You don’t have to fix yourself before coming to Jesus. 🤍
He meets you in the broken places, carries what feels too heavy and reminds you that you are already loved.
He meets you in the broken places, carries what feels too heavy and reminds you that you are already loved.
❤5🔥3
August 6: Feeling Entitled
#Devotional
Isaiah 10:20–12:6; Luke 4:1–44; Job 3:17–26
Familiarity breeds contempt, so the saying goes. But the line from Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Lion” wasn’t meant to imply that we often take those closest to us for granted. Rather, the fox fails to properly acknowledge the lion—the king of all beasts—because he doesn’t know his place. His self-perception is dangerously inflated.
The same is true for the fickle Nazarenes who heard Jesus interpret the Scriptures. When Jesus preached in the synagogue of His hometown, the Nazarenes were initially receptive. But when He interpreted the prophet Isaiah’s words in a way they disliked—a way that showed Him as the one who “proclaim[s] release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18; see Isa 61:1)—they belittled Him: “Is this man not the son of Joseph?” (Luke 4:22).
The Nazarenes weren’t ready to admit their need (Luke 4:23). They didn’t understand that they were blind and unrepentant. They may have expected Jesus to perform miracles for them—after all, He was a local. But He didn’t show them physical proof of the spiritual truth that they were unwilling to grasp. Instead, He reminded them that Elijah the prophet was sent to a Sidonian woman and Elisha to a Syrian. God chose to show mercy and healing to those who were unfamiliar with Him because they were willing to believe. They were willing to humble themselves to a point where belief was possible.
The Nazarenes’ response to Jesus tells a spiritual truth that we might easily overlook. When it comes to the Christian life, it’s tempting to feel that we have status. When we’re comfortable—when we know what to expect from preaching and have memorized the pertinent passages—we can feel a sense of entitlement that is dangerous. Entitlement breeds contempt that needs to be uprooted. Unless we see our true state—that we need to be set free—we forget that we need to humble ourselves before the Lamb of God.
Do you feel a sense of entitlement? What would it take for you to become humble before Jesus?
#Devotional
Isaiah 10:20–12:6; Luke 4:1–44; Job 3:17–26
Familiarity breeds contempt, so the saying goes. But the line from Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Lion” wasn’t meant to imply that we often take those closest to us for granted. Rather, the fox fails to properly acknowledge the lion—the king of all beasts—because he doesn’t know his place. His self-perception is dangerously inflated.
The same is true for the fickle Nazarenes who heard Jesus interpret the Scriptures. When Jesus preached in the synagogue of His hometown, the Nazarenes were initially receptive. But when He interpreted the prophet Isaiah’s words in a way they disliked—a way that showed Him as the one who “proclaim[s] release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18; see Isa 61:1)—they belittled Him: “Is this man not the son of Joseph?” (Luke 4:22).
The Nazarenes weren’t ready to admit their need (Luke 4:23). They didn’t understand that they were blind and unrepentant. They may have expected Jesus to perform miracles for them—after all, He was a local. But He didn’t show them physical proof of the spiritual truth that they were unwilling to grasp. Instead, He reminded them that Elijah the prophet was sent to a Sidonian woman and Elisha to a Syrian. God chose to show mercy and healing to those who were unfamiliar with Him because they were willing to believe. They were willing to humble themselves to a point where belief was possible.
The Nazarenes’ response to Jesus tells a spiritual truth that we might easily overlook. When it comes to the Christian life, it’s tempting to feel that we have status. When we’re comfortable—when we know what to expect from preaching and have memorized the pertinent passages—we can feel a sense of entitlement that is dangerous. Entitlement breeds contempt that needs to be uprooted. Unless we see our true state—that we need to be set free—we forget that we need to humble ourselves before the Lamb of God.
Do you feel a sense of entitlement? What would it take for you to become humble before Jesus?
❤5
August 6 - Forgiveness: The Greatest of All Miracles
#LifeOfChrist
“‘Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven’” (Matthew 9:2).
