BIBLE PASSAGE:
“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go,
and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you
until I have done what I have promised you.”
(Genesis 28:15)
MEDITATION:
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to watch over you wherever you go?
Someone who would let you know immediately if you were about to do or
say something that would have adverse consequences. If you are in trouble,
wouldn’t you like to have someone who is available to calm and advise you?
When good things happen, it’s always good to have a friend to share your
happiness with. Wouldn’t you like a dependable overseer whose promises
are always kept? When you are sad, don’t you want someone compassionate
and understanding to console you? You want a friend who not only knows you,
but reads and understands your heart.
In Genesis, we see how God fulfills the requirements of a caring overseer.
When He spoke to Jacob in a dream, He promised to be with him and to
watch over him wherever He would go. God also assured Jacob that He
would not leave His promise to him unfulfilled.
If God proved to be the perfect overseer for Jacob, then we can
depend on Him as our overseer too, right? If we are in trouble
or sad, we should turn to the One who is compassionate, caring,
and knows our heart.
Since God can see the consequences of our words or actions, we should
filter everything through Him (by praying for His guidance). We know
God keeps His promises, so we need to read His Word and get a better
understanding of the promises He has made. We need to also share our
happiness with the Lord (through our prayers of thanksgiving) when He
blesses us.
If we appreciate God the Father, then we can trust God His Son as well.
Look at what Jesus said in the first few verses of the 14th chapter of John:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You believe in God; believe also in me.
(John 14:1)
He also told His disciples:
“You know the way to the place where I am going.”
(John 14:4)
Thomas spoke for the disciples
when he responded to the comment from Jesus:
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t
know where you are going, so how can
we know the way?”
(John 14:5)
The reply from Jesus was profound as He explained
the relationship between Him and His Father.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.
(John 14:6)
Jesus tells them (and us) more about
the connection between Him and His Father.
“If you really know me, you will know my
Father as well. From now on, you do know
him and have seen him.”
(John 14:7)
We have seen how God can be our overseer when we follow
the path of Jesus. When we know Jesus, we know the Father.
It’s not just knowing about Jesus, or even knowing who He is,
but it is fully knowing Him.
How does that happen? It happens when our heart, our words,
our thoughts, our actions, our emotions, our habits, and our
characteristics are closely aligned with His. It means that we
have a desire to obey all of God’s commands, and not just the
ones we like, or the ones that are easy for us.
The Bible tells us how Jesus didn’t want to be crucified, but
in obedience to God’s command, He did it anyway. I doubt
that God has commanded any of us to be crucified, but He
has commanded us to ‘connect’ with other believers. And
yet, ‘connectivity’ of believers is declining at an alarming
rate.
Due to medical conditions, some people may not be able to
attend church services, but that doesn’t mean they cannot
remain ‘connected’ in other ways. Although it is much better
to ‘connect’ physically, they can ‘connect’ by:
faithfully watching the services ‘online’, obediently
bringing their tithes to the church offices, and staying
in touch with other believers through phone calls, texts,
email, etc.
The less believers remain ‘connected’ with other believers,
the greater the possibility of them ‘disconnecting’ from the
church (and God) altogether. Satan loves it when he can
make other ‘things’ more important to us. That gives him
the opportunity to lure us away from ‘connecting’ with the
Lord, and His people.
ACTION:
Questions we could ask ourselves:
– What kind of relationship do I have with Jesus?
– Do I know a lot of facts about Him, or do I really know Him?
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the
will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me
on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name and in your name drive out demons and in your
name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them
plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
(Matthew 7:21-23)
– Are there some of God’s commands that
I ignore because they inconvenience me?
Being crucified on the cross was certainly inconvenient
for Jesus, but He did it in obedience to God, and He did
it for you and me.
When we think of His obedience and the six hours He spent
suffering on the cross for us it should serve as motivation for
us to spend more time reading God’s Word.
Note:
In addition to the physical pain, Jesus suffered
emotional pain in the days and hours before the
crucifixion.
When God ‘tasked’ me with distributing the devotionals given to
me by Him, He impressed on me the importance of trying to keep
them brief enough to be read in five to ten minutes.
As a side note, I am thankful that He provides
the content and the supporting scriptures for
‘His’ devotionals.
Considering the demands for our time each day, it can seem
like a burden to allocate time for reading His messages to us.
But when we compare our time to the hours Jesus suffered to
prove His love for us, and to obey His Father’s commands, five
or ten minutes doesn’t seem like enough, does it?
We should also be dedicating 20-30 minutes a day for reading
the Bible. It would be a great way to end the day before going
to sleep, wouldn’t it? God’s Word has a way of calming our
spirits and providing us with a restful sleep.
Are you staying ‘connected’ with other believers?
Remember this command (not a suggestion) from the Lord:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward
love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some
are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and
all the more as you see the Day approaching.
(Hebrews 10:24-25)
As our Father (also friend and advisor), God knows the challenges
we have in this world, and He knows the importance of ‘connecting’
with other believers, so He advises us to stay in touch and encourage
each other. When He saved us, He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us
in becoming more like Jesus, and ‘connecting’ with our heavenly Father.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promises. Help me
to fully understand the promises You have made. Teach me
to communicate with You regularly, and to depend on You
in all things. Make me aware of any of Your commands that
I am not currently obeying. Show me how to develop the same
commitment to obedience that Jesus had when He went to the
cross for me. Thank You Jesus, for choosing to obey God and
becoming a living sacrifice for my sins. I am forever grateful
for what You did for me!”
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