Acts 9:6
“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” Saul of Tarsus also had a reputation. He was known for persecuting the disciples by breathing out threatenings and slaughter against them. When he came near Damascus, there was suddenly a light from heaven shining round about him. Jesus Christ spoke to Him from this Great Light. Acts 9:4 “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Can you imagine such a great Light suddenly appearing before you? If you have ever met Jesus by faith, the Light of the Gospel shined in your heart as well as you trusted in Him. Saul acknowledged Who He is even in his first question. Acts 9:5 “And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” His next response to Jesus is a question that we should all ask. “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” After Saul encountered Jesus, he immediately asked Him what he was to do. If only we all had the willingness to ask the same question. The Lord did not leave Saul to figure it out for himself. He immediately gave him instructions that Saul was to carry out in faith that Jesus knew what was best. He is provides us with our instructions, but often we are too fearful to even ask the question. Fear of what He may want us to do. Fear of what people will say or think. Fear of…[fill in the blank]. The Lord is actually the One Who makes us willing to serve Him, yet He also gives us the choice of doing so. Are you willing today? Set aside the fear of the unknown. Instead, follow the same instructions. “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 19-20 | Romans 15
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Luke 7:50
“And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” The Pharisees had seen Jesus heal people of many different types of physical infirmities. Then one day, a woman in the city heard that Jesus was in Simon’s house. She had a reputation of being a sinner. When she knew that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she knew this was her chance to meet Him. She brought with her an alabaster box of ointment. Luke 7:37 “And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,” Instead of just giving Jesus the gift she brought, she stood behind Him weeping. Then began to wash His feet with her tears and wipe them dry with her hair. Before she put the ointment on, she kissed His feet in adoration of Who He was. This woman knew her condition, and she knew that Jesus was the Only Answer. Luke 7:48 “And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.” There is no record of her saying a word until after Jesus forgave her. No words were needed. Her faith in Him was all that mattered. She wept over Who she knew He is, and her sorrow of her sin. Her tears and service toward Him showed her sincerity. Saving faith in Jesus resulted in her forgiveness and salvation. The same can happen to anyone who chooses to believe on Him today. Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 17-18 | Romans 14 John 5:39
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” Have you ever played a word search? A box of letters evenly spaced, some arranging words that are found in a legend. The object of the game is to find the words listed in the legend within the box of letters. Some circle the words, some highlight. Each word that is found is crossed off the list with a sense of accomplishment. Some frantically try to find the words as fast as they can. Some sit peacefully, peering over each letter to see if it corresponds with the one next to it. Regardless of the method used, the goal is the same… to find a word. How similar this concept is in comparison to how we should approach the Scriptures. The difference being, of course, that when we read our Bible, we are not to search for just any word…but the Word. John 1:1,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” When you read do you look for Jesus? He is found on every page. Sometimes hidden within the wording, but He is there. He said so Himself. John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” If we just casually read to mark a check box on our to-do list, we are sure to miss Him. Yet, anytime we search for Him by faith, we are sure to find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Search for Him today. Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 15-16 | Romans 13 Matthew 12:13
“Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.” This man’s right hand was withered. His hand was dry, and deprived of what it needed to function. He did not even ask for Jesus to help him. But Jesus saw His need. The Pharisees watched carefully to see if Jesus would heal the man on the Sabbath, that they might accuse Him for being unlawful. They had an agenda. Mark 3:4 “And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.” Luke 6:10 “And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.” The man obeyed what Jesus told him to do, in faith that something would happen. He received the healing he needed, and the Pharisees that watched missed their opportunity to believe. Luke 6:11 “And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.” Sometimes when the Lord works a miracle in our lives, those who observe it will choose jealousy over joy. May this never stop us from stretching out our hands in faith that He has a greater purpose for our lives. Throughout the Scriptures, the Lord had people stretch out their hands before He would do something. Exodus 14:16 “But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” Moses was told to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand. When he did this in faith, the Lord made a way where there was no way before. Whatever your need… Whatever your problem… Stretch out your hand toward Him today. Psalm 143:6 “I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.” Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 13-14 | Romans 12 Matthew 10:39
“He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” Losing something rarely means finding it. Finding something rarely means losing it. Yet, this is exactly how Jesus compares our lives in light of the temporal and the eternal. If we dare to live for ourselves, we are sure to lose it all someday. Matthew 6:19 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:” On the other hand, if we are willing to surrender our lives for His sake, we will find rewards that will last for eternity. Matthew 6:20-21 “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The Lord Jesus reiterated this truth in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In Mark, He expounds on further reasoning to lose our lives…the Gospel. Mark 8:35-36 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?“ Even if we gain the whole world here, is it worth it? No amount of riches, fame, or glory can compare to one day with Him. Laying even one reward at His feet will surpass any joy that the things of this world may bring us. Finding faith is our willingness to lose anything or anyone for Him. Philippians 3:7 “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” Find your faith today. Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 11-12 | Romans 11 Matthew 9:28