Jesus’ ultimate words to the paralytic, “your sins are forgiven,” represent the greatest of all divine miracles and definitely the most desirable for the one who hears them. This is the holy Son of God forgiving the sins of an unholy man. He could control nature with a word, and with these words He dismissed the man’s sins and graciously made him right with God.
The verb translated “are forgiven” means send away or do away with. David declares, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12; cf. Mic. 7:19). “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance,” Paul asserts,
“that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Tim. 1:15).
That means Jesus came to forgive sinners who trust in Him.
Sin is hostility and rebellion against God and His law (Lev. 26:27; 1 Tim. 1:9; 1 John 3:4). It is incurable by human power (Jer. 13:23), affects all people (Rom. 3:23), affects the total person (Eph. 2:1–3), and subjects people to hell if they do not repent (2 Thess. 1:9).
Such a bleak portrait means the best news anyone can ever receive is the word that his or her “sins are forgiven.”
Ask Yourself
As you pray through a particular issue of need in your life right now, what are you really seeking? Are you only wanting the resolution of a conflict, the alleviation of pain, the mending of a relationship? Or does God want your eyes on even greater spiritual matters?
#LifeOfChrist
“‘Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven’” (Matthew 9:2).
Jesus’ ultimate words to the paralytic, “your sins are forgiven,” represent the greatest of all divine miracles and definitely the most desirable for the one who hears them. This is the holy Son of God forgiving the sins of an unholy man. He could control nature with a word, and with these words He dismissed the man’s sins and graciously made him right with God.
The verb translated “are forgiven” means send away or do away with. David declares, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12; cf. Mic. 7:19). “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance,” Paul asserts,
“that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Tim. 1:15).
That means Jesus came to forgive sinners who trust in Him.
Sin is hostility and rebellion against God and His law (Lev. 26:27; 1 Tim. 1:9; 1 John 3:4). It is incurable by human power (Jer. 13:23), affects all people (Rom. 3:23), affects the total person (Eph. 2:1–3), and subjects people to hell if they do not repent (2 Thess. 1:9).
Such a bleak portrait means the best news anyone can ever receive is the word that his or her “sins are forgiven.”
Ask Yourself
As you pray through a particular issue of need in your life right now, what are you really seeking? Are you only wanting the resolution of a conflict, the alleviation of pain, the mending of a relationship? Or does God want your eyes on even greater spiritual matters?
❤2
DAY 6: What kind of relationship does Satan have with God in the Book of Job?
https://telegra.ph/DAILY-BIBLE-08-06
https://telegra.ph/DAILY-BIBLE-08-06
Telegraph
DAILY BIBLE
Reading for Today: Job 3:1–4:21 Psalm 91:14-16 Proverbs 22:15 Romans 8:1-21 Notes: Job 3:25,26 the thing I greatly feared. Not a particular thing but a generic classification of suffering. The very worst fear that anyone could have was coming to pass in Job’s…
We carry our burdens without realising, that Christ carried them all up calvary's hill...
🕊7
At that time, people will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power, and glory.
Mark 13:26
History has an end point, 'At that time'.
Mark 13:26
History has an end point, 'At that time'.
❤7
Prepare, to meet thy God.
Amos 4:12
Repent, and believe the Gospel.
Amos 4:12
Repent, and believe the Gospel.
❤5
Waiting for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:13
What is a blessed hope for us, is an unthinkable horror for others.
Titus 2:13
What is a blessed hope for us, is an unthinkable horror for others.
❤6
Dear Daughter,
The widow at the unjust judge's door did not win by strength — she won by refusing to leave.
Some battles in marriage are not won by the sharpest word, but by the longest obedience.
Persist in prayer for your husband before you persist in your point.
'Men ought always to pray, and not to faint' (Luke 18:1).
What have you stopped praying for too soon?
#DearDaughter #PersistInPrayer #StrongMarriage
The widow at the unjust judge's door did not win by strength — she won by refusing to leave.
Some battles in marriage are not won by the sharpest word, but by the longest obedience.
Persist in prayer for your husband before you persist in your point.
'Men ought always to pray, and not to faint' (Luke 18:1).
