Seek First – Kingdom Focused Devotionals

In Christian circles we sometimes use the term “called” to refer to a person’s vocation, his life’s work.  We may speak of a pastor or a missionary being “called” to their particular ministry.  In Romans 1:6 Paul writes: “We have received grace…including yourselves who are also Jesus Christ’s by calling.” 

            He was writing this letter to all the believers in Rome.  Thus, while it is true that certain persons are “called” to unique ministry vocations, it is equally true that all Christians are “Jesus Christ’s by calling.”  Translated literally, this text says we are “called to be Jesus Christ’s,” that we are His property.  We belong to Him. 

            It may be hard for you to believe that God loves you so much that He called you to be His own.  He purchased you for Himself at the price of His own Son.  If you have ever struggled with issues of low self-esteem, you may find this promise hard to believe.  Perhaps you haven’t accomplished many of the goals and dreams you set for yourself or you haven’t received much affirmation from the significant people in your life. 

            Let this verse become the promise that the Holy Spirit uses to remind you how loved and cherished you are by your heavenly Father.  

Prayer:  Thank you for calling me.  Teach me what it means to be called to belong to you.  Amen.

I have several friends with whom I have such a close bond that I can be separated for them for a time, but when we meet again it is like we were together yesterday.  These are the people with whom you can share your secret pains and your great dreams. 

            I often try to imagine how the disciples must have felt when Jesus declared—“You are My friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:34).  Did you notice that genuine friendship implies responsibility?  Thus it is not surprising that Jesus told the disciples that His friends obey His commands.  As friends of Christ, we know that His love is steadfast and His word is true and therefore we desire to obey. 

            Along with the responsibilities of friendship there are also privileges.  Listen to verse 15: “I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing, I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father.” 

            This is one of my favorite “we are” passages because it teaches us that He has chosen us as His friends (16) not because of any merit on our part, but because of His great love.  Have you spent any quality time with your friend Jesus?  Told anyone about Him lately? 

Prayer:  It is beyond my comprehension that You chose me as Your friend.  Help me to introduce others to my best friend.  Amen.

We love the great “I Am” declarations in the Gospel of John and well we should.  They not only identify Jesus as God, they declare something of His character and His activity on our behalf.  When I read John 15:5—“I am the vine; you are the branches”—I am overwhelmed by the intimacy of the vine and the branch. 

            The relationship between vine and the branch is so close that the vine “abides” in the vine.  Equally amazing is the fact that the vine and its indwelling branches are superintended by the Father (v. 1).  Our Father loves us so much He personally overseas the condition of our life in Christ.

            Everything the Father does to and for the branches is designed to enable us to bear much fruit.  When we bear spiritual fruit, we “prove” ourselves to be Jesus’ disciples and we glorify the Father (v. 8). 

            The connection between vine and branch is so intimate that the branch can do “nothing” apart from the vine (v. 5).  We like to believe that we could do some things apart from Him and that we only need to turn to Him when we encounter the difficult challenges.  The Christian life, however, is one that is wholly dependent on the life that flows through the vine.            

Prayer:  I confess that often I try to please you in my own strength.  Forgive me.  May I learn to abide in You today and every day.  Amen.

If you have ever watched any courtroom drama, whether real or dramatized, the key component of the trial is the witnesses which are called to the stand.  The testimony of those who were present at the scene of the crime or accident was critical evidence that allowed the lawyer to establish his case. 

            At the end of the gospels, Jesus tells His disciples that they are witnesses of His life, death, and resurrection (cf. Luke 24:48).  Jesus had opened their minds to understand that His entire life had been lived in fulfillment of those things predicted by Moses and the Prophets.  Now these witnesses had been given the unique privilege and responsibility of heralding this good news to all nations. 

            We can’t allow this kingdom promise to reside in the first century alone.  If you have experienced Christ in redemption, you have become an eyewitness of His power to save and transform.  Thus you have a unique story to tell.  No one else has your exact story and the world deserves to hear what you have experienced. 

            Witness is what we are before it is what we do.  But far too many Christians have hidden their story under a bushel.  I know you may be a little frightened to tell your story but I have good news for you.  The same empowering promised to the first century believers is available to you.  (If you need a little practical help check out Splashinfo.com.) 

Prayer:  Thank you, Father for your grace.  Give me the opportunity to tell my story to someone today.  Amen

When I was a child, I loved the little song that began, “This little light of mine, I’ma gonna let it shine.”  It went on to talk about putting it under a bushel and not allowing Satan to blow it out.   This little children’s song may seem a little tame for today’s children, but its message is anything but tame. 

            Jesus, addressing His first disciples, declared: “You are the light of the world.  A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:14).  Followers of Jesus are “light.”  Being light is not optional for the Christian.  It is what we are by virtue of our relationship with Jesus.  Jesus is the Light who came into the world to enlighten every man (John 1:9).  Thus our relationship with Jesus enables us to reflect His light to a dark and needy world. 

            The Apostle Paul expressed the same truth in this manner; “Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world” (Phil. 2:14-15).  I hear many believers bemoan the fact that the world seems to be darker and more evil.  Perhaps the problem is that we are reflecting less and less of the character of Christ, who is the Light.

            For light to have an impact, it must be made visible.  That’s why Jesus told the disciples that light could not be hidden under a basket, but must be positioned like a city on a hill.         

            We are to live in such a distinctive manner that our light will draw people to Jesus. 

Prayer:  Forgive me when my bashfulness causes me to hide my light.  Let me shine for you today.  Amen

We have plenty of counselors today—both the secular and the Christian variety.  We have the paid and the unpaid, the invited and the uninvited.  The plethora of counselors probably is a good indication of the complexity of life today. 

