No Partiality

Do you show favoritism? Do you know someone (or many someone’s) who does? Have you been the beneficiary of favoritism? Would you like for everyone to be treated equally? Who would decide what is equal? How do you account for diversity of personalities, skills, and physical traits?

We become upset when someone is shown favoritism, unless we are the favorite. We want everyone to be treated equal but have no one who can ensure the treatment is equal. Our human limitations keep us from seeing the entire picture, not allowing us to judge equality accurately.

Our inadequacies in seeing and understanding everything and everyone has been the reason for us to create a plethora of laws to account for the diversity in our world. And it seems as though with every law, there are exceptions. With more exceptions than laws, it becomes a very murky situation for us to navigate. We find ourselves being opposed by someone who has a different perspective.

On the other hand, God accepts everyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior. He shows no partiality. Not only does God accept them but desires that everyone will follow his Son. If God is willing to accept everyone who desires to follow Jesus, shouldn’t we? If we desire to follow Jesus, we should desire to follow His two greatest commands—we should love God and love our neighbor. Jesus has set the example for us to follow. If we want to follow Him, we should His example.

I pray we all desire to give up partiality. I pray we choose to follow Jesus’ example. I pray each one of us choose to love God and love our neighbor, treating everyone equally as best we can. Stop showing favoritism. Follow Jesus’ example. Love God. Love neighbor. Treat everyone equally.

Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him.”

Believe In the Divine

What level of control do you give God? How much do you trust him? Do you believe he is all-powerful? Do you believe he is in control? Is God sitting on the throne of your heart? Have you counted the blessings he has given you? Will you turn everything over to him?

Trusting in God has become very challenging for us. Why? We have taken the attitude of “seeing is believing.” If we cannot see something with our eyes, we don’t believe it. We have become cynical and untrusting of everyone. We have stopped believing in the supernatural.

We sometimes look back through history, especially those who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago and believe them to be superstitious. In many ways, they were. Yet, when we look at the people who followed God, we see they were not superstitious but believed in the supernatural, the divine. They understood there was a divine being in control of the cosmos. They knew there was a grander plan, and they sought to be part of it. They asked the Divine to bless them.

We, too, can believe in the supernatural. We, too, can trust in the Devine. But first, we must acknowledge that he is on the throne. Not just some mythical throne in heaven but the throne of our hearts. When we give up sitting on our own throne and bow down to God, who sits on THE throne, we are set free from the worries of this world. Our eyes are opened. We see God at work. We understand that God is in control.

I pray we all step off our own throne. I pray we acknowledge God is on THE throne and he is in control. I pray each one of us believe in the supernatural, the Divine who can bless us with peace. Step off the throne. Acknowledge God is on THE throne. Believe in the supernatural. Believe in the Divine.

Psalm 29:10-11

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; 

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. 

May the Lord give strength to his people! 

May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Prophecy Fulfilled Again

Prophecy can be challenging to discern. We may wonder if it had been fulfilled, will be fulfilled in the near future, or if it will be filled in the far distant future. When we look at Isaiah, some of his prophecies fits all three. His prophecies sometimes applied multiple times.

Isaiah 42 applies at least twice. It has been fulfilled by Jesus when He walked the earth. It will be fulfilled by Him again when He returns. Isaiah also weaves the prophecy in such a way that some of a prophecy is fulfilled at one time while another piece of it is fulfilled later.

Yesterday we saw Isaiah 42:1 point to both the baptism of Jesus and His final reign. In today’s passage, we see the prophecy of Jesus not crying out or lifting His voice up against Hie accusers prior to heading to the cross. He did not come to damage anything or anyone but to heal and save. Again His justice will be served when He returns.

Though Jesus fulfilled the calming, healing, and saving portion of the prophecy, He will fulfill it again when He returns. When His kingdom is fully consummated at the end of time, this prophecy will be fulfilled. This is why we often hear preachers, teachers, and theologians stating we live in the already but not yet.

