14 JAN 23 Saturday - A Closer Walk Devotional

 14 JAN 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.  Others were given in exchange for you.  I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me.  You are honored and I love you.” Isaiah 43:3-4

This is an amazing passage of God's love and compassion for “his” people.  There is a hard truth that a great sacrifice was made by God in order to make a people for himself.  In the Old Testament, all the other people were rejected and the Jews were accepted.  In the New Testament, God exchanged his own Son Jesus so that people from all nations would be a part of his family.

Understand that salvation is not universal, meaning that not everyone will be saved.  God chose from all the nations of the world people that would be his and receive salvation and eternal life.  It is given as a gift to his elect and is withheld from those that are not his elect. This is not a foreign concept in the Bible. 

God did this in Genesis telling Rebekah the future of her twin boys, Jacob I love and Esau I rejected.  He did this prior to them doing any right or wrong.  God’s sovereign love and grace has been the same from the beginning.  He has mercy on whom he has mercy.  It is a marvelous thing to receive unmerited favor from God.  I didn’t deserve his mercy or favor, but he gave it.

If you are God’s child, are you joyful that you are or do you take it for granted?

Reading Plan: Psalm 20, 21; Isa. 43:1-13; Eph. 3:14-21; Mark 2:23-3:6

Daily Office Year 1

13 JAN 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 13 JAN 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him.  As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth.  “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.” Mark 2:13-14

One of the things that strikes me in Jesus’ ministry is his consistency in sharing the good news, looking for those that are open, and directly choosing who will be his.  You figure Jesus did good things like healing, exorcisms, and feeding thousands, but at the end of his ministry had only eleven solid guys and hundred plus beginning to get it.

You would fire Jesus if he was a salesman because his pitch to close ratio was terrible.  Jesus wasn’t selling anything, he was finding those that belonged to him, which were few, and developed them into productive disciples.  Many heard the call, but few were chosen.  Do you get that? The disciples met that same ratio when at pentecost several million people witnessed the move of the Spirit and heard the gospel and three thousand came to faith.

Gospel work is to be intentionally done by “every” disciple, seeking the open, and investing deeply in the few.  There is never zero.  There are always some, few, and in some cases many to be found.  There is still work to be done until you are called home or Jesus returns.

Are you consistently and intentionally sharing the gospel?

Reading Plan: Psalm 16, 17; Isa. 42:1-17; Eph. 3:1-13; Mark 2:13-22

Daily Office Year 1

12 JAN 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 12 JAN 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.  Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.” Ephesians 2:15-16

There are many Christians that get bent out of shape with the Sovereign Grace of God to choose people for himself, but never think about or complain that he chose the Jews out of all the other nations of the world.  No one, but the Jews had a relationship with God for much of history.  In God’s plan and good pleasure, he made and is making a people for himself from the Jews and Gentiles.

Praise be to God that he has made “a way” at all because before we were without hope and separated from the love and relationship of God.  We received common graces and mercy, but no thought or love from him.  But God established a reconciling process through his Son Jesus that allows Jews and Gentiles to be a part of his family.  It is through the gate of Jesus all must enter. 

All those that have entered through the narrow gate, rejoice! God’s amazing grace has come to you.

Have you been reconciled to God and part of his family?

Reading Plan: Psalm 18:1-20; Isa. 41:17-29; Eph. 2:11-22; Mark 2:1-12

Daily Office Year 1

11 JAN 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 11 JAN 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.  But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:3b-5

Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus is packed with great truth in every sentence.  Our depravity is on full display describing us spiritually dead and following the desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.  Our will and life were in alignment with Satan and had no ability within us to see God, understand, or respond to him.

God shows mercy to his chosen people by giving us spiritual birth and life everlasting. He makes it a point here to tell us that we had no part in that decision.  God solely and happily did it on our behalf.  When you really think about the unmerited favor God has shown, it will leave you speech-full.  It will make you boast in the Lord and give you a desire to tell others.

Are you in awe of God’s grace and mercy for you?

Reading Plan: Psalm 119:1-24; Isa. 41:1-16; Eph. 2:1-10; Mark 1:29-45

Daily Office Year 1

10 JAN 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 10 JAN 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? Asks the Holy One.  Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.  He never grows weak or weary.   No one can measure the depths of his understanding.” Isaiah 40:25, 28

There are times in our life that things get so overwhelming that we lose sight of reality.  We can become consumed with our pain, sorrow, suffering or even our ambitions.  Our focus is on those things and our desires to be satisfied in some capacity.  We search for answers within and come up short remaining in want.

The Christian faith understands that the answer is not inside us because we are broken sinners without the ability to choose the right way.  The answer is outside of us in the person of Jesus Christ who makes us fully satisfied and complete.  Isaiah knows that we have to look to the One that is incomparable and is capable of fixing us and saving us.  Who else can do it besides Jesus? No one.  He is the creator of heaven and earth.  He is the author and finisher of our faith.

Have you lost sight of the way because of your problems or ambition?

Lord, we get derailed in life by our suffering and even for our desire for success.  We are left dissatisfied and wanting.  You Lord are good and great.  You have loved us from before the foundation of the world and give us lasting satisfaction when you come into our lives.  There is none like you and you are capable of handling any issue or pursuit of our hearts.  Bless us with more of you and help us not to lose sight of you.  Amen.

Reading Plan: Psalm 5, 6; Isa. 40:25-31; Eph. 1:15-23; Mark 1:14-28

Daily Office Year 1