 24, 2010 - ...with God - Week 8: Day 3
Rebekah in Genesis 24 selflessly serves Abraham’s servant, literally “carrying” the burden for him. This certainly aligned with cultural traditions of the day, and yet the call in Christ on our lives today, is very similar. In Galatians 6:2, Paul is outlining the responsibility of believers towards fellow Christians. Paul writes, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Paul is clear in the previous verse that when we see a brother or sister in Christ caught in sin, we are to help restore their relationship with Christ in a great spirit of meekness, carefully considering our own spiritual condition. The law of Christ that Paul is teaching, is that each believer will have burdens, both in everyday life and in crisis situations, which the church, all believers, have biblical mandate to help carry. This law applies to those in sin and those who are seeing the disastrous results. For those who are “fallen,” they must be willing to be honest about their condition, and for those who are witnesses, they must also be courageous enough to be honest, always “…speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).”
February 23, 2010 - ...with God - Week 8:Day 2
In a self-absorbed and self-worshipping cultural, discovering an example of self-less service is rare. Genesis 24 records the incredible service of Rebekah to a complete stranger, where she not only draws water for him to drink, but also for his ten camels. Incredible work and effort was performed on the part of Rebekah, not only for cultural reasons, but because she truly possessed a servant’s heart. Jesus teaching in Matthew 5 says, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two.” Jesus not only in words, but in deeds, showed us the example of servant leadership, taking on the form of a slave. (Philippians 2:7) Jesus is challenging His followers to be service mind, willfully seeking opportunities to serve, not just to be served. But as followers of Christ, the call to serve is not simply a “pleasant” option, but a core duty. Jesus, when questioned about the greatest commandment, explains that we are to “…love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.” But Christ doesn’t stop there, he continues, saying, “And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” We as humans certainly have no issue serving and preserving self, but Christ calls us to feel and act the same way to those we encounter everyday.
February 22, 2010 - ...with God - Week 8:Day 1
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, the young pastor at Ephesus, Paul warns his son in the faith (1st Timothy 1:12) that as he continues to faithfully minister the gospel, his walk with God will face, as Paul describes, perilous times. (2nd Timothy 3:1) Paul explains in great detail the world will indeed grow worse and worse (vs. 13), but he begins his discourse by laying the foundation for these savage times, by writing, “…men shall be lovers of their own selves….” Now roughly 2,000 years later, Paul’s teaching, without a doubt, has come to fruition. Jesus spoke many times about the love of self and attacked the self-absorbed lifestyle. Jesus, turning traditional understanding on its head, says “…he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.” In God’s economy, the proud lovers of themselves will receive their judgment, however those who humbly submit to the cross of Christ, joining Him in the form of a slave, and deny themselves will be partakers of His glory for all eternity. (Romans 8:17)