            Isaiah, the prophet, speaks of the coming of One who would be Wonderful Counselor (Isa. 9:6).  Isaiah wrote during dark and depressing days.  Isaiah swept back the dark clouds by promising that those who were “walking in darkness” would see a great light. 

            Today we know that these grand titles from Isaiah 9:6 were all fulfilled in Jesus.  He is the Wonderful Counselor.  Look at Jesus as He counsels the woman taken in adultery.  He offers her grace and forgiveness and yet confronts her with the reality of the destructive nature of her sin.  His counsel was a perfect balance of grace and truth.

            We have a Wonderful Counselor in Jesus, but to benefit from His counsel, we must be willing to listen to Him, meditating on His Word, and then taking the prescription offered from His Word.  In other words, we must be prepared to heed and obey the Words of the Wonderful Counselor.  By the way, Our Counselor sent the Holy Spirit to enable us to hear and obey His Word.  

Prayer:  I confess to you my need of a counselor today.  I will listen and obey.  Amen

This weeks devotionals are abbreviated from God Is.  Check it out on AuxanoPress.com

So go the words of the popular Christian song.  But what do we mean when we sing those words? 

            In Ephesians 2:20 Paul writes—“{You are} built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.”  The context preceding this declaration talks about redemption which is freely given by grace (2:8-9).  Our redemption means that we are no longer “foreigners and strangers, but…members of God’s household” (19).

            The cornerstone is the central foundation stone which binds the whole structure together.  The imagery of “cornerstone” has great Old Testament lineage.  The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakeable” (28:16).  Paul tells us that Jesus is the cornerstone laid by the Father and that we now, by virtue of our faith in Him, are now linked to that stable foundation. 

            I like the word “unshakeable,” don’t you?  It seems like everything today is being shaken.  Wall Street has certainly been shaken.  The world economy has been shaken.  I am glad to know that my life is secure and unshakeable since my faith has linked me to the Cornerstone. 

Prayer:  I praise You as my cornerstone.  Forgive me when I feel shaken by the events around me.  Amen.

Peter refers to Jesus as the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4).  If you look at that verse in its context, you will find that Peter was challenging his fellow church leaders to shepherd those under their leadership freely and joyously.  Like a shepherd they were to lead with tender care. 

            The idea of Jesus as shepherd was actually introduced earlier in 1 Peter 2:25—“For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”  Isn’t it wonderful to think of Jesus as a caring shepherd who serves as the guardian of our souls?

            You may recall that John records that Jesus referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. who unlike the false shepherds, refused to desert the sheep at the first sign of danger. Instead of exposing His sheep to danger, Jesus laid down His life for the sheep (Jn. 10:11-14).  The image is of the shepherd who was willing to place his own body between his sheep and any enemy. 

            What enemy do you fear today?  It may be someone or some circumstance.  Are you frightened by the economic uncertainty of our day?  Does the political turmoil around the world cause you to lose sleep?  You have a Savior who is the guardian of your soul.  Rest well! 

Prayer:  Jesus, thank you for being my Chief Shepherd.  Forgive me when I fail to put my trust in you.  Amen

I have been privileged to pastor a large number of persons who served in the military.  I admire the discipline of those who understand what it means to be under orders.  A command is to be obeyed.

            The writer of Hebrews speaks of Jesus as the captain of our salvation (2:10).  In some translations the word rendered here as captain is translated using the word “founder, author, or source.”  They all point to the same truth.  Jesus is the means through which God has made possible our redemption. 

            As you read Hebrews 2:10 you will notice that our captain was made “perfect through sufferings.”  This does not suggest that Jesus was morally imperfect prior to His death.  In fact Hebrews 4:15 explicitly states that Jesus “was tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.”  Rather, Jesus death is described as perfectly completing His life and purpose, enabling Him to purchase salvation for us.  Thus He is our captain, our pathfinder. 

            This raises an important question.  Do you know Jesus personally, the captain of your salvation?  If you can say “yes” to that question, are you living in obedience to His commands?   The proper response to the words of the captain is—“Aye! Aye! Sir!”  Obedience is the evidence of discipleship. 

Prayer:  Thank you for suffering the cross to become the captain of my salvation.  My response today is “yes” to your every command.  Amen

Are you afraid of the dark?  Darkness can be terrifying.  The smallest sound is magnified.  Shadows created by encroaching darkness can take on frightening proportions.  But the light of morning changes everything. 

            When John wrote the book of Revelation, his readers were living in dark days filled with intense persecution.  They needed to know that morning and its accompanying light were coming.  John assures them by speaking of Jesus—“I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16). 

            The first century readers would have remembered the promise of Isaiah 11:1 that a shoot would grow from the stump of Jesse.  Notice the subtle alteration.  Jesus declares that He is both the root and the offspring.  He is the source of the Davidic line.  Only one who is eternal can be both root and offspring. 

            The term “bright morning star” recalls the prophecy of Balaam.  In Numbers 22-24 we read the fascinating story of Balaam, a prophet hired to curse Israel.  Balaam disappointed those who hired him but declared that a star would come from Jacob (24:17).  The Jewish people understood this as a promise of the coming Messiah. 

            In our sky, the “morning star” is the planet Venus.  In ancient times Venus was a symbol of victory and sovereignty over the nations.  Roman generals sought the morning star as a good omen. 

            You need no good omen; you have the true Morning Star, the Messiah Jesus!  No matter what you face today, you can be assured that morning has come.  

Prayer:  Lord, today you know my circumstances and my fears.  I will trust in you as my morning star.  Amen