Devotion
Living the Message
David Jacobs
There's been a lot of talk in the modern age about spending time calling for something to be done on social media rather than actually doing something. Even as Christians, it's easy to feel good about ourselves for sharing God's word with others and testifying about our faith on the internet. Is it enough?
Jesus said that to the watching world, believers should be like salt and light. If we add salt to soup, no one can deny the improvement in taste. If we bring a lamp into a dark room, darkness will flee. Everyone testifies their personal belief and priorities first and foremost by the way they live their lives. Our character, conduct, and even our conversations should reflect the necessity of Christ and make a clear statement about the glory of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
When we are filled with a hope to have an impact on the world, a good place to start is by studying the scriptures. Studying the lives of Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David, Mary, Esther and others teaches us the way they learned from their mistakes, the ways they coped with difficulties and how they interacted with the Lord. The Biblical accounts also show us that our Father in Heaven has goals for our lives, and that He wants us to be like Christ.
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.
