Devotion
Lord of the Sabbath, Lord of all days
David Jacobs
These verses make me sad. How could the Pharisees possibly decide, after seeing Jesus heal and feed those that needed it, "how they might destroy" Jesus? Then I started to think about it a little deeper and how I have acted at times, and it began to make more sense.
Think of a dark time in your life, one where God was testing you, and you couldn't figure out why. Did you always react calmly? Do you ever regret some of the things that you thought or said towards God? I certainly know the answer for myself, and it is a mistake I have made several times.
It can be difficult to get over ourselves sometimes. We often inflate our egos and when make everything about "me" when it should always be about God. He has a plan for all of us, just as He had a plan for Jesus. He also had a plan for the Pharisees who saw Jesus break the Sabbath rules, saw him perform acts that they could not, and saw themselves being less important than before. They inflated their egos and decided that committing an act of evil that they knew was wrong at any time, not just on the Sabbath, and plotted to kill Jesus! On reading this I was angry at these foolish Pharisees for not seeing God's plan, and a bit bashful when realizing that I could easily have been one of them. I have not always trusted fully in the Lord, and these verses helped me know that I must improve and humble myself. God has a plan, on the Sabbath and every day.
Prayer
Merciful and forgiving Father, how lucky I am to have you in my life. When I have been weak, you have forgiven me, and with each time I gain a stronger faith. Praise be to you, my one and only Lord, for giving your only begotten Son to us, so that we would have a shining example that never strayed from your path. I beg that you strengthen me, my Lord, as you strengthened Jesus. In his holy name I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Inspiration
When multiple flocks of sheep become blended, there is no need to worry. The good shepherd will call out to his sheep, and they come directly to him because they know his voice and will not confuse it with others. As God's people, we often become mixed up in things of the world. Sin is tempting as we surround ourselves with the wrong crowd; God is always watching and calls us back to the fold. We find Him when we are lost because we know the sound of His voice; it's the only one we've chosen to follow, and we do not confuse it with others.
Prayer
Dear God, when we are lost, we listen for You. Your voice is precious and will guide us back to the fold where we belong. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
The Word of God
Frances Taylor
If there's one thing I know about Christians and the Bible, is that there is an ongoing debate about whether it is the word of God or the word of men, and what that means. We all agree that the Bible is the living revealed word of God, but! There are wide differences in how that is interpreted. There are some who believe that every word of the Bible was dictated to someone who wrote it down. For others it is purely men's thoughts. For others, men were inspired by God to write their experience of God. I don't know where you find yourself on this continuum.
For most people who believe that the Bible is inspired either word for word or as guided by God, the Bible tells God's truth. Unfortunately for those of us who speak English, we have to rely the sources we have had over the years as guides to how the Scriptures should be interpreted. I have had many people ask me which translation is correct, but there's no clear answer.
The Bible has been translated ...
Morning Prayer
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Inspiration
Suffering will be a part of our lives as Christians. The New Testament is filled with warnings about the suffering Christians will incur because of their decision to follow Christ and not the ways of the world. Millions of Christians across the world are subjected to torture, isolation, and mockery just because they have chosen to follow Christ. But Christ has also assured us that we will not endure this suffering alone, and a reward lies ahead for all of those who suffer for the name of Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that in times of persecution and great tribulations, may you strengthen me and encourage me to keep going on. I also pray for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who endure great pain and torture for choosing to follow you. May you comfort them in these trying times, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