What do we do with such prophecies? We take heart in them. We allow them to boost our trust and confidence in Jesus. We know He has fulfilled them once and we trust He will fulfill them again. These prophecies comfort us, grant us peace, and help us keep our eyes on Jesus in a chaotic and corrupt world. We know He is in control and will fulfill the prophecy when God determines the time is right.

I pray we all put our trust in Jesus. I pray the prophecies of Isaiah build our confidence and trust in Jesus. I pray each one of us are comforted by prophecy and accept the peace that comes from knowing God is in control. Trust Jesus. Be confident in Jesus. Be comforted by Jesus. Accept the peace that can only come from Jesus.

Isaiah 42:2-3

He will not cry out or lift up his voice 

or make it heard in the street; 

a bruised reed he will not break, 

and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; 

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

Prophecy and Faith

What does it mean to be a servant? Do you want to be chosen? Do you want someone to delight in you? Would you like to see justice prevail? Would you like to be filled with the energy, courage, and strength to carry out your mission and desires?

We don’t often think about serving others first. We all want to be chosen for good. We want others to like us and think well of us. We want justice, especially as it pertains to us. We want all that we need to perform all our tasks and to achieve our desires.

Many of us won’t experience all of this early in life, if at all, from a human perspective. We can choose to serve others. Yet, many of us are not chosen by others. We may have people who appreciate what we do but may not fully delight in us as a person. We may seek justice our entire life and never find it. We may lack the strength or skill we need to achieve our goals.

The prophet Isaiah is prophesying about the One to come—the Messiah. He is the ultimate servant of God. He is chosen to by the Father to be he representative on earth and the perfect sacrifice. Because the Messiah is willing to abide by the Father’s will, the Father delights in Him. God’s Holy Spirit comes upon the Messiah and stays with Him through His earthly ministry. He brings justice to everyone, even if the final justice is not dealt out until the end of time.

We read a prophecy such as this thousands of years later and see the fulfillment of it. We know there is still one piece of it to be finalized. Yet, because we have seen God fulfill prophecy repeatedly, we trust he will continue to fulfill prophecy. Our trust in God feeds our faith and strengthens it. Our faith increases our trust.

I pray we all see God fulfilling prophecy. I pray we know that Isaiah is prophesying about the Messiah. I pray each one of us trust God will continue to fulfill prophecy and increase our faith. God fulfills prophecy. Isaiah prophesies about the Messiah. Trust God to fulfill prophecies. Increase your faith.

Isaiah 42:1

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, 

my chosen, in whom my soul delights; 

I have put my spirit upon him; 

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Gifts for a King

Have you ever wanted to or needed to give a gift to a very important person? Did you spend hours deciding what you would give them? Did you feel flummoxed regarding what you could give them? Did you feel your gift was totally inadequate?

Giving gifts to someone of prestige can be daunting. We may be confounded and feel as though we could never give a gift worthy of them. An assumption by many is that the more expensive the gift, the better it is. That assumption is not always true.

The magi, or wise men, bring the finest gifts to the infant Jesus. Ostensibly, those gifts are given to Mary and Joseph as Jesus’ parents. It is Mary and Joseph who will determine how those gifts are used, for the gifts given are of no use to an infant. Yet, they are valuable and will be used to provide for the safety of the young Jesus.

So, how does this apply to us today? After all, we cannot bring gifts and physically lay them at Jesus’ feet. Yet, we can bring gifts to Him. We have been blessed by God in both material things and spiritual gifts. It is the spiritual gifts we can use for His glory and give back to Him.

As we demonstrate His love, grace, and mercy to others, we honor Him. It is through our use of His gifts that we give Him the most important gift. There is no dollar value that can be put on it. There is no price we can pay to replace it. Yet, we can give an expensive gift.

I pray we all choose to use our gifts for Jesus’ glory. I pray we show His love, grace, and mercy to others. I pray each one of us will give our precious gift to Jesus by using the gifts He gave us. Use your gifts for Jesus. Love one another. Be gracious to one another. Be merciful to one another. Give back to Jesus.

