Are you consistently looking to Jesus by faith?

 20 Jan 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One


Readings:

Genesis 46

Genesis 47

Genesis 48

Matthew 14:22-36


Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). 


Are you consistently looking to Jesus by faith?


The Lord’s disciples participate in Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand men by distributing the multiplied food. Subsequently, Jesus puts them in a boat on the Sea of Galilee and heads to the mountain to pray. Perhaps He watches over them as He prays for them. Jesus then demonstrates His deity by walking on the water. Peter seeks to join Jesus and starts off fine until he gets his eyes off the mark. At that moment “he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). By faith, let us finish strong and imitate the example of the heroes of faith (Hebrews 11) while keeping our focus upon the One who enlists us into His service and promises to be with us until the end. 


Employment Point: Focus your eyes of faith upon Jesus, who prays for you during stormy times.

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Reflections

“Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭47‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • Who could have imagined? When you were out of options and have no where to go, God provides. You were not forgotten, you are well-loved by the Lord. He always delivers His promise. Never late, always on time


“But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.”Genesis‬ ‭48‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬


“When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭48‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • we see how the Lord somehow reverse all order in Abraham’s household. The first be last and the last be first. Jacob is the younger brother but stole the birthright and blessings. Joseph is the younger son but he too rule over all his older brothers. And now, Israel does the same thing to Joseph’s sons.
  • it will be hard for us to comprehend what God intends to do. It will always be above us and beyond our own understanding. However, what we can do is continue to trust Him that He has our best interests and things will always work out great.


““Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • this verse has always reminded me on how, if our faith was in Lord alone will look like. Peter walked on water, something only Jesus did. We will be given the ability to do the things that is beyond us, something only God can do. 
  • A full reliance on Jesus will bring us to a point that goes way beyond our understanding and plans. He will enable us to see the powers He can wield when we fully surrender and allow Him to use us as He wished.
  • May we all have faith like Peter when we walked on water to keep our eyes on Him alone.


—————————

Are You Fresh for Everything?

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

January 20


No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. —John 3:3


Being born again of the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, as surprising as God himself. We do not know where it begins; it is hidden away in the depths of our personal lives.


Being born again from above is a perennial, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It is a freshness all the time in thinking and talking and living, the continual surprise of the life of God. Sometimes, we are fresh for a prayer meeting, but not for cleaning boots! If this is the case, it’s a sign that something isn’t right between our souls and God. If we’ve ever found ourselves grumbling, “I have to do this thing or it will never get done,” we’ve let staleness creep in.


Consider the moment you are in right now: Do you feel the spark of eternity, of life itself, lighting you from within? The spark never comes from our own efforts. Obedience keeps us in the light, but it doesn’t fill us with vibrant, vital, untiring life. This can only come from the Spirit. To keep in touch with the Spirit within, we must jealously guard our relationship to God. Jesus prayed that we would be one as he and the Father are one—with absolutely nothing in between (John 17:21).


Keep every area of your life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don’t pretend with him. Are you drawing on any other source than God himself? If you’re depending upon anything but him, you will never know when he is gone. Being born of the Spirit means much more than we generally take it to mean. It gives us a new vision and keeps us absolutely fresh for everything, thanks to the perennial supply of the life of God.


Genesis 49-50; Matthew 13:31-58


WISDOM FROM OSWALD

To read the Bible according to God’s providential order in your circumstances is the only way to read it, viz., in the blood and passion of personal life.

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Reflections

I think what Oswald is trying to say here is that when we are truly born again, our mind will go through a kind of reset. We will no longer feel dread and our days will seem to be filled with fresh energy every single day!


The main difference is that we used to do things our own way, wanting an outcome that we wished for or trying to make certain things happen in a way that we want. We don’t want it any other way and certainly not God’s way either.


However, the Holy Spirit who lives in us will not allow the above to happen. He will convict us to change and to change for the better. We will eventually become someone that can be rather different from the one people used to know.


When we are made new, everything is new and our mindset will change. The things that we used not be able to do, we will somehow be able to. The old self will pass away together with Christ who was nailed to the cross. It is no longer us who has the ability to do the things we do but through Him only. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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