Month: October 2021

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 14:6

Before even getting out of bed one morning, my mind started filling with memories of trips I had taken – one to England and one to Germany.  I remembered how much I appreciated traveling with people who had been there before. They knew all the sights to see and where to stay.  Even more important, they knew how to get to those places. Subways, trains, buses, ferries – all that would have been really difficult to figure out on my own!  Those travels were delightful and amazing!

As delightful and amazing it is to travel and experience the beauty of God’s creation on earth, our lives here are only temporary. We have the Lord’s promise of far greater pleasure for all eternity.  Read what His Word says:

What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, And what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love Him.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV):

My thoughts then turned to prayer for a dear friend whose beloved granddaughter is losing a long and painful battle with cancer.  Apart from a miracle, she will soon be in heaven! I’m so thankful to know that she and her family have journeyed with the Lord through their time on earth.  Soon Jesus will bring her to the place in heaven He has prepared for her.  And she, and all who belong to Jesus, will be there with her someday for all eternity.

Jesus came from heaven to earth to prepare the way for all who belong to Him to spend eternity with Him.  Even before the creation of the world, this was God’s plan.  Jesus would come to earth to die for the sins of the world.  He would be resurrected and live again for a short time on earth before going back to heaven.  Jesus spent time with His disciples after His resurrection preparing them for His departure.  In John 14:1-6, Jesus comforted them with these words:

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places.  If it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also….

All who have received God’s gift of salvation through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross for forgiveness of sin have this assurance.  There is no other way to heaven than the one He has prepared for us. 

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Only God knows the number of our days on earth.  Are you ready for heaven?  If you can answer “Yes,” take some time to thank God for that assurance.

If your answer is “No,” you can pray even now and ask God to make you ready.  Here are some Scriptures with God’s truth about salvation:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you are ready to receive Jesus as your personal Savior, you could pray this prayer (copied from The New Believer’s Bible):

            God, I’m sorry for my sin.  I turn from it right now. 

I thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sin.

Jesus, I ask you to come into my heart and life right now. 

Be my Lord, Savior, and friend. 

Help me to follow you all the days of my life as your disciple.

Thank you for forgiving and receiving me right now. 

Thank you that my sin is forgiven and that I am going to heaven.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

If you believe these Scriptures and have prayed that prayer, you can be assured that God has heard you, and you belong to Him.  All believers are called to continue our life journey with the Lord, getting to know Him more through reading His Word, depending on His Spirit living in us to follow and obey what He tells us to do.  Remember that this life is not all there is – we have an eternal home in heaven prepared for us!

Give us this day our daily bread

Matthew 6:11

For much of my life, I was satisfied with the idea that these words from The Lord’s Prayer mean that we were to trust God for our daily food.  And I’m sure that’s part of it.  But now I realize it means so much more than that.  Jesus is telling us that we need to come to Him in complete dependence not only for our personal needs but for all we need to meet the needs of others He brings into our lives.  And I need to depend on Him daily for whatever He has planned for me to do.

In Exodus we read about the people of Israel in the desert after being saved from slavery in Egypt.  God provided manna every morning. They were instructed to gather it daily, and only enough for one day.  God was teaching them that He would provide again the next day and every day after that. 

I love the message about Jesus feeding the multitudes with the only food the disciples were able to obtain from the crowd – five loaves of bread and two fish.  He miraculously multiplied that small offering into not just barely enough to feed everyone, but there were 12 baskets of food left over!  What stands out to me in this scripture is that the disciples had to keep coming back to Jesus for refills.  He didn’t give them the complete amount all at one time they would need to distribute.

Jesus said, I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35).   He revealed Himself as the only way to receive eternal life.  He invites us to come to Him for salvation.  When we receive His gift of salvation by faith, we also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit who comes to live in us.  We need to depend on Him daily to align our hearts and minds and will with God’s.

Again, for much of my life I had no idea of this truth.  I believed in God, I was attending church regularly, but there was no understanding that God had a plan for my life.  No understanding that God had given me His Spirit to equip me for the life He had planned.  No understanding of spiritual gifts God has given every believer to accomplish His work.

Like the Israelites, I need to come to Jesus daily, and throughout the day, in complete surrender to His will and trust in His provision.  A love relationship with Him brings peace, joy, and a sense of purpose as I live my life for Him.  He provides everything I need to follow Him and to encourage others in their walk with Him. 

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Do you make time with the Lord a priority in your life?  Do you recognize your need for Him daily?

What keeps you from spending time with Him daily?  He calls us to come to Him all who are weary and burdened and He will give us rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28). 

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

John 14:27

A friend recently shared a link to an online message she had listened to. The message is from Pastor Joe at Valley 4^th Church. I’ll copy the link at the end of this devotional message in case you’d like to listen to it in person.  It’s only about 10 minutes, but so encouraging in these days of troubled times all around the world! 

            The part of the message that meant so much to me personally was the speaker’s own testimony.  As an unbeliever, he would observe his Christian friends going through difficult and tragic times and still have peace.  That is what finally made him realize that God is real, and he turned his life over to God.  He is now a pastor. That is a strong reminder to me that the way we live our lives really matters because others are watching.    

            As Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure from this earth to ascend back to heaven, they were troubled.  They had been with Him constantly for three years, and now He is leaving them! You can read more of Jesus’ words of comfort to them in John 14.  Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you.  My peace I give to you; not as the world gives…” The pastor focused on the difference between the peace the world offers and the peace that Jesus promises to those who follow Him.  I’ll summarize the message for you here:

What is the peace the world gives?

In order to experience peace, there must be an absence of anxiety.  Anxiety has to be resolved.  That peace never lasts.  It’s tied to situations.  He calls the world’s peace “emotional, situational, and transitional.”

What is the peace Jesus gives?

The peace Jesus gives us is the peace of mind even in the midst of troubling situations.  It’s a state of mind entered by faith.  He calls us to take authority over our emotions by faith in God.  He gives us peace as we personally trust Him.  It is a constant privilege as we get to know Him more and more and choose to live this way. He calls Jesus’ peace “volitional, personal, and constant.”

The pastor gave a concluding principle:

“God has given every believer the right to live in mental peace — in every situation, constant, all by faith.  Don’t look for the peace of the world. Choose to live in the peace of God that He gives, no matter the situation.  Stand in faith as you face your fears.”

Here is the link to find the message:  https://youtu.be/fUSCbeMdjj8

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Is there an area in your life right now that is causing anxiety and stress and uncertainty?  Will you consider asking God to help you choose to trust Him completely and let go of the anxiety?

Remember that whether or not we are aware of it, people are watching how we respond to difficult circumstances.  They may be drawn to the God who gives us His peace even in the midst of troubling times.