Matthew 2:11: On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Awe-Inspiring Love

Have you ever been curious about the origins of something? Have you wondered how Thomas Edison ever came up with the idea for a light bulb? Do you know that Joseph Swan had started the research and had some early, if not entirely useful, success in developing a light bulb?

Discovering the origins of something can be useful. Modern day computers are built on the simple electrical concept of gates, or on/off switches. It has been decades since the first computer was made, and they have continually been reduced in size while doing more.

We don’t have to wonder who created all things. We are told, both in Genesis and John, who created the world, and the entire universe. Some may think it is absurd to think God created everything. Yet, it is more logical to believe an intelligent and divine being created it all than to think it all came into being by billions of years of an accidental combination of subatomic particles that resulted in stars, planets, animals, and humans.

What we sometimes miss is that Jesus, the One who came into His creation, was there at the beginning. In fact, Genesis 1, when combined with John 1, tells us the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all there at creation. The Apostle Paul tells us that all things were created through him and for him (Colossians 1:16). And John tells us the Son is God (John 1:18), which is why we state that God came into his creation.

Though we may not exactly how God created everything, including the subatomic particle, we can see by scientific evidence that an intelligent Creator created everything. The human body alone is so complex in its structure that we cannot logically believe it was created by accident. Knowing that God loves us enough to step into his creation can be nothing less than an awe-inspiring revelation. Keep that in mind each day.

I pray we all know that God loves us enough to step into his creation. I pray we understand that Jesus was there at the beginning. I pray each one of us are in awe of God’s creation and inspired by his love. God loves you. God stepped into his creation. Jesus was there at the beginning. Be in awe of God. Be inspired by his love for you.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Wisdom or Foolishness

What are you chasing after? What do you put at the top of your list to achieve? Is it financial stability? Is it a companion who understands you and appreciates you? Is it a fulfilling job? Do you want all these things? Have you determined which one is most important to you?

Chasing our dreams can be good, but it can also be exhausting, lonely, and ultimately unfulfilling when we don’t achieve them. This is especially true if we put everything we have into chasing a childhood dream. As we grow into adults, we sometimes don’t give them up.

So, what are we to do? We are best option for success in life is to make wise choices. Wisdom is equivalent to knowledge. We can accumulate knowledge, gather all the data, and still make unwise decisions. Quite honestly, if we are observant, we will see people make unwise decisions nearly every day, even when they have the information to make a wise decision.

Wisdom is not simply given to us. It comes from experience and listening to advice from more experienced people. The most important ingredient to gaining wisdom is being very closely connected to God and his Word. As we ask God to grant us wisdom, we must be prepared to follow his guidance, learn the lessons from not following it, and be willing to give up our own notions and preferences. We also can search through the book of Proverbs to learn the qualities of a wise person.

It is as we become wiser that we make better decisions. As we make wise decisions, we see better results and more success. That success includes others coming to us for advice. Wisdom does not include rambling on but speaks only the few thoughtful words needed. Those few words are powerful. Yet, the wise person continues to listen and learn, gaining more wisdom from those they interact with.

I pray we all seek to be wise. I pray we choose to listen and learn to gain wisdom. I pray each one of us will spend time gaining wisdom from God’s Word. Seek to be wise. Learn from others. Give up your own notions and preferences. Make wise decisions. Speak thoughtful, powerful words.

Ephesians 4:13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who will no longer take advice.

Recommit to Jesus

Do you like to have a good plan in your hands (or mind)? Have you found that any plan you make must have a secondary plan, in the event something goes awry? Would you like to have a fool-proof plan? Would you jump on it, if I told you there is one available to you?

Planning is both time consuming and exhausting. As we think through every permutation, we often find many opportunities for it to go wrong, thereby requiring us to create backup plans. Depending on the complexity, we may feel like giving up. But there is hope.