What have you stopped praying for too soon?
#DearDaughter #PersistInPrayer #StrongMarriage
❤4
Gratitude grows a marriage! 🙏❤️ Thank God for your spouse out loud today — let them hear it! 1 Thess 5:18 💪
What will you say? #StrongMarriage #August
What will you say? #StrongMarriage #August
❤4
Men, godly authority is not a throne for your ego. It is a towel for your hands.
❤4
Let us grieve over our sin more than we do our suffering.
❤6
“From the tiny flea to the giant elephant, we see the engineering genius of God.” —Ray Comfort
❤4
A simple discipleship plan:
Read the Bible daily, pray honestly, join a faithful church, be baptized, fellowship with believers, confess sin, pursue holiness, serve others, share the Gospel, and make disciples.
Read the Bible daily, pray honestly, join a faithful church, be baptized, fellowship with believers, confess sin, pursue holiness, serve others, share the Gospel, and make disciples.
❤5👍4
“One loving gift can sometimes be more effective in reaching a sinner than a thousand sermons.” —Ray Comfort
❤5
Reminder: You don't have to impress God to be loved.
Rest in the finished work of the cross.
Rest in the finished work of the cross.
❤7
August 7: Raise the Signal
#Devotional
Isaiah 13:1–14:23; Luke 5:1–39; Job 4:1–11
The Bible echoes with great battle cries: “Raise a signal on a bare hill, lift up your voice to them; wave the hand.… A sound of the roar of the kingdoms, of nations gathering! Yahweh of hosts is mustering an army for battle” (Isa 13:4).
In this proclamation, God declares war on Babylon for their brutal and evil deeds against His people. Yet He calls for “a signal” to be raised so that the Babylonians might repent from their great wickedness. They have an opportunity to surrender to Yahweh before it’s too late—and we must do the same.
We tend to see ourselves as less evil than the infamous sinners of the past, but in a way we all carry shades of Babylon in ourselves. Just as the Babylonians did, we set up and worship idols instead of loving Yahweh with our entire being. Similarly, we attack others instead of loving them the way God has loved us. If we search our hearts, we find that painting ourselves as more righteous than past sinners doesn’t work: We’re all in need of a Savior. We’ve all fallen short (Rom 3:21–26). In that sense, we all come from Babylon.
Although most of us are willing to identify our private idols—such as money, power or fame—few of us realize the depth of our betrayal. When Isaiah portrays the sinner that is Babylon, he is neither tolerant nor sympathetic (Isa 13:19). Instead, he issues a harsh warning that the day of Yahweh’s coming—the time of reckoning is near (Isa 13:6). It’s no different for us today. When the nt writers depict sin, they do not underestimate how much it inhibits God’s work in us and in the world (2 Pet 1:8–15). With the same urgency that Isaiah expressed, they note that now is the time to repent and do God’s will (2 Pet 3).
God has called us to join Him in the battle against evil by living Spirit-filled lives in accordance with His will—lives of loving others, despite how hard that might be sometimes (Eph 4:1–6; 6:11–20). We must answer God’s urgent call upon us. There is no time to waste.
How can you express love today as a sign of God’s war against evil?
#Devotional
Isaiah 13:1–14:23; Luke 5:1–39; Job 4:1–11
The Bible echoes with great battle cries: “Raise a signal on a bare hill, lift up your voice to them; wave the hand.… A sound of the roar of the kingdoms, of nations gathering! Yahweh of hosts is mustering an army for battle” (Isa 13:4).
In this proclamation, God declares war on Babylon for their brutal and evil deeds against His people. Yet He calls for “a signal” to be raised so that the Babylonians might repent from their great wickedness. They have an opportunity to surrender to Yahweh before it’s too late—and we must do the same.
We tend to see ourselves as less evil than the infamous sinners of the past, but in a way we all carry shades of Babylon in ourselves. Just as the Babylonians did, we set up and worship idols instead of loving Yahweh with our entire being. Similarly, we attack others instead of loving them the way God has loved us. If we search our hearts, we find that painting ourselves as more righteous than past sinners doesn’t work: We’re all in need of a Savior. We’ve all fallen short (Rom 3:21–26). In that sense, we all come from Babylon.
