Your Refreshing Daily Devotional

Recently, I shared an elevator ride with two men. One must be in his early sixties and the other much older. The older one said that since he clocked a certain age, he had decided to take life easier. He was no longer willing to run around just to make ends meet. He chose to resign from living anxiously. There is a form of anxiety that arises when people think in terms of sustenance. The question is this: Must we wait until old age before letting go of anxiety? From our text, Jesus wants us to discard anxiety pretty much now and not at a later time in life.

Jesus wants us to discard anxiety pretty much now and not at a later time in life…If He gave us the more important things, the lesser ones are guaranteed.

Jesus’ teaching on anxiety spanned from verse 25 to verse 33. In this portion of the Bible, He attacked anxiety while teaching His disciples. In that discussion, He presented three key reasons why we should not worry about sustenance. Firstly, worry does not change anything. Secondly, God’s tender care over smaller creatures should keep us at rest that He will take care of us. The birds of the air receive their rations without stress. The lilies in the valley have annual makeovers. God’s tender care makes this possible for them; and He can do more than that for us who are made in His image. Finally, according to the law of priority, life holds greater value than food, and the body is more important than clothing. If He gave us the more important things, the lesser ones are guaranteed.

Jesus stands out as the greatest teacher of all time, not only because of the truth He proclaimed but also because He lived out His teachings. As a matter of fact, what He taught proceeded from His actions. Luke tells us of ‘’all that Jesus began to do and teach’’. For Him, doing precedes teaching. He wanted His disciples to serve one another after His departure, so He demonstrated that by washing their feet. Only after washing their feet did He explain the meaning behind His actions. Jesus taught only what He practiced, so He is a perfect model of everything good. His actions also teach us that only those who practice what they preach can truly earn followership without coercion.

Jesus taught only what He practiced, so He is a perfect model of everything good…The moral authority to teach a thing derives from the practice of it.

The need to be a doer of the word and not just a teacher of it was stressed in one of Charles Spurgeon’s commentaries. He was dealing with children upbringing as entrenched in Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (NKJV). Charles Spurgeon put a beautiful spin on this verse when he said, “Train up a child in the way he should go – but be sure you go the way yourself.” Children are more likely to imitate their parents’ actions than follow their words. The moral authority to teach a thing derives from the practice of it.

Apostle Peter offered wise counsel to believing women with unbelieving husbands. That is what we have in this verse: “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,” I Peter 3:1 NKJV. His counsel was based on the reality that not all men can be persuaded by words, no matter how eloquent or persuasive the speaker may be. However, good conduct demonstrated by their wives could be the bait for them to embrace the gospel of Christ. The summary of his approach was, “If words fail, try godly living.”

A little kindness shown to people can pave the way for them to embrace the message of the Cross. The gospel of Jesus essentially is not in words only but actions.

Earlier, Peter had given similar advice to all believers. He encouraged us to maintain honourable conduct. A good behaviour can humble unbelievers and lead them to conviction. There are those who will not make sense of our doctrine; but they can never discount our kind deeds towards them. A little kindness shown to people can pave the way for them to embrace the message of the Cross. The gospel of Jesus essentially is not in words only but actions. If we take our Christianity from mere rhetorics to practical acts of love, we will speed up the work of God in the nations.

Many years ago, a brother who experienced his first breakthrough told me he would purchase a prestigious car. I wondered why that was the first thing on his mind. He replied that driving it to apply for contracts would make others take him more seriously. That story reminded me of another. One Peter Baker was asked if he ever got treated differently because of the vehicle he was driving. His answer was in the affirmative. He had bought a used Mercedes Sprinter Limo for $30,000 for his automotive accessory business. The actual cost of a brand-new one was $140,000. He admitted that for the two years he owned the vehicle, people treated him more respectfully. Wherever he parked his car, people begged him to allow them have a look at the interior. Beyond this, clients stopped asking for receipts; they just trusted him.

…we are to honour all people. This is because every human being has a measure of dignity.

It is unfortunate that people are mainly assessed based on material things. We tend to honour those who wear designer dresses, ride heavy automobiles and live in great mansions. The Bible gives us a different set of criteria to determine who is worthy of respect. Firstly, old people should be respected. “‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:32 NKJV. Secondly, gospel workers are to be respected. “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.” I Timothy 5:17 NKJV. In Psalm 15, we are enjoined to respect those who fear God, no matter their physical status or material fortune. Finally from our text, we are to honour all people. This is because every human being has a measure of dignity.

A branch of our church had its Restoration and Breakthrough Seminar sometime last month. Taking a bearing from 1 Peter 2:9, I stressed the point that salvation means transiting from the darkness into the kingdom of light. As such, we win by light. The light here refers to the revelatory truth of God’s word. As the Psalmist said, when the light of God’s word enters our hearts, we gain understanding.

His death and resurrection made it possible for us to be adopted into the family of God. Jesus’ Father has become the Father of all believers…Through Christ we have forgiveness of sins and a stake in the Father.

Our text presents one such light of revelation. As Mary attempted to hold Jesus that resurrection morning, Jesus cautioned against it. He told her that He had not yet ascended to His Father. He also referred to His Father as Mary’s Father too! Here is the powerful light from Jesus’ words: His death and resurrection made it possible for us to be adopted into the family of God. Jesus’ Father has become the Father of all believers. A further implication is that whatever Jesus has access to have also been freely given to us. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:16-17 NKJV. Through Christ we have forgiveness of sins and a stake in the Father.

This passage is one of several Messianic passages we have in the book of Psalms. This captures the last words of Jesus before He gave up the ghost. Was this a committal that people make when all hope is lost? Was this a surrender to failure? No, this was a committal to the loving care and ability of the Father to come through for Him. As He was about to breathe His last, He knew that three days and night would pass over Him in the dark regions of the earth. He Himself had foretold of this when He asked the Jews to throw down the temple, and that it would be rebuilt in three days. The Bible later explained that He spoke of the temple of His body. Again, when they asked for a sign, He told them that the only sign He would give was that of Jonah. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, even so would He be in the belly of the earth.

Walking with God requires trust… Our confidence in God should stem from the fact that in His dealings with past generations, He never failed. Neither would He start now.

Jesus knew of the Father’s plan to raise Him by His Spirit after three days. It was based on the fact that God would be faithful to His promise that He committed His spirit to Him. Walking with God requires trust. We have to believe in His faithfulness and learn to take Him at His word. Our confidence in God should stem from the fact that in His dealings with past generations, He never failed. Neither would He start now.