Are you among those who faithfully witness to Jesus’ deity?
15 May 26
Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One
Readings:
2 Kings 12
2 Kings 13
2 Kings 14
John 5:25-47
By the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established (Deuteronomy 19:15).
Are you among those who faithfully witness to Jesus’ deity?
There exists a plethora of witnesses to the deity of Jesus. Based upon the principle from Deuteronomy 19:15, Jesus cites several. He says, “There is another who bears witness of Me” (John 5:32). “Another” means another of the same kind and points to God the Father; He testifies to Jesus being God. Next, Jesus lists John the Baptist among the witnesses who “was the burning and shining lamp” (John 5:35). Our Lord includes Himself in the mix. He shares, “But I have a greater witness than John’s” (John 5:36). He then refers to the Scriptures “which testify of Me” (John 5:39). The many witnesses have a unified theme: the deity of Jesus Christ. Let our works also demonstrate to a dark world that Jesus is God!
Employment Point: Be a modern witness to the deity of Jesus.
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Reflections
“They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.”
2 Kings 12:15 NIV
- having integrity and being honest is truly a virtue and perhaps can also count as having godly values, especially when dealing with repairs of the temple.
- Important to have trustworthy people who steward the Lord’s money so that it will not be siphoned or used for other illegal purposes.
“Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel.”
2 Kings 13:4 NIV
- The Lord always hears, even Jehoahaz who did evil and when the Lord is angry with him, He still sent a deliverer to Jehoahaz and bring him out of his sticky situation and survived the ordeal, though he did suffer great losses.
- So much grace that the Lord has given to us all. Just like Jehoahaz we sometimes sin against the Lord but He does not ignore us when we go to Him to seek His help.
- How great is this God who deserves all our praises!
“The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. And since the Lord had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.”
2 Kings 14:26-27 NIV
- we see God’s mercy and His attribute in this verse. He saw and He knew everything. Even though the king did not seek Him or ask for His help, the Lord could not bear to see His people suffer, whether slave or free. He showed compassion and saved them.
- A reminder to me too that the Lord had too, saved me from situations where I had spoken nothing of. Yet He is just there. Truly grateful for His love for us.
“Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”
John 5:25 NIV
- After I read this verse, it seems like the dead may not be literally referring to the dead but the dead being those who have yet to have a personal relationship with the Lord. Those who do not know Jesus. But having known Jesus and be known as God’s children, we all live a risen life. The life we now live, is a transformed life.
““I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.”John 5:36 NIV
- each and every one do bear witness to Jesus Christ. All the things that He had done for us, aren’t merely anything that are humanly possible. Most of it is impossible by man and only possible with God and stands as a testimony that the Father sent Him.
“If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?””John 5:46-47 NIV
- this seems to be saying that Moses wrote the laws and if we believe in those laws, then we too ought to believe in Him, since whatever Moses wrote about, was all about the Lord
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The Habit of Rising to the Occasion
BY OSWALD CHAMBERS
May 15
. . . that you may know the hope to which he has called you.— Ephesians 1:18
Do you remember why you have been saved? So that the Son of God will be manifested in your life. Now you must harness all your powers to realize your election as a child of God; rise to the occasion, every time.
You can’t do anything for your salvation, but you must do something to manifest it in the world. You must work out what God has worked in. Are you working it out with your mind, your tongue, your body? Or are you still the same miserable, cranky person, set on having your own way? If you are, it’s a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.
“With my God I can scale a wall” (Psalm 18:29). God is the Master Engineer. He allows difficulties in order to see if you can overcome them. Because you are his child, he will never shield you from his requirements. Peter says, “Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you” (1 Peter 4:12). Rise to the occasion. Do the difficult thing. As long as a trial gives God the opportunity to manifest himself in your body, in whatever way he wants, it doesn’t matter how much it hurts. The aim of the disciple’s life is to let the Son be manifested so that the Father can do whatever he wants with us. We are not here to dictate to God. We are here to submit to his will, so that he may work through us, using us to feed and nourish others.
God never has museums. We have to keep ourselves ready, so that the Son of God can be manifested in us here and now. May God find the whine in us no longer. May he find us instead full of spiritual pluck and daring, eager to face anything he brings.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
We are in danger of being stern where God is tender, and of being tender where God is stern.
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Reflections
The scene about Jesus at the garden of gethsemane came up while I was reading this devotional. A knowing that not my will but Yours be done. Understanding the trials and heaviness we feel are all part of the package and a process. We know we have to do this but ultimately it is also our choice, whether we obey and face it or we run away. However, we also know that running away do not solve the problem because if we reject that calling, either the Lord finds someone else to do this or He will bring you around for a walk in the garden before asking you to do it again. The challenge for me is not whether I should do it but to remember why I do it.
Trials and challenges are all part of our growth and it builds us up in the different aspects that the Lord is building us up for the season. It may be training our grace, our patience, our self-control, even our love for His people. Do we give as a cheerful giver, do we trust Him and obey all that He says?
I personally find that running away will only prolong the trial. We all know if the Lord wants us to learn something, we will somehow have to understand why we are going through a certain trial. Otherwise after a while, we will find ourselves in a never ending loop, because He is adamant about us having learn the lesson before we can be allowed to move on. I find that facing it, even though painful at times, aids in our growth. It keeps me on my toes, though ya, it indeed is not easy.
But you know what, it is not in our strength that we are doing this. The Lord is with us and it is through our weakness that His strength in us is made apparent. May we all be able to bring glory to Him!
Let’s pray:
Father help us to find joy, even in trials and tribulations. For we know that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of us lacks wisdom, let us ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to us.”
James 1:2-5 NIV
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