Although most of us are willing to identify our private idols—such as money, power or fame—few of us realize the depth of our betrayal. When Isaiah portrays the sinner that is Babylon, he is neither tolerant nor sympathetic (Isa 13:19). Instead, he issues a harsh warning that the day of Yahweh’s coming—the time of reckoning is near (Isa 13:6). It’s no different for us today. When the nt writers depict sin, they do not underestimate how much it inhibits God’s work in us and in the world (2 Pet 1:8–15). With the same urgency that Isaiah expressed, they note that now is the time to repent and do God’s will (2 Pet 3).
God has called us to join Him in the battle against evil by living Spirit-filled lives in accordance with His will—lives of loving others, despite how hard that might be sometimes (Eph 4:1–6; 6:11–20). We must answer God’s urgent call upon us. There is no time to waste.
How can you express love today as a sign of God’s war against evil?
August 7 - Stubborn Fury Against Jesus
#LifeOfChrist
“And some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This fellow blasphemes’” (Matthew 9:3).
To charge someone with blasphemy was truly a serious statement for one to make in the religious culture in which Jesus ministered. But that was the outlandish accusation against Him brought by the scribes because they rejected His claim to forgive sins (Luke 5:21; cf. Mark 2:7). They knew that forgiveness comes only from God (Isa. 43:25; Mic. 7:18–19), but because they didn’t believe Jesus was God’s Son, they had to conclude He was blaspheming.
Unlike the paralytic and his friends, the scribes felt no need for forgiveness—they considered themselves already righteous. They rejected Jesus’ authority to forgive and further believed it wrong for someone simply to ask in faith that he or she be forgiven. For the Jewish leaders, real forgiveness came only by self-righteous and legalistic efforts to earn it.
The scribes’ furious opposition to Jesus was part of a growing pattern of persecution of Him by the establishment—a situation that led to His death. The Jews themselves, ironically, were guilty of blaspheming their Messiah when they accused Him of being satanic: “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons” (Matt. 9:34).
Every miracle that proved who Jesus was served only to harden the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees and drive them further from belief and repentance. We can thank God that His Spirit spared us from such a condition, and pray always that our hearts remain soft toward Him.
Ask Yourself
Has anything occurred in your life lately to cause you to doubt God’s goodness or feel unsure about His faithfulness? Why is such a conclusion always incorrect? How can you guard yourself against being subject to this kind of spiritual confusion?
#LifeOfChrist
“And some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This fellow blasphemes’” (Matthew 9:3).
To charge someone with blasphemy was truly a serious statement for one to make in the religious culture in which Jesus ministered. But that was the outlandish accusation against Him brought by the scribes because they rejected His claim to forgive sins (Luke 5:21; cf. Mark 2:7). They knew that forgiveness comes only from God (Isa. 43:25; Mic. 7:18–19), but because they didn’t believe Jesus was God’s Son, they had to conclude He was blaspheming.
Unlike the paralytic and his friends, the scribes felt no need for forgiveness—they considered themselves already righteous. They rejected Jesus’ authority to forgive and further believed it wrong for someone simply to ask in faith that he or she be forgiven. For the Jewish leaders, real forgiveness came only by self-righteous and legalistic efforts to earn it.
The scribes’ furious opposition to Jesus was part of a growing pattern of persecution of Him by the establishment—a situation that led to His death. The Jews themselves, ironically, were guilty of blaspheming their Messiah when they accused Him of being satanic: “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons” (Matt. 9:34).
Every miracle that proved who Jesus was served only to harden the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees and drive them further from belief and repentance. We can thank God that His Spirit spared us from such a condition, and pray always that our hearts remain soft toward Him.
Ask Yourself
Has anything occurred in your life lately to cause you to doubt God’s goodness or feel unsure about His faithfulness? Why is such a conclusion always incorrect? How can you guard yourself against being subject to this kind of spiritual confusion?
❤1