“And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.” Jesus had just left Jarius’ house where He healed his daughter. His fame was spreading abroad across the land. People were talking about Who Jesus is, and what miracles He was performing. Isn’t it interesting that the next people mentioned were two blind men? They obviously had never seen Jesus, but they must have heard about Him. Much like us today. Matthew 9:27 “And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.” They sought His help and healing, without ever laying eyes upon Him. That is faith. The question Jesus asked them, is often the same question that He asks of us. “Believe ye that I am able to do this?“ Our belief in Him determines the state of our faith. Imagine the two blind men speaking in unison, “Yea, Lord.” Matthew 9:29 “Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.” Their faith became sight…literally. What is your expectation of Him today? He will meet you there. “According to your faith be it unto you.” Imagine if the two blind men had answered, “Maybe, Lord.” Or, “No, Lord.” They would have remained blind. If we believe He is Able to provide what we need, He will. If doubt exists, we are likely to miss out. Expecting faith waits with anticipation of what He has planned. What are you expecting Him to do today? “According to your faith be it unto you.” God will meet you at your expectation of Him. Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 9-10 | Romans 10 Mark 2:5
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” There was once a day that when people heard Jesus was preached, they would flood the house to hear the Truth. Multitudes would line the street in front of the door so much so that no one else could get in. This particular day, Jesus Himself was preaching the Word. Four men carried their friend sick of the palsy upon his bed. This man could not walk to Jesus on his own. They could not carry him through the door because of the crowd; yet, they refused to give up. They were determined to get him to Jesus. Mark 2:4 “And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.” Luke’s account of this scene tells us why they went to such extremes to help their friend. They knew there was only One Who could intervene. Luke 5:19 “And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.” The sick man may have had faith that Jesus could heal him, but we are told what got the Lord’s attention that day. It was not the palsy man upon the bed. It was the faith of his friends that Jesus saw. They were not focused on their own needs that day. Instead, they bound together to make a difference in their friend’s life. He needed a miracle, and they knew that only Jesus could perform it. Do we have faith to bring someone else to Jesus? Enough faith to resort to desperate methods in order to get them the help they need? Most likely their situation does not require you to scale the walls of a house, rip off the roof, and lower them down through the ceiling. What a picture of the true faith these men had in Who Jesus is and what He could do. Could the same be said of you? Are you willing to do whatever it takes, no matter how strange it may seem, for Jesus to see your faith that He can intervene in someone else's life? Intercessory prayer can make a difference. But it is the faith behind those prayers for others that truly makes the difference. Intercede on someone’s behalf asking God to do what only He can in their life. Prayer changes things. Faith makes the impossible possible. How is your intercessory faith today? Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 7-8 | Romans 9 Matthew 6:33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The entire chapter of Matthew 6 is the middle of what is commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount which Jesus preached unto the multitudes. Many well-known verses come from the chapters which Jesus spoke upon the mountain that day. If you visit Israel, the place where this likely took place is near the Sea of Galilee and makes it easy to imagine how the voice of Jesus sounded through the landscape. Did He need a mountain to make His voice heard? No. But He utilized His own creation that day to make His human voice louder for all to hear. What does it mean to seek the kingdom of God? The context of this passage is Jesus teaching His followers to not take any thought for their need of food, drink, or clothing. His also told them why they should not worry about those things. Matthew 6:32 “(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.“ The next verse He tells them what to do instead. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” He simply wanted them to have faith that He would provide. Trusting in Him should not be the second, third, fourth or fifth thing we do. We are to first seek Him by faith. Possessing and practicing faith is most effective when it is prioritized. Why complicate things by trying everything else before we decide to trust Him? How much better would our lives be if we simply lived by faith? Therein lies the problem to the issues we face. To seek Him first is to have faith in Him before we worry about anything. Instead of prioritizing everything else, make Him your priority today. What a difference we would see if our day to day lives if He was first. Jesus told the multitudes what would happen if they chose to seek Him first… “…and all these things shall be added unto you.” Make faith in Him your priority today. Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 5-6 | Romans 8 Mark 11:22
“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” Before every season of Major League Baseball, all 30 teams head south to Spring Training for a few months. They have daily workouts with their coaches and teammates for a few weeks, and then play several unofficial games with opposing teams in order to get themselves ready for when it really counts. They practice. As Christians, it is vital that we practice our faith. The practice of faith comes in two forms:
We must not only possess faith; we must practice it. The practice of faith is always directed to the Person of our faith. Psalm 62:8 “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” Faith is trusting Him. Faith is believing in Him. We cannot please Him if we do not have faith. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Our desire should be to please Him. Faith not only pleases Him, it brings glory and honor to Him. Practice your faith in Him today. Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 3-4 | Romans 7 Matthew 17:20
“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Jesus chose to use the mustard seed, likely the smallest seed known to the Jews, as an illustration that the smallest amount of faith can make a difference. “If ye have faith…” Mustard seed faith is simply the possession of faith. Mark 4:31-32 “It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.” Seeds are meant to be planted. We must sow our faith in order to reap what only He can provide. Faith is simply our belief that He is Able even when we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 shows us that all things are possible through and by faith. If we have faith, we can see and experience the impossible. Matthew 21:21 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” We either have faith or we do not. Scripture tells us over and over the difference faith makes. He simply wants us to ask and believe. Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 1-2 | Romans 6 |
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