Devotion
His Workmanship
Chipo Biti
We are the workmanship - the creation - of God. He took time to form us in His image. When He created us He desired that we enjoy and prosper in our relationship with Him. At the beginning of time, before the Fall, there was no pain or suffering. Man was left to flourish, multiply, and enjoy the best of what God had created for them. God created us with love. He has loved us from the beginning of time and He actually intended for us to live a perfect life of fulfillment. The work that man was required to do was work that He enjoyed.
Unfortunately, this all changed after the Fall of Man. Evil entered the world and so did pain and sorrow. Things changed for mankind. We became at war with the world and with one another.
But in a world filled with trials and tribulations of many sorts, we can be confident because we are loved by God and we know that the plans that He has for us will always work us. Think of it like this, God managed to sort out the greatest thing of our lives - our salvation. Without Jesus Christ, we would all be damned to hell and there would be nothing that could save us. But God, out of His endless love for us, sent His son to take the fall for us so that we would be able to live.
We are loved by God and, as His children, we love Him too. We have been created with a purpose; God has a plan for our lives.
After the Fall, God did not turn His back on mankind. He could have chosen to wipe everyone out and start again but He could not do that. The love He had for man was too much for Him to try and wipe them all out. Instead, He came up with a redemption plan that came in the form of Jesus. While we may not be able to live in that paradise right now, a time will come where we will. When Jesus returns, we will live a more glorious life - free of all evil, pain, and sorrow. Until then, we will hold fast to God's promises and root our Hope in Him.
Prayer
Now, as Christians, we walk confidently because we know of where we are headed. We have received eternal life. A life that will not be revoked from us because of the love that we have for God. In a world filled with hopelessness and uncertainty, we can walk with our heads held high because we know that all is truly well with our lives. If God could turn around our eternity, the greatest thing in our lives, for us, what can't he do? Is there anything more important than the fate of our eternity? No! So walk tall, dear believer, and know that you are covered.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
