Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – The Light of the World (12/7/23)

What does “Jesus is the Light of the World” really mean??? We throw around the fact that Jesus is the Light of the World, especially around Christmas time. It is often on many Christmas cards. I was even thinking about putting it on mine this year, since we just studied it in context of all of John 8 this week in Bible study.

John 8:12-18      ¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

¹³ The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. ¹⁶ But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. ¹⁷ In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. ¹⁸ I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

Jesus had previously declared that He is the bread of life (John 6), which means He is the only one that can provide true sustenance, satisfaction, contentment and joy for this life and for all eternity! In John 8, Jesus reveals He’s the Light of the World. He’s the only one who offers absolute truth about God, life, sin and eternity. He’s the only one who is God, sent by God. Only He can judge sin perfectly and provide direction for life.

What does it mean to you that Jesus is the Light of the World? How are you and I using His light? Are you and I allowing His light to illuminate sin in our lives so we can walk less in darkness and more in abundance of life?

Thursday Devotional - Life's Ups and Downs

Vacations come and go too quickly, most of the time. We often wish they lasted much longer! However, if we were always on vacation, we probably wouldn’t appreciate it as much.

I know several of you tackled weeds this past long weekend. They’re not fun to pull, but I certainly have a greater appreciation for the flower bed and yard after having worked in it myself!

Life is full of ups and downs. Solomon reflected on this in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Easy or pleasant things usually only come after lots of hard work or difficulties. Through the years, God has helped me learn to not wallow in difficult times. It will not last forever. Whether it’s hours, months, or years, a better day is coming! Then, with His help, I’m better able to enjoy and appreciate the pleasant times in life, whether big or small!

How does this encourage or challenge you in your current season of life? 

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Truth in 30 Seconds?

I know God can use anything and anyone and can use a brief statement someone says, but it still amazes me every time I see Him do it!

A couple weeks ago my sister, Jane, was playing piano for one of her weekly church services. After a pre-service rehearsal, one of the other musicians told Jane her cousin was dying. She mentioned that he was of a different religion, but she knew he was going to heaven because he was a good person. Jane expressed sympathy to the lady and then God brought to mind John 14:6. So, in the 30 seconds Jane had before she needed to start playing, she said “Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.”

Well, after the service, the lady came back up to Jane and said she was stewing over that verse the entire service. They got to chat further about God’s truths. Jane mentioned several other truths from Romans. She mentioned how Christianity is the only “religion” where we don’t have to “do” anything. Being good doesn’t get us to heaven. They talked for a while and Jane reassured her she would be praying for her and the relative (and Jane told several of us so we could be praying, too).

We were saddened this lady (involved in church) was confused by the lies of the world and our culture and didn’t believe God’s truths and promises from His Word. This lady was bothered the Bible states Jesus is the only way, but God used that to prick her. In fact, this past weekend, she came back to tell Jane that last week she clearly saw first-hand that not all “gods” are the same. Jesus is truly the only way and she heard Jesus telling her all week “I am the way!”

Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Praise God!!! Jesus is the only way to have access to and a relationship with God the Father (and eternal life in heaven after death)! He revealed and confirmed that truth to this lady! God is amazing! He can use just one phrase from His Word to help, convict, encourage and instruct!  

Let’s pray for God’s help to recognize and take even the 30 second opportunities He gives us to speak His truths. He’s the one that can multiply it for His glory!

I Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Sin and Death or Victory and Life?

We just remembered Jesus death on the cross this past Friday and celebrated His resurrection on Sunday!

After a Good Friday service, we came home and got baths and then had our evening Bible reading and prayer time in a dark bedroom (instead of in the well-lit den). I used a flashlight as we read the crucifixion story together from the book of Luke. It’s a new tradition we started last year, remembering the utter darkness God sent while Jesus hung on the cross to pay for our sins. The kids had clear memories from a year ago (when we read the account from John)!

It’s hard for us to grasp all Jesus did in those dark hours on the cross. His death freed us from the penalty of sin and His resurrection freed us from the power of sin.  

Romans 6:1-5                     What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Are you and I truly living in the new life Jesus provided and looking forward to our resurrection someday?  Or, is there some habitual sin that reflects a lack of union with Jesus’ death? Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us overcome those sins, living in the victory Jesus has already won!

Alice

Thurs Devo: Death Planned

Most of us will not know ahead of time the exact time and place of our death, but Aaron did.

Numbers 20:22-29       ²² The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. ²³ At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ²⁴ “Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. ²⁵ Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor. ²⁶ Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there.”

²⁷ Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. ²⁸ Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, ²⁹ and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, all the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.

God blessed Aaron by telling him ahead of time when and where he would die. God also told Aaron how to prepare and who would take his place as high priest. Moses and Eleazer weren’t left to try to figure it out on their own.

A relative of a friend of mine died in a bicycle accident last year. As sad as it was, the whole family saw God’s hand preparing them ahead of time. The guy who died had recently told his wife that he thought something might happen soon, so he made sure she knew what all their passwords and accounts were, etc. That was just one of several ways God prepared them.

As sad as death is in this life, we can look to God for direction on how to prepare for and/or handle death, whether our own or someone else’s. God is Sovereign over life and death.   

Alice