Faithfully Yours Forever

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31b-32 (NIV)

Passage: John 8:31-47

Oh, the blessings of discipleship!  Often we think about the challenges or effort required to be one of Christ’s disciples, but often miss or ignore the many blessings we receive because we have chosen to follow Christ.  The blessings we receive will only grow as we grow in our relationship to Christ and continue to follow Him and His ways.  Have you experienced the freedom mentioned of in this Scripture verse?  It produces a peace beyond understanding.  May we be empowered by the Holy Spirit to adhere to the teaching of Christ.  May we seek to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  May we be freed from all of those sinful thoughts, words, actions, and behaviors that bind us.  May we be truly set free.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins. John 8:24 (NIV)

Passage: John 8:21-30

You can’t get much more direct than that.  If we believe in Jesus, we believe He died to atone for our sins.  It is this atonement that opens the door for us to have a relationship with a holy God.  This atonement also opens the door for us to enter into eternal life with Him.  If we do not believe that His death atoned for our sins, then our sin remains and our fate is sealed.  Praise God if, in our hearts, we believe.  Pray to God to forgive our unbelief and to help us see, accept, and believe in the Truth… to believe in Jesus.  May we each be blessed as we journey on with Christ.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)

Passage: John 8:12-20

In this passage, the religious leaders were challenging Jesus because He was testifying on His own behalf.  Jesus defended His position.  After all, who could speak better about where He had been, where He was going, or what His purpose on this earth was than He could?  Something similar holds true for us, as followers of Christ.  Who can testify more effectively about our journey and walk with the Lord than we can?  May we be effective witnesses for Christ.  May others see how the light of Christ can change a life of a person… for the good.  Where there is darkness, may we be a source of light that will help others find Christ.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7 (NIV)

Passage: John 8:1-11

By reading the surrounding passage, we learn that a woman’s sinful acts have been discovered.  The religious leaders brought the woman to Jesus for Him to judge and exact punishment.  However, this passage and verse should remind us that a sin is a sin; all sin separates us from God.  Whenever I find myself judging someone else… and seeking to exact my own kind of judgment and punishment, I am convicted of my own sin.  I find the grip I have on the stone is loosened and it falls from my hand.  May we be humbled as we are reminded of our own sin.  May we be encouraged to know of God’s mercy.  May we seek to extend God’s grace to others as it has been freely extended to us.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.” John 7:37 (NIV)

Passage: John 7:37-53

I expect we each know what it feels like to be thirsty – to be really thirsty and to really want a drink of water.  It can be experienced as an inner feeling of need that consumes our thoughts and dictates our actions – a need that must be quenched.  While I have been talking about physical thirst, a spiritual thirst might be experienced in a similar way – as an inner feeling that needs to be satisfied.  Just as we can experience the intense thirst, both physically or spiritually, we can also experience true fulfillment when we quench our physical thirst with a cold glass of water… or our spiritual thirst with a special encounter with God as we focus or meditate upon the Word of God found in Christ, through the Scriptures, or as we are guided by the Holy Spirit.  May we be truly satisfied from above.  May we thirst for a fresh encounter with God.  May our belief in the one who provides be strengthened as our thirst is quenched!  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)