Many of us want to know what God’s plan is. Though we are not given every little detail, God has made his plan known to us. It is simple. It is easy to remember. God’s plan is to gather all things to him. That’s it! Nothing more, nothing less. No, we don’t have the details for every little move God will make. We do know that sending Jesus to be the Lamb of God is a major part of his plan. It is by the sacrificing of Jesus that God can gather all things to him.

Here’s the ultimate question for us: will we be part of his plan? We can be. We can be part of the greatest plan ever made. How? We commit ourselves to work for him. We tell others about the love of God that was displayed in the sacrifice of Jesus. We plant and water, then trust God for the growth. It’s not about great programs, entertaining worship services, or even all the good works. It’s all about Jesus. The good works should be a result of our love for Him and in responses to His love for us.

I pray we all know it is all about Jesus. I pray we choose to work alongside God in accomplishing his plan. I pray each one of us loves Jesus deeply and commits to telling others about Him. It is all about Jesus. Work in God’s plan. Respond to Jesus’ love by loving Him. Tell others about Jesus.

Ephesians 1:8b-10 With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Forgiveness and Grace

Is there someone you, other than yourself, who you give credit to for your success? Were your parents instrumental setting you up for success? Was there a mentor who was especially valuable to you? Is there someone who you continue to lean on for support or advice?

Parents and mentors can play crucial roles in our development and success. They instill discipline, teach us good work ethics, and advise us along the way. As we improve in those key areas, our self-esteem increases and our successes pile up.

Regardless of how well our parents or mentor have guided and supported us, there is One who surpasses them by far. We often speak of Him sacrificing Himself for our forgiveness, which is true but not the only thing He did or does. It is important that we are forgiven so that we are righteous in the eyes of God. Otherwise, we could not come into his presence.

Yet, it is the grace that God lavishes us with because of his love and the Jesus has for us that continues to bless us. Through God’s amazing grace we continue to receive blessing each day. When we start to dive into our blessings, we can start with those God has placed in our lives who instruct and guide us, for God works through others. It is also by his grace that we are given specific skills and spiritual gifts. It is because of his grace that I can write this devotional today and you can read it. It is by God’s grace that each of us is given one more day to serve him.

I pray we all know that we are forgiven because of Christ’s sacrifice. I pray we recognize God’s grace at work in our lives. I pray each one of us will thank God for blessing us by working through others. You are forgiven. God sheds his grace on you. God blesses you. Give thanks to God.

Ephesians 1:7-8a In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.

Chosen By God

Do you like to be chosen? Does that depend on what you are being chosen for? Were you chosen as the first, last, or somewhere in the middle for kickball when you were young? How did it make you feel to be chosen in that position? Do you know you were chosen long ago?

Being chosen can make us feel very good about ourselves. As a middle schooler, being picked first for a kickball team was an acknowledgment that we were good. However, being chosen for tasks at work may mean performing the lowest level tasks and make us feel less appreciated.

The Apostle Paul tells the church in Ephesus that they were chosen before time began. They weren’t chosen by just anybody, they were chosen by God. The same is true for us. That may seem out of place. We may wonder how that meshes with free will. We can run down a rabbit hole and be more confused the deeper we go than when we started.

There is a very simple answer, though. Since God lives outside of time and can see every day at the same time, he knows our decisions before we make them. Because God knew our decisions beforehand, he knew he would have to send his Jesus to make atonement for our sins. Therefore, God chose us by choosing to send Jesus. He knew we may want to obey but were too weak mentally and spiritually to fully obey.

We can take solace and be joyful that God chose to send Jesus for us. We can be comforted in knowing we are holy and blameless before God because of Jesus. God knows we are weak. He reconciled us to him through Jesus because he loves us and wants us to be with him. So, do not worry, rather accept the peace of God that is beyond understanding.

I pray we all are happy we have been chosen by God. I pray we know that we are holy and blameless in Christ. I pray each one of us accept the peace of God into our lives. You were chosen by God before time began. You are blessed by God. You are holy and blameless. Accept God’s peace.

Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.