Thursday Devotional - Hope for the Helpless

When James was struggling to breathe a few weeks ago, he looked up at me in the middle of one of his steam treatments and asked me if I thought he was going to die. I told him no, I didn’t think so. As concerned as I was for him, I realized he was not only miserable, but scared too. Both feeling helpless, we prayed together. I also heard him pray again by himself when he was in bed.

We can feel helpless, but God is always able to help. In fact, He’s already taken care of our biggest problem – our sin.

Romans 5:5-11  “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”      Romans 5:5-11

Because of Jesus’ death, I am a reconciled child of God; I have been forgiven; my debt has been paid; and my debt was paid in full by someone else (Jesus Christ).  If that was all Jesus did for me, I would have more than enough for which to rejoice.  However, Jesus didn’t just die to pay for our sins, God raised Him from the dead to give us eternal life!!!  We not only receive peace and joy here on earth as a result of our reconciliation, but we will receive everlasting life with God in Heaven because we have been saved through Christ’s life! 

Will you thank God for His love in reconciling and saving you?         

How are you and I extending that same love to others, offering hope to the helpless?    

Alice

Thurs Devo: Free Atonement

From last week, do you remember what God told Moses after the Israelites blamed Moses and Aaron for killing Korah?

Numbers 16:44-45   ⁴⁴ and the Lord said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

Moses and Aaron responded with humility, reverence for God and compassion for the Israelites. Even though the Israelites deserved God’s wrath, Moses and Aaron didn’t say “Yeah, God, you get them! We’ve had enough!” Instead, look what they courageously and selflessly did!!!

Numbers 16:46-50   ⁴⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.” ⁴⁷ So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. ⁴⁸ He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. ⁴⁹ But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. ⁵⁰ Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

Aaron made atonement [reparation for a sin; reconciliation between God and people] for the Israelites who had personally sinned against him. What a fore-shadow of what Christ perfectly did for all of us, once and for all! We don’t earn Christ’s atonement, just like the Israelites didn’t earn Aaron’s atonement. It was costly to God and Jesus, but free to us!

Romans 3:23-26      ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

By faith, we accept Christ’s atonement on our behalf! Then, we can enjoy reconciliation with God!

Do you and I truly realize that we don’t deserve Christ’s sacrifice of atonement, we can’t earn it, but we can fully receive it by faith?

How will you and I appreciate the free atonement offered to us through Jesus Christ?

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Love and Rebuke

Have you ever both rebuked and loved a person in the same moment? I’m guessing many parents can answer “yes” to this question!

A truly godly and loving parent will instruct their child in the ways of God, knowing it’s best for them. As loving brothers and sisters in Christ, we too should desire the best for each other. Most of us don’t like conflict, but if we truly love others, we will humbly share with them God’s standards.

Last week, I gave an overview lecture of 20 chapters in Leviticus to a Bible study class and the following verses were some of the ones that jumped out at me.

Leviticus 19:17-18       ¹⁷ “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. ¹⁸ “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

This is our Holy God talking! He said to both rebuke and love our neighbor in two sentences back to back. They fit together. If we love our neighbor we won’t hate them or seek revenge. If we humbly approach our neighbor with the sincere and honest truth (frankness), then it’s less likely their sin will lead us to a hateful and revengeful heart attitude. Plus, if they rightly respond to the rebuke, we will help them turn from their sin and toward God. They will then enjoy a reconciled relationship with God, us, and others.

Jesus reiterated this in one of his teachings in the book of Matthew.

Matthew 18:15-17      ¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ ¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.  

Who have you and I avoided rebuking or confronting?

Will you pray for boldness and humility and then approach them with loving sincerity?

How will you and I be open to receiving rebuke?

Will you and I be thankful for their love and concern for us and listen and respond appropriately?

Alice