Daily Devotional

This past week I finished reading through the Gospel of John.  I was impressed at how many times Jesus made statements that He was doing what His Father does.  He declared to the religious leaders that He and the Father were one and that what He was doing is exactly what the Father would be doing.  He had a deep relationship with God the Father and the purpose of His earthly ministry was to do the Father’s will and give Himself a sacrifice for sin.  

As I read those words, I am reminded of the invitation given to us by Jesus and our heavenly Father to know them and to experience Their lives in my life.  Almost 30 years ago there was a very popular Bible Study written by Dr. Henry Blackaby, entitled, “Experiencing God.”  One of the core truths presented in the study was that God is inviting us to join Him in the work that He is doing around us.  The challenge was to look around us to see what God was doing and then join Him in that work.  In this way we “experience God” as we work together to accomplish His purposes.  This means that I need to spend time with the Lord as I go through the busyness of each day.  I should not be distracted from the purpose I have in life to experience and know God more intimately each day.

The twelve Apostles experienced the Lord 24/7, and their lives had been forever changed by the life and ministry of Jesus.  They spent over 3 years with Him.  They saw first hand the miracles and the lives that were transformed.  Jesus involved the disciples in His Kingdom ministry.  They had cast out demons and healed the sick in Jesus name.  All this had an affect on them.  But the event that totally transformed their lives was the resurrection of Jesus.  After the crucifixion, the disciples were confused and didn’t understand.  Why would Jesus’ life end in such a tragic way?  If He could heal the sick, cause the blind to see and even raise the dead to life, could He not have stopped His arrest, trials and crucifixion?  They had hoped that He was the Messiah.  

When they saw the resurrected Lord, they were filled with new boldness.  Where they had been fearful, they now declared the good news of Christ with boldness.  In the context of Acts 4:13, Peter and John approached the Temple grounds one day and they saw the lame man seated by the Temple gate.  He asked them for money but they gave him something money could not buy.  In the name of Jesus, they told him to get up and walk.  The healing was instantaneous.  This miracle gave Peter and John the opportunity to speak to the large crowd that had gathered.  They told them that there was salvation in no other name then Jesus.  Many people believed that day.  The religious leaders were furious and arrested Peter and John.  They brought them before their council and questioned them.  Peter declared that the healing was done in the powerful name of Jesus who was alive from the dead.  They threw them out of the council and told them to no longer teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John told them we can’t stop teaching about Jesus and His resurrection.

The religious leaders realized something was different about Peter and John.  They had no formal education, but yet they had such boldness and knowledge.  They came to the realization that the reason was that they had spent time with Jesus.  What a phenomenal statement. Their lives had been changed by spending time with their Lord.  Christ’s life, ministry, and resurrection had transformed them forever.

As we think of the words of Jesus and see the disciples’ example, we realize that we need to walk closely with the Lord so that others can see that we have “been with Jesus.”  The Lord wants us to have a close relationship with Him that changes our lives.  “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23) The Father and Son indwell us and want to have a special close relationship with us.  The Lord wants us to spend daily time with Him.  Daily prayer, Bible reading, and meditation on scriptural truth will bring us into God’s presence.  The time we spend with the Lord will literally change our lives as we put into practice the things that we are learning.  Today our families, neighborhoods, workplace, and world need to see that we have been with Jesus.  Are you devoting time to be with Jesus?

Prayer:  Lord, thank You that You gave Your life for my sin and rose from the dead.  Help me to take time to be with You today, that my life might be transformed to be more like You.  Amen

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.