Sunday devotional for 5/26/13
There have probably been times when we all have felt God was asking us to do something without fully knowing why or what the outcome would be. We may have approached a situation with prayer and meditation, asking for God to guide us to the "right decision" and felt as if we were being led in a certain direction, but were not quite sure if it was God's voice we were hearing. It can be a very scary thing, to step out into the unknown.
But if we take that course with confidence in Christ, it does not need to create fear or worry. Some things just have to be accepted through faith, like the fact that God will work it out for our good because He loves us. Sometimes we have to make a decision to take a certain path and simply ask God to bless it.
"Now faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see." Hebrews 11:1
Today many churches are celebrating Trinity Sunday. The Holy Trinity is a difficult concept even for Christian believers to fully understand. It is one of those teachings from the Bible that we accept through faith, that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God in three persons. We can't always fully explain it, but we can describe it and accept it. Jesus described himself as being one with the Father and that the Spirit was "another advocate to help you"
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you...” John 14:6-17 NIV
May you enjoy this Memorial Day weekend with thoughts that not only did fellow human beings in service die for your freedom in this country, but that the one true God and true man, Jesus, died for your freedom from the consequences of sin on this earth, and that he sent the Spirit to be another advocate before the Father for you. May you accept this fully, with all awe and honor to our Triune God, through faith!
written by Jan Andersen
This is an interesting juxtaposition of truths that are unusual to group together. However, it works and brings a new light on the things you wrote about. Very interesting and very good food for thought.
ReplyDeleteGod bless!
I felt that unusual juxtaposition in the Hebrews quote "sure of what we hope for" and "certain of what we do not see" to me meant different things, but both being accepted by faith, hence my choice of two different aspects of things we accept through faith - sure of what we hope for, in the example of praying for guidance, and certain of what we do not see, in the example of believing in the Triune God. Thanks for the feedback!
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